Glib words and false hope aren’t going to cut it
Written By:
- Date published:
7:02 am, May 19th, 2016 - 151 comments
Categories: accountability, election 2017, housing, national, quality of life -
Tags: false hope, glib words, homelessness, housing, housing crisis
Glib words:
Speaking to Morning Report today, Prime Minister John Key said it was not acceptable that people were living in cars or under bridges. Mr Key said people in those circumstances should seek help from Work and Income.
Emergency housing beds gave ‘false hope’
Confirmation that 3000 emergency housing places to be funded by the Government are mostly already provided shows New Zealanders have been misled, the Green Party says.
…
Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei said Ms Bennett’s comments about the new emergency housing funding had given “false hope” to desperate people.
Not cutting it:
Hundreds tell WINZ they’re homeless
But Labour finance spokesperson Grant Robertson said if Mr Key was spending any time on the ground he would know there was a long waiting list for social housing.
“There are huge problems with access to emergency housing and the reality of life for those people living in cars and garages is appaling, and the prime minister should be more in touch and know what’s going on.”
Not cutting it:
Latest figures from WINZ show 428 people across the country were recorded as saying they were homeless in the month of March.
However that figure is far too conservative, according to chief executive of advocacy group Lifewise, Moira Lawler. She said there was a tidal wave of homelessness in Auckland that was too big for Work and Income, which was desperately under-resourced.
The reality was there were not enough places to shelter people and many would give up after waiting months or years for housing or for benefits to be approved. “What is the point of putting yourself through that bureaucracy, the constant reporting, the constant turn-up, when if you’re in Auckland you know they have nowhere to put you anyway?”
Ms Lawler said Work and Income staff could only put vulnerable people on lists and did not have the mandate to make sure they did not end up on the street.
Not cutting it:
Laughter at PM’s suggestion Auckland homeless should try Work and Income
Married Auckland couple ‘Chris’ and ‘Dee’ aren’t celebrating their latest anniversary. The couple are going on one year homeless and laugh bitterly when asked about seeking help from Work and Income New Zealand – as Prime Minister John Key suggested to homeless people.
…
For nearly a year Chris and Dee have made a late model Nissan people mover van their home because they say they cannot afford a place to live. In their fifties, the couple, who don’t want to use their real names, said they had given up on trying to deal with welfare agencies.
Not cutting it:
Homeless mum: ‘It’s pretty scary at night’
…
Julie, a homeless woman in Christchurch who has five children aged between 3 and 16, moved out of her ex-partner’s home six weeks ago because of domestic violence and says she has been forced to spend many nights sleeping alone in her car.“It’s pretty scary at night, down dark roads, hoping that nobody is going to come in the car. I’m a bit of a scaredy-cat so any little bit of noise is quite frightening. A lot of thoughts go through your head, like ‘what if?’, and ‘why am I even in this position?’. It’s not nice.”
With no family to help out, Julie has approached government agencies for assistance. She said she had been on the Housing New Zealand waiting list for five months, but was kicked off when she refused a house around the corner from her ex-partner’s mother’s home.
…
An Auckland advocate for the homeless said Work and Income was overwhelmed by the problem, and unable to address a growing social disaster.Corie Haddock has worked with the homeless for nearly a decade, and said in that time the problem had grown to such a level that social agencies could not cope, despite their best intentions. He said it was now beyond the capability of government agencies to fix.
“The staff at WINZ are amazing, but they don’t have the systems and processes in place to address homelessness.
“They do what they can, but the reality is that the majority of people that would go to WINZ continue to be living on the street. And when you’re talking to Housing New Zealand, they’re telling people they have to wait for 18 months. Well, if you’re living on the street or in the car, you need support now.”
Not cutting it:
Homeless borrow thousands for motels
Earlier this week, when asked what people living in cars or garages should do, Prime Minister John Key had a simple reply.
“My really strong advice is to go and see Work and Income,” he said, “and we’ll see what we can do, because I think people very often don’t understand what’s available to them. “My experience with Work and Income is they do their very best to support people in those situations, especially when children are involved.”
He was talking to people like Nicole. Her stay cost $2200 – money loaned to her by Winz. But today, Nicole’s booking ran out. This afternoon she was at Winz, begging them to loan her more money, so the family could stay there. But she said Winz had no other options for her and so tonight, bed looked likely to be her car. “That makes me terrified for my kids especially, because the first time that this happened to me… They couldn’t sleep there.” She said she just wanted somewhere for her family to sleep.
And Nicole is not alone. …
This is a massive market and moral failure, and it’s obvious that the Nats haven’t a clue what to do. The problem isn’t going to go away, it’s going to get worse, and the media are going to stay on the case. Time for National to borrow some more Labour / Green policy thinking.
151 comments on “Glib words and false hope aren’t going to cut it ”
- Comments are now closed
- Comments are now closed
Recent Comments
- Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...10 hours ago - Policing protests.
Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...16 hours ago - Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...16 hours ago - Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...16 hours ago - Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – brieflyPeter Dunne writes – The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...17 hours ago
- More tax for lessEle Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...18 hours ago
- Real News vs Fake News.
We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...20 hours ago - Another way to roll
Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...22 hours ago - Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this yearThis video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...1 day ago
- Cutting the Public Service
It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...1 day ago - Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious: we live in a troubled ...2 days ago - This is how I roll over
1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...2 days ago - The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”……it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes – The High Court ...2 days ago
- Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...2 days ago
- Three Strikes saw lower reoffendingDavid Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...2 days ago
- Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry eraBryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...2 days ago
- 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...2 days ago - One Night Only!Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...2 days ago
- What did Melissa Lee do?
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...2 days ago - Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...2 days ago
- Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...3 days ago
- Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...3 days ago - “That's how I roll”
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...3 days ago - “Comity” versus the rule of law
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...3 days ago - Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...3 days ago - Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in BeninThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...3 days ago
- At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...Buzz from the Beehive
Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ... 4 days ago - These people are not our friends
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...4 days ago - Some advice from our tertiary history for the University Advisory GroupMike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...4 days ago
- Still no prudential regulation case around climate changeEric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...4 days ago
- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links for Wednesday, April 24
TL;DR: These six news links stood out to me in the last 24 hours or so onWednesday, April 23:Scoop: 'Released in error': Treasury paper hints at axing $6b flood resilience plan by NZ Herald-$$$ Thomas CoughlanScoop: EY launches new misconduct review amid Fonterra ban. Fonterra tells EY to remove some ...4 days ago - How National can neutralise serious allegations of corruption should the “Fast Track” Bill becom...Rob MacCullough writes – Pundits from the left and the right are arguing that National’s Fast Track Bill that is designed to speed up infrastructure decisions could end up becoming mired in a cesspool of corruption. Political commentator ...4 days ago
- Cleaning Up After Gabrielle.
Looking at the headlines this morning it’s hard to feel anything other than pessimistic about the future of humanity.Note that I’m not speaking about the future of mankind, but the survival of our humanity. The values that we believe in seem to be ebbing away, by the day.Perhaps every generation ...4 days ago - Gordon Campbell on bird flu, AUKUS entry fees and Cindy LeeSwabbing mixed breed baby chicks to test for avian influenzaUh oh. Bird flu – often deadly to humans – is not only being transmitted from infected birds to dairy cows, but is now travelling between dairy cows. As of last Friday, Bloomberg News reports, there were 32 American dairy herds ...4 days ago
- Tolling Existing Roads
One of the government’s transport policy and agreements with it’s coalition partners made it clear that they were looking at options like tolling and road pricing. This was reinforced in it’s draft Government Policy Statement released at the start of March which made a couple of references to it. Road pricing, ...4 days ago - At a glance – The difference between weather and climateOn February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...4 days ago
- More criminal minersWhat is it with the mining industry? Its not enough for them to pillage the earth - they apparently can't even be bothered getting resource consent to do so: The proponent behind a major mine near the Clutha River had already been undertaking activity in the area without a ...5 days ago
- Photos from the road
Photo # 1 I am a huge fan of Singapore’s approach to housing, as described here two years ago by copying and pasting from The ConversationWhat Singapore has that Australia does not is a public housing developer, the Housing Development Board, which puts new dwellings on public and reclaimed land, ...5 days ago - RMA reforms aim to ease stock-grazing rules and reduce farmers’ costs – but Taxpayers’ Union w...Buzz from the Beehive Reactions to news of the government’s readiness to make urgent changes to “the resource management system” through a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) suggest a balanced approach is being taken. The Taxpayers’ Union says the proposed changes don’t go far enough. Greenpeace says ...5 days ago
- Luxon Strikes Out.
