Merry Christmas from NZ

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, December 17th, 2010 - 15 comments
Categories: aid, national, poverty - Tags:

A headline on Newsroom at time of writing:

Christmas Aid Shock – A week before Christmas, thousands of the world’s poor receiving community development aid from Kiwi aid agencies are being told they will get no more money from the New Zealand Government.

A small price to pay for John & Bill’s nice big tax cut eh? Makes me proud to be a Kiwi.

15 comments on “Merry Christmas from NZ ”

  1. Bill 1

    But these days, real aid’s profitable, innit?

    Can’t just go about dishing out aid on the basis of philanthropy. No money there. For ‘us’.

  2. prism 2

    Major aid agencies that have been operating and applying for grants for yonks – and the government turns them down grumbling that the applications were poorly prepared! Teach your grandmother to suck eggs. Don’t know quite what that phrase means, but it’s as clear as government intentions and requirements before supporting aid agencies’ valuable work are.

    In the past NZ aid has been noted for boosting businesses in NZ supplying resource etc, rather than developing the P. Islands capacity. No doubt this new approach about promoting economic development in the Pacific will show a similar boomerang approach when reviewed in 3 years or so.

    • Ron 2.1

      As I said in my comment here:
      http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-17122010/
      this is just the tip of a very smelly pile.
      The lack of funding for impOtant projects is one thing – the delays, hassles and disorganisation of the process is the real story and is being repeated in a number of departments. EVERYTHING is late.

      I am on the reference group for a Ministry of Youth Development Youth Partnerships project which was approved months ago. MYD have yet to sign the contract and have just returned to the organisers with “queries” about the project.
      PTEs contracted with TEC have yet to get details of next year’s contracts. These are contracts that begin in January.
      MSD can not give basic information to contractors and partners on their new education/training set up and seem to have no conversations with TEC from whom they shifted the contracts a month or so ago.

      If any of these contractors were this tardy with applications or reports they’d be hauled over the coals and lose their contracts.

      I guess the main reason the MSM isn’t on to this debacle occuring in Govt departments is that the organisations suffering from the changes are reticent about annoying their funder by speaking out.

      I was called to a meeting with a regional manager of MSD last year for speaking out at some community meetings about the short comings of MSD’s operation. I was told that as a contractor I was not to speak out. A threat basically.

      Staff at these departments seem to labour under the mistaken impression the “we are all in this together” and that it’s simply a matter of working together through the process. Except that philosophy doesn’t flow in the other direction.

      • Jenny 2.1.1

        Yet Ron, contrast this tardiness in meeting their obligations to the rest of society with the government’s immediate response in bailing out out the wealthy investors who had gambled their money away in South Canturbury finance.

        In this case the government displayed indecent haste in handing over $1.7 billion of taxpayers money no strings attached, minimal paper work and none of the bureaucratic hold ups typical of other government payments that you have described here Ron.

        One can only conclude that this is not an accident, but is deliberate policy to make life as difficult and miserable as possible for those at the bottom of society.

  3. marsman 3

    We can’t afford to give to poor nations,we’ve just given $30million to Warner Bros and Jackson.

    • TightyRighty 3.1

      at least we will see something back from warner bros apart from homophobia, racism and ungratefulness. Jobs for people in New Zealand obviously don’t mean as much to you as giving money away that we don’t even have.

      but it’s all right when it’s tax dollars huh? because only a small bit is yours.

  4. Akldnut 4

    Gordon Campbell over at Scoop agrees McCully still has the reds under the beds mentality.

    “There’s no way around it. Murray McCully is a national embarrassment – and his ideological witch hunt in the foreign aid sector is not only harming the aid sector, but New Zealand’s reputation as a reliable development partner in the Pacific.”

    http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2010/12/17/gordon-campbell-on-the-fiasco-in-overseas-aid-funding/

    Just another straw to break the camels back.

  5. Jenny 5

    Twas the week before Christmas….

    Vision is my capcha for this comment. It immediately made me think of the line “as visions of sugar plums danced in my head” a sumptuous celebration of Christmas, from the poem Twas the Night before Christmas.

