Key slams teachers, medics. Puppies next in his sights

Written By: - Date published: 9:17 am, September 1st, 2010 - 10 comments
Categories: education, public services, wages - Tags: ,

It takes a special kind of idiot to think that cutting education and health spending is a good idea. These two things are the foundation of our economy and our society. If we want to be a wealthier, better nation in the future, we need educated and happy people. Unfortunately, the special kind of idiots who think that cutting these things is a good idea happen to be running the country.

The government wants to give medical professionals and teachers below inflation pay rises. That’s only going to take health and education in this country backwards, with ramifications for generations to come (look at high failure rates of the young adults who were kids the last time National was in power).

People get this. That’s why teachers and medical professionals are so popular. The public knows that these people – not smug CEOs on $7 million a year, but good-hearted ordinary Kiwis serving their communities – are vital to our nation’s future. That’s why it was so foolish of Key to come out attacking the teachers yesterday when they decided to strike. Parents will back their kids’ teachers, not some dickhead in Wellington.

Don’t believe for a second that the pay rise they’re asking for is unaffordable. My back of the envelope calculations put the cost of giving the 20,000 secondary teachers a 4% rise at $60 million. That’s just over 10% of what Key is borrowing this year alone for tax cuts for the rich. So don’t let him tell you the cupboard is bare.

When the cupboard was bare and he wanted to give something more to his rich mates he went and borrowed, putting us deeper in debt. When it comes to preserving teachers’ real wages, Key pleads poverty. Tells you all you need to know about National’s priorities.

Teachers – and the future they create – just aren’t worth it for Key and National.

10 comments on “Key slams teachers, medics. Puppies next in his sights ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    1 September 2010 at 9:35 am

    Unfortunately, the special kind of idiots who think that cutting these things is a good idea happen to be running the country.

    They’re called psychopaths.

  2. exbrethren 2
    1 September 2010 at 9:42 am

    Trouble is Marty someone had to cover the cost of bailing out Key’s mate company SCF.

    Money for Hubbard = Nothing for teachers.

  3. travellerev 3
    1 September 2010 at 11:09 am

    M,

    John Key is right; the teachers really don’t live in the real world. All over the planet the little people are being shafted by assholes like John Key and his bankster mates and unless we say no and mean it, it will only get worse.

    We are just the sheeple and they are getting ready to cull the useless eaters.

    John Key, the Queen, Mike Moore, the Bilderberg group, google the terms and get educated.

  4. BLiP 4
    1 September 2010 at 11:10 am

    Given Ryall’s slash-n-burn doctrine in relation to the administration of public health care in New Zealand so as to prop up the “front line”, there should be more than enough slopping around in the accounts for an-equal-to-inflation pay rise . . . show me the money!

    Oh, that’s right: tax cuts for the rich and financial bail outs for South Island farmers.

    The rich get richer and the poor get poorer – thanks National Ltd™, I’m lovin’ it.

    • Jenny 4.1
      1 September 2010 at 6:56 pm

      Wealthy investors only need to snap their fingers and the government fall over themselves in their rush to gift them hundreds of millions of dollars.

      The only way to overturn this injustice after the fact, is for the teachers and the radiographers to win their battle of will with the government.

      capcha – “hears”

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