I’m starting to wonder if Anna Burns-Francis might be the best political interviewer we’ve got. That might sound unlikely to you, it came as a bit of a surprise to me.Jack Tame can be excellent, but has some pretty average days. I like Rebecca Wright on Newshub, she asks good ...5 days ago - In many ways the media that the experts wanted, turned out to be the media they have gotChris Trotter writes – Willie Jackson is said to be planning a “media summit” to discuss “the state of the media and how to protect Fourth Estate Journalism”. Not only does the Editor of The Daily Blog, Martyn Bradbury, think this is a good idea, but he has also ...5 days ago
- The Waitangi Tribunal Summons; or the more things stay the sameGraeme Edgeler writes – This morning [April 21], the Wellington High Court is hearing a judicial review brought by Hon. Karen Chhour, the Minister for Children, against a decision of the Waitangi Tribunal. This is unusual, judicial reviews are much more likely to brought against ministers, rather than ...5 days ago
- Both Parliamentary watchdogs hammer Fast-track billBoth of Parliament’s watchdogs have now ripped into the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s political economy and beyond on the morning of Tuesday, April 23 are:The Lead: The Auditor General, John Ryan, has joined the ...5 days ago
- India makes a big bet on electric busesThis is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Sarah Spengeman People wait to board an electric bus in Pune, India. (Image credit: courtesy of ITDP) Public transportation riders in Pune, India, love the city’s new electric buses so much they will actually skip an older diesel bus that ...5 days ago
- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 6:36am on Tuesday, April 23
TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 6:36am on Tuesday, April 22:Scoop & Deep Dive: How Sir Peter Jackson got to have his billion-dollar exit cake and eat Hollywood too NZ Herald-$$$ Matt NippertFast Track Approval Bill: Watchdogs seek substantial curbs on ministers' powers ...5 days ago - What is really holding up infrastructureThe infrastructure industry yesterday issued a “hurry up” message to the Government, telling it to get cracking on developing a pipeline of infrastructure projects.The hiatus around the change of Government has seen some major projects cancelled and others delayed, and there is uncertainty about what will happen with the new ...5 days ago
- “Pure Unadulterated Charge”
Hi,Over the weekend I revisited a podcast I really adore, Dead Eyes. It’s about a guy who got fired from Band of Brothers over two decades ago because Tom Hanks said he had “dead eyes”.If you don’t recall — 2001’s Band of Brothers was part of the emerging trend of ...5 days ago - Bernard's six-stack of substacks for Monday, April 22
Tonight’s six-stack includes: writes via his substack that’s he’s sceptical about the IPSOS poll last week suggesting a slide into authoritarianism here, writing: Kiwis seem to want their cake and eat it too Tal Aster writes for about How Israel turned homeowners into YIMBYs. writes via his ...5 days ago - The media were given a little list and hastened to pick out Fast Track prospects – but the Treaty ...Buzz from the Beehive The 180 or so recipients of letters from the Government telling them how to submit infrastructure projects for “fast track” consideration includes some whose project applications previously have been rejected by the courts. News media were quick to feature these in their reports after RMA Reform Minister Chris ...6 days ago
- Just trying to stay upright
It would not be a desirable way to start your holiday by breaking your back, your head, or your wrist, but on our first hour in Singapore I gave it a try.We were chatting, last week, before we started a meeting of Hazel’s Enviro Trust, about the things that can ...6 days ago - “Unprecedented”Today, former Port of Auckland CEO Tony Gibson went on trial on health and safety charges for the death of one of his workers. The Herald calls the trial "unprecedented". Firstly, it's only "unprecedented" because WorkSafe struck a corrupt and unlawful deal to drop charges against Peter Whittall over Pike ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: Time for “Fast-Track Watch”Calling all journalists, academics, planners, lawyers, political activists, environmentalists, and other members of the public who believe that the relationships between vested interests and politicians need to be scrutinised. We need to work together to make sure that the new Fast-Track Approvals Bill – currently being pushed through by the ...6 days ago
- Gordon Campbell on fast track powers, media woes and the Tiktok banFeel worried. Shane Jones and a couple of his Cabinet colleagues are about to be granted the power to override any and all objections to projects like dams, mines, roads etc even if: said projects will harm biodiversity, increase global warming and cause other environmental harms, and even if ...6 days ago
- The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruption
Bryce Edwards writes- The ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. ...6 days ago - Maori push for parallel government structuresMichael Bassett writes – If you think there is a move afoot by the radical Maori fringe of New Zealand society to create a parallel system of government to the one that we elect at our triennial elections, you aren’t wrong. Over the last few days we have ...6 days ago
- An announcement about an announcementWithout a corresponding drop in interest rates, it’s doubtful any changes to the CCCFA will unleash a massive rush of home buyers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate on Monday, April 22 included:The Government making a ...6 days ago
- All the Green Tech in China.
Sunday was a lazy day. I started watching Jack Tame on Q&A, the interviews are usually good for something to write about. Saying the things that the politicians won’t, but are quite possibly thinking. Things that are true and need to be extracted from between the lines.As you might know ...6 days ago - Western Express SuccessIn our Weekly Roundup last week we covered news from Auckland Transport that the WX1 Western Express is going to get an upgrade next year with double decker electric buses. As part of the announcement, AT also said “Since we introduced the WX1 Western Express last November we have seen ...6 days ago
- Bernard’s pick ‘n’ mix of the news links at 7:16am on Monday, April 22
TL;DR: These six news links stood out in the last 24 hours to 7:16am on Monday, April 22:Labour says Kiwis at greater risk from loan sharks as Govt plans to remove borrowing regulations NZ Herald Jenee TibshraenyHow did the cost of moving two schools blow out to more than $400m?A ...6 days ago - The Kaka’s diary for the week to April 29 and beyond
TL;DR: The six key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to April 29 include:PM Christopher Luxon is scheduled to hold a post-Cabinet news conference at 4 pm today. Stats NZ releases its statutory report on Census 2023 tomorrow.Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivers a pre-Budget speech at ...6 days ago - 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #16A listing of 29 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 14, 2024 thru Sat, April 20, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week hinges on these words from the abstract of a fresh academic ...6 days ago
- Bryce Edwards: The Government’s new fast-track invitation to corruptionThe ability of the private sector to quickly establish major new projects making use of the urban and natural environment is to be supercharged by the new National-led Government. Yesterday it introduced to Parliament one of its most significant reforms, the Fast Track Approvals Bill. The Government says this will ...7 days ago
- Thank you
This is a column to say thank you. So many of have been in touch since Mum died to say so many kind and thoughtful things. You’re wonderful, all of you. You’ve asked how we’re doing, how Dad’s doing. A little more realisation each day, of the irretrievable finality of ...7 days ago - Determining the Engine Type in Your Car
Identifying the engine type in your car is crucial for various reasons, including maintenance, repairs, and performance upgrades. Knowing the specific engine model allows you to access detailed technical information, locate compatible parts, and make informed decisions about modifications. This comprehensive guide will provide you with a step-by-step approach to ...1 week ago - How to Become a Race Car Driver: A Comprehensive GuideIntroduction: The allure of racing is undeniable. The thrill of speed, the roar of engines, and the exhilaration of competition all contribute to the allure of this adrenaline-driven sport. For those who yearn to experience the pinnacle of racing, becoming a race car driver is the ultimate dream. However, the ...1 week ago
- How Many Cars Are There in the World in 2023? An Exploration of Global Automotive StatisticsIntroduction Automobiles have become ubiquitous in modern society, serving as a primary mode of transportation and a symbol of economic growth and personal mobility. With countless vehicles traversing roads and highways worldwide, it begs the question: how many cars are there in the world? Determining the precise number is a ...1 week ago
- How Long Does It Take for Car Inspection?Maintaining a safe and reliable vehicle requires regular inspections. Whether it’s a routine maintenance checkup or a safety inspection, knowing how long the process will take can help you plan your day accordingly. This article delves into the factors that influence the duration of a car inspection and provides an ...1 week ago
- Who Makes Mazda Cars?Mazda Motor Corporation, commonly known as Mazda, is a Japanese multinational automaker headquartered in Fuchu, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1920 as the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co., Ltd., and began producing vehicles in 1931. Mazda is primarily known for its production of passenger cars, but ...1 week ago
- How Often to Replace Your Car Battery A Comprehensive GuideYour car battery is an essential component that provides power to start your engine, operate your electrical systems, and store energy. Over time, batteries can weaken and lose their ability to hold a charge, which can lead to starting problems, power failures, and other issues. Replacing your battery before it ...1 week ago
- Can You Register a Car Without a License?In most states, you cannot register a car without a valid driver’s license. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Exceptions to the Rule If you are under 18 years old: In some states, you can register a car in your name even if you do not ...1 week ago
- Mazda: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Reliability, Value, and PerformanceMazda, a Japanese automotive manufacturer with a rich history of innovation and engineering excellence, has emerged as a formidable player in the global car market. Known for its reputation of producing high-quality, fuel-efficient, and driver-oriented vehicles, Mazda has consistently garnered praise from industry experts and consumers alike. In this article, ...1 week ago
- What Are Struts on a Car?Struts are an essential part of a car’s suspension system. They are responsible for supporting the weight of the car and damping the oscillations of the springs. Struts are typically made of steel or aluminum and are filled with hydraulic fluid. How Do Struts Work? Struts work by transferring the ...1 week ago
- What Does Car Registration Look Like: A Comprehensive GuideCar registration is a mandatory process that all vehicle owners must complete annually. This process involves registering your car with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and paying an associated fee. The registration process ensures that your vehicle is properly licensed and insured, and helps law enforcement and other authorities ...1 week ago
- How to Share Computer Audio on ZoomZoom is a video conferencing service that allows you to share your screen, webcam, and audio with other participants. In addition to sharing your own audio, you can also share the audio from your computer with other participants. This can be useful for playing music, sharing presentations with audio, or ...1 week ago
- How Long Does It Take to Build a Computer?Building your own computer can be a rewarding and cost-effective way to get a high-performance machine tailored to your specific needs. However, it also requires careful planning and execution, and one of the most important factors to consider is the time it will take. The exact time it takes to ...1 week ago
- Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass GravesTe Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...2 days ago
- Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...4 days ago - Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...4 days ago
- Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summonsTonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...4 days ago
- Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery fundingIt appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...5 days ago
- Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...5 days ago - Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environmentThe Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management systemLabour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...5 days ago
- Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise PalestineThe Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...5 days ago
- Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kindThe Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...5 days ago
- Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...5 days ago
- Three strikes has failed before and will fail againResurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...6 days ago
- Release: Environmental protection vital, not ‘onerous’The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...6 days ago
- Ferris – Three Strikes targets those ‘too brown to be white’The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...6 days ago
- Release: Govt cuts doctors and nurses in hiring freezeCuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...1 week ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extendedThe Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...1 week ago
