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6:00 am, June 21st, 2022 - 196 comments
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The current rise of populism challenges the way we think about people’s relationship to the economy.We seem to be entering an era of populism, in which leadership in a democracy is based on preferences of the population which do not seem entirely rational nor serving their longer interests. ...
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Money is changing hands in Israel – those who bet on an election before their 5th vaccine jab have won. Israel is to have its 5th election since 2019.
https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/06/21/israeli-government-dissolves-parliament-calls-new-elections/
So while Omicron variants 4 and 5 spread the jabbed up (neither being jabbed nor with "natural immunity" prevents infection) there is the risk while going to vote.
The election comes in time to prevent Netanyahu going to court. There is about another year in the USA to go – presumably the GOP primary race would result in a stay of court proceedings for Trump.
Home of the brave..
https://twitter.com/lilyastrah/status/1538722392087744512
Their whole country is stuffed.
https://twitter.com/IrvingSwisher/status/1538976082849931267
Mind you, it is unsettled everywhere right now..
https://twitter.com/ryan__jg/status/1539020574910910465
Some discussion around what a "Phillips curve model of inflation (with some 'glorified moving average' fudge variables wedged in)" means,
http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=49871
I agree with the sentiment of this comment more than the facts as, the NAIRU theory (which Summers is likely applying) fundamentally rejects there being any useable Phillips curve trade off between unemployment and inflation.
This is a shocker interview with Julie Chapman, head Honcho of Kids Can. They are launching an appeal for funds because student poverty has never been worse.
https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/kerre-woodham-mornings/audio/julie-chapman-kidscan-ceo-as-they-launch-urgent-appeal-to-help-families-with-school-costs/
Quote:
''The principal of Henderson Intermediate, Wendy Esera, has been in education for 44 years and says student poverty is the worst she's seen.''
I know some of this because my aunty was a primary school junior syndicate team leader. She was often buying shoes and clothes for about eight students in her class.
We have all read the headlines you may say!
Yeah, but I'm talking circa 2009. So I'd guess Chapman isn't exaggerating to gain extra funding given the present situation. The interview also talks of teachers ringing Kids Can in tears. Again I can believe that because my aunt burnt out and became ill. She retired before her time.
The problem for me is with a question Kerre asked. Kerre said the government has pumped millions into this problem…where has the money gone? Good question. We know the school lunch scheme can be wasteful. And we know some parents… well, aren't good parents. The common retort is to say most parents are good parents and are honestly struggling and are doing the best they can. I don't doubt that, but I believe the numbers of sub standard parents is being underestimated. That area needs to be tightened up. But that means overhauling WINZ. If National attempt this once they become the government, their bull in a second hand store approach, will make things worse for everyone, including good parents.
Next time you are in the supermarket and you see someone using a turquoise/ blue looking credit card you will know that's a Winz emergency food grant card. I see them on a regular basis. And sometimes the food choices in those trollies are appalling. And worse, one off, very expensive items: eg naan bread or a tray of donuts. These aren't a good choice of food item for a struggling family.
https://www.aaap.org.nz/fix_winz_food_grants. ( open letter to the government)
So the poor are not allowed to have a luxury item now and then after living on baked beans on toast and a bowl of rice for weeks on end?
What a worthless comment. Don't forget it's taxpayer's money. In other countries they would be at the dump scavenging for food. The short answer to be truthful from my perspective is no. Do the people of Ukraine deserve the luxury of peace now and again? Yes, they deserve peace all the time. But in their present situation that cannot happen. Same with our Winz clients. In case you haven't noticed they are in an emergency situation. And, no, I don't have all the answers. All I know is it's people like you who are part of the problem.
Poor people pay tax too, but good to know someone's keeping an eye on how 'the poors' pay at supermarkets – really shows your true worth, and true colours, imho.
If your kete is full, then there's really no decent reason to be 'sharing hesitant.'
Many poor people are not tax payers. If they are only receiving a benefit they are not net tax payers.
Many rich people don't pay Tax either, money hiding in Trusts etc, yet my taxes go to little Sebastion and Eugene's Private School Education.
Beneficiaries pay tax.
https://www.govt.nz/browse/tax-benefits-and-finance/tax/income-you-pay-tax-on/
Think about it. The benefit maybe $500 but they receive $400 in their hand as PAYE deducted. But the total $500 Gross benefit is just given to them funded from actual working tax payers tax paid.
It’s all make believe accounting to keep the bean counters happy.
The point is Jimmy, beneficiaries pay tax.
Nothing I haven't alluded too. Any ideas?
So you say.
Malcolm's 2017 analysis appealed to me. NZ is wealthy – redistributing a little more of that wealth would work wonders, imho. For example, I'd happily contribute to the tax on wealth proposed by the Green party – might not be required to contribute that much personally, but it's a decent thing to do.
Too much wealth is concentrated in the hands of a small number of Kiwis, and that's for real.
https://inequality.org/
More ideas on this in the 13 March 2022 comment I linked to @3.1.1.1.
''NZ is wealthy – redistributing a little more of that wealth would work wonders, imho. For example, I'd happily contribute to the tax on wealth proposed by the Green party.''
The way I see it, taxing wealth runs into problems sooner or later. It will stifle innovation and be open to further creeping tax takes in one form or another in the future. The rich will a find a way to continue avoiding a wealth tax meaning more government resources to catch them. Savings may suffer and then the wealthy start looking overseas to move assets and business.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300044327/the-crucial-feature-of-the-greens-wealth-tax-that-would-exempt-most-family-homes
But for me it boils down to an envy tax for wealthy people. Many who have built businesses and wealth up from scratch. I wouldn't have the cheek to tax the fruits of their labour.
That said you may have seen the headlines awhile back where some wealthy individuals said they should be paying more tax. I say good on them. That's what democracy should be about. Not all rich people are rich pricks.
Sooner or later the government always wants more. Even if only temporally.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-denmark-economy-idUSKBN23U1SE
https://inequality.org/research/sad-slide-equal-nation/
''Under this proposal, the total tax on an income of $40,000 would drop from $6,020 to $4,000, and the total tax on a $400,000 income would rise from $122,920 to $206,000.''
Yes, that certainly is one way to see it. But what's the evidence that supports the way you see it? Apart from some “rich pricks” avoiding paying their fair share of tax – that’s a given. [Btw, why do you call them “rich pricks“? Are you suggesting that being rich increases your chances of becoming a prick?]
For example, is envy relevant to Danish innovation? Are Danes queuing to leave home? According to this 31 March 2022 article, NZ is the 10th happiest country, but Denmark is stable in 2nd place.
And the happiest place on spaceship Earth, for the 5th year running? Finland, despite being next door to Russia – who would have thunk it!
