$137.6 million and nearly a third went on administration? Wasteful duplication.
Whanau Ora was initiated to overcome failures in the welfare system. Yet, 4 years on and there is still grave implementation problems with no consensus on the aims of the initiative.
No wonder it’s poorly performing. One can’t expect them to attain their goals when there is no consensus or wider understanding of what the objective is.
Agreed. That was the problem that was identified when it was a twinkle in the Maori party coalition talks. It appears that they never bothered to listen and implement anything to define desired outcomes or to account for results.
They need to urgently.
What worries me as much is the massive percentage of money in administrative overhead.
Under a National government, the main objective of government departments is to see that Cabinet Club members get what they’ve paid for.
To put it another way, why should Whanau Ora have to set or meet goals when Charter schools and notional standards exist, and Stephen Joyce is a minister?
When the people responsible for Charter schools, notional standards and Steven Joyce are the ones who have to hold Whanau Ora to account, “wrong” doesn’t come into it.
Any expectation that Whanau Ora perform better than say, Anne Tolley or Nick Smith, will be seen as racially motivated hypocrisy.
Which is why the MP need to make damn sure that it visibly works if they want it to be retained.
At present they can’t show that.
For all of my sympathy since the 1980s for trying to various ways to improve the appalling stats for the Maori population, I can’t see how WO is helping. It just looks like a boondoggle.
National fiscally support it. Moreover, it’s implementation is overseen by Te Puni Kokiri (the Ministry for Maori Development) so I don’t see how the Government is undermining it.
they fiscally support it at an amount they were prepared to give, if you see what I mean, so it is probably under-funded for what it is meant to achieve, that is partly what I mean by undermine it.
They seem to be including evaluation/research work in ‘admin’ – though even then, how it can take $42m and not be associated with clearly-stated objectives is beyond me.
“$137.6 million and nearly a third went on administration? Wasteful duplication.”
Te Ururoa Flavell says that the report is including training, research, analysis and other start-up functions as part of the administration. If those things are stripped out and considered separately (as arguably they should be), the true admin costs are only about 20% of the total budget, which he says is not out of the realm of other government programmes (although his words tend to suggest that it is on the high side – but again that’s not too surprising for a brand new initiative).
So the question then becomes if the “start-up functions” are reducing. It has been 4 years. You’d expect that over that 4 years you should be able to see a clear pattern of decreasing expenditures in those areas year on year in the organisations doing it.
I’m not holding my breath on that by the way. From what I hear, those functions tend to increase after the start-up.
But the point the audit office is making still stands. WO shows a clear pattern of having a large backend and very little front end in terms of measurable results. It has a pattern of organisations involved in it not having any defined goals and very little measurement of progress to whatever goals they are targeting. That makes it damn difficult to justify the levels of expenditure from taxpayers money.
I’d also like to see a comparison with the costs and effectiveness of all the social programmes that were canned to supply money for Whanau Ora.
Many people do not realise that there was no extra money allocated for Whanua Ora, so if the administration costs are a third this is likely to mean a drop in expenditure on frontline services, so less money getting to those who need it.
No doubt the report included those costs as they are seen as part of the administration cost.
Therefore, why deduct them?
Convenient if one wanted to play the cost down. Surely Te Ururoa Flavell has no interest in attempting to do that (sarc)?
The initiative is 4 years old and they still don’t know what the objective is. That should have been established long before the initiative got taxpayer funding.
the true admin costs are only about 20% of the total budget, which he says is not out of the realm of other government programmes
IIRC, the administration of the DHBs only accounts for ~3% of the budget (of course, National has capped that and it’s causing problems as it’s too low). 20% is more in line for private organisations.
Having spent 10 years at TPK in the past (thank God! in the past), I’d like to know WHERE the programme is administered from. Things were often better devolved out into the regions – each of which were very different in nature and with different priorities, but they were often hampered by the of ‘Head Office’ bean counter/cost centre/purchase agreement/cost cutter corporate culture that’s infected most of the public service. I can completely understand the administrative overspending if it is HO …… like most of what goes on – especially since the Natzis have come to power – the old adage penny-wise and pound foolish springs to mind. That devolution may seem counter intuitive in terms of admin costs, but sometimes when you get a load of pigs feeding at the trough there is a feeding frenzy with each trying to become King or Queen Piggie
That OIA request would probably have to be quite considered and very specific – and even then you’d get some BS response
But
-What is in the purchase agreement between Te Puni Kokiri and the government that is in any way related to the government’s Whanau Ora programme that covers the expectations and deliverables (or some such other bullshit wordage) – I’m not in BS-artist corporate mode and haven’t been (thank Christ) for several years!
-What directives, guidlines or instructions has the Ministry provided its regional offices when implementing Whanau Ora programme policy.
-Who, in each of the Ministry’s cost centres, whether Head Office or in each of the regional offices is responsible and accountable for the administration of Whanau Ora policy (by job title(s) and cost centre)
….. and provide a breakdown of administrative costs such that it shows the costs of travel, accomodation, hosting of meetings, koha, and any other relevant accounting material.
I looked up joe90s link. What a sad thing it is to have been right about Whanau Ora. It’s what I thought too, and not me just being cynical. It had happened before that money spent has not hit the target.
When it was announced my SO called it GW – head office budgetary capture where costs be buggered chiefs cover their arses* with layer upon layer of advisers and policy wonks who in turn cover their own arses.
(reputations, relationships, and career prospects*)
I think the Queensland Government discovered that not so very long ago as well after some ‘Hawaiian Prince’ took them to the cleaners under the same sort of regime that operates ….. (say no more … too many corporatist future careers at stake)
I see Bill English said high house prices in Auckland were all the Green Party’s fault in Parliament yesterday. Amazing how much power a small party that is not in government can have ….
He also inferred that Auckland Council was part of the Green Party. Another amazing fact that no one else has known up till yesterday
Drivers and cyclists pay rates and taxes. Bikes have almost no infrastructure for them compared with cars, and they do almost zero damage to anything (roads, people, environment).
I think that the difference in total cost (taxes, rates, fees) seems fair given the difference in provision and harm.
I suspect this is one of the major components of the Greens claim of cost-benefit ratio around 1:7 for cycleways, which is phenomenal of course and I can’t believe it gets dismissed by so-called financial whizz-kids like Joyce and Key who instead brainlessly opt for roads with cost-benefit ratio 1:0.5….
My point was merely that any argument along the lines of ‘cyclists are healthier therefore cost less’ requires the costs of less exercise to be offset against injury costs, which (as you point out) can be lowered by infrastructure costs. And then there’s the pension costs…
Funnily enough, ASH used the same argument (smoking costs $XXX a year), but the math didn’t stack up anywhere close when you included pensions, let alone the implicit assumption that non-smokers don’t require expensive end-of-life care.
But now I see I’ve wandered into discussing both cycling and ASH, each topic individually can send me into a rant, so I”ll withdraw before I say anything particularly offensive 🙂
I’m more inclined to go with quality of life improvements (not necessarily monetised) rather than cost/benefits analyses of years lived, but I think (?), with cycling at least, that is still speculative.
Because buses, vans, and trucks will cease to exist, too? People will suddenly stop having to move anything and anyone that can’t go on a bike from A to B?
Get rid of the cars used for commuting, replace them with bikes and the pollution goes down which decreases the number of people killed by vehicle pollution.
don’t facepalm me just because your love of biking made you suddenly lose all common sense and/or language skills.
BTW, just upgrade those cars and change the fuel and you almost halve the deaths within 5 years, according to your MoT source (the 2012 update). Might not have to dress in fluoro lycra and ring crappy little bells with my fat arse in the air after all- thank goodness for small blessings.
Besides, where would I put my umbrella? (that one’s my gift to you 🙂 )
BTW, just upgrade those cars and change the fuel and you almost halve the deaths within 5 years, according to your MoT source (the 2012 update).
Get rid of the cars altogether and the deaths go down more than that. Sure, PT will be available but our best option there is to shift that over to electric.
Might not have to dress in fluoro lycra and ring crappy little bells with my fat arse in the air after all- thank goodness for small blessings.
Most people riding bikes don’t wear Lycra and what happens in a few years when you won’t be able to afford to run the car anyway?
In that instance, I’m not sure entirely, but somewhat I’d that hope I’d follow the sentiment death before dishabille.
Even if not all bicycle riders dress in lycra, all bicycle riders look silly. It’s an essentially ungainly and, frankly, absurd mode of transportation. Besides, I have a frequently gammy leg (for which, should your transport infrastructure predictions eventuate, I’m suddenly greatful).
The other point being that if/when battery energy density approaches that of a petrol tank, cars will begin the transition towards emission-free anyway.
Yeah there’s lots of pluses to bike lanes ,but the endless we want but we don’t want to pay for it routine that comes from Auckland is getting old.
I ‘d never go to a pub with a jafa every time there round came up they would be in the toilet.
but the endless we want but we don’t want to pay for it routine that comes from Auckland is getting old.
The problem with that line is that Auckland’s already paid for it but hasn’t got it. Auckland’s been paying out more than they get back for a long time.
The service approach is probably the fairer of the two measures and suggests that Auckland receives about 2% less funding its share of population. As a total Auckland receives the second lowest amount of overall government spending per capita and around $1,000 less per person that the national average. Due to Auckland’s size that equates to over $1.4 billion a year and while that is across the all sectors, it would certainly pay for a few key projects.
Even one person living in poverty is indicative that that societies economic system is a failure. If it is also destroying its environment then it is doubly a failure.
We have a lot of people in poverty and we’re destroying our environment all for profit.
That story opens with an ambiguity bordering on the incorrect. The “Then and Now” chart is also incorrect, bordering on “leading”. But…. who needs history when you have etc etc so on and so forth…
Poor brian lochore who thinks leaving your kids in the car for hours while he drank at the pub and hitting them to keep them in line “never hurt anyone”? That poor gullible Lochore you mean?
for sure — a dedicated bought-and-paid-for bunch of numpties. not a designer to be found. and as you suggested, I’m sure Christie will be charging by the link if she can find a way to get away with it.
Profligate waste of millions while kids starve etc etc etc ad nauseam …
I’m not sure @ Penny, but I’d not only like to know WHERE WO is being administered from (supposed oversight from HO maybe?? – see above), but also how much has been spent on airfares and by whom. I’ll bet the ‘by whom’ will be King or Queen Piggie and their enterage. Some of those regional airfares can get pretty expensive – especially when they’re as regular as they once were, even more so when facilities like video-conferencing are/were readily available.
– Treats and trinkets
– Lolly shops and cargo cults.
….. (and I mean at a Head Office where the beautiful people reside while their regions suffer)
…… not much has changed at TPK I see, although I once had high hopes.
Trickle down and TINA is alive and well!
I think it might be really important to make submissions on the flag debate/debacle. Judging from recent alignments in the letters to the editor in the Herald on ponygate, Saudi visits etc, it seems that Nactional supporters are busy thumping certain points of view. They will have been instructed to make submissions endorsing flag changes etc etc, so opponents need to do the same, even if they think the whole thing is ridiculous.