- Release: Progress on climate will be undone by GovtNew Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...1 week ago
- Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect themNews that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...2 weeks ago
- Oranga Tamariki cuts commit tamariki to state abuseTe Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...2 weeks ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fireThe Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...2 weeks ago
- Te Pāti Māori to visit Queensland to strengthen ties with Māori in AustraliaTe Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...2 weeks ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...2 weeks ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...2 weeks ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...2 weeks ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...3 weeks ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...3 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...3 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...3 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...3 weeks ago
- Taking action on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...18 hours ago - New sports complex opens in KaikoheRegional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...20 hours ago
- Diplomacy needed more than everForeign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...23 hours ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery BelgiumAmbassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...2 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk BairDistinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...2 days ago
- Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, TürkiyeMai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...3 days ago
- PM announces changes to portfoliosPaul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...4 days ago
- New catch limits for unique fishery areasRecreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...4 days ago
- Minister welcomes hydrogen milestoneEnergy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...4 days ago
- Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment BillThe coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...5 days ago
- Overseas decommissioning models consideredOverseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...5 days ago
- Release of North Island Severe Weather Event InquiryEmergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...5 days ago
- Justice Minister to attend Human Rights CouncilJustice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...6 days ago
- Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facilityAssociate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...6 days ago
- Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...6 days ago
- Government to introduce revised Three Strikes lawThe Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...6 days ago
- New diplomatic appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...6 days ago
- Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and SomaliaNew Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...6 days ago
- Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho CollectiveMinister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...7 days ago
- Supporting better financial outcomes for KiwisThe Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...7 days ago
- Trade relationship with China remains strong“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...7 days ago
- PM’s South East Asia mission does the businessPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...1 week ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East AsiaNew Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...1 week ago
- Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...1 week ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...1 week ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...1 week ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...1 week ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...1 week ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...1 week ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...1 week ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...1 week ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...1 week ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...1 week ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...1 week ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...1 week ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...1 week ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...1 week ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...2 weeks ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...2 weeks ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...2 weeks ago
- Government urged to hit the gas on revamp of road user charges
Infrastructure New Zealand is pushing for new road user charges to be brought in quicker to help relieve pressure on strained transport funding. ...11 hours ago - US student Palestine protests against Israel’s war on Gaza inspire global action
Asia Pacific Report From France to Australia, university pro-Palestine protests in the United States have now spread to several countries with students pitching on-campus camps. And students at Columbia and other US universities remain defiant as campuses have witnessed the biggest protests since the anti-Vietnam war and anti-apartheid eras in ...13 hours ago - Former Te Whatu Ora chairperson Rob Campbell criticises Health NZ's 'savings' directi...Rob Campbell said it shows "poor management" and is "frankly irresponsible". ...15 hours ago
- ‘To lead is to serve’ – Governor-General to call PM election in Solomon IslandsRNZ Pacific The race to form the next government of Solomon Islands could be a tight one, with no single party emerging from the election with enough seats to govern. Caretaker prime minister Manasseh Sogavare’s Our Party did the best, securing 15 out of the 50 seats in the House. ...15 hours ago
- Bryce Edwards – FastTrackWatch: The Case for the Government’s Fast Track BillAnalysis by Dr Bryce Edwards, Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz) New Zealand Government’s Fast Track legislation. Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government ...16 hours ago
- NZ and Türkiye pledge cooperation during natural disastersThe two countries have "a long history of coming to each other's aid", including after the 2023 Turkish earthquakes, Winston Peters says. ...18 hours ago
- Waste not, want not: New series Food Waste Kitchen turns food trash into treasure
Tara Ward talks to presenter Naomi Toilalo about the new TV show that turns food waste into a three course feast. Naomi Toilalo is standing in the warehouse at Good Neighbour Tauranga, helping unpack the two-and-a-half tonnes of rejected food that will arrive at the community support hub that day. ...19 hours ago - Vaping regulations fight 'immeasurably harder' under coalition – campaignerFocus on Politics - Successive governments have claimed crack downs on youth vaping, but the bending and breaking of rules seems pervasive. ...19 hours ago
- Dog of the month: Scout, who is so independent she could be a catScout is our latest Dog of the Month. This feature was offered as a reward during our What’s Eating Aotearoa PledgeMe campaign. Thank you to Scout’s human, Avril, for her support. Dog name: Scout (named after the little girl in To Kill a Mockingbird – she inherited the independent spirit ...20 hours ago
- ‘I don’t know if we were brave or stupid’: Megan Alatini on changing reality TVMegan Alatini takes us through her life in TV, including ‘terrible’ daytime TV, the class of Carol Hirschfeld and her most embarrassing TrueBliss moment. When she responded to a vague newspaper ad asking “do you have what it takes to be a popstar?” 25 years ago, Megan Alatini never guessed ...20 hours ago
- Behind the counter: Wellington shopkeepersA new exhibition in Wellington showcases the faces behind your local goods and services. Back in 1977, when I was a fine arts student at the University of Canterbury, I took a series of photographs of Christchurch shopkeepers. The photos were for a calendar – a project for my end ...22 hours ago
- Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand Condemns Toomaj Salehi's Death Sentence And The New Aggres...
Toomaj and his resistance to tyranny through his songs have become an icon for the youth of Iran, so his sentence has hit the nation hard. Toomaj Salehi is not the first artist to pay the price for standing with the people. ...23 hours ago - Short story: Calf Creek, by Anna Scaife
My cousin Dylan and I spotted these big eels under the bridge that summer. We watched them lounging under the dark weed, facing into the flow of water, their mouths frozen open. Dylan and I couldn’t stop thinking about those eels. The night we went down to the creek, we ...23 hours ago - Newsroom welcomes the Secret DiaryNewsroom, home of satire. My long-running weekly satirical series The Secret Diary has moved to Newsroom and will appear every Saturday, with Victor Billot’s wildly popular satirical Odes continuing to appear every Sunday. Diaries, Odes – while serious political columnists toil at meaningful opinions and stroke their chins to an ...23 hours ago
- I saw ‘The Sign’, and it opened up my eyes: All the fuss around Bluey, explainedTara Ward unravels the many nuanced layers of a cartoon about talking dogs. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. It’s not often an episode of a children’s cartoon has adults sobbing into their sleeves, but that’s exactly what happened this week when ...24 hours ago
- Jessica Tater has ambition without bordersWorking as a doctor in developing countries to help communities achieve better health outcomes is nothing short of a life goal for Jessica Tater. The University of Otago medical student has her sights firmly set on joining the international humanitarian organisation Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) when she qualifies ...1 day ago
- The island where people’s stories are paramountThere’s an island in the far reaches of Auckland’s territory, sitting off the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula, 30 minutes by air from the city or four hours on the slow boat. Aotea Great Barrier is off-grid, it has a population of fewer than a thousand people … and most ...1 day ago
- Australian author leads silence protest over ‘blood debt’ owed to PapuansAsia Pacific Report An Australian author and advocate, Jim Aubrey, today led a national symbolic one minute’s silence to mark the “blood debt” owed to Papuan allies during the Second World War indigenous resistance against the invading Japanese forces. “A promise to most people is a promise,” Aubrey said in ...1 day ago
- Israel delays Gaza Freedom Flotilla departure with bureaucratic ‘block’Asia Pacific Report The Freedom Flotilla is ready to sail to Gaza, reports Kia Ora Gaza. All the required paperwork has been submitted to the port authority, and the cargo has been loaded and prepared for the humanitarian trip to the besieged enclave. However, organisers received word of an “administrative ...1 day ago
- Have New Zealanders really been ‘misled’ about AUKUS, or is involvement now a foregone conclusio...ANALYSIS: By Marco de Jong, Auckland University of Technology and Robert G. Patman, University of Otago When former prime minister Helen Clark spoke out against New Zealand potentially compromising its independent foreign policy by joining pillar two of the AUKUS security pact, Foreign Minister Winston Peters responded bluntly: On ...1 day ago
- Palestine protesters challenge TVNZ over Israeli ambassador’s ‘propaganda’Pacific Media Watch Palestine solidarity protesters today demonstrated at the Auckland headquarters of Television New Zealand, accusing the country’s major TV network of broadcasting “propaganda” backing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. About 50 protesters targeted the main entrance to the TVNZ building near Sky Tower and also picketed a side ...1 day ago
- Lynley Hood Opinion – Senator Fulbright must be spinning in his grave1 day ago
- Fast-track bill could affect NZ's reputation – Transparency InternationalThe ministers responsible for green-lighting major projects need to be open about potential conflicts of interest, says Transparency International. ...1 day ago
- We’re all feeling the collective grief and trauma of violence against women – but this is the pr...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anastasia Powell, Professor, Family and Sexual Violence, RMIT University It has been a particularly distressing start to the year. There is little that can ease the current grief of individuals, families and communities who have needlessly lost a loved one to men’s ...1 day ago
- Species living closely together in symbiosis is far older and way more common than you might thinkSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Lichen, the first described example of symbiosis. AdeJ Artventure/Shutterstock Once known only to those studying biology, the word symbiosis is now widely used. Symbiosis is the intimate ...1 day ago
- What is childhood dementia? And how could new research help?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Hemsley, Head, Childhood Dementia Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University Olena Ivanova/Shutterstock “Childhood” and “dementia” are two words we wish we didn’t have to use together. But sadly, around 1,400 ...1 day ago
- Jobseekers get about $345 less than pensioners each fortnight. This gap is hurting, and is set to wi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University The government’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee has just published its second report. It was set up by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth in 2022 to provide: ...1 day ago
- Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What NZ data tellsHere is what 60 years of New Zealand data shows us. ...2 days ago
- The government's 20 trips abroad in AprilThe government appears committed to overseas visits with 14 ministers and MPs in 18 countries this month. ...2 days ago