Blade having a good supply of food for lunches so no one feels left out is more important than your bean counting solution which stigmatizes those who are hungry .Blade do you suggest that those poor parents all be trained to be better parents.That would require a massive investment of social workers fixing the housing crisis fixing the intergenerational neglect and abuse. Universal benefits require much less bearaucracy to implement. Malnurishment has longterm effects meaning society will pay more in the future from poor education poor health leading to multiple generations of poverty unrealised potentials. Blade you are Morally and emotionally aloof punish the poor for being poor for making poor decisions because of poor education coming from poor families. Logic type thinking is emotional aloofness a type of mental disorder where people don't care about their fellow human beings. Neo liberal economics plays one sector the money hoarders against those who don't have the luck to be born into a non dysfunctional well off lifstyle.Blaming the poor for being poor drag themselves up by their bootstraps when in reality less than 5% of people who are born into poverty break the cycle. Neo Liberal politicians use unemployment to control inflation then blame the unemployed for their predicament ,When the poor are being kept poor to make the economy run under this model!
Hey Blade next time you're at a supermarket judging what the poor can or can't have, do the world a solid favour and pull out your own card and pay for them.
And see if you can do it while keeping your mouth shut.
Hey, Ad. Who was judging? Just stating a fact from my perspective.
I am paying. No need to pull out my card. What have you ever given to charity? Probably like some socialists I know… when it's time for the the hat to go around, they are in the toilet having a dry one.
This is what a judgemental asshole sounds like when commenting on the poor:
And sometimes the food choices in those trollies are appalling. And worse, one off, very expensive items: eg naan bread or a tray of donuts. These aren't a good choice of food item for a struggling family.
Stick your facts up your ass and donate more instead.
If you think that's judgemental, that's how the poor feel with your eyes on them.
Blade, while searching for something to inflame readers of The Standard, settled upon this.
Tomorrow, it'll be something else of a similar nature, with similar intent and effect.
Bad faith player.
Well said, Robert.
True dat. Maybe useful as an occasional reminder of just how deceitful and self-serving a 'player' can be (reminiscent of Dirty Politics) – but every day?!!
Ah, Robert. Of course you would turn up. But with what?
''Blade, while searching for something to inflame readers of The Standard, settled upon this.''
As a matter of fact this problem is about to explode. That's a whole new generation of malcontents in the making. Maybe coming to a street near you.
Now child poverty was a mainstay of Labour's agenda. And they delivered big bucks to try and fix the problem. It hasn't worked. So what the hell is National going to do? And will the problem become any better.
''Tomorrow, it'll be something else of a similar nature, with similar intent and effect.''
What type of wankery is that meant to mean? You are a Letie, yet I see little empathy. This should be your patch of concern. Maybe because it only effects mainly brown kids in some cases.?
Give us some ideas, Robert. I have some. I doubt you have any.
''Tomorrow, it'll be something else of a similar nature, with similar intent and effect.''
"Just stating a fact from my perspective."
Ideas, Robert. Where are your ideas? I don't want deflections.
Well said Robert….I don't read his trash any more.
I'm surprised you read my trash in the first place.
Quite funny – a previously unseen aspect of your personality, Blade!
Geez, you are the biggest waste of space on this site. Yet people admire you. Now that's funny.
The defence will rest. Such anger and angst. Let's just keep the status quo..kapai. We can't criticise the poor…only rich pricks.
I thought this from you, Blade, was priceless!
"Hey, Ad. Who was judging? Just stating a fact from my perspective."
Well and weaselly done!
With regard your reply @ 11:59, I’ll quote you;
“What a worthless comment”
Well and weaselly done!
“What a worthless comment”
Boo hoo, "rich pricks" "can't criticise the poor" – 'priceless'. "Rich pricks" need hobbies, and some get off on kicking people while they're down, imho.
Really? Do link.
Yes. I can give you personal experiences if you want?
Quote:
''The Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme was first rolled out to primary schools with high levels of need in 2019. The funding was expanded to some high schools in 2020 and 2021, at a cost of $220.6 million over two years.''
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125079039/thousands-of-taxpayerfunded-school-lunches-left-uneaten-by-students
Now, I need to ask myself a question: Am I being trolled, or is the ideological castle being challenged by barbarians at the gate. Probably the latter, leading to the former.
Thank you. That's helpful.
Such profound intellectual laziness you have.
You can check out the actual results from the programme here.
Ka Ora Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches: interim report – Education in New Zealand
There's another evaluation coming out from the expanded programme as well.
Stuff's Act-led foolishness is the reddest of red herrings when the actual policy results are more young people are less hungry and are learning better.
It's not about the success or otherwise of the programme. And Julie Chapman has said it isn't working in many cases…. It's about the waste. Waste means a waste of taxpayers money and faults somewhere in the delivery of the programme.
Yeah, it's about the waste!
A sheep farm in Arabia, anyone? Or a flag referendum?
….or many tens of billions on roads. That is the real scandal about National.
Talk about dinosaurs.
What about waste?
The same accusations at the time were hurled at the flag referendum.
''https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/272446/flag-referendum-'waste-of-money''
You shot yourself in the arse, Tony. Only a Lefty can do that.
Yes it really is about the success of the programme.
Everything else is just media hype that fools like you buy into.
Every policy to the poor has waste, what matters isn't the waste.
It's how you help people.
And this programme is helping people by the hundred thousand.
Yeah , and if we cut the waste, a whole lot more poor folk can be helped. And once again, I remind you – ITS NOT THE GOVERNMENTS MONEY TO WASTE..IT'S OURS.
No it's not.
"Taxpayers don't own their taxes"
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2021/01/analysis-government-funds-are-not-taxpayer-money-media-and-politicians-should-stop-confusing-the-two.html
semantics
noun
The fact is the people own the government…at least they should.
Utter BS again, we don’t “own the government” and neither “should” we. It’s clear why you must rely on TB talking points to form your ‘opinions’ because you have not the slightest clue of how things are in the real world, let alone how they should be. You live in a TB fantasy world in which the Wizard is called Mikey.
Incognito
Depends on how you see your government. I see it like these guys.
https://www.quora.com/Who-owns-the-government
Funny how a Leftie doesn't see it that way. But you guys do have some strange ideas.
Yup, doesn’t surprise me that a TB junkie uses Quora for ‘info’.
In your own words, if you can, which of the answers in Quora best describes the way you ‘see it’? I’m sure you have a favourite.
See my original statement then take your pick of comments.
You diss sites and information and talkback you don't like at your peril.
Nope, you’re wrong, I don’t diss the sites and TB, I diss the lazy unthinking army of braindead zombies who rely on them for their cognitive existence and I diss the maleficent malcontents who use the talking points and propaganda from those sites and TB for nefarious agendas and interests. Put it all on the table and let the sunshine in, is my motto.
You’re troll-like by refusing to point to an answer that reflects or represents the way you ‘see it’. So, you were just wasting my time with your link to Quora. Yup, definitely troll-like behaviour.
BTW, your concern about my peril is quite endearing but I can assure I’m fine.
Its a lot more fundamental than semantics. If the government is dependent on tax payers to provide the money then it would clearly be impossible to change currencies. Countries relatively recently have retired entire currencies and replaced them with new ones (for various reasons).
Consider the situation in France in 1999. At this time France has decided to adopt the Euro and replace the Franc. In your conception the government is a bit stuffed because nobody outside the government has any Euro in France. That's going to be a problem because you can't collect Euro from people who got none making adopting the Euro problematic.
Once we realize its government money however the way this works is simple to understand. The government will spend Euro, Tax in Euro and issue exchanges for Franc as the public wants. In fact this is what was implemented across multiple European countries at the same time.
