Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring.
New Zealand’s housing.
Complaints of ‘despicable’ mould and leaking prompt Housing NZ to act
Step inside, make yourself at home. Breathe in the mouldy air.
You even get a free shower when you go to the toilet, Craig Ryan says, pointing to the dripping, sagging bathroom ceiling in the Porirua state house he calls home.
Ryan lives there with father Ross and brother Aaron, and they say mould grows relentlessly in the badly ventilated, east-facing house.
The Ryans said they did spend time and money on cleaning, and trying to warm the house, which was sorely lacking in ventilation. Even frequent scrubbing, cleaning and bleaching was no match for the cold and damp.
When lawyer Paul Surridge learned of the home’s condition, he was appalled.
“This is just despicable,” he said. “It’s not the New Zealand way.”
There was a limit to what tenants could do to the house without Housing NZ’s approval, he said. “The decent New Zealander would say ‘Look, this is horrific.’ ”
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Selfish.
Paul Henry and Mike Hosking
Every morning they pronounce New Zealand a paradise.
For them it is because they are wealthy and they choose to ignore the plight of others in the country.
Maybe they should read this article by a Bay of Plenty journalist…..
‘Mismanaged NZ is no paradise
‘After moving to New Zealand 12 years ago I heard a lot from locals about what a great place it was to raise kids.
But, as I took my children to school, I saw huge numbers of kids heading to class without shoes – in the middle of winter.
That was a shock. Couldn’t their parents afford shoes, I wondered?
To add to the picture many of the children didn’t have raincoats, others didn’t even have jumpers.
I didn’t think about it then, but now I would expect many of the kids didn’t have lunches and hadn’t had food for breakfast.
Nowadays when people say to me that New Zealand is the best country in the world to raise children I ask them why they think that?
They cannot say exactly why, I guess most just parrot the myth of this paradise for children.
Then I ask them if this is the best place to raise kids – why are there more than 270,000 children living in poverty right now?
Ummm.
Why do so many children go to school without being fed?
Ummm.
Why does a Kiwi kid die about every five weeks at the hands of parents or caregivers?
Ummm.
Is it true police are called to domestic violence incidents every seven minutes?
Ummm.
And can a United Nations’ report possibly be true when it states that one in four NZ girls are sexually assaulted before they are 15?
Ummm.
That doesn’t sound like a child paradise to me…..”
Another excellent excerpt….
‘In Auckland’s central suburbs rent is, on average, just under $600 a week.
On the North Shore you are looking at just under $570 per week.
Even in South Auckland the average rent is $450.
A TV3 investigation the other month found families in Auckland were hiring out garages for $400 a week.
Read more: Tauranga woman works fulltime but sleeps in car
Tauranga’s homeless: 4-year-old lived in car for six weeks
When the minimum wage is $620 a week, before paying $120 tax, even Blind Pew can see there is a crisis.’
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Cruel.
The government.
‘Government fights workers seeking minimum wage.
A Court of Appeal hearing begins today for a case that could lead to a big payout for thousands of respite carers.
Kapiti worker Jan Lowe was paid a “subsidy” of just $75 for a 24-hour shift for the Capital Coast DHB. Her work involved supporting people with disabilities, such as dementia, and caring for them while family caregivers were away.
Last year, the Employment Court found under the “home worker” definition in the Employment Relations Act, she was an employee and entitled to the minimum wage of $15.25 an hour, holidays and other minimum employment entitlements.
But her employer, Capital Coast DHB, and the Ministry of Health appealed the decision, arguing she was not an employee, and if she was, they were not the employer.
A hearing for the Court of Appeal case begins this morning.
The Ministry of Health says the case has implications for 30,000 respite carers.
E tu assistant national secretary John Ryall said respite carers did an important job in supporting some of the most vulnerable New Zealanders and deserved to be paid the minimum wage.’
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy.
Google, Facebook, Apple….