- Government unveils fetal alcohol guidelines, plan for diagnosis trainingThe government is promising to step up the response to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, promising to boost diagnoses and raise awareness. ...2 days ago
- Labor facing heavy defeat in Queensland, but faring better in federal pollsSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The Queensland state election will be held in October. A YouGov poll for The Courier Mail, conducted April 9–17 from a sample ...2 days ago
- Why the potential for another Donald Trump presidency is making Iran very nervousSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Naeni, PhD candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University There’s been much talk in recent months about what a possible second Donald Trump presidency in the United States could mean for Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the ...2 days ago
- ‘The worst piece of law proposed since 1979’: Reactions to the Fast-track Approvals BillA brief round-up of submissions on the controversial proposed law. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Last week, submissions on the controversial Fast-track Approvals Bill closed just hours after the government released a list of stakeholder organisations who were sent letters advising how they could ...2 days ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Cereal giving’ by Robin PeaceA poem from Robin Peace’s new collection Detritus of Empire: feather / grass / rock. Cereal giving I see a woman’s hands, see her curious hands break a stalk as she walks through the tall prairie, the savannah, the steppe, wherever it was. See her idly bite the grass that ...2 days ago
- The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 26The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) A handsomely produced (debossed cover, lovely ...2 days ago
- Te Rūnanga O Ngāti Whātua Welcomes Commissioner's Decision Regarding Awataha MaraeThe Commissioner's decision validates the longstanding efforts of the local community and ensures that Awataha Marae will be managed to serve the needs of the local community, particularly for hosting tangihanga. ...2 days ago
- We reconstructed landscapes that greeted the first humans in Australia around 65,000 years agoSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tristan Salles, Associate professor, University of Sydney Examples of Australian landscapes. Unsplash Seventy thousand years ago, the sea level was much lower than today. Australia, along with New Guinea and Tasmania, formed a connected landmass known as Sahul. Around this time – ...2 days ago
- What do we lose when our old suburbs disappear?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Castagna, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Western Sydney University Day Day Market, Parramatta Photo: Garry Trinh I live on the edge of Parramatta, Australia’s fastest-growing city, on the kind of old-fashioned suburban street that has 1950s fibros constructed in the post-war housing boom, ...2 days ago
- Does fighting inflation always lead to recession? What 60 years of NZ data can tell usSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Ryan, Teaching Fellow in Economics, University of Waikato GettyImages fatido/Getty Images There is an ongoing global debate over whether the high inflation seen in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic can be lowered without a recession. New Zealand is not ...2 days ago
- After spending $700,000 on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costsA government office that set aside millions for lapel pins for pandemic workers is now looking to cut back on spending. ...2 days ago
- ‘A hell of a lot of fun’: Our reviews of Chris Isaak’s dazzling Auckland showThe ‘Wicked Game’ heartthrob is in his late 60s now. That didn’t stop him putting on a lively, goofy and very sparkly show. Apart from ‘Wicked Game’, which graces a sultry playlist of mine simply called 💋, my last sustained Chris Isaak listening session took place when I was about ...2 days ago
- The Week in Politics: Days of drama and demotionsAnalysis - Two ministers were stripped of portfolios in a warning to Cabinet, drama broke out at the Waitangi Tribunal, and the gang patch ban bill ran into opposition. ...2 days ago
- Hear me out: All I want is a TrueBliss T-shirtTara Ward makes an impassioned plea for some vital pop culture merch. In April 1999, I became obsessed with a new reality television show called Popstars. Every Tuesday night, five strangers transformed into music royalty before my very eyes as Joe, Keri, Carly, Erika and Megan were chosen to form ...2 days ago
- Solemn ANZAC dawn service at PNG’s Isurava battle memorialPNG Post-Courier In the early hours of ANZAC Day, aerial photographs captured an impressive gathering of Australians and Papua New Guineans at Isurava in the Northern (Oro) Province. The solemn dawn service yesterday was held at a site steeped in history, where some of the fiercest battles of World War ...2 days ago
- Political editors panel: A reshuffle and the fast trackListen - RNZ's Jo Moir and NZ Herald's Claire Trevett dissect the demotion of two ministers and the PM's response on Morning Report. ...2 days ago
- After-hours clinics on verge of collapse in some regionsOverworked GPs have signalled they can no longer cover, while funding is falling short. ...2 days ago
- Oranga Tamariki Axes Specialist Māori Roles, Weakens Commitment To Te Ao MāoriThe PSA is shocked that Oranga Tamariki has used the cost cutting drive to downgrade its commitment to Te Ao Māori and remove many specialist Māori roles. ...2 days ago
- China’s money only goes so far – Kokoda shows why history binds PNG and Australia in a far deepe...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Kemish, Adjunct Professor, School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry, The University of Queensland There can be no more powerful symbol of the relationship between Australia and Papua New Guinea than the prime ministers of these neighbouring countries walking together on the ...2 days ago
- We spoke to young people about sexual consent. They understand the concept, but don’t always ask i...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Waling, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow in Sex & Sexuality, La Trobe University BAZA Production/Shutterstock Sexual consent has been a major focus in Australia for the past few years. In early 2022 the federal government mandated consent education in ...2 days ago
- Longer-lasting ozone holes over Antarctica expose seal pups and penguin chicks to much more UVSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sharon Robinson, Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of ARC Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF), University of Wollongong, University of Wollongong Andrew Netherwood Over the last 25 years, the ozone hole which forming over Antarctica each spring has started to shrink. ...2 days ago
- Granting legal ‘personhood’ to nature is a growing movement – can it stem biodiversity loss?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Viktoria Kahui, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Economics, University of Otago Getty Images/Amy Toensing Biodiversity is declining at rates unprecedented in human history. This suggests the ways we currently use to manage our natural environment are failing. One emerging concept focuses on ...2 days ago
- Will checking character references really help you find the best candidate for a job?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Colin Bednall, Associate Professor in Management, Swinburne University of Technology marvent/Shutterstock Finding the best person to fill a position can be tough, from drafting a job ad to producing a shortlist of top interview candidates. Employers typically consider information from ...2 days ago
- A guide to Wellington’s best BYO restaurantsWondering where to host your next BYO? Whether its a small gathering or a massive party, we’ve got some recommendations. I was first introduced to the concept of BYOs at Dunedin’s India Gardens, a legendary but sadly defunct establishment, which purveyed enormous quantities of mango chicken to Aotearoa’s drunkest future ...2 days ago
- New rock art discoveries in Eastern Sudan tell a tale of ancient cattle, the ‘green Sahara’ and ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julien Cooper, Honorary Lecturer, Department of History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Julien Cooper The hyper-arid desert of Eastern Sudan, the Atbai Desert, seems like an unlikely place to find evidence of ancient cattle herders. But in this dry environment, my new ...2 days ago
- Paul Goldsmith starts as new Media Minister replacing sacked Melissa LeeThe media industry is "under pressure", Paul Goldsmith says, but he plans to plot a path forward as he takes up the difficult role. ...2 days ago
- Media industry sheds few tears for minister LeeThe sector says it’s hopeful her replacement Paul Goldsmith will be able to throw it a lifeline, after six months with a minister deemed missing in action, writes Catherine McGregor in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign ...2 days ago
- Is NZ bringing in 'Indonesian coal every month to keep the lights on'?Analysis: The Resource Minister said it, but is it true and why does it matter? ...2 days ago
- More spending cuts needed to stablise government finances – economistThe government can't just rely on axing public sector jobs and has to do more to cut spending, says the chief economist at a free market think tank. ...2 days ago
- The government's 22 trips abroad in AprilThe government appears committed to overseas visits with 14 miniters and MPs in 18 countries this month. ...2 days ago
- Loopholes will be exploited in new vape rules – expertsThere is no doubt vape manufacturers will find and exploit loopholes in new regulations, say marketing experts. ...2 days ago
- Aotearoa Party Merges With Rock The Vote NZ Party And John Alcock Elected As Party LeaderRock The Vote NZ, known for its advocacy for minor party unity and its role within the Freedoms NZ Coalition during the 2023 General Election, celebrates this merger as a strategic enhancement of its operational strength and outreach. ...2 days ago
- After spending $2m on pins for Covid-19 workers, department now cutting costsGovernment department that spent $2m on lapel pins to honour Covid-19 workers is now looking to make cuts. ...2 days ago
- An afternoon at the Repair Café, where everyday objects get a second lifeNearly everyone has experienced the frustration of something you use breaking and being difficult or expensive to fix. Proposed legislation could change that. It’s been raining on and off all Sunday afternoon but people are lining up outside a building in a corner of Gribblehirst Park in Sandringham, Auckland. In ...2 days ago
- Dreaming of my not-wedding dayWhat does a forever relationship look like when you don’t believe in marriage? And how do you celebrate it? This essay is part of our Sunday Essay series, made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. I’m going to do it, right now. I’m going to say ...2 days ago
- On the fringes of the Gallipoli battlefieldYou can’t have missed the Gallipoli story as the movies, documentaries, essays and books capture what it was like for New Zealand troops in their eight-month campaign on the Peninsula. But this Anzac Day the Auckland War Memorial Museum has published a book that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the ...2 days ago
- Govt repeats mistakes of Muldoon’s authoritarian excessesOpinion: It needs wiser leadership to learn from the past to have a balanced planning and resource management law The post Govt repeats mistakes of Muldoon’s authoritarian excesses appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Debt clifftop guardrail and ambulance removed at same timeIt will be soon be easier to get lending, but harder to get help for debt The post Debt clifftop guardrail and ambulance removed at same time appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Just Life exit from NZX puts listed company regulation under microscopeJust Life’s chief executive says the exchange’s regulatory burden outweighs any benefits to small business The post Just Life exit from NZX puts listed company regulation under microscope appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Prime Minister jumps the gun in ThailandThe Prime Minister has committed to resuming direct flights to Thailand. But it’s not a promise he will be able to deliver on anytime soon. The post Prime Minister jumps the gun in Thailand appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Daily crossword, Friday 26 AprilThe post Daily crossword, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- The outlook for engineering specialists looks bleakOpinion: Delays getting to the starting line of new programmes of work are causing significant disruption across the sector The post The outlook for engineering specialists looks bleak appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Eliza wants more than a last tango in ParisIt’s not that long ago Eliza McCartney was seriously wondering if the Paris Olympics would be her pole vaulting swansong. After years of being hounded by injury after injury, the Rio Olympics bronze medallist was still confident she would compete at her second Olympics in Paris in July, unless something ...2 days ago
- This week’s bestselling books – April 26FICTION 1 Take Two by Danielle Hawkins (Allen & Unwin, $36.99) There’s commercial fiction, like this book, and then there’s quality fiction, quality writers, quality literature; the forthcoming Auckland Writers Festival is full of quality, and ReadingRoom has two tickets to give away to the following events: Paul Lynch (Dublin ...2 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 AprilLoading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. The post Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 26 April appeared first on Newsroom. ...2 days ago
- Grattan on Friday: Social media companies can’t be immune from the need for a social licenceSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra In the free-for-all between the Australian government and Big Tech boss Elon Musk this week, the government had to be on a winner. Most people would have little sympathy with Musk’s vociferous opposition to ...2 days ago
The irony overwhelms me, and the arrogance Sickens me .
