More Government Christmas Crackers

Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, December 23rd, 2010 - 2 comments
Categories: national, public transport - Tags: , , , ,

In the spirit of Christmas, the government is playing Scrooge to caregivers.  In an extra special present the government will now appeal, after the High Court agreed with the Human Rights Tribunal that people related to disabled adults should actually be paid for their work – that which is above and beyond supporting a child.

The government claims it can’t afford it – but at the moment it’s the near-destitute parents who can’t afford it.  And it’s a matter of principle – if the caregivers all swapped around, the government would have to pay, so why not be fair?  Equal pay for women, the DPB, pensions… they’ve all been “unaffordable” to the right, but the government books were in the black before National with their irresponsible tax-cuts came in – so it is possible.

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Remember back in June, when there was a mysterious $4.8 million in the budget given to an unheard of PEDA?  Well, after good pressure from the Pacific Community and Labour, the money was forced into the tender process it should have started with.  And guess what?  PEDA got none of it.  The amount given out is now less than half at $2.3 million – presumably because this vindictive government wanted to make the Pacific Community pay for daring to question it.  Still, $2.3 mill of well organised money going through reputable organisations may well go as far…

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The government is also quietly starting an inquiry into looking at the desperately needed Auckland central city rail loop.  Anyone who regularly uses rail in Auckland can see the need for it, and the return on investment is 3.5:1.  Compares pretty favourably to the 0.6 for Transmission Gully and Puhoi-Wellsford.  But Joyce can’t drive his car on it, so he’s not convinced.  I’m not quite sure why the government are starting an inquiry on the quiet quiet…  It could be not wanting to be seen doing a u-turn (yay!) or it could be looking at ways to shelve it (boo!).  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

2 comments on “More Government Christmas Crackers ”

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  1. lprent 1
    23 December 2010 at 5:31 pm

    It has been interesting watching the government members scuttling off on their holidays, dropping these announcements on the way and hoping they will get overlooked.

    Time for me to write some forward posts for the new year and for the start of the next parliament. Naming the cowardly cockroaches and their deeds in the harshest possible terms.

    Atkinson vs Lange. I love it

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