You might be interested in the attitude of those presiding over the public consultation, as exposed in the House only yesterday. A foreboding portrayal of just how welcome public input will be on the flag debate?
The form submission being discussed, which was widely circulated across social media, clearly stated that individuals were free to change the text of the submission so as to present their individual opinions on the matter. As such it seems more than reasonable for those on the Committee to read all the submissions when the presentation clearly stated the submissions were varied in content.
This was not a petition, it was a collection of individual submissions gathered under a user-friendly template to increase public involvement in parliamentary processes. For the Chair to admit they only sampled the submissions does little to foster confidence from the public that the public’s opinion matters.
Will this dismissive approach to form submissions be any different for the “Stand for NZ” campaign currently under way? They are also ‘form’ submissions after all.
New developments in the SDHB outsourcing of food preparation:
A meals on wheels driver who vowed to quit if hospital kitchens were outsourced has changed his mind before the final decision on the controversial 15-year deal with a multinational corporation… Dr Terry Hearn said he had learned the proposed agreement with the Compass Group did not include responsibility for delivering meals…
board member Richard Thomson warned about an unintended consequence of a volunteer backlash – Compass could gain financially if it was also asked to deliver the meals…
The union has threatened legal action if the move goes ahead, saying the board might not have complied with legislation protecting vulnerable workers…
The decision will be made behind closed doors, once the public and the media are told to leave the meeting.
The only way that I can see that; “Compass could gain financially if it was also asked to deliver the meals”, is if the SDHB were to pay them to do so. This would wipe out the savings projected for doing a deal with them. Hearns is not the only driver/ volunteer who has been considering quitting, though has been the most prominent (as most haven’t wished to be named in the paper).
The public meeting is on at (thanks to Potato for previously saying this, though these more complete directions are now online) :
Thursday, 7 May 2015, 9.00 am
Board Room, Level 2, West Wing, Main Block,
Wakari Hospital Campus, 371 Taieri Road, Dunedin
So if you’re in Dunedin with free time tomorrow morning, this could be a place to go if you care about public health. Still no info on how to make submissions, I figure if I print something out regarding the dodginess of Compass group (see their Wikipedia page), then I may be able to get it on record; so at least the board won’t be able to say they didn’t have warning. According to the agenda, public will be turfed out at 10:30am:
So much wrong in that article I don’t know where to begin. I’m still stunned that the govt would spend $4m, or even $3m on the business case.
Why are the media and public bring excluded from the vote? Will we know who voted which way?
Neither the reason for the volunteer changing his mind, nor the rationale for the boycott giving advantage to Compass are adequately explained in the article.
Does it not strike anyone else as strange that $4 million has already been spent formulating a business plan projected to save $7 million over 15 years? Admittedly, that’s only in the SDHB, and the combined speculated savings for the entire health system may be larger. But part of the reason that the SDHB is in such dire finacial straits is that they owe HBL (the “government entity” who developed the plan) a lot of money.
Health Minister Coleman’s solution seems to be the imminent appointment of a commissioner (except in name) to the board to ensure that expenses are trimmed in the short term (and damn the long term consequences). It’s depressing that the union being able to match a multinational’s (which is known for poor payment of contracted employees) terms is seen as a victory, these days.
Just putting a personal opinion marker here to say the Whanau Ora discussion, while I appreciate and comprehend the valid business theory being presented, the elimination of overall context slides very close to a style of thinking of which no one likes to be accused.
I agree (I think. I’ll put my thoughts more bluntly so it’s clear, but would be interested in your view too).
The critiques about the operational and financial management sides seem neutral. However funding culturally appropriate health services for Maori is not privatisation. We already publicly fund large chunks of Pakeha focussed services via NGOs.
Maori/Iwi aren’t ‘private’, they’re treaty partners with the crown and have rights around health care that are only barely being addressed by the Crown. I have no doubt that National are capable of screwing the Mp on this, but there’s always been a fair sized racist element on the left in criticising Whanau Ora, and Turia.
If we’re going to look at fairness of funding, let’s remember that it was the Clark govt that axed race based funding which sounds good if you are Pakeha with a superficial understanding of how to manage social security and public health care, but in reality it meant a whole raft of community based, coal face, culturally expert service lost its funding. That’s not too different than say the cuts to elderly homehelp funding a few years ago.
I’m sure there are problems with Whanau Ora, but we have a long way to go before we can claim to have a good understanding of what those issues are in context.
I think a big problem for Whanau Ora, it it has never generated the type of support, Kohanga Reo has. It appeared to me, to not explain itself well. It was always a bit top heavy as well, and anyone with half a brain would have spotted that before the report.
That said, everyone I’ve seen go through a Whanau Ora programme, has had good results. Some excellent, and some just good. It is a system which works. Could it be better, yeap – but so could all social services.
“let’s remember that it was the Clark govt that axed race based funding”
and let’s remember why that happened – because the Hollow Men did a better job of being the opposition than we’ve seen since. Recall how Labour’s ‘Closing the Gaps’ policy was embattled?
How many health services in NZ provided by govt funded NGOs is irrelevant to the point I made. One (or many as the case may be) privatization doesn’t justify another.
Racial connotations or the suggestion of them are generally put forward by those that are misinformed of the fact.
It’s strange how there’s no hue and cry about all the other govt funded NGO services. Probably because it’s not privatisation. Further, we already have politically acceptable private health care, consider a GP practice for instance.
There is nothing wrong with NGOs offering services that are funded by govt. the govt can still control the kaupapa of the service via the contract. This is so routine now in NZ (for a long time) and when people start criticising Whanau Ora for privatisation it makes me think they don’t know what they are talking about.
Worse, too many times the state has proven that it is fundamentally incapable of delivering services directly to Maori that are culturally appropriate and fulfi treaty obligations. Maori simply have a better understanding of what their people need. Do they always get this right? No, but I can tell you some shocking stories about health care delivery to Pakeha direct from govt. So can adam by the looks of things.
Iwi are not private organisations. They are self governing treaty partners with the Crown.
NGOs are a form of privatization. They are not publicly owned by the crown.
Whether there is anything wrong with this type of delivery depends on ones perspective and, of course, how the provider performs.
Just because one agrees with the overall notion doesn’t necessarily mean they would support an organization that was poorly performing.
Not only is Whanau Ora a form of privatization it’s also unnecessary duplication. We already have a welfare system up and running. Thus, the goal should be to improve it (by taking Maori input on board) not duplicate It.
Iwi are not publicly owned, thus are not public providers.
All organisations contracted by the taxpayer should be accountable to the taxpayer.
I think you are largely making a semantic argument re privatisation and ignoring my point that there is a double standard here on the political debate.
Iwi are only private organisations if you ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. Or if you believe that Maori are a subset of NZ culture, which you appear to do. The problem when it comes to health services direct from the state is that the state is still by and large a Pakeha dominant entity. Your ideology says all welfare should be provided by the state, and currently that means a Pakeha system except where the system is adjusted to take other cultures into account. Too often that is lip service. What you are suggesting is that Maori should continue to have poor service.
well said. the main point is that whanau ora is a publically funded public organisation recognising a non pakeha way/method to approach issues previously addressed solely through a western european lens/framewotk
There is no double standard in critiquing an initiative that has been reported to be under performing.
Moreover, some previously warned of this outcome from the outset. Structures were deemed to be to loose.
Pointing to other organizations and claiming a double standard is a distraction from the poorly performing initiative being critiqued.
Iwi are not publicly owned by the crown, thus by that definition it places them in the private domain.
I’m not the subject matter. So quit with the attempted pot shots, which, by the way, are far off the mark.
I’m highlighting the state structure is already up and running, therefore that’s fiscal savings that could be further utilized, opposed to the money currently wasted on the duplication.
Additionally, if there is a genuine will to want to further Maori, there would be no problem adopting and implementing new initiatives, which could then be tried in smaller regions and if successful, expanded nationwide. Reducing risk, thus costs, with savings going to further help.
Therefore, my point is the state is in a far better position to cater for this, thus the goal should be to improve its performance and adopt new initiatives to improve its delivery.
Really the chairman, really. Did you take the time to read what Weka said?
But let me responded to you “We already have a welfare system up and running. Thus, the goal should be to improve it (by taking Maori input on board) not duplicate It” Like a Tory government will listen to the voices of Maori – particularly when a labour government hardly ever has.
Ever wondered why Maori and Pacific islands are taking charter schools on? Same as above – because the state and it’s agents just don’t take on Maori input or ideas. Hello.
And well Whanau Ora is first and foremost a vehicle to deal with Maori and others – health issues, using Holism as it’s core. This means looking at the whole welfare of the person – which inevitably spills out of health, into other parts in their lives. It is also one of the reasons why it’s an expensive approach – multiple people are drawn in to deal with the issues, in a most fulsome manner.
Yes it’s expensive short term, but the long term benefits have not been thrown into the accounting mix – because it’s so much simpler to blame Maori again, and strip away another programme.
Goodbye Whanau Ora – a great idea – killed by penny pinches and racists.
“Ever wondered why Maori and Pacific islands are taking charter schools on? Same as above – because the state and it’s agents just don’t take on Maori input or ideas ”
The Maori Party are in coalition with National because they believe they will listen, thus give them input.
Labour did well in the Maori seats so clearly a number feel they will be listened too.
Allowing Maori to take on Whanau Ora, prisons or charter schools is a sign they’re being listened too.
Whanau Ora is under performing. People drawn in usually come from other funded agencies such as the police, WINZ etc…
I’m not blaming Maori, but clearly people and structures are responsible. Nor am I advocating the end of the notion, merely suggesting how we could improve its delivery by improving and utilizing the current welfare system.
Bloody strange use of the term ‘listened to’ there. The Mp formed because Labour weren’t listening to their own Māori MPs let alone wider iwi. I would see the Mp’s alliance with National as the height of pragmatics rather than being based on a belief that they will be listened to. They’ve got some leverage and so they’re using it. And as much as I dislike a lot of what the Mp have done, I can’t blame them for that all things considered.
My observation is also that Turia held a grudge for a long time and that she was never going to countenance a coalition with LP while she was around. She has never forgiven Clark for S&F (as she is entitled) but imo she made it personal and to the detriment of Maori (as far as that term can be used in a blanket way).
I think the Clark government axed ‘Closing the Gaps’ which was the vehicle for race-based spending, but not all the spending. Maybe some programmes that might have been were wound back due to the petty little racists, like those that supported the Orewa speech, but health funding remained heavily in favour of Maori, Pacific, with social deprivation.
If higher funding based on ethnicity wasn’t quietened I doubt we would have had a 3-term Clark government.
Obviously more needs to be done to close the gaps, because despite overall health gains for Maori increased funding alone did not close the gaps – there is something missing from the equation.
“I’m sure there are problems with Whanau Ora, but we have a long way to go before we can claim to have a good understanding of what those issues are in context.”