Those lunches look unappealing, even if they have nutritional value.
It may be worth looking at successful lunch programmes to see what can be learnt. Universal lunch provision may also reduce social stigma.
French school dinners: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/this-is-how-french-school-lunches-are-different/
Another article with some of the downsides:
https://karenlebillon.com/french-school-lunch-menus/
Great article, Molly. Something new has to be tried.
No, there are no signs of stigma just because not all schoolchildren don't get them.
No, the policy design isn't the same as for the French and neither is the menu.
Healthy school lunch programme pays off | PPTA
I understand that, Ad. And have downloaded the report from the link you've posted to read on another device. I did have a look at the summary though, and the measurement criteria.
I was posting the links because the French school lunch intention, implementation and experience seems to have a wider perspective that may be valuable to consider (from the 2nd link):
And, actually, in practice, sometimes they both look unappealing and are poor nutrition.
A friend who is a teacher at one of the schools with the free lunch programme, has been posting photos.
They hit a new low last week: 1 stale white bread bun, with a slice of processed cheese and a smear of jam (yes in the same bun). That was it.
The kids didn't eat it (not surprisingly, I wouldn't have).
The teachers did an emergency trip to the supermarket, and came back with bread, and peanut butter. So the kids had something in their tummies for the rest of the day.
There was a very nice brochure sent out to parents, describing (with pictures) what will be provided. However, the quality has been on a significant downwards spiral. And the quality checks that the Ministry are supposed to carry out — have been completely absent.
Look, I know (believe me, I know), feeding kids is tricky. One week they're all over tomato and cheese sandwiches, the next they turn their noses up at exactly the same thing.
But, providing a basic wholemeal bread sandwich with a decent filling, isn't rocket science – and doesn't need to cost the earth. Mandarins are cheap at this time of year, as are kiwifruit. One in each lunchbox is a quick and easy way to get some vitamins (especially Vitamin C at this time of year) into the kids.
I get the feeling that some of the contractors are making a healthy profit, and the kids aren't getting a healthy meal.
From your own link Blade
"Schools either gave spare lunches to kids to take home or sent them to local foodbanks, so the programme wasn’t wasteful"
Initially It was. That's the problem. And if you believe all schools give unwanted spare lunches away you are dreaming. We are talking double handling and poor focusing on individual school needs.
Your opinion is incorrect Blade. Another example from your link "Crawford and Walters send surplus lunches to community centres, where any member of the public can pick them up that afternoon"
Some supermarkets do self police what comes to the check out. I know a loved one always made sure she was buying essentials when she was given food grants. She made sure she bought items she couldn't normally cover in her benefit such as kitchen spray cleaning or vitamins anything too expensive to fit in her normal supermarket shop. Granted she thought the checkout tellers were "nazis" but accepted it.
Yes, I have noticed policing of food grants is different depending on the supermarket. My local supermarket caters to the low earner /beanie demographic. They can buy whatever they want. However, that may be because the people that frequent my local aren't the type you say no to. The bash is always a possibility. So maybe they just take the path of least resistance. I don't know. However, if all supermarkets are meant to be limiting what a food grant can purchase, I believe that needs to be enforced.
And maybe do away with benefit payments altogether, and have a central hub that pays for everything? A bureaucratic nightmare at present to implemented for sure. But if you consider we are close to becoming a cashless society, it would be an easy step in future.
BTW – was your loved one using the old paper food grant transaction, or did they have the much easier card system? The old system could hold a line of shoppers up for ages while everything was checked.
For pete's sakes, do you hear yourself Blade?
Yes, I'm hearing myself. But I'm hearing nothing from you.
Then you appear to have no self awareness. Obviously you are hearing something from me Blade, or else you wouldn't be replying. One wonders if you spend your time skulking around supermarket checkouts. It's clear that what you want to do is police what beneficiaries receive and what they spend their money on, because you are under the delusion that beneficiaries are spending your money. Well, it's not your money and what people spend their money on is none of your business.
Yes, it's my money…taxpayers money. I have a right to stick my nose in. Stop playing your silly games. This WAS a socialist paradise. But not anymore.
''One wonders if you spend your time skulking around supermarket checkouts.''
''It's called situational awareness. And no, I don't skulk around supermarkets. I have better things to do. That you haven't noticed what I notice means you are half asleep…as your comments show.''
No, it is not your money Blade, as I have already explained to you in another post. Obviously you don't have better things to do and you have no right to stick your nose into someone else's business.
So is an independent judiciary and juries. So is having a general election every three years. So is having a free press. Your point?
Well, let's use an example:
A garage mechanic is spilling 150mls of oil every time he does an oil change. That's a lot of oil depending on how many cars he services in a working week. That's money down the drain that could be used for other garage essentials or expenses.
Solution: sack the mechanic if he's at fault. However, if he's spilling oil because of the way the garage is configured, or because he has to follow guidelines on how the oil change must be done, then those hinderances must be removed or altered to streamline the operation, stop wastage and save money.
Except that public social services are nothing like small private businesses and it would be supremely ridiculous to compare the two.
No it wouldn't. Household budgets and efficiencies apply in principle across the board. Sort it out…not by increasing bureaucrats. But by holding them responsible for the jobs they do.
Since you seem so concerned with food waste:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_waste_in_New_Zealand
https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/about/sector-groups/behaviour-change/national-food-waste-prevention-project/
https://environment.govt.nz/what-government-is-doing/areas-of-work/waste/reducing-food-waste/
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/food-business/running-a-food-business/reducing-food-waste-tips-for-businesses/
Wag your finger at those spoiled little brats at school who won’t eat their provided lunches, courtesy of the Taxpayer. Perhaps they should learn how precious food is and the resources that go into producing and transporting it and perhaps they should learn to minimise and manage waste; don’t they teach them anything useful at school nowadays??
I agree with the your last paragraph. The little brats haven't time to be taught how precious food is because climate change, Maori culture and other environmental issues are being taught.
Therefore, let's check where the money is going from government, and the criteria to distribution of free food lunches in school. Then cut out or cut back on schools wasting kai ( maybe make kids a accountable). For example my nephew attends what would be a decile 8 school. He forgoes his substantial breakfast and lunch available from his home in favour of a three course meal at school. These schools should be cut from the free food programme for starters.
"The little brats haven't time to be taught how precious food is because…"
Shouldn't your "little brats" be taught "how precious food is" at home, by their parent/s/care-givers?
I imagined you to be the "personal responsibility" kind.
Aren't you a 3 "R"s Brash-o-phile?
What did your little brats learn.. slicing mung beans to make a meal go further.
Was that your second attempt at humour?
Please use the "humour" tag.
Makes it easier to tell.
Since when does central government provide 3-course meals to decile 8 or any decile schools?
Sounds like you’re making up shit again.
Of course, kids are too busy during their lunch breaks with learning about CC, Māori culture, and other environmental issues to focus time on food. These kids have such limited attention span, can only focus on one thing at a time, that they use talkback as their main source of ‘information’ later in life.