‘Is it right these companies collectively extract hundreds of millions of dollars of profit each year from the New Zealand economy, yet contribute little or nothing to the funding of a civil society?
And not only that, cause New Zealanders to pay more tax to make up the difference required to fund our schools, hospitals and welfare.’
Key…….”cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish”. All that need be said. Except that “love to have a beer with you……..” is a complete wank created by some amoral ad-man. To hoodwink us. Good work Paul !
Actually I suspect that this “Keep Mikey……” thing is tongue in cheek. Which is a nice change from Mikey’s imperative……tongue in Key’s botty. What a magnificent chain gang ! Richie at the top, somewhat bemused, Jonno Key’s tongue lashing lizard like at number 2, and “Crikey Mikey that’s good !” at number 3. Slurping away hard out !
That is very interesting , when I first heard of the get rid of hoskings poll, I thought that a keep hoskings poll would be the obvious way to retaliate and that he’d get a legion of viewers supporting him, that its not happening is a little ray of sunshine in my day.
Wasn’t Campbell Live doing better at 6pm news audience retention than the tv1 crowd?
It fascinates me how people argue that Hosking’s views are popular because people watch him. They could have a trained monkey in that job and it’d still get audience pickup – fucksake, wasn’t that the timeslot that stopped NZ when they sheared a fucking sheep?
People watch Hosking because of the timeslot and genre (inoffensive chat with pretensions of current event interest), and this makes the views he spews more popular. He’s a propagandist, pure and simple.
I don’t (I mean can’t) watch Hoskings on TV (don’t want to waste grey matter)- but occasionally can’t avoid his sudden appearance on TV1 promos.
Why oh why does he wear what appears to be paint splattered old jeans?
At least I hope it’s paint.
Well no it won’t be because you have one side that irrationally want his removal but theres no need for a counter petition because he’s not being removed
This isn’t Campbell Live we’re talking about, its a show people actually watch
*Disclaimer, I don’t watch Mike Hosking on TV or listen to his radio show either
I think if that number was doubled TVNZ might consider it. (Classic line coming up) – “I read somewhere” the other day that TVNZ was happy with 7 Blunt’s ratings. I don’t see that creepy mike hoskings getting shown the door any time soon but we can live in hope and I signed petition in that spirit.
I see value in the petition even if Hosking remains. A little bit of water wears away the rock. A big petition is humiliating for Hosking and TVNZ and at the same time buoys up the people who know how fucked the situation is. That alone is worth the petition.
You’re right. Each action contributes to the growing snowball. Such actions might provoke viewers to ask themselves why there would be a petition. As long as it gets people thinking, that’s the best start, and a part of the whole slow but growing movement of dissent.
It would be far worse if there were no action at all.
From the rotting fish head John Key down, those with power over us know the cost of everything and the value of nothing……..until it comes to their vanities and dodgy imperatives……..26 mill’ for a flag wank ?
“Go right ahead, this is for my legacy, money no object !”
It was then that the family were told their order for a hospital bed, wheelchair and a hip spica chair – which allows someone in a hip cast to sit up unaided – had all been cancelled by the Whanganui DHB. They were also told the occupational therapist assigned to them would not be visiting.
Cancelled?
WTF were the DHB thinking?
And as for National continuously cutting the health budget I suspect that this is actually their desired result. Individuals having to go out and buy stuff for short term use will result in more sales and higher profits for the bludging shareholders.
1. While I’m am not suggesting for a single itty bitty second that the Whanganui DHB has such a policy…is it pure coincidence that this is the DHB that the world famous in New Zealand eugenicist Michael ‘if you choose to give birth to a disabled kid don’t expect the State to care for it’ Laws was once an elected member of?
2. Fact….. Non ACC disabled are entitled to NOTHING in the way of support.
3. It has always been the case that applications for funding for equipment are delayed/declined….often forcing disabled people to seek out other funding sources.
It’s just getting worse.
the cynic in me says ohhhhh….. kabuki theater, the romantic in me says…..ohhhhhh a sit in, and the pessimist in me says…….ohhhh, grandstanding for nothing.