^^^ this
It depresses me sometimes when I think about what a nasty little country NZ can be and the opportunities lost because of it. It’s like the progressive left is always worried about stepping on the toes of middle NZ, whereas the political conservatives could care less – they just railroad their opinions and policies through.
Thinking today about how Labour caved on Closing the Gaps, I wish they would just get some principles, even if it means losing an election. They could’ve stood their ground at that point, and instead of cutting the race based funding, they could have introduced extra funding for non-Māori that was also specifically targeted, and used that as an opportunity to make more people feel included and respected, and to demonstrate why targeted funding is relevant and necessary. Let the bigots say what they want, and just keep on with the fair society.
Of course things like the Foreshore and Seabed Act probably demonstrate that this was more than just the bigots on the right jumping up and down.
Yup. Just be brave sometime. Make the strategists work out how to deal with what Labour’s principles are (I know they have some, they’re just too willing to make excuses about them) rather than taking advice from the strategists about what they should be.
Although the backlash to Closing the Gaps was scary. To me, that points to flawed strategy and PR. It didn’t take into account the ‘more than just the bigots on the right’ and also seemed to ignore the struggling non-Maori , which was a mistake. Maybe policy and strategy would be better with more than middle class policy advisors on the team, just sayin’.
Ae, but is there a fix for that? Maybe a generational one, but nothing coming soon I suspect.
Do you think it would work for a party like Labour to have targeted funding for non-Māori. Or would a programme to help eg working class white men just blow the middle classes’ minds? (no idea how working class white men would feel about it either).
My interest is barriers to healthcare (and even that is in a narrow field) so I’ll go with that..
I know that there is health funding for low decile populations regardless of ethnicity, which would include a proportion of working class white men, it’s just not as much as for Maori/Pacific peoples. I agree that men and white working class men in particular may feel affronted by programmes to ‘help’ them. It’s a cultural thing, I think – the rugged individual and all that.
That doesn’t mean, of course that nothing can be done. ‘Normalising’ specific diseases and processes for screening and treatment might be a better bet There are quite a few examples in heart health, skin cancer for that (and of course, campaigns to reduce drink driving use normalisation of not drinking and driving to good effect) e.g. telling a mate at work you’ve got high cholesterol and need to ‘go see the doc for a check-up’ doesn’t have the same feel of personal ‘failure’ as physical impairment, bowel cancer or such that afflict a whole heap of wwcm.
As for targeted funding to specific socio-demographic groups – I’m beginning to agree with the argument for universal benefits to get buy-in from the general population. A good example in education is student allowances, which at the moment goes to the very poor and the very rich i.e. the groups that can declare low or no income. Now that blows the middle class minds. That doesn’t mean there is not a place for targeting service provision and delivery (and yes, that means specific funding). So I’m still working that out in my mind.
From a personal perspective, where I grew up, in a street that was predominantly Maori my parents watched as neighbours got home doctor visits while they had to walk us a couple of km to the doctors when we (5 kids) had whooping cough going around. (I remember coughing fits and vomiting along that way) – This combined with the targeted housing programmes – the resentment my parents feel to this day is huge. Now of course, no-one gets doctors visits so it’s all level playing field 😉 and absolutely useless for ensuring people can get the care they need.
Structural and administrative changes in the delivery of primary care for would probably do a lot more than targeted funding for wwcm. Same goes for access to secondary care where appointment times are less flexible (albeit well-signaled) – especially in these days of precarious work environments where taking time off or admitting to illness may lead people to fear job loss.
The sale of Northland land to foreigner’s is really concerning to us. Yesterday Chinese interests purchased $42 million dollars worth of dairy farmers. This come on top of the exclusive luxury resort to be managed by Mike Sabin.
In the process of organising a public rally in Northland to put pressure on the Government to put a halt to this. After yesterday’s email out from Mc Cully’s office banning National MP’s from attending Falun Gong/Dafa celebrations the chances are slim. However something needs to be done to wake Kiwi’s up.
One thing I think the Left need to agree on is a referendum on foreign ownership in NZ. Leave it to the people to decide if we should sell our nation off or not and not the politicians.
I think you’re right. There are two reasons why I think that:
1. Labour was the party that opened up the economy to foreign ownership in the first place. According to Douglas, this would enable us to take Manhattan. Instead, we’ve been taken for a ride.
2. Labour cannot adequately defend themselves against the inevitable accusations of racism that would follow.
Going for a referendum negates both of those as it would be Labour listening to the People rather than telling them what’s best as National are presently doing.
With the fall of diary prices (orchastrated?)
will this leave our farmers in dire need for refinance options or will they just sell up to more overseas investors ?
If the overseas investors could crash the diary prices and then buy up the struggling farms for a song ,this would be to much of a coincidence?
maybe our new flag should have the words vassel land or tennantsville somewhere in the mix
When oh when will people see through the facade of Rock star political celebrities?
National and Maori party $140,000,000 Whanau Ora bungle, a central element in the 2011 coalition agreement between National and the Maori party.
The Sabin/Osbourne electoral fiasco (Can I sell you a bridge… or ten?)
ACT’s ‘error’ in waiting 9 months to disclose Alan Gibbs donation of $32,0000-“it was a systems failure” (insert Tui ad comment here).
Mr Key’s foolish attempt humour at a lower ranked person’s expense). The Italian media summed it up well in a newspaper headline.
Finance minister’s never-ending promises and deficits (how many years has a surplus been promised Mr English asks Dr Cullen?).
Parata’s school bungles – bigger classes are good, charter schools are good, spurious league tables -closing nationwide facilities for dysfunctional kids, closing good schools in Christchurch.
We can’t tell you about TPP it’s our secret.
Mr McCully mistakenly sending ‘don’t go to Falun Gong functions’ to all MPs instead of just his allies.
One could go on…but Look! ..at the end of the day, what I can say, in context of course, the maladroit ineptness is becoming harder to…….Oh look is that a flag over there? CT- Shame Harry didn’t get much press-an invitation to Charlotte-now that would give people a good feeling.
Speaking to the Guardian, the Cuban-born US lawyer warned that the lesson from other trade agreements around the world was that major corporations had succeeded in blocking government policies with the support of secret arbitration tribunals that operated outside the jurisdiction of domestic courts.
He said he would be compiling a report on the tactics used by multinationals to illustrate the flaws in current plans for the TTIP.
De Zayas said: “We don’t want a dystopian future in which corporations and not democratically elected governments call the shots. We don’t want an international order akin to post-democracy or post-law.”
The TTIP is the northern version of the TPPA and that dystopian future is what both of them are about.
one thing on my mind re the ability for corporates to sue governments if governments change laws and cause them to lose anticipated profits……
…. surely means that the reverse applies too… so that if laws are changed which result in increased profits then those increased profits come to the governments
… s u r e l y
YES?
Or NO? If no, then the corporates get all the upside and none of the downside
Queue Dr Mapp in 5..4..3..2..1… to rehash his well-worn (yet discredited) lines that the TPPA is only an FTA and we have absolutely nothing to worry about and are all acting like Chicken Little 🙂
He seems to avoid the topic sinc ehe was asked a few questions he couldn’t/wouldn’t answer
like:
If everyone is spying on everyone, and we expect t spy and be spied on by our friends, why does anyone need confidentiality of the negotiation position given everyone knows what everyone else wants through the spying?
Perhaps the good Dr Mapp could tell us if there is an ability for governments to recover gains from corporates if laws favourable to profit-making are passed, in the same way corporates can recover from governments if laws causing profit loss are passed, per above.
How would it go it our unions incorporated a company in Australia with all the union member as shareholders at 1c a share.
Then every time the NZ government proposed anything that would have the effect of lowering wages for any union member then the Australia company could sue.
Perhaps we could incorporate similar comapanies that could protect our enviroment etc. Fish & game and the Waitemata harbour.
The idea of suing anti community NAct governments has some appeal.
We are living in a time of Inverted Totalitarianism, in which the tools used to maintain the status quo are much more subtle and technologically advanced … These include propaganda and major media outlets that hide the real news about conditions at home and our activities around the world behind distractions … Another tool is to create insecurity in the population so that people are unwilling to speak out and take risks for fear of losing their jobs … Changes in college education also silence dissent … Adjunct professors … are less willing to teach topics that are viewed as controversial. This, combined with massive student debt, are tools to silence the student population, once the center of transformative action.”
i was going to do a commentary on it – but i read the questions – and almost lost the will to live..
..so i flagged that idea..
as it was – the only laugh-out-loud moment of interest – was key saying that human rights in saudi arabia is ‘a little bit better’…
..and just going on skills displayed in the house – i find myself (disturbingly) leaning towards rightwinger shaw – as the best person to next co-lead the greens..
..and i am somewhat surprised by that assessment..
Wonder how the non-payment evasion applies to NZ? As some say, the chase for the cashies is small stuff compared to the millions evaded by the big companies. An exposure of NZ companies coming here soon do you think M Chairman?
» 16,000 more jobs this quarter
» 74,000 more jobs in the last year of which 60,000 are full-time
» Labour force participation rate at new high of 69.6%
» Unemployment rate steady at 5.8%
» An extra 15,900 manufacturing jobs over a year ago (don’t forget the crisis!)
» The number of hours worked have increased 9.7% over three years ago
» Salary rates up 1.7% in last year (while inflation is just 0.1%)
I feel for the left, it must feel like a positively herculean task when you have to counter this
Naah I don’t think so, I’m not going to discuss every minor, rinky-dinky meaningless detail when the point is this is what Labour is up against and unless Labours changes what it did in 2008, 2014 and 2017 it’ll be National in 2020
The employment rate is steady and we’ve never had more kiwis in work than we have now
Get your head into the real world; who do you think you are fooling? Even the middle class knows that something is seriously wrong with this economy and if they don’t, their kids out there on minimum wage zero hour contracts are making it very clear to their Mums and Dads.
“I’m not going to discuss every minor, rinky-dinky meaningless detail ”
No, you’ve always been better at asserting facts than proving them. Best to stick with what you’re good at; cherry picking data to support your predetermined position. Just don’t expect anyone to pay any attention to your words.
See heres the thing, quite a few of you on here think that if you bog down into the details (and post links of course, lots and lots of links) and focus on one point and then rain down tonnes of verbal garbage that the left have somehow “won” the arguement and that this will magically transform into thousands of votes
But it won’t and it hasn’t since 2008 because you lose sight of the fact that the people of NZ arn’t listening to Labour because of messages like the one from stats and from what they see with their own eyes
That the Greens can raise more money than Labour should tell you lot something but of course it’ll just lead to cries of public funding to, you know, level the playing field
he isnt conflating, he is regurgitating something he has been told is good and isnt prepared to see if what he has been told is true or even the full facts.
he does have a point tho. 49% of NZers do the same thing. Accept the manipulation and lies and are thereby duped into voting for something which is actually against the interest of some of them so voting.
See, here’s the thing; if CR, Tracey, or McFlock were to post a link, then I might click on it, if I had the time to do so. Whereas if you posted a link (as you did comment 20), then I wouldn’t, even if I had all day free.
