But the government can make sure they hire the right CEO for the job
My understanding is that Canada always wanted to delay the signing of TPP11 until the negotiations they are having with USA and Mexico about NAFTA had been resolved. (Sorry - can't remember where I read that now but it was an overseas publication before ...
Not only are benefits set at far too low a rate, many people are not even being paid their full entitlement. Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) have put together this useful booklet that is essential reading for anyone trying to survive on a benefit ...
I did a lot of work for the local Labour Party candidate this election, but I gave my party vote to the Green Party mainly because I knew they would push Labour on welfare reform. I will be lobbying Labour at every opportunity to reform WINZ and increase ...
I watched Tamati Coffey's maiden speech and thought that was pretty special but have just watched Kiritapu Allan's and it has brought me to tears. There's a future leader. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OFp04lHcRk&sns=tw
The purpose of talking about deserving and undeserving poor is designed to vindicate cuts in welfare and to make those who have never had to rely on welfare feel justified in their antagonism towards those who do. This country should not tolerate poverty ...
+1 I personally don't like Lisa Owen's interviewing technique, which seem to be focussed on producing a "gotcha" for the 6pm news rather than responding to what the interviewee is actually saying, but she does it with everyone - and at least she is very ...
There was also this TV documentary in 1997. Called "Timebomb" it was a particularly damaging piece of right-wing propaganda. It became the justification for pushing those on DPB into work. http://www.nzine.co.nz/changes/issue28.html
Often the mothers are too frightened to name the father - it isn't just a case of not being able to prove it.
Most of the anti beneficiary/welfare dependence rhetoric started in the early 1990s after the benefit cuts. It was a concentrated propaganda campaign throughout all media outlets, but particularly talk-back radio. The welfare dependancy message was ...
You may find this informative re section 70a as it also gives the figures for the numbers of beneficiaries affected. https://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/official-information-responses/2016/november/20161103-...
Excellent post. I am absolutely sure that 2013 figure of 41,000 is much, much higher now and it isn't just a big city problem any more. The reasons for the crisis are multiple but the sell off of state houses has been a major factor. The Nat. government ...
"The good news is that Marama Davidson is not a Minister which gives her a greater degree of freedom to speak out on welfare. It wouldn’t surprise me if that was intentional." Marama herself said the reason she didn't get a ministerial post was because the...
Eugenie Sage is the new Minister in charge of LINZ. I am looking forward to her getting her teeth into that portfolio.
Any criticism of Nash is welcome by me! Or Shane Jones for that matter. Can't stand either of them. Luckily Andrew Little will be leading the review of the Justice Department and Kelvin Davis as Corrections Minister will be working with him to reform the ...
I urge everybody here concerned about the TPPA (as I am) to sign the petition: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/open-letter-to-jacinda-ardern-put-people-before-planet-in-tppa11 The foreign land legislation is a way of getting rid of that issue so...
Labour can't lock us into anything at Apec. It still has to go through parliament and hopefully we all get to debate it before this. There seems to an assumption that Labour will be deciding it all at Apec but this is still a negotiating period. In fact it...
"As I’ve said elsewhere the ‘trust us we know what we are doing’ approach is no acceptable on such a critical issue." They have been in power for 5 days. They have only just got access to the information themselves and they have to try and renegotiate TPPA...
"Helen Kelly was pretty strong on keeping a close watch on issues she had strong feelings about" Yes - and I will be doing the same. I will be criticising this government when they make mistakes and if (when) they don't live up to my expectations. However,...
For some reason I was unable to reply to your last comment directly so am here. To make it clear I have opposed the TPPA since was first mooted several years ago. I signed the current petition to the current government asking them to walk away if the ISDS ...
No problem with constructive criticism, but it needs to be based on actual legislation, not guesses as to what any future legislation might include or not include. Same with assessments on the likely performance of MPs - making judgements before they have ...
You remind me of my mother, always looking for what may go wrong. No matter how beautiful the day, my mother would see clouds on the horizon, and when relating stories she seemed to relish the disasters, not the successes. My father was the opposite. Guess...
+1 Marty. Taking on responsibility for reducing child poverty is a very brave thing of Jacinda to do. It leaves her vulnerable to attack if is progress is slow, which says to me that she is determined to act. To suggest that she has somehow jumped on the ...
Probably too late to stop this case going ahead given they are only sworn in tomorrow but hopefully they will stop any more cases that are underway getting any further. Monstrous stuff indeed.
Could Shane Jones' ego get any bigger without his head exploding? I am pleased with what he hasn't got - Trade or Foreign Affairs would have meant him swanning around with a credit card embarrassing NZ on a world stage.
Andrew has excellent negotiating skills from his time as head of EPMU and later as Labour Party leader managing to unite a fractious caucus. Parker, not so much. It may seem strange having a Pākehā in this role when there are so many Māori MPs but the ...
I have always enjoyed your posts and comments so you becoming a regular contributor is great news. I always thought you were wrong about your reading of Māori Party poll results though!
Māori MPs have 18 portfolios between them and Nanaia Mahuta becomes the first woman to get Māori Development (used to be Māori Affairs). Out of the 28 Ministers 8 are Māori - the most ever. Also, there are 4 Pasifika Ministers. Still not enough women - 10 ...
Don't worry - that was a throw away dog whistle policy that was brought up during their campaign but that they knew they would never get. In fact, I would put money on it never once being raised during coalition talks. You can now confidently ignore all ...
I would expect that Auckland to Whangarei will be one of the regional rail routes that NZF will be keen on promoting - for freight and passenger travel. Getting the logging trucks in particular off that particular road would make a big difference.
That piece from Tim Murphy on Winston's Legacy is a very good analysis of how little Labour had to concede to NZF to get a deal, and is in stark contrast to much of the commentary in MSM. There has also been quite a lot of assumption from some that these ...
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