Key actually seduced “mum and dad” kiwi’s with his “local boy makes good” back story, being brought up in a state house…..in ChCh.(whether he got an inheritance later or not)
He has created a situation where his own family would have been split, and his own mother could end up living in a car, or a garage etc
Decent people learn and appreciate lessons from life, Key shows contempt.
Great post, so good that we are seeing it everyday and the story cannot get smothered. I hope this is to Key what the poll tax was to Thatcher, a step too far.
What is really sickening is the natioals governments. Lies denial. Sneering. At valid questions sof nearly every issue
These prick have had 8 years where is the planning now we will. Get some half cocked 11th hour
Solutions from these incopetent dicks
John Key is well on his way as being the most hated Prime Minister New Zealand has had.
At the time he would have been in the State house the government treated state housing very differently from what it does now.
In the past State housing was a reward, not because you were in “poverty”. Sorry but from what I understand Key’s mother was independently wealthy.
To keep suggesting he completed some kind of major life turn around is an insult to all those who struggle at the bottom.
from another poster yesterday, and maybe Key’s mother didn’t actually need a state house (and therefore was it fraudulent to be taking a resource from someone else?), but he certainly implied he was just one of us in order to get the vote, it has will come back to bite him on the bum.
“There will always be a social welfare system in New Zealand because you can measure a society by how it looks after its most vulnerable. Once I was one of them. I will never turn my back on that.”
http://tvnz.co.nz/content/903605/2556418.xhtml
+1000
Well put together there Bill
Don’t you mean R0b? 🙂
+1 Rob. I wonder if those huge house properties in Auckland could be infilled with Social housing. Mr Key could donate a chunk of his place?
3 houses had to demolished or moved for his rich prick palazzo, so that would be a no way!
Thanks Anthony, very good post
The rhetoric this morning is to demand more urban sprawl. Not immediate emergency funding before winter sets in, oh no. Tories eh: apparently calling them what they are “puts people off”.
We couldn’t even provide proper shelter and emergency housing after the Chch quake, why would we steep so low as to help out benes who by the state’s definition are responsible for their own situation?
…. “moral and market failure” is what they do best!
A couple of points re WINZ. One is that to get a benefit you have to have a residential address. There are ways around that, but if I was homeless and applying for a benefit I’d think very carefully before I told WINZ that I had nowhere to live. This is hugely problematic because to get full entitlements they are theoretically supposed to take your overall situation into account.
The other is that there are limits on how much you can borrow from WINZ. Once you have borrowed 3 times you then have to start going to budget advice and proving that you can manage your money. If WINZ are routinely giving repayable grants instead of non-repayable ones, they themselves are increasing debt on people who by their own rules don’t have enough money to live on. It’s a complete and utter mindfuck.
Marama Davidson points out that the people she knows who are homeless have already exhausted all avenues of support via WINZ,
https://blog.greens.org.nz/2016/05/17/homelessness-national-has-failed-all-of-us/
It’s a bloody good post, full of a social intelligence we see rarely from politicians. I hope I live to see Davidson as a Minister in a NZ govt.
Another thing about WINZ. Generally emergency grants are by definition for things that are unforseeable. If they are ongoing there comes a point where they refuse to pay them because by that stage you have had time to understand what the problem is and do something about it. I’d be interested to know how WINZ are treating the housing crisis.
Anyone know if there is a (valid) reason why WINZ can’t pay motel fees via accommodation supplement? Esp where someone is able to negotiate a weekly rather than nightly rate?
The free market failed Pike River miners – the free market doesn’t work there
The free market failed finance company investors – the free market doesn’t work there
The free market fails low income housing – the free market doesn’t work there
The free market wasn’t even attempted in Chch’s CBD by this government – they know the free market doesn’t work there.
..
Does anybody know whereabouts the free market actually works??
edit: oh, and don’t forget that this government want to turn heavy trucking regulation over to the free market and self-regulation too – you know, those monster 50-ton mega-wheeled trucks that thunder past and almost annihilate you with their dust and wind alone…. ffs idiots supreme
i think the ‘free’ market worked well for Paula Bennett and John Key…….:)
Ha ! when they were younger people, Sabine, the “free market” was not idolised as it is today – so they both had “state intervention” at the beginning of lives. State intervention : that odd phenomenon that we used to pay our taxes for. Don’t know what we pay our taxes for these days !
we used to pay tax to redistribute wealth to provide for the needs of greater society…..now we redistribute to provide the wants of a minority of society
Don’t know what we pay our taxes for these days !
Sky City, Saudi sheep farms, oil speculation welfare, the TPPA roadshow….
In a nutshell, corporate welfare…
QFT
Our government over the last three decades have come to believe that supporting corporations and rich people are the real reason for the existence of society.
we pay taxes to support the ‘free’ market.
see that was not so hard 🙂
And the Mont Pelerins, and Freidman ,and the Rothshilds and the Bilderbergers …etc etc etc etc…
As for the rest of the cattle… ?
‘ Whats this big building they’re herding us into now ?….funny… I don’t see any of us coming out the other side ‘…
Paula, in common with free-marketeer Donald Brash, seems to have been paid by the state for most of her life. Pushing the free market idea from a political platform is what has actually worked for both of them.
Olwyn That is what they write at kiwiblog about all the profesional polys in the Labour Party … that none have any work experience in the outside world.
My point is not that they lack experience in the outside world. It is that they take the side of the free-market against the state from a state-funded platform, while depending on the state to pay their salaries, along with their various other perks. And it is not as if they have just stepped in from busy market-based jobs to fight their team’s corner for a couple of years. Both Brash up until his retirement and Bennett are long term public employees.
English.
Yes he’s another one. And I would not be surprised to learn that many of Key’s new upwardly mobile, celebrity-imitating bourgeoisie have gained their first step on the rentier ladder through well-paid government contracts.
I think the free market works if you have an offshore tax haven there VTO….
At last a winner for the system!
.
. VTO
You are so correct ! The woefully impotent free market designed by John Key and Billy English will go down in history as the most colossal stuff up ever by an NZ Government.
The Tories – have created the most evil Tornado – and given the gluttonous rich goodies and goodies and goodies.
They have not only given NZ wealthy more than they could possibly need, but they have given foreign investors land and housing by the $billions. (often on receipt of a contribution to Tory vile coffers).
No amount of slurred speech will ever redeem Key and English.
Its not a stuff up, they knew exactly what they were doing and its impacts.
Wilful and deliberate escalation of house prices to hoodwink folks about that equating to economic growth.
English was dissected by beatson over the fact they did no analysis on the impact of gst rise to 15% in 2009 on middle/lower earners.
Nats responded by engineering the removal of stratos, dumbing down freeview and that pesky journalism.
Indeed TC ( 6.3.1.) indeed they did know…no-one in their position could have got us into our present position by being dumb ( unless dumb enough to take orders from MUCH more clever advocates/manipulators).
+100
Have got a horrible feeling that you are correct TC@11.00am.
If so, what hideous people.
Understanding market forces and their impacts on price is what made key his millions as a dealer.
Yes – quite right – but stupid is a safe consistent critique of their actions.
“Bill English is so stupid he lost us a $120 billion for nothing.”
It will hurt his feelings, and he’s demonstrably done nothing constructive with the money. But he’s not about to say “No, I’m not stupid, I’m fiendishly clever, it’s just that I’m corrupt.” Stupid it is then. The evidence supports it.
Screw safe, time to go for the jugular and serve it back at them.
Nice guys finish last is what’s happened last 2 elections up against the owned msm and CT/DP.
Oh god. this exercise in onanism is so weak. “the free-market doesn’t work because of these specific instances”
1) the directors of pike river failed the miners. not the free market. it was malfeasance. not the invisible hand coming in and dooming those poor souls
2) finance company investors got greedy, the ROI was over 13% when the banks were offering 5.5-6.5%. then they got done in the downturn. no sympathy.
