Written By: - Date published: 8:10 am, February 8th, 2012 - 19 comments
The UN High Level Panel on Global Sustainability has delivered a report about creating a future that’s sustainable economically, socially and environmentally. Our government and political parties should be looking at it and measuring themselves against it.
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, November 21st, 2011 - 37 comments
25K Kiwi kids get infections like rheumatic fever and scabies each year. Disease sthey haven’t seen in Sweden since the 70s.We treat our kids like an expense, not an investment. Then we wonder why we have unhealthy, uneducated, unskilled adults and our country gets left behind. We’re becoming a 3rd world country. It’s 3rd world thinking that’s getting us there.
Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, November 3rd, 2011 - 12 comments
In the TVNZ debate on Monday, John Key claimed that he had cut ‘back office’ jobs and increased health services.That wasn’t true. The fact is, funding cuts have reduced the capacity of many health services. ‘Front-line’ staff are doing ‘back office’ work as well and everything else is getting squeezed to put more money into ‘sexy’ elective surgery numbers.
Written By: - Date published: 11:46 am, October 19th, 2011 - 44 comments
Last election, National promised to subsidise a treatment for the rare and deadly Pompe disease. Now, they won’t even meet with the sufferers. The truth is that New Zealand can’t afford ongoing treatments that cost $1m per patient per year. National promises us whatever we want to hear to get our votes. Knowing from the start they’ll never deliver.
Written By: - Date published: 1:13 pm, August 27th, 2011 - 67 comments
Following the release of data by the Chief Coroner, suicide is once again getting some time in the headlines. Coincidentally, news from Christchurch supports the suggestion that stronger communities reduce suicide rates.
Written By: - Date published: 9:23 am, July 28th, 2011 - 45 comments
Last week, Jim Anderton said that the tidal wave of youth unemployment we’re experiencing will lead to more suicides. He’s right. The best response from the Right: slash young people’s wages and that might create a few more jobs. But Te Ururoa Flavell’s suggestion to ostracise and condemn the dead is just as bad.
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, June 17th, 2011 - 14 comments
So, the statement of intent from the Ministry of Health has just been released. This document outlines how our health service will operate during the next three years; so what does it actually say? Is health truly safe under National?
Written By: - Date published: 3:30 pm, May 15th, 2011 - 50 comments
Lobbyist Mark Unsworth of Saunders Unsworth is campaigning against Pharmac, ahead of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations with the US. They want more money spent on patented drugs.
Lloyd Morrison and Gareth Morgan have come to the defence of Pharmac.
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, May 11th, 2011 - 16 comments
In much of earthquake ravaged Christchurch life is still far from normal. The PM’s Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has stressed the psychological challenges facing the people of the city. If you live in earthquake damaged Canterbury or Christchurch, please share your stories here…
Written By: - Date published: 2:54 pm, May 3rd, 2011 - 17 comments
NZ’s doctor’s organisation is prescribing a healthier society: putting kids first, reduced income inequality (higher minimum income), investment in skills and education, and equity, not equality in our social services – helping most those with the greatest need. Take note Don, John.
Written By: - Date published: 2:37 pm, April 30th, 2011 - 11 comments
Legal aid and your rights if accused of a crime are under attack by the National Government yet at the same time, as Michael Bott, explains it has spent a fortune in court trying to defend its practice of discriminating against carers who are related to the disabled people they care for. More disgusting choices from National.
Written By: - Date published: 9:16 pm, April 15th, 2011 - 30 comments
1000 economists have written to the G20, about to meet in Washington, and to Bill Gates, asking for a tax on financial transactions known as a Tobin tax after its originator, or a Robin Hood tax as it is known in the US. 4 New Zealanders are among the 1000; Prue Hyman, Stefan Kesting, Peter Conway, and Petrus Simons. Good on them.
Written By: - Date published: 11:16 pm, March 27th, 2011 - 45 comments
Normally, we get 3.65 millisieverts of radiation a year. Increased cancer risk is associated with 100 millisieverts per year. Nuclear workers are only meant to get 100 millisieverts even in an emergency with protective clothing. Today, water in No 2 reactor was detected emitting 1 sievert per hour – and they’re not sure of the source.
Written By: - Date published: 12:42 pm, March 21st, 2011 - 41 comments
There was already going to be too little money in Budget 2011 for maintenance of public services. Now what little there was is being further slashed in the name of Christchurch. An Earthquake Levy is not an option, rather we’ll all pay through increased borrowing and 25% cuts in services like police, transport, justice and social services.
Written By: - Date published: 10:47 am, March 21st, 2011 - 28 comments
As you know, Trevor Mallard is a keen cyclist. He touched wheels with another competitor in the R&R sports tour on Saturday. 3 cyclists went down at 40km/hr. Trev broke his femur and shoulder blade. It looks like he’s dealing with it OK. Maybe he should stick to leisurely rides on the John Key Memorial Cycleway in future.
Written By: - Date published: 2:42 pm, January 26th, 2011 - 26 comments
Whilst John Key’s raising of privatisation is the first focus of his State of the Nation speech, perhaps equally as important is his intention for swingeing cuts to public services. Health and Education will have to pay higher wages from the same budget, but the likes of Police, Justice, Conservation and Social Services can expect cuts of more than 10%.