You obviously haven’t raised any children yourself because you’d know that home-packed lunches (not so much the snacks, funnily enough) often come back home unfinished and sometimes even untouched. That’s what afternoon tea and fridges are for, brilliant inventions!
Let the waste minimisation and management start at home, continue at school, and last a lifetime. A bit like learning, really. You didn’t click on any of the links, clearly.
Um, no, they literally don't. A government budget is nothing at all like a household budget. That's a ridiculous assertion. Governments can create legal fiat currency backed by natural resources and labour, and it can license banks to create credit, which does the same thing. Countries have been doing this for centuries – households can't. And unlike a business a state can't just fire non-productive units – well, they can, but that would be a crime against humanity.
Furthermore bureaucrats perform actual functions and are too busy to also have to put up with the kind of performance assessments you are suggesting, because that would give them even less time to do their jobs, making them even less efficient.
This from Google.
''Are government and household budgets the same?
But the spending goals of governments and households are simply not the same. The purpose of a government budget is to help the entire economy, whereas a household budget is mainly concerned with its own financial situation.''
You are quite correct with some of your assertions. However, both government and households have the following in common:
How is the government similar to households?
Much like households, governments have regular income and expenditures. They both take on outside debt and if their debts get too high, they can get into trouble. But unlike households, governments can, and do, print money. Governments also have the power to change their income levels by raising taxes.
I wrote:
'' Household budgets and efficiencies apply in principle across the board.''
For example, apart from the obvious similarities, households can act in a limited way like a government.
''Governments also have the power to change their income levels.''
So do households if you think about it. Take on boarders for example.
Of course there are differences like tax take and printing money.
Of late I have come to consider that government finances are indeed more like a households than not, despite the constant refrain that they are not (methinks they protest too much)….while governments may have the ability to theoretically 'print' money while households do not, the consequences of abusing this are the same as for a household that overindulges on credit….perhaps the real difference between households and governments is not so much in the field of finance but rather in the ability to enforce its will….. so long as it can.
Depends on how you see your government. I see it like these guys.
https://www.quora.com/Who-owns-the-government
Funny how a Leftie doesn't see it that way. But you guys do have some strange ideas.
Whoops,wrong reply pat. Try this one:
''Perhaps the real difference between households and governments is not so much in the field of finance but rather in the ability to enforce its will….. so long as it can.''
Very true.
You're diversion trolling. The healthy school lunches programme is nothing like running an SME, they're completely different in scope, intent, and implementation. Private households are a different thing yet again.
Blade: while you're here: you’ve sparked my interest with what you wrote earlier about your organic farm and your use of rock-dust, seawater, lawn-clippings and biochar for making your 10 acres fertile. It’s your biochar that I’d like to ask you about, if I may.
Where do you get it from? How much do you need for your 10 acres and how do you apply it? I’ve read about the value of biochar and some of the historical uses. You mentioned “activating” your biochar before applying it; how do you do that? It all sounds innovative and exciting!
'I'm sorry, Robert. I gave you my best before; wasted my precious time on you. And my reward was you shat on me. I like to think I learn from my mistakes. It’s a pity because I have a real passion for this stuff and I like helping those out who have a similar passion.
I see you're posting with a swollen "E", Blade.
Sad that you can't bring yourself to share your intimate knowledge of those subtle organic practices you employ. Who knows what else you get up to on the farm that would be of interest to other gardeners and farmers here on The Standard. Your use of vortex technology for potentising water for your crops sounded fascinating! Oh, that we could hear more about that! And deploying rock dust as a long-term, slow-release fertiliser – how forward-thinking that sounds! Then topping-up your nutrient applications with sea-water! Wowsers!
Our loss, I suppose. No-one would have expressed their incredulity, had they know you'd take such offence to being tested that way.
Hei aha (I slipped that in because of your Maori heritage).
Redlogix seems to be a man of knowledge around these things. He may be able to help you.
Cheers, Blad.
"Sort it out…not by increasing bureaucrats. But by holding them responsible for the jobs they do."
Please refrain from making sensible comments like this on here. Now go wash your mouth out………they must not be held to account. It is not the Labour way.
"Kerre said the government has pumped millions into this problem…where has the money gone?"
Clearly not into anything that actually achieves results. But then this government has form for 'pumping' money into problems and getting little in the way of results.
Kerre said very little and was clearly fishing. Fortunately, her guest, Julie Chapman of KidsCan was very professional and didn’t take the obvious bait and she made a few good points. It was actually not too bad an interview.
As for results, well, don’t let a few facts get in the way of Blade’s and your narrative:
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-delivering-improvements-children%E2%80%99s-lives
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-lifts-66500-children-out-poverty
Press releases from the PM?
"The principal of Henderson Intermediate, Wendy Esera, has been in education for 44 years and says student poverty is the worst she's seen."
I doubt the PM would know student poverty if it bit her on the arse.
In fact, she cites exactly that as the reason she came to politics:
https://www.nowtolove.co.nz/celebrity/celeb-news/jacinda-arderns-country-childhood-2894
True, maybe I was a bit harsh. Maybe she does care. That doesn't change what people on the ground (like Wendy Esera) are observing.
Press releases by Government, to be more precise. You know, that lot that has the big picture.
I also listened to the podcast and heard what Julie Chapman said. Funnily enough, she did acknowledge the Government report. You may have missed it, in your rush.
Sure, press releases from government.
I agree with your comment that it was not a bad interview. But people like Wendy Esera are clearly seeing a different picture than is being presented by the governments spin.
Unlike some I don’t see it as “different” and as a binary; both views are valid and they’re complementary; they’re literally different PoVs. Julie Chapman also agreed with Esera’s comments. This is not just semantics and I genuinely believe that Esera, Chapman, the PM and many (?) in Government would agree on most things and could come to a very good understanding amongst themselves because they have very similar goals, i.e., common ground. Kerre was the odd one out or tried to play the Devil’s advocate, but she was not convincing.
Edit: big picture, small picture.
Not true to suggest nothing has been done Gypsy, for example, "More than 380,000 primary mental wellbeing sessions have been delivered and more than 900 additional FTEs are working to support mental wellbeing in the community"
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/next-steps-specialist-mental-health-and-addiction-services
From the article:
"A review has found no change in access to specialist mental health services in five years despite the Government's $1.9 billion cash injection in 2019. The review has also found that one-in-five people in New Zealand are not followed up after discharge from acute inpatient mental health units."
"… that just five new places for acute mental health patients had been added since 2019…"
"…it also highlighted a lack of accountability over the package, with different agencies focussing on their area, without a cohesive overarching plan to work together."
"More than 380,000 primary mental wellbeing sessions have been delivered and more than 900 additional FTEs" is significant and are facts Gypsy, the claim that nothing has been done is false, also the $1.9b allocation is for four years, and it’s only two years in.
"Matt Doocey and the National Party have a lot to answer for because of their nine years of neglect to the mental health system."
Little said the money is being spent and it is making a difference.
"Of the $1.9 billion, about $800 million of it went to a variety of other Government departments – Corrections, Education, and the Ministry of Social Development to do a range of mental health things for their area.
"For the Ministry of Health, the $1.1 billion they've got, over a four year period nearly half a billion dollars is going into what we call the Access and Choice program. Two years into that program we've added 850 full-time equivalent roles or people to the frontline of mental health.