I hope you are getting paid by the word. As your performance in; disheartening the Aotearoan political left who read TS, is perpetually unsuccessful.
“Low proportion of positions have pay increases this quarter
Over the latest quarter, 11 percent of all salary and ordinary time wage rates increased. While the proportion of salary and wage rates increasing in a March quarter is usually low, this is the lowest proportion since the March 2010 quarter. In the year to the March 2015 quarter, 59 percent of all salary and ordinary time wage rates increased. This was unchanged from the year to the December 2014 quarter”
So, despite us being a rock star economy with soaring GDP… wage increases in the last quarter were only given to 11% …
funny that you (PR) and this government want people to stay away from the rinky-dink detail.
the unemployment rate is also steady… so despite you crowing about more people in work, the same number are essentially unemployed…. in this rock star, GDP soaring economy
Actually, if the unemployment rate stays the same with an increasing population then, in absolute terms, more people are unemployed. The number of new jobs is less than needed to reduce unemployment.
“Employed: people in the working-age population who, during the reference week, did one of the following:
worked for one hour or more for pay or profit in the context of an employee/employer relationship or self-employment
worked without pay for one hour or more in work which contributed directly to the operation of a farm, business, or professional practice owned or operated by a relative
had a job but were not at work due to: own illness or injury, personal or family
responsibilities, bad weather or mechanical breakdown, direct involvement in an industrial dispute, or leave or holiday.”
Thanks Tracey I was looking for those terms of criteria at one time unsuccessfully.
I didn’t realise it actually included unpaid work, and the variety of other aspects where you were counted employed though not at work.
The left will be happy about those stats. Less happy about the environmental degradation and over-reliance on agricultural exports (particularly milk).
The point is, if the left were in charge, the numbers would be even better than these.
Would be interested in seeing the rate if you only count people with half time or greater jobs. Not just the ones who do a couple of hours work a week.
Also, our educational institutions have been stuffed full to the gills of people who couldn’t find work, but because they are now students (living off loans) they also do not count as “unemployed.”
The rise in the labour force was consistent with high growth in the working-age population. The working-age population increased 2.1 percent over the year – the largest annual percentage increase since the year to the March 2004 quarter. High net migration for the 20–34-year age groups contributed to the growing working-age population.
And construction is helping (PR is national responsible for the CHCHCH earthquake?)
“The largest contributions to the rise in filled jobs over the year reported by businesses from the
QES came from:
accommodation and food services
professional, scientific, technical, administration, and support services
construction.
While the QES is better designed to give industry estimates, most self-employment is out of
scope of the QES and therefore not reflected in growth in filled jobs. However, self-employment
is accounted for in the HLFS. The HLFS shows that around 20 percent of people working in the
construction industry are self-employed.
Employment in construction remained strong in Canterbury and Auckland, with 8,600 more
people employed in Canterbury and 6,700 more people employed in Auckland over the year. In
total, 23,300 more people were employed in construction, accounting for 31.6 percent of total
national employment growth.”
And that is the lie exposed right there. Thank you – Draco T Bastard.
Poverty is increasing, food banks are stretched, people living in cars and under bridges. Child poverty off the hook, and people who are working, are the ones getting into more and more debt as each week passes.
Puckish Rogue you are living in a statistical world of smoke and mirrors. But, hey your choice. Everyone is entitled to be a wilfully ignorant, if they choice.
Now on Sky history channel an excellent documentary for a change , called The Spirit of 45. Compulsory viewing for all right wing fuckwits They might learn something and realise if it was not for this thinking in 45 they would not here today with their rightwing fuck you Jack attitudes.
Poor old ‘Cackling Rosie’ aye ? No, not the cafe Rosie. A serious personal grievance may well pale against what’s on the horizon for Cackle. Talking putea.
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Prime 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 ...
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The 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 ...
Attorney-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 ...
Education 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 ...
A 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 ...
Foreign 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 ...
Science, 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 ...
Prime 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 ...
The 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 ...
The 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 ...
Local 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 ...
The 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 - ...
Benefit 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 ...
The 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 ...
The 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 ...
Prime 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 ...
RMA 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 ...
Today’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 ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...
New Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...
New Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...
April 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...
The Fast-track Bill, if passed, would allow three Ministers, unchallenged and unchecked, to approve the immediate extraction and exhaustion of one-off resources. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne iamharin/Shutterstock For many people, the term “bulk billed” refers to a GP visit they don’t have to pay ...
Emmas Hislop, Sidnam and Wehipeihana discuss what’s in a name. Emma Sidnam: Hello Emmas! Thank you so much for agreeing to do this with me. My first question for you is related to what’s been on my mind for a while. It’s very important. You see we’ve recently had some ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Sievers, Research Fellow, Global Wetlands Project, Australia Rivers Institute, Griffith University Chris Brown Humans love the coast. But we love it to death, so much so we’ve destroyed valuable coastal habitat – in the case of some types of habitat, ...
Josh Thomson on the 80s milk ad jingle he can’t stop singing, the beauty of The Simpsons, why Jersey Shore is as good as Shakespeare and more. For someone who spends a lot of time on our screens, popping up in everything from 7 Days to Taskmaster, Educators to Good ...
In apparent defiance of the Biden administration, the Netanyahu government has now initiated missile strikes against Iran. Last Saturday night (Sunday morning in New Zealand) Iran launched more than 300 drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles against Israeli military targets. With the assistance of US, UK and possibly French forces, ...
Māori representation brings a perspective that encompasses not only the interests of Māori communities but also a broader, holistic approach to environmental stewardship and community well-being, principles deeply embedded in Te Ao Māori (the Māori ...
This week in Auckland, a group of young people took over the microphone at a ministerial press conference, to explain why they oppose the Fast-Track Approvals Bill. One young woman said, ‘We’re here because we love Aotearoa New Zealand. We want to raise our children in an environment that’s thriving, ...
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When Thomas James was on his solo camp as part of Outward Bound, the keen outdoorsman didn’t find it too challenging, as others often do. In what might just be the perfect illustration of his character, he saw it as a great opportunity to solve a few problems. “I thought, ...
From the unstable and drippy to the hi-tech and pretty, here’s our ranking of all the tunnels you can drive through in this country. The first tunnel seems to have been built in 2200BC in Babylonia, kicking off a global phenomenon for digging holes in order to get places more ...
Lucinda Bennett on the art of being greedy but resourceful. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. When I picture the market, it is always this time of year. Crisp air, dripping nose, counting coins with cold fingers. Sunlight pale, filtered through specks of dew still ...
Zoë Colling’s favourite piece in the ‘That’s So Last Century’ collection is a lubrication chart for a sewing machine from the ’60s. It’s about the size of a postcard, and carefully maintained. “I like it that this piece of ephemera highlights that manual and technical side of the skill involved ...
Kia Ora Gaza A passionate haka reverberated through Auckland International Airport as a medical team of three New Zealand doctors received an emotional farewell from a big crowd of supporters before flying to Turkey to join the international Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. The doctors, who left Auckland yesterday, hope to ...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...
Our response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...
The new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...
COMMENTARY:By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...
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The Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...
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Opinion: With maths understanding at 42 percent for Year 8 students, there’s no doubt something has to be done. But how? The post Financial literacy should be on all of us appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Hineaupounamu ‘Missy’ Nuku has been scaling mountains in Canada for her college basketball team, the Lakeland Rustlers. Alberta is currently home for the 20-year-old point guard, who is in her first year of a scholarship at Lakeland College, where she is studying for a business degree. She has certainly made ...
Continued brilliant management of the rock star economy.
Milk prices fall
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11443586
Whanau Ora
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/272910/watchdog-criticises-whanau-ora
Auckland housing
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/272846/govt-and-council-clash-over-auckland-housing
So the corporate propaganda machine tries to distract and dumb us down with stories about…..
‘celebrities’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11443852
sport
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11443681
Reality T.V.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11443805
And some as a result can’t see the wood for the trees.
and changing the flag. you left this one off the list Paul – biggest distractor of all.
$137.6 million and nearly a third went on administration? Wasteful duplication.
Whanau Ora was initiated to overcome failures in the welfare system. Yet, 4 years on and there is still grave implementation problems with no consensus on the aims of the initiative.
No wonder it’s poorly performing. One can’t expect them to attain their goals when there is no consensus or wider understanding of what the objective is.
The privatisation of social care by another name
Used by the neoliberals to buy off the leaders of the Maori Party.
Agreed. That was the problem that was identified when it was a twinkle in the Maori party coalition talks. It appears that they never bothered to listen and implement anything to define desired outcomes or to account for results.
They need to urgently.
What worries me as much is the massive percentage of money in administrative overhead.
It just screams jobs for the favoured…
Class, money and power.
The elites of Maori and pakeha both abandon their people for these things.
Urgently indeed.
Apparently, despite its failings, they plan to throw more money at it.
You can say that about any government program. Or any worthwhile endeavour at all, for that matter.
@ One Anonymous Bloke
At least most Government departments know what their main objectives are.
Objectives and the means of achieving them require to be identified before more money is thrown at it.
Under a National government, the main objective of government departments is to see that Cabinet Club members get what they’ve paid for.
To put it another way, why should Whanau Ora have to set or meet goals when Charter schools and notional standards exist, and Stephen Joyce is a minister?
@ One Anonymous Bloke
A wrong doesn’t justify another.
When the people responsible for Charter schools, notional standards and Steven Joyce are the ones who have to hold Whanau Ora to account, “wrong” doesn’t come into it.
Any expectation that Whanau Ora perform better than say, Anne Tolley or Nick Smith, will be seen as racially motivated hypocrisy.
@ One Anonymous Bloke
It does if you consider the support of charter schools and national standards to be wrong, thus it fails to justify the failings of Whanau Ora.
I don’t think that money is the answer. Set their own goals is fine. Expect to be accountable for them.
AND they are p against a main party (Nats and Act) who don’t actually want it, support it and therefore probably undermine it.
Which is why the MP need to make damn sure that it visibly works if they want it to be retained.
At present they can’t show that.
For all of my sympathy since the 1980s for trying to various ways to improve the appalling stats for the Maori population, I can’t see how WO is helping. It just looks like a boondoggle.
@ Tracey
National fiscally support it. Moreover, it’s implementation is overseen by Te Puni Kokiri (the Ministry for Maori Development) so I don’t see how the Government is undermining it.
they fiscally support it at an amount they were prepared to give, if you see what I mean, so it is probably under-funded for what it is meant to achieve, that is partly what I mean by undermine it.
@ Tracey
Surely (with this track record) you’re not suggesting they should have been given more funding?
The funding would probably have had a more positive impact if it was directly given to those that required it.
They seem to be including evaluation/research work in ‘admin’ – though even then, how it can take $42m and not be associated with clearly-stated objectives is beyond me.
“$137.6 million and nearly a third went on administration? Wasteful duplication.”