But then a good sit in is a good sit in. 🙂
Maybe our Opposition could do the same in regards to our homeless. T’would be fun to see the speaker spit bricks.
Haven’t read The Ombudsman’s report on the Rebstock findings re the leak about minister’s bashing of MFAT. However, going by what’s been said on Nine to Noon this morning (interview with one of Rebstock’s MFAT scapegoats/victims) The Ombudsman has roundly concluded that Dame Rebstock’s findings are Dame Rebstock’s Rubbish Findings.
Key and his lackeys had better be careful if they set out to rubbish Ombudsman Boshier in favour of ‘Their Loyal Servant’ Dame Rebstock.
It is welcome analysis from Eaqub, but I get the feeling that he is constantly a little surprised at the sometimes slow, sometimes fast degradation of the socially conscious New Zealand we once enjoyed.
And talk about ‘New Politics’. The deliberate policy of pitting peoples against each other has developed the world over by various right of centre governments. See Brexit, see the US election, and see John Key’s government of divisiveness.
“The deliberate policy of pitting peoples against each other has developed the world over by various right of centre governments….”
Absolutely, it feels like one big game of “the Block”, the axing of TV7 and the endless, mindless TV contest shows, cooking, singing, house decorating and finding a mate…….and distracting us.
Police regularly blaming “Mental Health Services”, and CYPFS blamed for the appalling lack of societal infrastructure and the tragic, yet inevitable consequences.
A question about MMP from yesterday. Do party votes from parties that don’t reach 5% or get an electorate MP get reallocated?
First link says yes they do, second apparently says no they don’t. The context is whether if Harawira doesn’t win TTT, are the Mana votes ‘lost’, or do those lost votes give an advantage to other parties? e.g. in 2014 IM got something like 1.4% of the vote.
Since 1996 these “wasted” votes have averaged 4.96%. After each election the St Laguë formula has reallocated between two and nine list seats to qualifying parties (see table below). This disproportionately benefits the parties with the largest share of the primary vote. Of the total of 38 seats reallocated this way, Labour has won nine and National 14; the other 15 went to smaller parties. In addition, between 2005 and 2011 the Maori Party had a total of four overhang seats.
The overhang seats were a known issue when we voted MMP in. That said, I don’t think that the people who recommended MMP thought that we’d be getting so many of them and so often.
As for the ‘wasted votes’ being effectively reallocated the only option for that is to decrease the threshold from 5% to 0.8%. If a party gets enough votes for a seat then they should have a seat.
All four note bundles tested positive for methamphetamine but not for precursors used to manufacture it, so the drug traces had likely come from contact with users rather than from a P lab.
Nonetheless, three of the bundles tested above the health guideline for remediation if those samples had been taken from a P lab site.
That guideline limit is 0.5 microgrammes per 100cm2 of wall or other surface. The note bundles showed levels from 0.4 to 0.8 microgrammes per 100cm2.
One point I made in my Cashless was the effect it would have on criminal undertakings – essentially criminals wouldn’t be able to use money at all. Now it appears that it would be good for everyone’s health as well.
I keep wondering why they hand them out. I just refuse them myself so I’m not handling them anyway. Would much prefer it if I could get online and check my purchases through my bank. Of course, I happen think that the bank should be a state bank and not a private one. I don’t trust private banks with my data.
I think the machines in shops have to print out. Lots of places ask if you want the receipt, so heaps just go straight in the bin. ATMs give an option of no receipt. Till receipts are trickier if you need proof of purchase.
Years ago I used to keep them all but then realised I never used them. Utter waste and health/ environment damaging.
and its still not a good enough reason to only have electronic money.
i rather have a bit of meth on my hand, then a government like our current one just cut of access to our cash for the sake of it, or to teach the plebs a lesson in obedience.
One point I made in my Cashless was the effect it would have on criminal undertakings – essentially criminals wouldn’t be able to use money at all. Now it appears that it would be good for everyone’s health as well.