"It is simply not correct for people like Matt Doocey and others to say the money is going nowhere. It is going all over the place and it is making a difference."
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2022/03/andrew-little-defends-government-after-report-finds-no-change-in-access-to-acute-mental-health-services-despite-1-9-billion-boost.html
I'm not sure who claimed 'nothing has been done'. In mental health, as in other areas, this government seems quite adept at spending a lot of money but getting little in the way of results.
If you don't accept what I'm saying, perhaps you'll take the word of Andrew Little himself:
"Health Minister Andrew Little has admitted the Ministry of Health "has struggled to achieve as much as we would have liked them to" on mental health after a review highlighted lack of accountability."
"Health Minister Andrew Little says he is "extraordinarily" frustrated at the slow pace of the Government's $1.9 billion mental health package announced in 2019."
As usual, your comments are so misleading that they border on being disingenuous.
Allocating government funds ≠ spending government funds
"In mental health, as in other areas, this government seems quite adept at allocating and/or spending a lot of money but getting little in the way of results."
Happy now?
Which is not true Gypsy.
Yep, it as. As demonstrated in this example by their own Minister's frustration.
No it's not, as I have shown in my responses to you.
Why did it take 2 years to spend 0.2% of the allocation?
Happy now??
Why would I be? Because you stop your misleading comments and become an honest debater who acts in good faith and whose comments I can trust?
Your comment is just another pathetic attempt at painting the Government in a bad light; it’s essentially meaningless, but good for a negative vibe, which is the gist of almost all your comments here.
"Your comment is just another pathetic attempt at painting the Government in a bad light; it’s essentially meaningless, but good for a negative vibe, which is the gist of almost all your comments here."
I'm not sure why you find this surprising, the current government has been particularly woeful over the last 12 months.
I find it surprising that so many of the commenters continue to be so supportive of the current lot despite their poor performance.
Really? Where did I say that I find it surprising that Gypsy is doing his usual BS?
You find it surprising because you conflate anti-government propaganda and robust criticism of government. You also conflate commenters who don’t swallow the usual BS from RWs with devoted supporters of government who dare not speak poorly of said government.
No wonder that some deluded dimwits say that it is “tribal”, FFS; it is truly an idiotic argument.
Pointing out that the government spent 0.2% of an allocation in 2 years may be 'meaningless' to you, but it is a pattern of wasteful and/or ineffective spending by this government.
You didn’t point out any such thing in your comment @ 3:24 pm. It was another broad-brush pathetic swipe at Government without any substance or content matter. It was bumper sticker BS: cheap, lazy, sticky, and unseemly.
Allocating ≠ spending
You’re clutching at straws; the money will be spent, in due course, or it will be re-allocated, as and when required by the circumstances. That’s what prudent governments do.
"the money will be spent, in due course"
The government has spent 0.2% of the total allocation in 2 years.
Andrew Little said he was ""extraordinarily" frustrated that despite making commitments and setting aside funding they seemed to be a "long way behind actually getting a shovel in the ground".
and
"I am still trying to understand why. I am not expecting facilities to be completed or fully staffed but we seem to be a long way behind actually getting a shovel in the ground."
And then:
"Newshub also reported on Monday the lack of spending had seen just five extra acute mental health beds been added, with patients forced to sleep on mattresses on the floor because there were no mental health beds left. Little said this situation was "not acceptable".
Despite your impressive copy & pasta and formatting skills your reply lacks substance or an argument that can be responded to.
Fail
" broad-brush pathetic swipe at Government without any substance or content matter. "
You didn't link to my comment, but I assume you mean my accusations of wasteful/ineffective spending. There are plenty of examples:
Government pays up to $600k for prime Auckland office space to lie empty | Stuff.co.nz
Billion-dollar Transmission Gully opening ceremony cost $337,000 | Stuff.co.nz
Revealed: Kāinga Ora spent over $24m of taxpayer money in four years on its own office renovations | Newshub
Ministry of Social Development Zoom job expos: Taxpayers fork out more than $800,000, only 126 people attend – NZ Herald
The 'ridiculous' amount Waka Kotahi spent on two big red prop 'zeros' – NZ Herald
Government blames COVID-19 for 46 percent increase in communications staff | Newshub
I didn’t link to your comment because I replied to it, as you can see from the nesting and from the start of my reply, which was the end of your comment to which I replied, i.e., Happy now?
Too hard for you to connect the dots?
Yours was this one (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895979) @ 3:24 pm, and as you can see, it was so generalised that it would just about cover any accusation one could aim at Government, which was entirely your intention, of course.
And here you’ve taken the opportunity again, as usual, to list your litany of anti-government headlines and other dirt that you could throw at them. No commentary, no explanation, no argument, just scrolls of negativity, which you call “examples”. Your pointless point scoring is tedious and doesn’t add anything of value nor does it contribute to discussion.
Fail
"So, stop playing games here."
You're the one playing games. Small minded games, that avoid answering the real question of why 0.2% of the allocation has been spent and no more.
Why the fuck should I have to answer your questions about that spending? It started with your misleading and disingenuous comment @ 3.6.2.1.1.1 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895969), remember?
You’d expect to see results from 0.2% spent since it had been allocated and then whinge & moan that it is “wasteful and/or ineffective spending by this government” because there are not as many results yet as you’d wish while there still is 99.8% to be spent, obviously. As Louis has already pointed out repeatedly, there are results and things are happening in this space. But as usual, you ignore, deny, and obfuscate, because it doesn’t suit your anti-government narrative.
So, now you move the goalposts from poor/wasteful spending to ‘why has it not been spent yet’. Clutching at straws to get your hit.
The real question is why you’re such a disingenuous commenter here who’s playing games all the fucking time.
"Why the fuck should I have to answer your questions about that spending?"
Because that would show you have honest intent, rather than coming in and trying to shut down the discussion.
"It started with your misleading and disingenuous comment @ 3.6.2.1.1.1 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895969), remember?"
That comment is neither misleading or disingenuous.
"You’d expect to see results from 0.2% spent since it had been allocated and then whinge & moan…"
I'd expect to see results, because I'd expect to see more than 0.2% spent in 2 years. And the Minister agrees with me.
Nice try, but no, I’m not trying to shut down discussion but rather the opposite, I’m trying to keep it honest and in good faith. You’re playing games here and not engaging in good faith, which is why you and I butt heads and why I’m trying you steer you back on track or I will (no try) shut down your playing games.
Yes, your comment @ 3.6.2.1.1.1 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895969) was misleading and disingenuous, as we have already established, and you agreed with my assessment because you corrected your comment @ 3:24 pm (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895979) signing off with Happy now?
We all expect results and I believe most if not all of us are underwhelmed by and disappointed with the little progress so far, and that indeed includes the Minister although you worded that really poorly. More money will be spent (cf. mental health allocations in Budget-2022; I’ll spare you the Government press releases because you seem to have developed such an aversion to them) and more results are coming, with time.
"No commentary, no explanation, no argument"
I gave all the commentary that was needed.
"You didn't link to my comment, but I assume you mean my accusations of wasteful/ineffective spending. There are plenty of examples:"
No doubt it's hard for you to swallow.