Te Ururoa Flavell says that the report is including training, research, analysis and other start-up functions as part of the administration. If those things are stripped out and considered separately (as arguably they should be), the true admin costs are only about 20% of the total budget, which he says is not out of the realm of other government programmes (although his words tend to suggest that it is on the high side – but again that’s not too surprising for a brand new initiative).
So the question then becomes if the “start-up functions” are reducing. It has been 4 years. You’d expect that over that 4 years you should be able to see a clear pattern of decreasing expenditures in those areas year on year in the organisations doing it.
I’m not holding my breath on that by the way. From what I hear, those functions tend to increase after the start-up.
But the point the audit office is making still stands. WO shows a clear pattern of having a large backend and very little front end in terms of measurable results. It has a pattern of organisations involved in it not having any defined goals and very little measurement of progress to whatever goals they are targeting. That makes it damn difficult to justify the levels of expenditure from taxpayers money.
I’d also like to see a comparison with the costs and effectiveness of all the social programmes that were canned to supply money for Whanau Ora.
Many people do not realise that there was no extra money allocated for Whanua Ora, so if the administration costs are a third this is likely to mean a drop in expenditure on frontline services, so less money getting to those who need it.
Exactly. The key to that after 4 years is to see if the “startup” costs are reducing
@ Lanthanide
No doubt the report included those costs as they are seen as part of the administration cost.
Therefore, why deduct them?
Convenient if one wanted to play the cost down. Surely Te Ururoa Flavell has no interest in attempting to do that (sarc)?
The initiative is 4 years old and they still don’t know what the objective is. That should have been established long before the initiative got taxpayer funding.
The objective is to keep the Maori Party voting with FJK. It is one of the more successful government programs in terms of achieving its objectives.
IIRC, the administration of the DHBs only accounts for ~3% of the budget (of course, National has capped that and it’s causing problems as it’s too low). 20% is more in line for private organisations.
“…Whanau Ora was initiated to overcome failures in the welfare system…”
there’s your problem.
What you meant to say was:
Whanau Ora was initiated to enrich Tariana Turia’s Iwi mates in order to prop up the National government.
Having spent 10 years at TPK in the past (thank God! in the past), I’d like to know WHERE the programme is administered from. Things were often better devolved out into the regions – each of which were very different in nature and with different priorities, but they were often hampered by the of ‘Head Office’ bean counter/cost centre/purchase agreement/cost cutter corporate culture that’s infected most of the public service. I can completely understand the administrative overspending if it is HO …… like most of what goes on – especially since the Natzis have come to power – the old adage penny-wise and pound foolish springs to mind. That devolution may seem counter intuitive in terms of admin costs, but sometimes when you get a load of pigs feeding at the trough there is a feeding frenzy with each trying to become King or Queen Piggie
@The Chairman I’d love to know who was paid what from that $40m of admin costs. OI request anyone?
That OIA request would probably have to be quite considered and very specific – and even then you’d get some BS response
But
-What is in the purchase agreement between Te Puni Kokiri and the government that is in any way related to the government’s Whanau Ora programme that covers the expectations and deliverables (or some such other bullshit wordage) – I’m not in BS-artist corporate mode and haven’t been (thank Christ) for several years!
-What directives, guidlines or instructions has the Ministry provided its regional offices when implementing Whanau Ora programme policy.
-Who, in each of the Ministry’s cost centres, whether Head Office or in each of the regional offices is responsible and accountable for the administration of Whanau Ora policy (by job title(s) and cost centre)
….. and provide a breakdown of administrative costs such that it shows the costs of travel, accomodation, hosting of meetings, koha, and any other relevant accounting material.
I’m picking I’d not be surprised at a reply
Those in the know got their share.
Whanau Ora, the supposed magic bullet,
will turn out to be justanother opportunity for those in the know to fleece the taxpayer
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20122010/#comment-282210
I looked up joe90s link. What a sad thing it is to have been right about Whanau Ora. It’s what I thought too, and not me just being cynical. It had happened before that money spent has not hit the target.
I liked the spirited anecdote from Vicky about single parents answering a prejudiced moaner about women single parents’ lack of personal responsibility.
http://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-20122010/#comment-282302
When it was announced my SO called it GW – head office budgetary capture where costs be buggered chiefs cover their arses* with layer upon layer of advisers and policy wonks who in turn cover their own arses.
(reputations, relationships, and career prospects*)
http://www.tpk.govt.nz/_documents/tpk-whanauora-achievements.pdf
(@greywarbler – just in case I’ve hit the wrong reply)
That’s a bloody shocker – with the comments surrounding it too
“$137.6 million and nearly a third went on administration? Wasteful duplication”
Or fingers in the till?
Hard to tell when nobody seems to know exactly where all the money has gone.
More scrutiny required.
I think the Queensland Government discovered that not so very long ago as well after some ‘Hawaiian Prince’ took them to the cleaners under the same sort of regime that operates ….. (say no more … too many corporatist future careers at stake)
I see Bill English said high house prices in Auckland were all the Green Party’s fault in Parliament yesterday. Amazing how much power a small party that is not in government can have ….
He also inferred that Auckland Council was part of the Green Party. Another amazing fact that no one else has known up till yesterday
given the public’s ability to soak up their lies, why wouldn’t you keep shovelling them.
Building more houses alone, is not enough to deal with Auckland’s problem. And not if they are built properly.
did you know that any harbour bridge pedestrian/cycleway – will be tolled..?
..while cars/trucks travel free..?
http://whoar.co.nz/2015/any-harbour-bridge-cyclepedestrian-walkway-will-be-tolled-ed-w-t-f/
Cars pay taxes bikes don’t.
Cars and trucks pay red taxes bikes don’t. Maybe there should be a small tax on the purchase of new bikes targeted for cycle ways .
No, cars don’t pay taxes.
Drivers and cyclists pay rates and taxes. Bikes have almost no infrastructure for them compared with cars, and they do almost zero damage to anything (roads, people, environment).
I think that the difference in total cost (taxes, rates, fees) seems fair given the difference in provision and harm.
Tautoko. Trucks also only pay a small percentage of the damages they do to infrastructure.
Maybe being fitter keeps you from being a burden on the health system and the money saved can be spent on cycleways.
and depending which way the wind is blowing..
..you will be able to pay to suck in exhaust-fumes..
Yep exactly and a very real reality.
I suspect this is one of the major components of the Greens claim of cost-benefit ratio around 1:7 for cycleways, which is phenomenal of course and I can’t believe it gets dismissed by so-called financial whizz-kids like Joyce and Key who instead brainlessly opt for roads with cost-benefit ratio 1:0.5….
you’d have to balance (lol) that against the costs of riding at half the speed of a couple of tonnes of steel that’s <2m away from you as it passes.
Frankly, if I did that in a workplace OSH would have my guts for garters. With or without the protection of painted lanes.
How to cyclists can get safer [than] painted lines
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/may/05/amsterdam-bicycle-capital-world-transport-cycling-kindermoord
Indeed.
My point was merely that any argument along the lines of ‘cyclists are healthier therefore cost less’ requires the costs of less exercise to be offset against injury costs, which (as you point out) can be lowered by infrastructure costs. And then there’s the pension costs…
Funnily enough, ASH used the same argument (smoking costs $XXX a year), but the math didn’t stack up anywhere close when you included pensions, let alone the implicit assumption that non-smokers don’t require expensive end-of-life care.
But now I see I’ve wandered into discussing both cycling and ASH, each topic individually can send me into a rant, so I”ll withdraw before I say anything particularly offensive 🙂
I’m more inclined to go with quality of life improvements (not necessarily monetised) rather than cost/benefits analyses of years lived, but I think (?), with cycling at least, that is still speculative.
Pollution from transport causes ~400 deaths per year in NZ. Things have improved with better fuel quality but they’re still not great.
Get rid of the cars and those 400 people continue to live.
Because buses, vans, and trucks will cease to exist, too? People will suddenly stop having to move anything and anyone that can’t go on a bike from A to B?
🙄
/facepalm
Get rid of the cars used for commuting, replace them with bikes and the pollution goes down which decreases the number of people killed by vehicle pollution.
don’t facepalm me just because your love of biking made you suddenly lose all common sense and/or language skills.
BTW, just upgrade those cars and change the fuel and you almost halve the deaths within 5 years, according to your MoT source (the 2012 update). Might not have to dress in fluoro lycra and ring crappy little bells with my fat arse in the air after all- thank goodness for small blessings.
Besides, where would I put my umbrella? (that one’s my gift to you 🙂 )
Get rid of the cars altogether and the deaths go down more than that. Sure, PT will be available but our best option there is to shift that over to electric.
Most people riding bikes don’t wear Lycra and what happens in a few years when you won’t be able to afford to run the car anyway?
Ah, we reach argumentum collapsium.
In that instance, I’m not sure entirely, but somewhat I’d that hope I’d follow the sentiment death before dishabille.
Even if not all bicycle riders dress in lycra, all bicycle riders look silly. It’s an essentially ungainly and, frankly, absurd mode of transportation. Besides, I have a frequently gammy leg (for which, should your transport infrastructure predictions eventuate, I’m suddenly greatful).
The other point being that if/when battery energy density approaches that of a petrol tank, cars will begin the transition towards emission-free anyway.
Yeah there’s lots of pluses to bike lanes ,but the endless we want but we don’t want to pay for it routine that comes from Auckland is getting old.
I ‘d never go to a pub with a jafa every time there round came up they would be in the toilet.
The problem with that line is that Auckland’s already paid for it but hasn’t got it. Auckland’s been paying out more than they get back for a long time.
Any idea were I might find the proof to that claim.
Government finally debunks Auckland funding myth
$1.4 billion per year is a lot of money.
Cheers
You mean like GST?
Gst gets paid on new vehicles and they stiil pay either ruc ‘s or a lot of fuel tax.
Do you really believe that there are heaps of people out there who own and use a bike, but not a car?
Get real – when a car-owner rides a bike (as I do at times) that car-owning bike-rider actually reduces wear and tear on roads.
Do you ever use the road while reducing wear and tear on it?
My view is that bike-owners should be given a discount on their car Rego.
More logical than your position. (And I assume you meant reg taxes.)
They should ad a acc component to the purchase price of bikes as we’ll IMO .
Australian PM ‘very happy’ to be met by ambassador to France and his partner amid report it led to resignation offer. Looks like Tony Abbot is trying to catch up with John Key in fiascos after his staff tried to stop him meeting a same sex partner of Australia’s Ambassador to France
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-05/pm-says-he-was-happy-to-meet-french-ambassador-and-partner/6447306
It is sad that both Australia and New Zealand is led by liars!
+ 1 True Clem, very true.
sign of a successful economy and society yep
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/68264000/69-and-living-in-a-car-outside-christchurch-hospital
we have failed
Even one person living in poverty is indicative that that societies economic system is a failure. If it is also destroying its environment then it is doubly a failure.
We have a lot of people in poverty and we’re destroying our environment all for profit.
+ 1 Wise words Draco. And you too vto.
