Author Archive

Te Whare Pounamu – Are Children Really Safe?

Written By: - Date published: 10:52 am, September 4th, 2019 - 7 comments

How seriously do Women’s Refuge, the Ministry of Social Development and Te Whare Pounamu management take child abuse concerns? This requires greater scrutiny. 

Pulling Teeth For Poverty

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, June 17th, 2018 - 363 comments

Poverty is directly responsible for a growing number of people losing their teeth to decay.  Adults unable to afford dental treatment are resorting to using pliers to extract their own teeth. Meanwhile, children as young as one are also losing their teeth. The numbers losing their teeth is phenomenal. During the 2015 and 2016 period alone over 29,000 children had teeth removed and over 6,600 children were hospitalised because of rotting teeth.

Killing Them Softly With…

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 11th, 2018 - 48 comments

In New Zealand there is sufficient evidence to show that poor peoples’ lives are cut short because of poverty related  poor nutrition. While food banks are alleviating the worst impacts of hunger, their kindness may well be contributing to the problem. Food poverty is a systemic issue and requires a systemic response, a response that successive governments are able to avoid while charities continue to provide a buffer for the system.

Who Really is Judging the Poor?

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, June 3rd, 2018 - 89 comments

Some conversations about poverty are harming those in need. Those conversations contribute to the stigma and shame experienced by struggling families, who are barely surviving, but still trying to maintain some dignity.  As a result even those in need are differentiating between the deserving and undeserving poor.

Housing Band Aids

Written By: - Date published: 9:54 am, May 26th, 2018 - 54 comments

What lies behind the homelessness crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand? Is it a housing crisis or are the homeless to blame? If the problem is a housing crisis, why is there an assumption that the homeless themselves need extra services to secure and maintain rental housing?

Why is Mark Richardson such a Nimby and …?

Written By: - Date published: 11:58 am, May 25th, 2018 - 46 comments

Being a nimby is the least of Mark Richardson’s problems. His disguised hate speech is harmful to his victims and anyone else in need of help who are left feeling the shame imposed upon them by such careless dialogue.

Is New Zealand really as ‘racist as fuck’?

Written By: - Date published: 1:35 pm, April 12th, 2018 - 85 comments

I am inclined to believe that there are at least some New Zealanders who are as “racist as fuck”.

Home Sweet Home

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, November 4th, 2017 - 23 comments

The changing face of New Zealand.