3) the housing market is hardly free, a monopolistic building supplies behemoth controlling the domestic market via a duopoly distribution channel, with set limits imposed by both local and national government as to what, where and how.
where the free market works, everywhere all around you. you’ve just picked rubbish examples. look harder. or try and understand what the word free actually means. bit difficult for a lefty of course
The “free market” is a false god.
In reality it has always been an exercise of the powerful over the less powerful.
Those in power don’t want a “level playing field”. They never have. They always want it tilted in their direction.
And when it suits them, the free marketeers love getting socialist government bail outs.
That’s how sincere they are to their free market religion i.e. not at all. The real religion they adhere to is personal financial success ahead of all other values.
Another note – no large corporation wants real competition. A monopoly is preferable, but a duopoly or oligopoly is tolerable.
The “free” “market” only works when it’s regulated.
+1
Assuming that the free market will automatically give the desired outcome is the mistake.
It is like expecting the same from evolution. Evolution is real and a powerful force in nature – and you are best to take account of it. But it has no inherent tendency to produce an outcome that humans desire. Markets are the same in my view. It is up to us to choose what we can with the reality around us.
If the best outcome comes from regulating markets while at the same time understanding that market forces are real and need consideration, then let’s do that.
Nothing really is ever for free. Unless someone prints money in clandestine, every dollar that makes a rich person richer makes a poor or middle class person poorer. All that wealth has to come from somewhere – it sure cannot be “produced” by sitting behind a desk, going for the obligatory 2 hour lunch and various events at all times. And even if someone is an eager beaver working very hard there is no justification for getting 100x or more the average income. This is very anti social and psychopathic behavior really.
Sad and pathetic bilge. Has your brain (if any) been rotted by over indulgence in Ayn Rand? You should stay off that stuff. Clear off to Fail Boil where they will enjoy the smell of your rot.
What happened to all those rental vans that were lined up for CHCH folk dispossessed by the earthquake which nobody seemed to want?
Trouble is … where would they park?
If there are all those empty state houses in New Plymouth why don’t WINZ pay folk to move there? Rather than lending them blocks of $2T which will burden them for years to repay .. but show as black entries for Bill English.
I am starting to think that this is a clusterf$ck on the part of public servants as well as the politicians … by the way not the hard working lower grades but the bosses judging from the MBIE person waffling on Morning Report today about fishing.
“What happened to all those rental vans that were lined up for CHCH folk dispossessed by the earthquake which nobody seemed to want?”
that was a gov sponsored private initiative….and like most gov responses to the quakes failed spectacularly….mainly because they wanted approaching $400 a week rental from memory.
Can you suggest a way for civil servants to prevent the National Party’s human rights violations?
whistleblower unite.
at some stage they could and should speak up.
Hard to blame the public servants when they told Bennett about the issue at least a year ago.
I have been thinking about this. We hear about people land banking in Auckland. Sabine I remember you mentioning empty houses in your area. Gareth Morgan admitted to have 6 empty rental properties (tenants just dirty the carpet). These houses need to be liberated for the homeless. NOW. Political parties can’t do that, its the role of activists. Might it be possible to find out the addresses and owners of such houses and then have “open homes” . Media invited and homeless people (if they are willing) and stand outside the house and name and shame these parasites.
Just an idea. I don’t live in Auckland, but would be willing to donate and help with the campaign. …………………………..
Your view is abhorrent in a society that relies on markets and property rights to deliver prosperity.
I own a flat in central Wellington. I stay in it 4 or 5 days per month. For the rest of the time it is unused. Do you think you should be able to liberate my property from me?
yeah – thats TOTALLY the same thing as buying a house an leaving it empty till you sell it
Actually I didn’t propose taking people’s property off them, although things are so desperate I could understand if people started a campaign to sqat in these empty houses. I meant to name and shame people who are landbanking, by having the media turn up with families who need homes and naming and shaming the owners.
It is abhorrent to me that there are empty houses in Ak that are being kept empty because speculators what to make capital gains, while people with kids sleep in cars. Do you find that abhorrent syrlands or are you o.k. with that.
The markets and property rights are only delivering prosperity to the top 10%, the rest are in increasing poverty.
NZ home ownership as of 2013 was 64.8%
Which is a lot more than 10% referenced above.
But who’s actually benefiting? Home ownership doesn’t automatically become a benefit for the home owner.
And then there’s the fact that home ownership is declining:
So, yeah, back to what I said.
…being the lowest home ownership rate since 1951.
Must mean we are on the cusp of a special brighter future.
Having said that, home ownership isn’t always a great indicator. Germany has low home ownership but strong tenancy rights – people can live very stable lives in homes they don’t own.
Thailand and India have much higher home ownership than NZ.
“in a society that relies on markets and property rights to deliver prosperity.”
Should be:
“in a society that relies on markets and property rights to deliver inequality.”
Markets and property rights do deliver prosperity. Inequality is a fact of life in all political/economic systems. The richest person in venezuela is the daughter of hugo chavez. In cuba, fidel castro lives in opulence while his citizens live in poverty. I’m not even going to start on soviet russia.
Gosh, you’re well informed! 🙄
You forgot to mention that inequality, while present in every society, is highest in right wing shit-holes.
In New Zealand, for example, which is not Cuba nor the Soviet Union nor Venezuela, corrupt right wing trash have spent the last thirty years or so pretending that their incompetence and greed are virtues, despite the human cost.
That’s why people say they’re scum: rotten, low-life scum, creating homelessness and misery and yelling “but but but Venezuela” whenever anyone mentions it.
“You forgot to mention that inequality, while present in every society, is highest in right wing shit-holes.”
The term ‘right wing’ is somewhat lazy. And so is the term ‘inequality’. As I said, all systems produce inequality, and I challenge you to a> demonstrate socialist system do any better than capitalist one, and b> that the overall economic well being of the citizens of socialist countries are any better than those in capitalist ones.
You might find this article helpful http://capx.co/capitalism-and-inequality-on-incomes/, that shows how capitalism is lifting the wellbeing of all of a nations citizenry, and this http://www.businessinsider.com.au/why-socialist-scandinavia-has-some-of-the-highest-inequality-in-europe-2014-10?r=US&IR=T which illustrates the high level of wealth inequality in Scandanavia.
I challenge you to drop the drivel, and acknowledge that I am arguing in support of social democracy, which is the actual force lifting nations out of poverty. Capitalism existed for 60,000 years; the increases in standards of living over the last 100 years are a consequence of basic Social Democratic principles like “one person one vote” (you will recall the right’s opposition to universal suffrage) and Human Rights (I note that right wing employment law promotes slavery even today).
As for “Capitalism”, it’s a somewhat lazy term. I presume you are referring to eg: NZ government policies over the last thirty years, including all the extra homeless people and increased incidence of “third world” diseases.
I wonder that you aren’t a little bit ashamed of it.
PS: when I use the term ‘inequality’ I mean “that which is measured in GINIs” – so no, not a lazy term at all.
What is lazy about the use of the term ‘inequality’ is that it is meaningless as a measure of wellbeing. Inequality can increase yet the status of all citizens improve.
You continue this by your use of the term ‘social democracy’. This is a political term, not an economic one. We live in a social democracy, just as we live in a mixed market economy. I encourage you to look these terms up.
I tried to find a source to back up the claim – turns out the idiots over at RWNJ sites brietbart and the daily heil etc are all citing an anti-Chavez rag’s unsubstantiated propaganda.
https://translate.google.co.nz/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.diariolasamericas.com/4848_venezuela/3265811_maria-gabriela-chavez-podria-mujer-rica-venezuela.html&prev=search
Then you didn’t look hard enough. Google ‘Hugo Chavez daughter’. There are many mainstream media reports, quoting Venezuelan media reports.
Show me one, just one, of these many mainstream media reports, quoting Venezuelan media reports citing something other than the same unsubstantiated source I linked to.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3192933/Hugo-Chavez-s-ambassador-daughter-Venezuela-s-richest-woman-according-new-report.html
http://www.diariolasamericas.com/4848_venezuela/3265811_maria-gabriela-chavez-podria-ser-mujer-mas-ricae-venezuela.html
http://www.latinpost.com/articles/71424/20150812/maria-gabriela-ch%C3%A1vez-net-worth-hugo-ch%C3%A1vezs-daughter-richest-woman-in-venezuela-worth-4-2-billion.htm
I can quote more if you like.
Typical elite smear campaign against Chavez and the remnants of his socialist government via the corporate lame stream media.
Venezuela has been under continuous economic attack by the west for well over a decade now for daring to have an independent economic and foreign policy.
The western corporates want full and free access to Venezuela’s massive heavy oil reserves.
They’ll burn the entire country down to get it, with the help of the local Venezuelan 1%.
You can call it what you like. I’m sure you are happy to believe such reports when they suit you’re narrative. I have found no reosn to doubt the figures.
The US does not permit central and south american countries to have independent economic and foreign policies. It hasn’t for a century.
You’re not very fucking bright, are you, but anyhoo, the daily heil cites the second, I posted the translated version above, which makes the unsubstantiated claim, and your third link cites the same unsubstantiated claim made in the second link.
Another one having a bad day! What is it with you people and personal abuse? The posts I gave you are all from the mainstream media. Are they all wrong? Is thishttps://panampost.com/editor/2015/08/26/chavezs-daughter-is-filthy-rich-and-that-shouldnt-be-a-surprise/, and every other media outlet making this claim? Here’s a test for you…find a denial by her.