Who is bombing Who in the Middle East? Risk discusses the sectarian and theological nature of the conflict in the Middle East.
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/05/05/who-bombing-who-middle-east
Based on recent events, It’s a pity the comments on this photo have closed…
http://thestandard.org.nz/caption-competition-25/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11443754
Poor Sir Brian Lochore – a noted New Zealander used to bolster TheGodKey’s flag stunt. Wouldn’t be surprised if inside himself he feels shit used.
That story opens with an ambiguity bordering on the incorrect. The “Then and Now” chart is also incorrect, bordering on “leading”. But…. who needs history when you have etc etc so on and so forth…
Poor brian lochore who thinks leaving your kids in the car for hours while he drank at the pub and hitting them to keep them in line “never hurt anyone”? That poor gullible Lochore you mean?
ouch
I doubt Brian Lochore is endorsing anything he doesn’t believe in, including the National Party.
for sure — a dedicated bought-and-paid-for bunch of numpties. not a designer to be found. and as you suggested, I’m sure Christie will be charging by the link if she can find a way to get away with it.
Profligate waste of millions while kids starve etc etc etc ad nauseam …
Whanau Ora was / is privatisation of social services, effectively using (some) Maori as a ‘Trojan horse’, in my considered opinion.
Where exactly has the money been going – when $40 million out of $137 million – has been spent on ‘administration’?
Who have been the real ‘beneficiaries’?
Where is the transparency and accountability in the spending of this public money – without proper written records?
Why is the Public Records Act 2005 not being implemented and enforced in a proper LAWFUL way across central and local government (and the judiciary)?
Penny Bright
http://www.pennybright4mayor.org.nz
“without proper written records?”
Does the Auditor-General’s report say that? I’d expect too *many* records with an admin spend like that.
I’m not sure @ Penny, but I’d not only like to know WHERE WO is being administered from (supposed oversight from HO maybe?? – see above), but also how much has been spent on airfares and by whom. I’ll bet the ‘by whom’ will be King or Queen Piggie and their enterage. Some of those regional airfares can get pretty expensive – especially when they’re as regular as they once were, even more so when facilities like video-conferencing are/were readily available.
– Treats and trinkets
– Lolly shops and cargo cults.
….. (and I mean at a Head Office where the beautiful people reside while their regions suffer)
…… not much has changed at TPK I see, although I once had high hopes.
Trickle down and TINA is alive and well!
I think it might be really important to make submissions on the flag debate/debacle. Judging from recent alignments in the letters to the editor in the Herald on ponygate, Saudi visits etc, it seems that Nactional supporters are busy thumping certain points of view. They will have been instructed to make submissions endorsing flag changes etc etc, so opponents need to do the same, even if they think the whole thing is ridiculous.
agreed.
You might be interested in the attitude of those presiding over the public consultation, as exposed in the House only yesterday. A foreboding portrayal of just how welcome public input will be on the flag debate?
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/51HansQ_20150505_00001001/1-new-zealand-flag-referendums-bill%E2%80%94submissions
http://www.parliament.nz/en-nz/pb/business/qoa/51HansQ_20150505_00001002/2-new-zealand-flag-referendums-bill%E2%80%94submissions
The form submission being discussed, which was widely circulated across social media, clearly stated that individuals were free to change the text of the submission so as to present their individual opinions on the matter. As such it seems more than reasonable for those on the Committee to read all the submissions when the presentation clearly stated the submissions were varied in content.
This was not a petition, it was a collection of individual submissions gathered under a user-friendly template to increase public involvement in parliamentary processes. For the Chair to admit they only sampled the submissions does little to foster confidence from the public that the public’s opinion matters.
Will this dismissive approach to form submissions be any different for the “Stand for NZ” campaign currently under way? They are also ‘form’ submissions after all.
I’m surprised Julie Christie hasnt proposed a .50c per phone call voting system
New developments in the SDHB outsourcing of food preparation:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/341243/driver-says-contract-not-explained
The only way that I can see that; “Compass could gain financially if it was also asked to deliver the meals”, is if the SDHB were to pay them to do so. This would wipe out the savings projected for doing a deal with them. Hearns is not the only driver/ volunteer who has been considering quitting, though has been the most prominent (as most haven’t wished to be named in the paper).
The public meeting is on at (thanks to Potato for previously saying this, though these more complete directions are now online) :
So if you’re in Dunedin with free time tomorrow morning, this could be a place to go if you care about public health. Still no info on how to make submissions, I figure if I print something out regarding the dodginess of Compass group (see their Wikipedia page), then I may be able to get it on record; so at least the board won’t be able to say they didn’t have warning. According to the agenda, public will be turfed out at 10:30am:
http://www.southerndhb.govt.nz/files/15533_2015050590054-1430773254.pdf
Thanks Pasupisl and good luck.
So much wrong in that article I don’t know where to begin. I’m still stunned that the govt would spend $4m, or even $3m on the business case.
Why are the media and public bring excluded from the vote? Will we know who voted which way?
Neither the reason for the volunteer changing his mind, nor the rationale for the boycott giving advantage to Compass are adequately explained in the article.
Union present counter-proposal to match Compass Group’s savings
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/battle-brews-over-hospital-food-video-6308181
Thanks for the clip Chairman.
Does it not strike anyone else as strange that $4 million has already been spent formulating a business plan projected to save $7 million over 15 years? Admittedly, that’s only in the SDHB, and the combined speculated savings for the entire health system may be larger. But part of the reason that the SDHB is in such dire finacial straits is that they owe HBL (the “government entity” who developed the plan) a lot of money.
Health Minister Coleman’s solution seems to be the imminent appointment of a commissioner (except in name) to the board to ensure that expenses are trimmed in the short term (and damn the long term consequences). It’s depressing that the union being able to match a multinational’s (which is known for poor payment of contracted employees) terms is seen as a victory, these days.
Just putting a personal opinion marker here to say the Whanau Ora discussion, while I appreciate and comprehend the valid business theory being presented, the elimination of overall context slides very close to a style of thinking of which no one likes to be accused.
I agree (I think. I’ll put my thoughts more bluntly so it’s clear, but would be interested in your view too).
The critiques about the operational and financial management sides seem neutral. However funding culturally appropriate health services for Maori is not privatisation. We already publicly fund large chunks of Pakeha focussed services via NGOs.
Maori/Iwi aren’t ‘private’, they’re treaty partners with the crown and have rights around health care that are only barely being addressed by the Crown. I have no doubt that National are capable of screwing the Mp on this, but there’s always been a fair sized racist element on the left in criticising Whanau Ora, and Turia.
If we’re going to look at fairness of funding, let’s remember that it was the Clark govt that axed race based funding which sounds good if you are Pakeha with a superficial understanding of how to manage social security and public health care, but in reality it meant a whole raft of community based, coal face, culturally expert service lost its funding. That’s not too different than say the cuts to elderly homehelp funding a few years ago.
I’m sure there are problems with Whanau Ora, but we have a long way to go before we can claim to have a good understanding of what those issues are in context.
I think a big problem for Whanau Ora, it it has never generated the type of support, Kohanga Reo has. It appeared to me, to not explain itself well. It was always a bit top heavy as well, and anyone with half a brain would have spotted that before the report.
That said, everyone I’ve seen go through a Whanau Ora programme, has had good results. Some excellent, and some just good. It is a system which works. Could it be better, yeap – but so could all social services.
The rest, I agree with Weka.
“let’s remember that it was the Clark govt that axed race based funding”
and let’s remember why that happened – because the Hollow Men did a better job of being the opposition than we’ve seen since. Recall how Labour’s ‘Closing the Gaps’ policy was embattled?
Yep. Can’t remember which term it was though. Third?
First and maybe second, I thought. Remember business sector mounting a counter-attack pretty early.
I was meaning when it got axed. Pre-election I think, but can’t remember which one.
after orewa speech i think
@ weka
Funding culturally appropriate services (or any services for that matter) through private providers is a form of privatization.
Moreover, anyone that thinks Whanau Ora is solely for Maori is mistaken.
Are you aware of just how many health services in NZ are provided by govt funded NGOs?
I know that Whanau Ora is not only for Maori, and that doesn’t change anything about what I wrote.
How many health services in NZ provided by govt funded NGOs is irrelevant to the point I made. One (or many as the case may be) privatization doesn’t justify another.
Racial connotations or the suggestion of them are generally put forward by those that are misinformed of the fact.
What fact?
It’s strange how there’s no hue and cry about all the other govt funded NGO services. Probably because it’s not privatisation. Further, we already have politically acceptable private health care, consider a GP practice for instance.
There is nothing wrong with NGOs offering services that are funded by govt. the govt can still control the kaupapa of the service via the contract. This is so routine now in NZ (for a long time) and when people start criticising Whanau Ora for privatisation it makes me think they don’t know what they are talking about.
Worse, too many times the state has proven that it is fundamentally incapable of delivering services directly to Maori that are culturally appropriate and fulfi treaty obligations. Maori simply have a better understanding of what their people need. Do they always get this right? No, but I can tell you some shocking stories about health care delivery to Pakeha direct from govt. So can adam by the looks of things.
Iwi are not private organisations. They are self governing treaty partners with the Crown.
The fact Whanau Ora is not solely for Maori.
NGOs are a form of privatization. They are not publicly owned by the crown.
Whether there is anything wrong with this type of delivery depends on ones perspective and, of course, how the provider performs.
Just because one agrees with the overall notion doesn’t necessarily mean they would support an organization that was poorly performing.
Not only is Whanau Ora a form of privatization it’s also unnecessary duplication. We already have a welfare system up and running. Thus, the goal should be to improve it (by taking Maori input on board) not duplicate It.
Iwi are not publicly owned, thus are not public providers.
All organisations contracted by the taxpayer should be accountable to the taxpayer.
I think you are largely making a semantic argument re privatisation and ignoring my point that there is a double standard here on the political debate.
Iwi are only private organisations if you ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. Or if you believe that Maori are a subset of NZ culture, which you appear to do. The problem when it comes to health services direct from the state is that the state is still by and large a Pakeha dominant entity. Your ideology says all welfare should be provided by the state, and currently that means a Pakeha system except where the system is adjusted to take other cultures into account. Too often that is lip service. What you are suggesting is that Maori should continue to have poor service.
well said. the main point is that whanau ora is a publically funded public organisation recognising a non pakeha way/method to approach issues previously addressed solely through a western european lens/framewotk
@ weka
There is no double standard in critiquing an initiative that has been reported to be under performing.
Moreover, some previously warned of this outcome from the outset. Structures were deemed to be to loose.
Pointing to other organizations and claiming a double standard is a distraction from the poorly performing initiative being critiqued.
Iwi are not publicly owned by the crown, thus by that definition it places them in the private domain.
I’m not the subject matter. So quit with the attempted pot shots, which, by the way, are far off the mark.
I’m highlighting the state structure is already up and running, therefore that’s fiscal savings that could be further utilized, opposed to the money currently wasted on the duplication.