What you did @ 5:29 pm (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1896020) is known as link-spamming, which is warned against in this site’s Policy. It’s often used by trolls and others who don’t want to engage or are too lazy to put their own arguments in writing. Here, it can be a reason for banning. But you already know this.
My swallow reflex has nothing to do with your inability to follow the flow of comments here. It’s a sad diversion attempt on your behalf.
It’s funny how your wrong assumption gave you the self-invitation to go off on another rant-list of headlines pretending this is the ‘discussion’ I’m trying to shut down.
Fail
There you go again. Why would Kerre say “Kerre said”? I didn't quote Kerre, I quoted Blade. Hence the italics.
And Blade quoted/paraphrased Kerre, so you indirectly quoted/paraphrased Kerre, or are you simply quoting Blade now for his opinions only, which he gets from TB, BTW? Stop playing games here.
I didn't quote Kerre, I quoted Blade, and only to point to the part of his comment I was responding to. So chill.
Yeah, you quoted Blade who quoted Kerre, we agree on this, and you agreed with Blade and Kerre’s opinion. You happened to point to the part of Blade’s comment where he quoted Kerre. And you copied & pasted it too @ 3.6; the italics are irrelevant. So, stop playing games here.
"you diverted the convo to KB,"
Yep. Because it was directly relevant to Louis 'let's hold our breath' argument.
"is known as link-spamming"
Really? Ok, I'll do one at a time.
Do you think it's a good idea to spend "up to $600,000 in rent for an empty high-end waterfront commercial office meant to house the project headquarters for the cancelled bike bridge over the Waitematā Harbour."? And that for a lease that began "three weeks before the Government scrapped the proposed $785 million Northern Pathway project in October.'?
Now what category would you put that into? Wasteful? Ineffective? Good grief it's probably both.
And then to top it off, Sam Stubbs gave the 2020 'Wastie' award to the $51m spent on 'consultants' for the same project.
He wrote this:
"But the ridiculousness (and ugliness) of a separate cycle bridge over Auckland Harbour was obvious the day it was announced. Even the most flattering illustration couldn’t make it look like anything more than a hurried afterthought. A Newshub poll showed over 80 per cent of the public opposed the idea. But the bureaucrats in charge thought they knew better, which is presumably why they bought five houses in Northcote Point in preparation for its construction."
They bought 5 houses FFS!
Defend that.
You created a diversion away from the topic of discussion to a different one that has undergone a reset.
All commenters are expected to have read, understood and abide by this site’s Policy; it’s at the top of each and every OM:
You’re creating another diversion here. Why don’t you stick to the topic and when you’ve run out of arguments you just go to bed.
I don’t need to defend any of your strawmen. You need to stay on course.
"You’re creating another diversion here."
Nope. The topic has been on government spending money and not getting results, or wasteful/ineffective spending. You've spent a hell of a lot of time engaging in a diversion if you think it is one.
"I don’t need to defend any of your strawmen."
Ha! You need to look up the definition of straw man. Or maybe try to engage in good faith by trying to explain how the government you're defending could spend $600k on office space, $51m on consultants and buy 5 houses for a project it canned!
That’s correct and you linked it to mental health spending and Louis responded to that @ 3.6.2. You went along nicely until you suddenly and out of the blue decided to divert away to KB in the middle of the tread on mental health spending. In fact, you made a whole song & dance musical over the 0.2% spent so far.
I don’t need to defend your strawmen nor engage with them. It is part of your diversion strategy, a gish gallop of gaslighting gripes.
"Exactly, “was”, past tense and before the Great Reset."
Are you suggesting Kiwibuild is no longer about Home Ownership?
See link from Louis to Megan Woods piece. We have been over this and you’re still not getting it? It begs the question why not?
"You went along nicely until you suddenly and out of the blue decided to divert away to KB in the middle of the tread on mental health spending."
The KB comment was entirely relevant. It went to the heart of the comment Louis made about the mental health plan being a 4 year spend. I likened that comment to KB being a 10 year plan to build 100,000 homes. It’s not an unreasonable comparison.
Nope, KB and mental health spending have nothing in common other than being Government initiatives. This doesn’t excuse your diversions whenever you choose to and/or whenever it suits you; it’s a whateboutery variant. One plan is in progress, the other is still in progress after a major reset. Both are delivering results.
"See link from Louis to Megan Woods piece. "
Are you suggesting Kiwibuild is no longer about home ownership. It's a simple question.
And you already know the answer.
"Nope, KB and mental health spending have nothing in common other than being Government initiatives. "
In the context of Louis' comment, the thing they have in common is government failure. The spending of only 0.2% of an allocation when we have a mental health crisis is very similar to only building 1362 out of 100,000 houses promised when we have a housing crisis.
That has already been countered too and you’re simply parroting your own headlines again: Government failure and crises – just negative narratives from you. The only ‘similarities’ are your enormous umbrella of negativity and antipathy towards the current Government. Things are in progress, things are happening, results are being and will be delivered. No failure but developments with adjustments and recalibration along the way – that’s life. Tough for you to swallow, I realise.
"And you already know the answer."
Yep.
"KiwiBuild is enabling more home ownership opportunities for New Zealanders."
KiwiBuild works in two key ways:
KiwiBuild is here to enable and complement the private residential housing sector, not compete with it.
Why did you have to ask then?? Still playing games?
"No failure but developments with adjustments and recalibration along the way – that’s life."
Good spin.
The 'adjustments and recalibrations' began years before Labour won the 2017 election, and just over a year after being elected Labour the great reset began. ("What soon becomes known as the KiwiBuild "reset" goes on and on through early 2019.")
Labour were given plenty of warnings about aspects of Kiwibuild but they pressed on out of a combination of hubris and political expediency.
And the result? By June 2022 they said they would have built 28,000 homes. They have built 1365.
And you don't think that's failure?
"I'm not sure why you find this surprising, the current government has been particularly woeful over the last 12 months.
I find it surprising that so many of the commenters continue to be so supportive of the current lot despite their poor performance."
It's tribal, and typical of the residual hard core in both major political parties.
Quoting Blade's like going to sea in a boat made from candy-floss.
Kerre's opinion is not fact and so if you accept an acknowledgement by the minister at being frustrated at the pace, why cant you accept the following quote
"Matt Doocey and the National Party have a lot to answer for because of their nine years of neglect to the mental health system."
Little said the money is being spent and it is making a difference.
"Of the $1.9 billion, about $800 million of it went to a variety of other Government departments – Corrections, Education, and the Ministry of Social Development to do a range of mental health things for their area.
"For the Ministry of Health, the $1.1 billion they've got, over a four year period nearly half a billion dollars is going into what we call the Access and Choice program. Two years into that program we've added 850 full-time equivalent roles or people to the frontline of mental health.
"It is simply not correct for people like Matt Doocey and others to say the money is going nowhere. It is going all over the place and it is making a difference." (See 3.6.2.1.1 for the link).
An interesting note: 5700 medical workers, drs and nurses were brought into the country when the border was closed.
https://ondemand.parliament.nz/parliament-tv-on-demand/?itemId=226213
"Kerre's opinion is not fact…"
Irrelevant. I haven't put forward Kerre's opinion as fact. I haven’t put Kerre’s opinion forward to justify anything I have said.