    Rob the depiction of this government as a Scrooge is not completely accurate, when I was reading your post on how this government cut aid to some of the poorest people on the planet, I couldn’t help but remember that while others lie ill and uncared for amongst our poorest neighbors, it will allow a certain Mr Kerr to enjoy a very lovely Christmas indeed. The $100 million of tax payers money, which this government generously gifted to this individual to add to his already vast personal fortune.

    In a just society those responsible for this obscene atrocity should be facing criminal charges, and the $100 million gifted to Kerr given back to those really in need.

    • Jenny 5.1

      Misappropriation of public money.

      Theft as a (public) servant.

      Might be just two of the charges the criminal scum who committed this heist of public money should be charged with.

      As well as indicting the perpetrators, I think rightly, charges should also be brought against George Kerr with being the receiver of stolen goods.

      And as being party to a conspiracy to defraud.

      In line with this government’s stated policy of cracking down on crime, I think, the culture of entitlement that exists amongst our “tall poppies” needs to be nipped in the bud. (Pardon the pun).

      While a custodial sentence may not be appropriate in Kerr’s case, I think that as well as retrieving the stolen money, a fine of $10 million imposed on George Kerr may be appropriate as an example to all other corporate robber barons intent on preying on the public accounts.

      Such a sum ($10 million) would still leave Mr Kerr as a multi-millionaire free to enjoy his freedom, and the luxurious lifestyle he has become accustomed too.

      Because of this, I think that Kerr’s non-custodial punishment should include 6 months compulsory community work in one of the poorer countries that have suffered from his greedy raid on our public funds. This might just give him a little taste of the misery he and the others like him have caused.

      Of course none of this will happen, but what surprises me, is the number of people on the left grovelling and tugging their forelocks in deference to the wealthy, who rush forward to defend this sort of behaviour.

  6. Deadly_NZ 6

    @Akldnut, they dont call him Meddleing Murray for nothing .. he is probably the most useless of the whole bunch and that does not say much for our duly elected highly revered head of government John key..

    excuse me while I wipe the vomit off my keyboard for having to write nice things about theTeflon john..

    • Ron 6.1

      The thing is, Murray isn’t the only one. I believe the chaos in these departments at the moment is a direct result of Ministers just handing out ideological orders. Baiscally ideas they’ve come up with over gins with their mates around the swimming pool on the weekend.

      An example is the chaos around TEC/MSD training programmes.

      TOPS providers are now required to deliver to twice as many students and achieve much more onerous employment outcomes on the sdame funding as this year. They are also required to administer things like travelk payments which used to be the government’s job.

      Despite extensive feedback from the industry the basic structure of this hasn’t changed from when it was first mooted. I believe this is because it is essentially Paula Benefit’s idea of how to lower unemployment and cut costs. When MSD and TEC went back to her with the sensible feedback from people who deliver this sort of contract she’s simply said “Nah – that’s the way i want it”. So they’ve had to implement a big change at the last minute and it basically doesn’t work. Every time someone in the industrty points out an obvious flaw TEC/MSD have had to try and plug the hole – leading to more delays. The main reason it’s so late is that they’ve had real trouble making a stupid idea work. But it’s Paula’s idea so they have to do it.

  7. Tanz 7

    But the coffers are broke, welfare is blowing out, we are being downgraded by S and P, maybe in this case, justified, Lots of suffering Kiws here, homeless, etc. Charity begins at home, in desperate times? MPs have not gotten pay rises, Key donates part of his salary, the perks are going…NZ has helped overeas countries enormously….Christchurch earthquake to deal with, lots of our own problems this year. Crime rates in free fall, prisons bursting…what pays for all this?

    • Jenny 7.1

      Tanz, What a load of over stated rot. If things are so bad how come the government can hand over $1.7 billion to SCF investors to cover their losses, and never even break stride.

      And a fortnight ago $178 million to the Todds. The wealthy just need to snap the fingers to get gifted hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars.

      capcha – “treats”

      • Colonial Viper 7.1.1

        And Jenny I know you haven’t forgotten the $9.1B in tax cuts given to the top 10% of income earners, over the next 4 years.

        If you are one of NZ’s 650 millionaire earners, congratulations to you, that’s $1000 plus per week extra in your pockets thanks to Bill and John.

        Plenty of money for the few, none for the many, that’s it isn’t it Tanz.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T09:35:20+00:00