And while you’re at it, here’s another:
http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/08/socialism-the-most-corrupt-path-to-great-wealth.php
“Alejandro Andrade, who served as Venezuela’s treasury minister from 2007 to 2010 and was reportedly a close associate of Chavez, was discovered to have $11.2 billion in his name sitting in HSBC accounts in Switzerland, according to documents leaked by whistleblower Hervé Falciani.”
Socialism has it’s own inequalities, you just don’t want to see it.
[lprent: You don’t make the rules about behaviour here. “Personal abuse” is fine on this site. It is just part of the robust debate this site was set up to foster.
I’d explain the reasoning behind that part of our rules. But I suspect that you are just the kind of stupid dimwit who just needs things to be demonstrated to them. What kind of irresponsible fool drops on to a site and starts trying to set the rules of behaviour without first checking the local rules? Obviously some kind of self-entitled, pig-ignorant and quite stupid troll – which fits you quite well.
Banned for 1 week to allow you time to read the policy. I hope you can manage the long words. Learn to be an intelligent troll who might survive here. ]
Again, both cite the same unsubstantiated article as their source.
Idiot.
Probably won’t be the Government you have to worry about taking it of you.
Heh! Can I suggest M. Srylands watches the following talk and get the message from a 1%er before the tumbrils attend.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2gO4DKVpa8&ab_channel=TED
A very good talk from a self-confessed plutocrat 1%er about trickle down economics and revolution.
Oh noes! Someone might come and take the fruits of your career-long mendacity and dogmatic incompetence away! It would be well deserved.
After all, your dogma leads directly to pitchforks and always has.
there is an estimated 20.000 empty houses, units, flats, apartments empty in the city.
now granted, some of them might be on the expensive end of the bracket, often these would be houses bought in the nice leafy subburbs that yet have not the required zoning to subdivide the shit outta them, but you go to Otara, Otahuhu, Onehunga, West Auckland and so on and you will see a lot of places that could house people.
Another thing is a lot of residential properties where transformed into commercial properties – especially in Grey Lynn, Ponsonby, Herne Bay and so on, and are usually for Barristers and Chartered Accountants, Vet Clinics and so on, but often times when they are empty they are empty for a long time – these should loose the commercial status after x-amount of time empty and be re-classified as residential. Surely, someone then would rent the property.
Should the government ‘confiscate’ these properties at Market value and rent them to those looking for housing as Germany does and has done in times of a housing crisis (after the wall and now with the syrian refugee it is done again with commercial properties), yes, why not.
Could the Government incentives Landlords to rent their empty buildings by removing any tax incentives they may have by keeping them empty, yes, why not.
Could the Government create a law that prevents someone from buying up properties in a city they don’t live ? Why yes, they could.
Fact is its not going to happen, and our resident National Party voters make it clear to us on every turn they can. You, me and even them are worth nothing to no one, and hence you, me and even them deserve no help what so ever should we fail in procuring housing, food, electricty, water for us and our loved ones.
Sick and disabled? Shit outta luck.
Unemployed? Shit outta Luck.
Homeless? Shit outta luck.
What to do? Go to a ditch, die, quietly.
I have advocated for the last three years or so, that the Labour Party, the Greens, and any other party that is concerned with these happenings go and open up ‘Key Villes’ in our public domains. We could have a look at the refugee tent cities and model them after that. Auckland Action against Poverty could have a permanent address there to help people access the benefits they are entitled too and in many ways have paid for via their taxes, and the Politicians could put their words to deeds and live there for good measure.
but fuck, again, unless there is a realization that we all only go there by the grace of God or Dog nothing is happening.
Why not have the government or council lease motels off the owners for 5 years, home all the homeless there until these magical houses are built 100 km away from any workplace?
The owners get recompense and we don’t have the horrid situation of people living in cars.
Or just take any house not lived in and play a tiny violin for srylands and his facsict mates
LOL you fool.
Seriously though interesting Sabine’s point that in Germany they can make use of empty houses in a housing crisis.
Went to a meeting on the North Shore last evening about the Housing crisis. Speakers included Shamubeel Eaqub, Yvette Taylor (Living Wage campaign), Alex Johnston (Auckland Youth council) and Labour’s Phil Twyford. It was a combined meeting of the aforesaid organisations plus Labour. Large hall filled to the rafters. I was amazed to see the huge turn-out of young people. Who said that young people are not interested in important issues? Me, for one. I’m glad to have been proved wrong!
All speakers were treated with respect and there was little disagreement in what needed to be done. Phil Twyford and Phil Goff were in campaign mode and they regard this issue as the top-most priority of the times. Good feed back from the audience who were clearly appreciative of what they were hearing.
The two stand out comments for me was Phil Twyford and Labour’s recognition Auckland is going to have to spread out as well as go up. However he made it clear areas of high environmental interest, and those semi-rural regions where market gardening is flourishing would not be touched. The other… Shamubeel Eaqub made it clear in answer to a question that the issue of housing affordability and supply – plus the infrastructure required to sustain them – has reached such crisis proportions they need to be handled ahead of and in isolation to other associated social issues. Well, I think that was the substance of what he was saying.
It seems to me we are now in the same place the first Labour govt. found themselves in the 30s and 40s which saw a massive housing programme take place… one which was largely responsible for pulling NZ up and out of depression and war.
Will the next Labour Government be willing to self credit the many billions of dollars in expenditures required to do a similar thing again.
why don’t you ask them?
What about the land inside the urban boundary, land bankers are sitting on it. Outside the boundary will just be a rush for a few larger blocks, most is small lifestyle blocks that arent economic to subdivide.
It would be a catastrophe to have a non existant urban boundary like US cities such as Dallas or Houston.
A building program of the scale you describe could not happen today, sorry, too much has changed. Back then there was no RMA, no restriction on land supply, the country wasn’t rebuilding one of it’s largest cities, there were huge labour resources…I could go on. The current problem is a failure of misguided environmental and transport policy that has straightjacketed Auckland. Labour are right to put the urban limit on the table, but their numbers on new builds is fairy tale stuff.
Nope. I wasn’t suggesting a building programme on the scale of the 30s and 40s which was also fairly evenly spread through-out the country. Rather, I was saying that the sense of urgency and need is on a par with the 30s and 40s, but in a different time and space and the resolutions are not going to be the same.
Dukofurl, I think it can be safely said that any extension of the Auckland peripheral regions for new housing areas is going to be carried out in a careful and responsible manner under a Labour/Green coalition govt. It is National who are far more likely to conduct such a programme in an ad hoc and willy-nilly fashion which seems to be their M.O. with most things.
Fair enough. I don’t share your optimism about any greater progress under an alternative government. This is a failure of Auckland’s local government to permit auckland to sprawl because of the need to justify huge investment in public transport. Successive labour and national governments have had to live with those poor decisions.
Who knew the “middle” was a derivative litany of zombie right wing drivel?
You’re weirdly pessimistic.
All the roadblocks you mention are man made, and can be solved by man.
What is missing is the political will in government.
The problem is that local government in Auckland has an unchallenged obsession with a high density city based on the need to justify more investment in public transport. The roadblocks are largely the fault of Auckland council. There is no lack of political will at a nationwide level.
hey stupid go stay stuck in a traffic jam.
Traffic jams wouldn’t occur in a sprawling city. In Auckland traffic jams occur primarily because of intensification. Satellite towns connected by modern roading and express public transport links is the answer.
Of course it could – but some must go up instead of out, and some must be relocatable.
Up is easy…our council is obsessed with high density. It is out they have roadblocked.
Building outwards just continues the insanity, the Northwestern and Southern motorways are f**ed and unusable last time I looked.
You should visit again. There is a huge roading program being completed over the next year or so to complete the ring road around Auckland. Building out isn’t insane. It means infrastructure is properly planned and constructed, and in combination with higher density is the best solution.
Any solution which does not include warm dry accommodation for an extra one to two thousand people within the next 60 days falls short of the mark.
Having full faith in ‘The Market’ and no ethics means that they don’t have to do anything as it’s the poor persons fault and not theirs despite the fact that it was them that put in place all the policies that cause poverty, i.e, tax cuts for the rich, selling off state assets, cutting people off of benefits etc, etc.
You are lying again. There were no tax cuts for the rich. The mixed ownership model will reduce power prices. Benefits were increased.
Your lying dirty politics meme is alive I see.
care to support all your statements with links?
especially the ‘mixed’ owner ship model that will reduce the prices 🙂
No I’m not, you are.
The tax cuts that this government brought in benefited the rich and no one else
Power prices are already going up and the power companies are working to discourage solar generation on homes so that they can bring in more profit from a captive customer base
A very few people on benefits got a very slight increase
As I said, you’re lying. But, then, you have to as reality doesn’t meet your delusional ideology.
Can you define the “rich”? Is it anyone that earns over $70k pa but does not get any tax credits? I’m lost as to who the rich are? I mean if I’m single and earning $50k pa am I rich compared to a family with a house hold income of $120 pa or are they richer than me?
Anyone in the top 5% of income earners or wealth holders is rich.
Of course within that 5% there is a hell of a lot of inequality, as the top 0.1% are the ones who are really raking it in, while those just within the 5% mark are the poor cousins of the flash crowd.
They have 2.4x your gross income. You could not hope to match their lifestyle and expenses. Conversely, they could not survive on your meager income.
+1
Hmmm
I see you don’t think some on a million who got 80k tax back not a tax for a rich person.
another peddling the meme that those that practiced dirty politics are in fact the victims of it
Hasn’t the phrase “mixed ownership model” become a sort of obscene euphemism? Like “collateral damage” or “ethnic cleansing”.
And anyone using it clearly has a need to sanitise the reality?
will reduce power prices
That’s what Max Bradford said, S Rylands. Did you write the press-release?