Additionally, if there is a genuine will to want to further Maori, there would be no problem adopting and implementing new initiatives, which could then be tried in smaller regions and if successful, expanded nationwide. Reducing risk, thus costs, with savings going to further help.
Therefore, my point is the state is in a far better position to cater for this, thus the goal should be to improve its performance and adopt new initiatives to improve its delivery.
*SIGH*
Really the chairman, really. Did you take the time to read what Weka said?
But let me responded to you “We already have a welfare system up and running. Thus, the goal should be to improve it (by taking Maori input on board) not duplicate It” Like a Tory government will listen to the voices of Maori – particularly when a labour government hardly ever has.
Ever wondered why Maori and Pacific islands are taking charter schools on? Same as above – because the state and it’s agents just don’t take on Maori input or ideas. Hello.
And well Whanau Ora is first and foremost a vehicle to deal with Maori and others – health issues, using Holism as it’s core. This means looking at the whole welfare of the person – which inevitably spills out of health, into other parts in their lives. It is also one of the reasons why it’s an expensive approach – multiple people are drawn in to deal with the issues, in a most fulsome manner.
Yes it’s expensive short term, but the long term benefits have not been thrown into the accounting mix – because it’s so much simpler to blame Maori again, and strip away another programme.
Goodbye Whanau Ora – a great idea – killed by penny pinches and racists.
“Ever wondered why Maori and Pacific islands are taking charter schools on? Same as above – because the state and it’s agents just don’t take on Maori input or ideas ”
Indeed. Or why the Mp even exists.
+1 particularly your last sentence
@ adam
The Maori Party are in coalition with National because they believe they will listen, thus give them input.
Labour did well in the Maori seats so clearly a number feel they will be listened too.
Allowing Maori to take on Whanau Ora, prisons or charter schools is a sign they’re being listened too.
Whanau Ora is under performing. People drawn in usually come from other funded agencies such as the police, WINZ etc…
I’m not blaming Maori, but clearly people and structures are responsible. Nor am I advocating the end of the notion, merely suggesting how we could improve its delivery by improving and utilizing the current welfare system.
Bloody strange use of the term ‘listened to’ there. The Mp formed because Labour weren’t listening to their own Māori MPs let alone wider iwi. I would see the Mp’s alliance with National as the height of pragmatics rather than being based on a belief that they will be listened to. They’ve got some leverage and so they’re using it. And as much as I dislike a lot of what the Mp have done, I can’t blame them for that all things considered.
weka
My observation is also that Turia held a grudge for a long time and that she was never going to countenance a coalition with LP while she was around. She has never forgiven Clark for S&F (as she is entitled) but imo she made it personal and to the detriment of Maori (as far as that term can be used in a blanket way).
I think the Clark government axed ‘Closing the Gaps’ which was the vehicle for race-based spending, but not all the spending. Maybe some programmes that might have been were wound back due to the petty little racists, like those that supported the Orewa speech, but health funding remained heavily in favour of Maori, Pacific, with social deprivation.
If higher funding based on ethnicity wasn’t quietened I doubt we would have had a 3-term Clark government.
Obviously more needs to be done to close the gaps, because despite overall health gains for Maori increased funding alone did not close the gaps – there is something missing from the equation.
“I’m sure there are problems with Whanau Ora, but we have a long way to go before we can claim to have a good understanding of what those issues are in context.”
^^^ this
It depresses me sometimes when I think about what a nasty little country NZ can be and the opportunities lost because of it. It’s like the progressive left is always worried about stepping on the toes of middle NZ, whereas the political conservatives could care less – they just railroad their opinions and policies through.
Thinking today about how Labour caved on Closing the Gaps, I wish they would just get some principles, even if it means losing an election. They could’ve stood their ground at that point, and instead of cutting the race based funding, they could have introduced extra funding for non-Māori that was also specifically targeted, and used that as an opportunity to make more people feel included and respected, and to demonstrate why targeted funding is relevant and necessary. Let the bigots say what they want, and just keep on with the fair society.
Of course things like the Foreshore and Seabed Act probably demonstrate that this was more than just the bigots on the right jumping up and down.
” They could’ve stood their ground at that point”
Yup. Just be brave sometime. Make the strategists work out how to deal with what Labour’s principles are (I know they have some, they’re just too willing to make excuses about them) rather than taking advice from the strategists about what they should be.
Although the backlash to Closing the Gaps was scary. To me, that points to flawed strategy and PR. It didn’t take into account the ‘more than just the bigots on the right’ and also seemed to ignore the struggling non-Maori , which was a mistake. Maybe policy and strategy would be better with more than middle class policy advisors on the team, just sayin’.
Ae, but is there a fix for that? Maybe a generational one, but nothing coming soon I suspect.
Do you think it would work for a party like Labour to have targeted funding for non-Māori. Or would a programme to help eg working class white men just blow the middle classes’ minds? (no idea how working class white men would feel about it either).
Ha! the easy questions first 😉
My interest is barriers to healthcare (and even that is in a narrow field) so I’ll go with that..
I know that there is health funding for low decile populations regardless of ethnicity, which would include a proportion of working class white men, it’s just not as much as for Maori/Pacific peoples. I agree that men and white working class men in particular may feel affronted by programmes to ‘help’ them. It’s a cultural thing, I think – the rugged individual and all that.
That doesn’t mean, of course that nothing can be done. ‘Normalising’ specific diseases and processes for screening and treatment might be a better bet There are quite a few examples in heart health, skin cancer for that (and of course, campaigns to reduce drink driving use normalisation of not drinking and driving to good effect) e.g. telling a mate at work you’ve got high cholesterol and need to ‘go see the doc for a check-up’ doesn’t have the same feel of personal ‘failure’ as physical impairment, bowel cancer or such that afflict a whole heap of wwcm.
As for targeted funding to specific socio-demographic groups – I’m beginning to agree with the argument for universal benefits to get buy-in from the general population. A good example in education is student allowances, which at the moment goes to the very poor and the very rich i.e. the groups that can declare low or no income. Now that blows the middle class minds. That doesn’t mean there is not a place for targeting service provision and delivery (and yes, that means specific funding). So I’m still working that out in my mind.
From a personal perspective, where I grew up, in a street that was predominantly Maori my parents watched as neighbours got home doctor visits while they had to walk us a couple of km to the doctors when we (5 kids) had whooping cough going around. (I remember coughing fits and vomiting along that way) – This combined with the targeted housing programmes – the resentment my parents feel to this day is huge. Now of course, no-one gets doctors visits so it’s all level playing field 😉 and absolutely useless for ensuring people can get the care they need.
Structural and administrative changes in the delivery of primary care for would probably do a lot more than targeted funding for wwcm. Same goes for access to secondary care where appointment times are less flexible (albeit well-signaled) – especially in these days of precarious work environments where taking time off or admitting to illness may lead people to fear job loss.
The sale of Northland land to foreigner’s is really concerning to us. Yesterday Chinese interests purchased $42 million dollars worth of dairy farmers. This come on top of the exclusive luxury resort to be managed by Mike Sabin.
http://m.tvnz.co.nz/news/national/6306920
“National working for foreign interests”
In the process of organising a public rally in Northland to put pressure on the Government to put a halt to this. After yesterday’s email out from Mc Cully’s office banning National MP’s from attending Falun Gong/Dafa celebrations the chances are slim. However something needs to be done to wake Kiwi’s up.
One thing I think the Left need to agree on is a referendum on foreign ownership in NZ. Leave it to the people to decide if we should sell our nation off or not and not the politicians.
Labour will not promote a referendum on foreign ownership of NZ farms and homes.
I think you’re right. There are two reasons why I think that:
1. Labour was the party that opened up the economy to foreign ownership in the first place. According to Douglas, this would enable us to take Manhattan. Instead, we’ve been taken for a ride.
2. Labour cannot adequately defend themselves against the inevitable accusations of racism that would follow.
Going for a referendum negates both of those as it would be Labour listening to the People rather than telling them what’s best as National are presently doing.
I think it will be a deal breaker for NZ First in any coalition arrangement … and I can’t see Winston going with Nats ever again. jmho.
Of course they won’t as they’re still wedded to the failed neo-liberal BS. This is why they’re still losing.
With the fall of diary prices (orchastrated?)
will this leave our farmers in dire need for refinance options or will they just sell up to more overseas investors ?
If the overseas investors could crash the diary prices and then buy up the struggling farms for a song ,this would be to much of a coincidence?
maybe our new flag should have the words vassel land or tennantsville somewhere in the mix
If nationals agenda runs it’s intended course the new flag may as we’ll be China’s with a silver fern in the bottom corner
😥 😥 😥
When oh when will people see through the facade of Rock star political celebrities?
National and Maori party $140,000,000 Whanau Ora bungle, a central element in the 2011 coalition agreement between National and the Maori party.
The Sabin/Osbourne electoral fiasco (Can I sell you a bridge… or ten?)
ACT’s ‘error’ in waiting 9 months to disclose Alan Gibbs donation of $32,0000-“it was a systems failure” (insert Tui ad comment here).
Mr Key’s foolish attempt humour at a lower ranked person’s expense). The Italian media summed it up well in a newspaper headline.
Finance minister’s never-ending promises and deficits (how many years has a surplus been promised Mr English asks Dr Cullen?).
Parata’s school bungles – bigger classes are good, charter schools are good, spurious league tables -closing nationwide facilities for dysfunctional kids, closing good schools in Christchurch.
We can’t tell you about TPP it’s our secret.
Mr McCully mistakenly sending ‘don’t go to Falun Gong functions’ to all MPs instead of just his allies.
One could go on…but Look! ..at the end of the day, what I can say, in context of course, the maladroit ineptness is becoming harder to…….Oh look is that a flag over there? CT- Shame Harry didn’t get much press-an invitation to Charlotte-now that would give people a good feeling.
UN calls for suspension of TTIP talks over fears of human rights abuses
The TTIP is the northern version of the TPPA and that dystopian future is what both of them are about.
one thing on my mind re the ability for corporates to sue governments if governments change laws and cause them to lose anticipated profits……
…. surely means that the reverse applies too… so that if laws are changed which result in increased profits then those increased profits come to the governments
… s u r e l y
YES?
Or NO? If no, then the corporates get all the upside and none of the downside
the game is always rigged to favour the house.
Queue Dr Mapp in 5..4..3..2..1… to rehash his well-worn (yet discredited) lines that the TPPA is only an FTA and we have absolutely nothing to worry about and are all acting like Chicken Little 🙂
He seems to avoid the topic sinc ehe was asked a few questions he couldn’t/wouldn’t answer
like:
If everyone is spying on everyone, and we expect t spy and be spied on by our friends, why does anyone need confidentiality of the negotiation position given everyone knows what everyone else wants through the spying?
Perhaps the good Dr Mapp could tell us if there is an ability for governments to recover gains from corporates if laws favourable to profit-making are passed, in the same way corporates can recover from governments if laws causing profit loss are passed, per above.
Can’t have it both ways.
