health

Local Bodies: Manipulated Data and the Art of Deception

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 12:28 pm, July 28th, 2014 - 7 comments

The National led Government are desperate to present the good news stories to promote the success of the past six years of their governance. They have increased the budget and the numbers of their spin doctors to ensure that it is mainly positive messages that make into the public domain. The Government cleverly manipulates data to hide the extent of poverty the degradation of the environment and the success of our economy. Of course most of us who live in the real world know that National’s reality is a falsely constructed one.

Snapshot of a nation: inequality

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:00 am, May 24th, 2014 - 30 comments

Al Jazeera reports on damaging inequalities in Spain under “austerity”.  High unemployment; 30% of children  in poverty, political corruption, tax evasion & a focus on football.  Suggested ways to decrease income & wealth inequalities in NZ. Update: TV3’s The Nation: inequality & Wilson & Pickett interview.

NRT: Stinkier and stinkier

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:29 pm, March 24th, 2014 - 37 comments

In the ongoing saga about the Problem Gambling Foundation, The Salvation Army were unaware that the Ministry of Health had decided that they would take over as the national provider. They hadn’t even applied for it. It appears that only thing driving the ministry’s decision was the complaints from the gambling industry about the PGF trying to reduce problem gambling…. Is the gambling industry is thoroughly corrupting National’s ministers?

Polity: Fizzy drinks: Tax or no tax?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:48 pm, February 18th, 2014 - 80 comments

There has been some discussion recently about whether we should tax fizzy drinks as a threat to public health. Otago University public health people say yes. Various anti-tax groups say no. Here’s Rob Salmond’s 2c worth.

Some interesting arguments

The politics of food: Oxfam report

Written By: karol - Date published: 11:08 am, January 16th, 2014 - 10 comments

Some MSM reports crow about positive economic indicators, & decreases in the time people spend on benefits. Such statistics fail to show inequalities, & struggles of people on low incomes.  An Oxfam comparative international report on food security is not good news for NZ, or the world.

Thank you ….

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:57 am, December 25th, 2013 - 34 comments

To all those making a difference and working for a more inclusive, equal, fair and sustainable society. Special thanks to Lynn for all his work for The Standard.

Outsourcing poverty: Paula Bennett’s shame

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:30 am, October 29th, 2013 - 51 comments

A charity is taking on the funding of the essential work on monitoring poverty, in the face of Paula Bennett, Bill English and John Key et al failing to do their job: a return to Dickensian & Edwardian times.

Labour supports Plunket

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:47 pm, August 8th, 2013 - 61 comments

Another good policy announcement from David Shearer.

Botulism scare products

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 8:48 am, August 5th, 2013 - 109 comments

The information on which products are at risk from the Fonterra botulism scare has taken far too long to come out. Thanks 3 News for this list.

Come in Houston…

Written By: Bill - Date published: 5:56 pm, July 11th, 2013 - 16 comments

Story of a 111 response time.

OP: Fluoridation – it does reduce tooth decay

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:59 pm, June 21st, 2013 - 306 comments

Ken Perrott at Open Parachute has been debunking some of the nonsense around fluoridated water by investigating claims (his background is in scientific research). It is refreshing after reading some of the recent misinterpreted drivel around about the science.

Surplus 2014/15: an excuse for not doing what needs doing

Written By: James Henderson - Date published: 7:50 am, May 6th, 2013 - 30 comments

John Key’s excuse for the planned veto of the extension of paid parental leave is that it would put the 2014/15 surplus at risk. There’s several reasons that’s bullshit, the main one being: why is going just under or just over some arbitrary line in the Crown’s books the Nats’ one aim for the economy? The truth is, Key’s using the surplus as an excuse for not doing the right thing.

How austerity is destroying Britain… coming soon near you

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:23 am, April 1st, 2013 - 79 comments

A raft of Tory policies have been dismantling the British welfare state: bedroom tax, privatising the NHS: NZ’s NAct government is following the same pattern of slyly changing small things, adding up to major changes that are ultimately socially & economically destructive.

Smokefree? Then Cut the Crap!

Written By: Bill - Date published: 3:30 pm, March 18th, 2013 - 48 comments

Apparently the government is concerned for the general health of people in New Zealand. Apparently, an expression of this concern is the roll out of policy initiatives that will result in New Zealand being smoke free by 2025.

Ear treatment cuts another attack on the poor

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 3:58 pm, January 15th, 2013 - 27 comments

The Nats want to cut the budget for surgery to install grommets, a technique for treating persistent ear infection (especially in children). Naturally those most effected by this ill-considered move will be children from poor families.