I know you believe your assertion very very hard. Show me a real world example where privatising the commons lowered costs to commoners.
@ dukeofurl
“It would be a catastrophe to have a non existant urban boundary like US cities such as Dallas or Houston.” But that is what we are going to get.
Many European cities have high density housing that feels like you are in a small town with plenty of green spaces.
That requires strong centralized planning and tight rules about land use. It will never come from “the free market decides.”
Social well-being is the enemy of corporate profits.
European cities ? They tried that in UK and Australia with tower blocks and open spaces. It was a disaster.
More human scale and narrower green linkages rather than that awful ‘open space’
They built a big tower block in one of Auckland suburbs recently, just terrible.
Its lit up at night like a pretend ocean liner, and yet it won awards.
Maybe a 4 -6 stories would have been better.
Link?
They even have their own wikipedia page.
No doubt you’ll be able to point to all the flaws in design and construction that contributed to socio-economic decay and argue that your tower blocks will be energy-efficient communities in the sky.
Unfortunately, that’s what the original architects were aiming for, too. Whoops.
An interesting page as it points out all the faults that were made in the construction back in the 1950s/60s and how that contributed to the decline of the buildings themselves.
And then further down points out how they’re now being refurbished for young professionals across the UK. And in the US we have:
So, yes, it’s entirely probable that they could be done better today – although, probably not with NZ developers as they have a tendency to cut corners even when the place they’re building is being built for the wealthy.
…and the issue facing Auckland in particular isn’t a problem of housing young, wealthy professionals who can go somewhere else if they’re turned down by the building residents’ association.
It’s social housing and family housing allocated by need. NZ developers and policy makers are totally capable of fucking that up 🙁
This theory of yours isn’t yours, as McFlock has pointed out. Claude Edouard Jeanneret had similar delusions.
Which delusion is that one? That there is a better way to build cities than building them for more cars?
That you can foist housing “solutions” on communities regardless of culture.
And where have I ever said that?
Why else cite some areas in the world with that style of domestic architecture? Why else claim that it “could be done better”?
I still find it ironic that Labour has finally come around to National’s way of thinking:
– Auckland City Council and their zoning regs are a major problem
– The RMA has to be gotten out of the way
– Public land needs to be opened up for building on
– Sprawl like private sector development is the way to go.
Yep, Labour has finally seen the light, either that or it was a purely political move to get in before National.
Can’t see this going down well with the Greens, though, have they made any sort of comment?
I can’t see it going down well with Labour members.
Well hopefully there is now Parliamentary support to proceed to special legislation under urgency to override Auckland Council and simply abolish the urban limit.
This announcement by Twyford is the most significant policy announcement by Labour in 8 years. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a series of policy shifts by Labour. The country is crying out for some strong market-oriented policies to present a credible Opposition. In turn that will make Labour electable. Maybe that will go down well with Labour members?
You have not read the details have you. It is not the removal of urban limits. Planning tools will be replaced with economic tools.
Is it not just another method of getting to opening up much the same land?
Ah, so you’re all in favour of dictatorship and parliament forcing entire cities to do what they’re told.
No-one believes your gobshite anymore, S Rylands. Even those who pay lip service have their snouts in the trough of corporate welfare and corruption.
Your entire professional life has been completely worthless. Worse, it has fostered nothing but misery. Sick children living in cars.
Shame.
“I can’t see it going down well with Labour members.”
Maybe not…but its the type of policy that will appeal to the potential swing voter…that could get Labour back up over 30% and into the mid 30’s.
Maybe Chris Trotter is starting to have some influence in Labour policy?
Long way to go though…and I suspect Little will stuff it up again.
Moronic, not ironic.
It is important to remember that is the responsibility of individuals and families to provide for their own housing. Government provision is a last resort for those without the means to provide for themselves, either through poor decisions or misfortune. The best thing the Government can do for most people is get out of the way. The Labour party announcement this week that it will abolish the urban limit in Auckland is an excellent example of such a policy. Stop making it hard for people and allow markets to allocate land and housing.
We do not want people homeless. There is currently a problem, especially in Auckland. This is because governments – both local and central – have allowed house price inflation to get out of control through poor policies. What is required to fix that is well known.
As for emergency housing, I would suggest that the Government provides emergency housing at scale for everyone who wants it. Set up tent cities on the outskirts of the main cities. Provide some good sturdy tents, some portaloos, water tankers and some gas barbeques. Everyone pays 20% of their income as rent. Stay as long as you like. Nobody is excluded. No waiting list. Free shuttle bus into the city of you need to commute. That way nobody has an excuse to sleep in cars. Over time, as we replace good poor housing policies with good ones, the need for the emergency camps will diminish.
Porta coms instead of tents
http://www.portabuild.co.nz/
You could knock something up really quickly.
“The best thing the Government can do for most people is get out of the way.”
Libertarian tosh.
‘responsibility of individuals and families to provide for their own housing’ but not AJ Hackett to pay for his tourist ventures.
And it was Key who announces taxpayers money will go for hacketts business.
lol
“tent cities”?
Back to the tory playbook of shanty towns, slums, and Hoovervilles to wipe your hands clean, eh.
Got to keep them on the outskirts of town, otherwise rich people might accidentally see poor people and be disgusted.
The disgust is displacement behaviour: what they’re really experiencing is bidentaphobia.
It is important to remember that S Rylands has a massive conflict of interest: having touted this delusional gibberish his entire working life, his income requires that these zombie policies keep on shuffling and moaning and eating brains.
. Srylands
. I get the feeling that it was you or someone like you, who advised the super competent Paula Bennett to charge desperate families $190 per night for accommodation.
She is absolutely brilliant. Superb at making money ($1330.00 a week) out of someones dreadful misfortune.
She is a Tory to the core. Totally free of compassion is our Paula – Tory First Class. Even worse, she doesn’t seem to know what a good idea is, and neither do all the Ministers of John Keys Cabinet.
But, as a Tory you know that already.
“The Prime Minister has just anounced a grant of $500,000 for A J Hacketts new attraction in Queenstown.”
Cough, the hiprocisy, homeless can go to Winz, but rich have their hand in taxpayers pocket.
Such a well put together post, as ever, Anthony. Vitally important that we see things clearly as the government and msm continuously murk the waters. Thankyou so much.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/304288/emergency-housing-sector-'unaccountable‘
The incompetence of this government defies belief.
CheckPoint: Scathing emergency housing policy review revealed
Helen Kelly just Tweeted this:
Another one sold today in Queenstown for nearly $700,000. Bought in 2003 by Lab govt. for state house stock – $260,000 I think it was.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201801355
Its so mad to have Housing NZ run at a profit to be given to government and yet local councils water supplys cannot ever make a profit.
https://twitter.com/helenkellyUnion/status/733140589726732288
at long last do we have no shame?
And as they carry on in this way Key looks more and more disconnected. Like he’s on auto-pilot. No consciousness. Just robotically ‘say something’ and carry on.
This cannot go on. His ‘colleagues’, viz. Judith, read developing senses about Key as a cynical failure. His days are numbered however that occurs.
Ultimately and sooner rather than later the deficit in quality will tell.
Earlier in the week the Prime Minister asserted that he would be “amazed” if Winz was not able to provide a homeless supplicant with accommodation. By Tuesday he must have been quite flabbergasted. Then bamboozled. And three days later he must feel utterly hornswoggled. But relaxed and comfortable as usual.
The smirking weasel has lost the plot. Not that he ever had a clue. Likewise the minister of Everything. The ministers of housing wouldn’t know pooh from clay. And the only possible reason there are three of them is to f**k it all up and hand it over to the vulture classes (aka the private sector).
English. Smith. Bennett. Extremely inspirational. Or aspirational. If you are looking for bungling incompetence. And concealed agendas.
This shambles (not worthy of the name of government) must go.
But is there any alternative? Maybe Labour should change its name to Slave Labour?
.
. What a vile sickening Government !
. The Torys have dragged themselves into the gutter. The lowest of the low.
. Key, English and Bennett forcing low wages on those who do the work in New Zealand. Then denying them the opportunity of getting secure, warm, dry housing. Finally saddling them with impossible crushing rents. Then “giving” them emergency rooms at $190 per night and demanding they pay the money back at $1330 per WEEK.
Have you ever heard the like ! All of it planned to a nicety by “nice guy” Key, Assets flogger English, and money collector, madam Bennett.
What is really going on is a cruel genocidal force, put together by the fat, lazy, dishonest Tory cats determined to gut New Zealand working citizens.
New Zealand’s Governor and the Crown should step in and disband the Tory monsters, and set up Courts to try them for deliberate inhumane criminal neglect of New Zealand’s Common Citizenry.
What happened in the fifties and sixties was that whole villages were built by the MOW. They housed hundreds of families for the duration of the Hydro Electric Power projects. I know because I was raised in these villages. It did not take a rocket scientist to put those houses and families into them in a very short time frame. Seems a similar stategy would be useful right now. With a solar power project instead of hydro.
English knows even less than Key about being poor. He grew up on a farm in Southland at a time when farming had it better than those of us who serviced the agricultural industry. No idea how it would be to have Mum and Dad say, ‘sorry you will have to wait a while before we can buy you a new pair of shoes.’ He has learned very little in his time in the House and should get out. But of course he would then find out how hard it is for older people to find a job. Nevef mind, he can always go and milk cows at home in Dipton.
This is the price we pay to have greedy lying self entitled creeps running the country who have the gall to believe their bs is the truth and that NZers have no sense of value about what they are worth or what their history amounts to
Since when do we have to be slaves to a global ideology that is corrupt and has been for most of the years since ww2
What sort of history is taught now ? The world since Key took office? is that all we know ?