Written By: - Date published: 6:22 am, January 6th, 2011 - 25 comments
When was the last time that John Key mentioned the ‘underclass’? In his Statement to Parliament at the start of last year – after Eddie called him out on never talking about the underclass – but he didn’t actually read that part of the statement. So, what has Key actually done for the underclass that he purported to care for so much? Nothing. He’s let poverty worsen.
Written By: - Date published: 7:25 am, December 14th, 2010 - 21 comments
National are consistently attacking the vulnerable in society – those who cannot fight back and complain. This is where a lot of their cuts are aimed at – those who need it most. Be it in health, education or welfare.
And in several recent health and education National cuts have hurt the most vulnerable – our children. Not just the massive ECE cuts of Tolley, but cuts hurting those at the bottom even more.
Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, December 10th, 2010 - 50 comments
To arms! To arms! The Food Police are coming! Remember how I led you in the battle to get junk food back into schools? It was a near-run thing. If we hadn’t acted, the days of the 12 year-old who can’t climb a flight of stairs without wheezing and going red in the face might have been numbered. Now, National has hypocritically betrayed us.
Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, December 6th, 2010 - 16 comments
This collection of articles from recent days illustrate the class war going on within this country. In a time of economic, environmental, and social crisis, either the established elite can be reined in or it will use its power to cement its position and take a greater share of the wealth. Because we’re letting them, the elite are winning the class war.
Written By: - Date published: 12:58 pm, November 5th, 2010 - 13 comments
Losing one District Health Board Chief Executive, Ken Whelan, who resigned because he refused to carry out any more of National’s cuts to health services looks bad. Losing three of the health systems’ top 22 managers in three months – Whelan, Director General of Health Stephen McKernan, and Auckland DHB CEO Pat Snedden – looks like a purge.
Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, November 4th, 2010 - 24 comments
National are continuing their privatisation by stealth. Hospitals services and a new prison are the current targets. Tony Ryall, Judith Collins and Bill English are the ministers currently pushing their ideology in their respective areas.
Written By: - Date published: 12:52 pm, November 3rd, 2010 - 129 comments
The Maori Affairs select committee has released its report on smoking. It’s great to see politicians setting a really ambitious goal coupled with policies to achieve it. Labour and the Greens are on board, what about National? Well our Do Nothing PM, John ‘ambitious for New Zealand’ Key says it’s too hard. Guess we need a government with some balls.
Written By: - Date published: 6:14 am, October 15th, 2010 - 19 comments
The government is refusing to step up to save IHC providers that are insolvent due to a recent court case that resulted in IHC carers being awarded hundreds of millions in back wages. The government is washing its hands, even though it is the primary funder of the services. Will the Nats let IHC collapse or will they use this to bring in their corporate mates?
Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, October 9th, 2010 - 56 comments
Here’s a compilation from TV7′s Russell Brown from April this year, highlighting the value for money taxpayers get from paying Breakfast Bigot Paul Henry $300,000+ per year: ridiculing the appearance of guests whose opinions he disagrees with, ridiculing deaf people, women, and the disproportionate rate of infant deaths in developing countries – “but they’ve got …
Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, September 26th, 2010 - 19 comments
In the aftermath of the twin towers, the dust that accompanied their collapse gave rise to a health crisis in the medium/long term that continues to play out to this day. And given the prevalence of asbestos in Christchurch buildings, it just might be that the earthquake will result in a number of preventable deaths after all…
Written By: - Date published: 12:00 pm, September 15th, 2010 - 16 comments
Not content with destroying education to get at teachers, now National are after your health to get at doctors and nurses.
Written By: - Date published: 6:55 am, September 15th, 2010 - 10 comments
The state sector is in turmoil. Secondary teachers and medical technicians are striking for fair pay and against claw-backs in their work conditions. Junior doctors look set to join them. What’s the Nats’ reaction? They’ve appointed the Scottish ‘smiling assassin’, Dr Kevin Woods, who fired 1,500 nurses from the Scottish NHS and will apply the same formula here.
Written By: - Date published: 7:23 am, August 31st, 2010 - 8 comments
The Herald’s top story today screams “Strikers’ Helpless Victims”.
But it turns out that staff have been suspended.
I guess that doesn’t fit the Herald’s class war perspective.
Written By: - Date published: 9:53 am, August 28th, 2010 - 36 comments
1) Did the PM declare his conflict of interest when the alcohol reforms were debated at Cabinet?
2) Aren’t these exactly the reforms you would expect from a guy who owns a high end winery? No extra excise. No controls on advertising. Demonise the kids.
3) Has National or any of its MPs recieved donations from alcohol sellers? Like Tony Astle, for example?
Written By: - Date published: 11:10 am, August 24th, 2010 - 47 comments
The government’s alcohol reforms are so typical of this government: criminalise someone to be seen to be doing something, while ignoring the root causes of the problem. This is a government that would rather make a criminal of a good parent who lets their son’s mate have a beer at a BBQ than make it harder for booze barons to hook kids into drinking.
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