"Little said the money is being spent and it is making a difference."
Why was only 0.2% of the money spent in 2 years?
If you thought Kerre's opinion was "irrelevant" why then did you link to Kerre's opinion in another one of your posts?
It's a 4 yr plan Gypsy.
I didn't link to Kerre's opinion. I linked to, and quoted directly, a comment by Wendy Esera.
"It's a 4 yr plan Gypsy."
You mean like Kiwibuild was a 10 year plan?
There you go again, @ 3.6 (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895759) you quoted Kerre directly and you used it as your usual stepping stone to promote your anti-government agenda.
Incognito
See Incognito's response to you and yes, KB was a 10 yr plan, there's been a reset and the govt have, so far, also built thousands of state and transitional housing as well, with more currently under construction.
"we have added over 9,000 warm, dry public homes to the stock – with over 7,400 of them being brand new builds. We have also supported the addition of more than 3,500 transitional homes (a mix of government and community housing provider-led builds)"
https://thespinoff.co.nz/opinion/01-06-2022/megan-woods-kiwibuild-is-alive-and-well
"KB was a 10 yr plan, there's been a reset and the govt have, so far, also built thousands of state and transitional housing as well, with more currently under construction."
The 'reset' was the result of the failure of the scheme. The state houses built are not kiwibuild.
No, you're wrong Gypsy, any housing built after the National govt left an unprecedented housing crisis I would consider a success.
Did you miss this on purpose?
https://thespinoff.co.nz/opinion/01-06-2022/megan-woods-kiwibuild-is-alive-and-well
"No, you're wrong Gypsy,"
From your own source:
"So far 1,365 New Zealand families are in KiwiBuild homes, and another 856 are currently under construction."
That was June 2022. The original scheme was to build 100,000 in 10 years. The scheme might be alive, but it's on life support.
And then there's this:
"So, how many Government Ministers does it take to build 1000 KiwiBuild Houses?
3
1 to say it won’t be done
1 to say it will be done
1 to say ‘I’m not sure we ever said it would be done‘"
@ 4:16 pm (https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21-06-2022/#comment-1895996) you diverted the convo to KB, an all-time favourite for RWs who are still stuck in the past before the Great Reset.
Instead of acknowledging the modest but undeniable progress to date you post silly slants from three and half years ago again demonstrating that you’re not commenting here in good faith.
Fail
That pathetic joke shows you're struggling Gypsy. It hasn't been 10 years yet and there has been a reset.
But why ignore the following Gypsy? it's part of this govt's massive building plan that includes Kiwibuild.
"we have added over 9,000 warm, dry public homes to the stock – with over 7,400 of them being brand new builds. We have also supported the addition of more than 3,500 transitional homes (a mix of government and community housing provider-led builds)"
Also
https://kaingaora.govt.nz/developments-and-programmes/what-were-building/large-scale-projects/
"it's part of this govt's massive building plan that includes Kiwibuild."
Kiwibuild was not about social/state housing. Kiwibuild was about home ownership. So far they've built 1365 out of 100,000.
Exactly, “was”, past tense and before the Great Reset.
How long are you going to keep your in head in the sand and ignore that the world has moved on and that things have changed? As long as it suits your narrative?
State + transitional + kiwibuild = Govt's massive building program, the largest in decades.
Remember National sold off state housing during a housing crisis and overall left a housing shortage of 71,000
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/mbie-figures-show-nationwide-housing-shortage-of-71000/55NUUYNFWZA3OJTTDCHF7W3T4I/
May of this year: "Stats NZ said never before had New Zealand exceeded 50,000 consents issued in a year – and most consents result in new buildings"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/new-housing-consents-issued-smash-records-as-we-go-over-50000-for-the-first-time/XCOZYPW3GLDFUAG6KLB3ZV224A/#:~:text=Four%20regions%20had%20record%20numbers,2506%2C%20up%2034%20per%20cent.
New Zealand’s housing supply shortage is finally being addressed with a huge residential building boom
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/real-estate/127201554/could-we-be-building-too-many-houses
"State + transitional + kiwibuild = Govt's massive building program, the largest in decades."
Yes + kiwibuild. Which is about home ownership.
Too massive for you to fully comprehend or just unwilling to accept a different truth?
Kiwibuild is PART of the govt's housing building program Gypsy.
The massive building program is not just about state and transitional housing, it is also about home ownership.
"Kiwibuild is PART of the govt's housing building program Gypsy."
The government promised to build 100,000 houses over 10 years for private ownership. By June 2022 they said they would have built 28,000 homes. They have built 1365. You can spin that anyway you choose, the government can 'reset' all it likes, but it's failure by any measure.
Like I said Gypsy, there has been a reset, which you can't dismiss because it doesn't suit you and any homes built after National left a housing crisis would be a success. Example, from your link, "Developments like Panmure in Auckland that include KiwiBuild are seen as a success: not just new homes, but a whole new way of living" "the success the Government has had in other areas of housing policy"
National promised more affordable homes, promised to build thousands of new state houses by selling off 8000 existing houses would you believe but delivered an unprecedented housing crisis instead. National also didn't deliver on it's later promise to build 34,000 homes in Auckland either.
"Fletcher Building chairman's praise for KiwiBuild
KiwiBuild may have failed to hit its targets, but it has brought about a culture change in the building industry, according to Fletcher Building's chairman. "It has focused the industry around affordable housing,"
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/117846966/fletcher-building-chairmans-praise-for-kiwibuild
"Simon Wilson: In praise of Government's KiwiBuild housing scheme"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/simon-wilson-in-praise-of-governments-kiwibuild-housing-scheme/SP5U4XGB4OAAFXEA6MAZ56I2OM/
"An interesting note: 5700 medical workers, drs and nurses were brought into the country when the border was closed."
Do you have a link to the data (apart from the whole Parliamentary session)?
It seems surprising, as only 300 MIQ spaces were set aside per month for health workers (from November 21), and there were several articles about those places not being full (as the workers couldn't get through the Immigration system). I don't see how they could have got to 5,700.
Just the link to the PM's Q/A, duration: 8 mins 35secs.
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We currently have 20,000 nurses registered but not practising in New Zealand. One of the issues that has been raised with us when we went out and consulted is a concern that if we did not attach to the residency pathway the requirement to keep working in nursing, there may be a loss of that nursing workforce. The point is to take stress
Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm not going to name individual district health boards but the stats do demonstrate that we have a higher movement rate for those who have come in as migrants into the nursing workforce than the general nursing workforce. Can I also point out that this is on top of the work that we've already been doing to bring in critical purpose visas for health workers? We have had, even while our borders were closed, 5,700 critical purpose visas for health roles since COVID. We have been recruiting offshore. At the same time, we've had the Return to Nursing Workforce Support Fund to try to bring back some of those 20,000 who are trained as nurses but are currently not working as nurses. We've had the general nurses campaign; the New Entry to Practice Programme, which had $25 million put in in 2019; and we have increased our nursing workforce, as a Government, by 15 percent. We have focused on turning around an understaffed health workforce, and we continue to do so.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20220622_20220622_12
Here would be a fun job for the new South Island water entity: take over the assets of the Kurow-Duntroon Irrigation Company.