Come in Dr Mapp….
How would it go it our unions incorporated a company in Australia with all the union member as shareholders at 1c a share.
Then every time the NZ government proposed anything that would have the effect of lowering wages for any union member then the Australia company could sue.
Perhaps we could incorporate similar comapanies that could protect our enviroment etc. Fish & game and the Waitemata harbour.
The idea of suing anti community NAct governments has some appeal.
The
slowmarch to inverted totalitarianism continues.We are living in a time of Inverted Totalitarianism, in which the tools used to maintain the status quo are much more subtle and technologically advanced … These include propaganda and major media outlets that hide the real news about conditions at home and our activities around the world behind distractions … Another tool is to create insecurity in the population so that people are unwilling to speak out and take risks for fear of losing their jobs … Changes in college education also silence dissent … Adjunct professors … are less willing to teach topics that are viewed as controversial. This, combined with massive student debt, are tools to silence the student population, once the center of transformative action.”
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/14489-lifting-the-veil-of-mirage-democracy-in-the-united-states
Parliament Questions For Oral Answer May 6, 2pm
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1505/S00080.htm
i was going to do a commentary on it – but i read the questions – and almost lost the will to live..
..so i flagged that idea..
as it was – the only laugh-out-loud moment of interest – was key saying that human rights in saudi arabia is ‘a little bit better’…
..and just going on skills displayed in the house – i find myself (disturbingly) leaning towards rightwinger shaw – as the best person to next co-lead the greens..
..and i am somewhat surprised by that assessment..
From Nate Silver’s website : UK election result prediction, updated for 5 May.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/interactives/uk-general-election-predictions/
Also,
Watch these four latest short videos from BBC about the three main leaders and the election.
http://www.bbc.com/news/live/election-2015-32557049
Now this too is scary.
http://teu.ac.nz/2015/05/secret-trade-deal/
Do we really want our education system totally screwed over for the sake of ideology?
No we don’t but that’s what National are doing.
Document reveals tax multinationals should pay
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-04/verrender-document-reveals-tax-multinationals-should-pay/6441558
Wonder how the non-payment evasion applies to NZ? As some say, the chase for the cashies is small stuff compared to the millions evaded by the big companies. An exposure of NZ companies coming here soon do you think M Chairman?
@ ianmac
I wouldn’t be surprised if it leads to further developments here.
And our government keeps giving Rio Tinto subsidies.
Must be tough trying to beat this:
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/income-and-work/employment_and_unemployment/LabourMarketStatistics_HOTPMar15qtr.aspx
» 16,000 more jobs this quarter
» 74,000 more jobs in the last year of which 60,000 are full-time
» Labour force participation rate at new high of 69.6%
» Unemployment rate steady at 5.8%
» An extra 15,900 manufacturing jobs over a year ago (don’t forget the crisis!)
» The number of hours worked have increased 9.7% over three years ago
» Salary rates up 1.7% in last year (while inflation is just 0.1%)
I feel for the left, it must feel like a positively herculean task when you have to counter this
“Salary rates up 1.7% in last year (while inflation is just 0.1%)”
wage rates? Please quote the median.
Naah I don’t think so, I’m not going to discuss every minor, rinky-dinky meaningless detail when the point is this is what Labour is up against and unless Labours changes what it did in 2008, 2014 and 2017 it’ll be National in 2020
The employment rate is steady and we’ve never had more kiwis in work than we have now
Thank you John Key
Get your head into the real world; who do you think you are fooling? Even the middle class knows that something is seriously wrong with this economy and if they don’t, their kids out there on minimum wage zero hour contracts are making it very clear to their Mums and Dads.
“we’ve never had more kiwis in work than we have now”
what a silly thing to say
“we’ve never had more people in NZ than we have now”
..rolly eyes
PR
“I’m not going to discuss every minor, rinky-dinky meaningless detail ”
No, you’ve always been better at asserting facts than proving them. Best to stick with what you’re good at; cherry picking data to support your predetermined position. Just don’t expect anyone to pay any attention to your words.
In fairness PR will e copying and pasting. Not assessing, analysing or cherry picking. regurgitating the propaganda if you will, uncritically,
still, PR’s tactical template gives us an indication of how the median’s done against inflation 🙂
I agree, that the average is being regurgitated speaks volumes about how half the population is probably doing in their wage versus inflation/CPI
See heres the thing, quite a few of you on here think that if you bog down into the details (and post links of course, lots and lots of links) and focus on one point and then rain down tonnes of verbal garbage that the left have somehow “won” the arguement and that this will magically transform into thousands of votes
But it won’t and it hasn’t since 2008 because you lose sight of the fact that the people of NZ arn’t listening to Labour because of messages like the one from stats and from what they see with their own eyes
That the Greens can raise more money than Labour should tell you lot something but of course it’ll just lead to cries of public funding to, you know, level the playing field
Nah, you’re trying to conflate multiple unrelated issues.
Unemployment and under employment in NZ is far worse than relayed by those figures that you are so proud of.
Labour’s problems are one of cultural mismatch and economic substance and are quite a different issue.
he isnt conflating, he is regurgitating something he has been told is good and isnt prepared to see if what he has been told is true or even the full facts.
he does have a point tho. 49% of NZers do the same thing. Accept the manipulation and lies and are thereby duped into voting for something which is actually against the interest of some of them so voting.
PR
See, here’s the thing; if CR, Tracey, or McFlock were to post a link, then I might click on it, if I had the time to do so. Whereas if you posted a link (as you did comment 20), then I wouldn’t, even if I had all day free.
I hope you are getting paid by the word. As your performance in; disheartening the Aotearoan political left who read TS, is perpetually unsuccessful.
I think you’re pretty fuck-useless at guessing what people think.
“Low proportion of positions have pay increases this quarter
Over the latest quarter, 11 percent of all salary and ordinary time wage rates increased. While the proportion of salary and wage rates increasing in a March quarter is usually low, this is the lowest proportion since the March 2010 quarter. In the year to the March 2015 quarter, 59 percent of all salary and ordinary time wage rates increased. This was unchanged from the year to the December 2014 quarter”
So, despite us being a rock star economy with soaring GDP… wage increases in the last quarter were only given to 11% …
funny that you (PR) and this government want people to stay away from the rinky-dink detail.
Were the MPs salary increases in this quarter?
the unemployment rate is also steady… so despite you crowing about more people in work, the same number are essentially unemployed…. in this rock star, GDP soaring economy
Actually, if the unemployment rate stays the same with an increasing population then, in absolute terms, more people are unemployed. The number of new jobs is less than needed to reduce unemployment.
“Employed: people in the working-age population who, during the reference week, did one of the following:
worked for one hour or more for pay or profit in the context of an employee/employer relationship or self-employment
worked without pay for one hour or more in work which contributed directly to the operation of a farm, business, or professional practice owned or operated by a relative
had a job but were not at work due to: own illness or injury, personal or family
responsibilities, bad weather or mechanical breakdown, direct involvement in an industrial dispute, or leave or holiday.”
Thanks Tracey I was looking for those terms of criteria at one time unsuccessfully.
I didn’t realise it actually included unpaid work, and the variety of other aspects where you were counted employed though not at work.
Why must anyone “counter” it?
The left will be happy about those stats. Less happy about the environmental degradation and over-reliance on agricultural exports (particularly milk).
The point is, if the left were in charge, the numbers would be even better than these.
Ha, unemployment rate steady at 5.8% is nothing to rave about.
Talk about lowering the bar.
Would be interested in seeing the rate if you only count people with half time or greater jobs. Not just the ones who do a couple of hours work a week.
Also, our educational institutions have been stuffed full to the gills of people who couldn’t find work, but because they are now students (living off loans) they also do not count as “unemployed.”
@ Colonial Rawshark
Indeed, good points.
“Average ordinary time hourly earnings $28.77 0.0 +2.1
Average ordinary time weekly earnings (by FTE) $1,085.48 +0.7 +2.0”
hmmmmmm, median would be interesting cos it would enable us to see how much of the wage/salary growth is amongst high income earners.,
The rise in the labour force was consistent with high growth in the working-age population. The working-age population increased 2.1 percent over the year – the largest annual percentage increase since the year to the March 2004 quarter. High net migration for the 20–34-year age groups contributed to the growing working-age population.
And construction is helping (PR is national responsible for the CHCHCH earthquake?)
“The largest contributions to the rise in filled jobs over the year reported by businesses from the
QES came from:
accommodation and food services
professional, scientific, technical, administration, and support services
construction.
While the QES is better designed to give industry estimates, most self-employment is out of
scope of the QES and therefore not reflected in growth in filled jobs. However, self-employment
is accounted for in the HLFS. The HLFS shows that around 20 percent of people working in the
construction industry are self-employed.
Employment in construction remained strong in Canterbury and Auckland, with 8,600 more
people employed in Canterbury and 6,700 more people employed in Auckland over the year. In
total, 23,300 more people were employed in construction, accounting for 31.6 percent of total
national employment growth.”
And yet despite all that unemploymeny is still at 5.8%. So, despite all the new jobs there’s still increasing amounts of poverty.
And that is the lie exposed right there. Thank you – Draco T Bastard.
Poverty is increasing, food banks are stretched, people living in cars and under bridges. Child poverty off the hook, and people who are working, are the ones getting into more and more debt as each week passes.
Puckish Rogue you are living in a statistical world of smoke and mirrors. But, hey your choice. Everyone is entitled to be a wilfully ignorant, if they choice.
+ 1 Good points from both dtb and adam. Poverty is increasing – that is the guts of the matter.
Wow! Rachel Notley and the centre left NDP have swept to power in Canada’s most conservative Province, Alberta, knocking off 40+ years of Conservative majority government.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/alberta-votes-2015/article24269623/
the people are able to “see” everywhere but here it seems…
Change will come here too Tracey and it’s a safe bet we won’t have to wait as long as Albertans.
I hope so. I really hope so… and that we can reverse the damage
Another guilty rugby player escapes conviction because of the consequences it will have on his ‘professional rugby career’.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/272984/moala-escapes-conviction-over-bar-brawl
Yeah, that removal of the law for ‘special’ people is downright sickening.
And here’s me thinking that the ‘consequences’ of conviction were there to dissuade people from committing crimes! haha
IMF discovers low investment is cause of low growth – what a surprise?
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/imf-discovers-low-investment-is-cause-of-low-growth-what-a-surprise/
Phil
Now on Sky history channel an excellent documentary for a change , called The Spirit of 45. Compulsory viewing for all right wing fuckwits They might learn something and realise if it was not for this thinking in 45 they would not here today with their rightwing fuck you Jack attitudes.
Ironic you’re watching it on SKY History Channel
Poor old ‘Cackling Rosie’ aye ? No, not the cafe Rosie. A serious personal grievance may well pale against what’s on the horizon for Cackle. Talking putea.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11444267
Another posturing, bad-value, over-indulged fuck to match Tugger.
These things come in threes. What’s in store for Mutton-Lamb-Hosking ?