Irrigation firm owes more than $50 million | Otago Daily Times Online News (odt.co.nz)
This lot were up to their eyeballs in debt to Waitaki District Council and Crown Irrigation Investments Ltd (Set up under Key to massively expand dairy irrigation).
Of course the shareholders might be able to finesse some kind of re-financing.
But what a great opportunity for the new Crown water entity to take over 5,500 hectares of irrigation and invite good farmers to farm for high profit and high sustainability.
Intensive dairy farming in that part of the country is not sustainable. Hence irrigating and fertilising like mad.
Intensive dairy farming is not sustainable anywhere in the country.
It needs to be constantly propped up and mopped up wherever it is located.
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/the-country/id1305527677
On those numbers it looks like the state will end up owning the irrigation scheme …not a bad outcome.
It's great countryside round there – plenty of options beyond dairy if you've got a bit of water. Half the battle though, might be to aim for smaller multicrop farms, rather than unrelieved pastoral or vineyard or forestry.
Smaller farms in Korea often have rice fields, a couple of paddocks of table grapes, an enoki or shitake mushroom field, and a handful of hand raised cows – not so much a monoculture.
Meet Vice President-elect of Colombia Francia Márquez.
When Colombians elected their first leftist president ever on Sunday, they also elected the country’s first Black vice president: Francia Marquez, a single mother who worked as a maid before challenging international mining interests as a fiery environmentalist. Her victory marks a turning point in a country plagued by social inequalities and historically governed by conservative elites.
https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20220620-francia-marquez-from-maid-to-colombia-s-first-black-vice-president
Thanks, joe90 – this is interesting and encouraging news indeed!
Great news Joe. I travelled in Colombia for over 4 months 10 years ago and boy do they ever need a leftist president to spread the wealth.
Mind you we need a wealth tax here too.
She is the real deal and could be the actual nail that fixes shut US military hijinx in arming drug cartels against poor Colombians. All that is left now is for Lula to take back Brazil. This will be a tough nut to crack with the US potentially focused on keeping Bolsonara in charge
Nearly $500 million US aid last year says she'll make all the right noises but in reality, do the bare minimum.
For those interested in local government, and grass roots community organisations, Inspiring Communities is a good resource to sign up for:
https://inspiringcommunities.org.nz/
Tomorrow's webinar panellists: Penny Hulse, Jill Day, Sam Broughton
https://inspiringcommunities.org.nz/ic_webinar/locally-led-matters-harnessing-the-power-of-collaborative-local-leadership/
German PPI ( primary producers index) inflation goes through the roof,hitting 33.6% with electricity inflation over 90% as well as key agriculture inputs.
https://twitter.com/Schuldensuehner/status/1538776502099136513?cxt=HHwWgsCyxe3E6toqAAAA
To alleviate the crisis,the German energy minister (green party) has asked for the decrease in electricity generation in Gas (to allow for reserves to be sustained for winter) and asked for the increased generation by coal thermal plants.
https://twitter.com/SStapczynski/status/1538486511502389249?cxt=HHwWgsCjnZfV5tkqAAAA
The UK and Austria have also reinstated coal fired generation.
The German payment of 15B euros to subsidise the thermals,is twice the forex reserves of Pakistan which cannot afford the high spot rates for LNG forced by European demand.Hence Pakistan goes to severe conservation.
https://twitter.com/SStapczynski/status/1538804147587522560?cxt=HHwWgIDRvYSO99oqAAAA
Great that a Minister took the hint before the Fletchers Gib Board story went even more ballistic.
"The Minister for Building and Construction Megan Woods has set up a Ministerial taskforce with key construction, building consent, and supply chain experts to look at what more can be done to ease plasterboard shortages, including the potential for legislative or regulatory change."
Plasterboard Taskforce Set Up To Ease Shortages | Scoop News
Pretty astounding that the Minister of Consumer Affairs Mr Clark hasn't stepped in since this is a near-total-monopoly screwing the entire house construction market.
But at least Woods is acting on her new brief.
David Seymour got in on the act in Parliament. I thought the private enterprise free market approach was the way to go. Is that's what's operating? The market knows best, someone will make financial killing. Isn't that how it's meant to operate?
Surely the Government getting involved should be anathema to him.
But at least Woods is REACTING on her new brief, due to embarrassment. Fixed that for you AD.
FFS what has she been doing ?? This shortage has been an issue mid last year, perhaps it is time that ministers in this government went out and interacted with people, instead of being out of touch !!!!
https://www.gib.co.nz/gib-news/gib-update/gib-plasterboard-supply-update/
"The August/September 2021 lockdowns caused significant disruption across the building industry. The lockdown created a backlog of orders for Winstone Wallboards to pick and deliver and resulted in longer lead times"
Former Aus FM, Bob Carr lays out a path by which Julian Assange could be freed by the new PM Albanese.
He laments the lack of any kind of national pride that allowed Morrison to accept such extreme treatment of an Aus passport holder and points out the obvious track record of support by Aus to all things US. Time for the lapdog to show some mongrel
Great link Sublim. Good to see Bob Carr is still in fine form. Great article….I shared it to fb.
I keep buying the Wikileaks t-shirts, though someone did say to me the other day they thought it said "free lasagne"
Hasta la Pasta!
Carr outlines the obvious face-saving measure that could well bring this monumentally stupid episode to a close. If the US security establishment and the Clinton Dems are the bad guys in this debacle – the entire UK establishment, their media, their Courts and Parliament have been to made to look like craven fools.
Everyone knows the original charges were politicised bollocks and the entire thing was an exercise in sustained bullying that has backfired badly. End it.
Whoever is doing the PR for Andrew Little, needs to work on his messaging.
He may be correct, in his narrow interpretation, that there is no Hospital 'crisis' – but the rest of NZ is surely seeing and hearing about one in practice at their local Emergency Department.
Denying this is simply playing into the perception that he is badly out-of-touch with reality in his Health portfolio.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/469518/health-system-under-pressure-not-in-crisis-minister-andrew-little
It's pure jam for the opposition.
The smartest thing Little ever did was give up the leadership…the second smartest thing may have been to quit politics.
I had really high hopes for health when Little became minister. TBF they were raised when Dr Clark was appointed but dashed quick smart.
Little has raised the ire of the nurses in the past with his 'blurring the numbers' during the recent wage round, between wage increase and the pay parity. Which, incidentally still isn't settled. The DHBs trying to go back on the understanding of when the pay parity would be backdated to.
As you say, Little needs better advisors. He could instruct the DHBs to agree to the NZNO's figures and wrap it up in a press release that is heavy in the acknowledgement of the dedicated service the nurses have shown through Covid, Win-Win.
Too late for that now, the DHBs cease to exist in 9 days.
At which point we will magically have enough doctors, nurses and allied medical staff, the 'postcode lottery' of healthcare will cease, health outcomes for all Kiwis will improve, and the vast sums saved will be able to be used to expand the health services. /sarc/
Yeah, I don't believe it either.