Sorry mate, you’re not thinking ahead. What happens when you or your political movement are criminalised for taking a set against the establishment.
Tracking, suspending, banning, revealing, reversing all your financial transactions and the financial transactions of associated parties would be just the start.
The cashless society, having tracking modules on all vehicles, we’re stupid for thinking that these things will not be used to crush future dissent.
Look at how they fucked over Julian Assange and wikileaks by banning their access to paypal and the credit card system. Or how they threaten to ban entire countries from SWIFT.
That’s why you put in place rules and processes about it that cannot be broken by the parliament of the day. If they try it becomes an automatic act of treason and they a) lose everything and b) go to jail for the rest of their lives.
no idea what you’re talking about, also no idea why you’re promoting systems which will make it easier for the power elite to make political activists lives miserable.
So you must be in favour of getting rid of all those laws then, to get rid of all that “magical thinking”.
Or do you think that we should keep the laws and hold people accountable for their bad behaviour? To let them know that there are consequences and that those consequences will be grave?
Dude, I don’t give a fuck about your laws, I give a fuck about you wanting to empower people with the technology to do shitty things to us, even knowing full well that your precious laws have never stopped that happening in the past.
“Dr Nick Kim, a senior lecturer in environmental chemistry at Massey University, tested the residue left on walls by meth smokers and found the potential health effects of past P smoking was no worse than those of tobacco, or handling meth-contaminated bank notes.”
So you are now pushing a Paula Bennett myth that is being used to demonize state tenants and evict them from state houses Draco ? .
Classy.
Dr Nick Kim: “What seems wrong is the idea of kicking people out of houses where residues are not too dissimilar to [tobacco] smoking residues on walls.”
Draco & Paula ….”We are not going to risk houses suspected of being drug dens today, becoming potentially toxic playgrounds for innocent children in the future.”
As many as 600 state homes will need P decontamination this year, amid claims retirees are now smoking the toxic drug.
Each home needing decontamination cost between $8000 and $16,000, with the work costing the agency $2.3 million last year.
Dr Nick Kim: “Tenants who found that their houses had been smoked in could wash down walls and curtains but Kim said he personally would not worry. There was no need to tear down gib or replace carpets and insulation unless there was strong suspicion that there was a lab and the chances were lower than people feared.”
+1 Reason – now P is the new scare device with everyone running about and plenty of money to be made out of the P scare scam by some (especially the government to explain why nobody lives in state houses anymore and why State houses are the new ‘ghost’ houses!).
Draco & Paula ….”We are not going to risk houses suspected of being drug dens today, becoming potentially toxic playgrounds for innocent children in the future.”
Don’t attribute to me that which I never said nor have ever indicated that we should be doing.
Sorry Draco …. I thought you were using Paulas cult science for your own agenda.
I may have overestimated your intelligence ,,,,,,,,,, sorry.
You may be sincere about wanting to protecting our health from meth on bank notes …….
In which case you are A fool with good intentions ,,,,,,, helping to spread Paulas witch trial drug hysteria ……… and the rip-off industry and eviction program that it enables …..
p.s using Paulas lies to back up your argument massively undermined your points ……….
really? ………….. then you didn’t type this on the basis of Paula’s contamination cult? …..”Now it appears that it would be good for everyone’s health as well”
vrs Dr Nick Kim …..”Even that level was 24 times lower than “the lowest level that could you could plausibly have a health risk”.
You need to Explain yourself and your use of the same ugly false fear mongering which Paula is using to evict the poor and their children onto the street…..
Keep your explanation simple for a fool like me 😉
I get confused nowadays in New Zealand, when rivers that WILL make you sick,with their soup of fecal matter, pathogens and nitrates are not called polluted and toxic…… these are instead to be known as ‘up to national standards & Wade-able’.
Yet at the same time we have hundreds of perfectly safe state houses which pose no health risk labeled ‘contaminated’ and ‘toxic’ sitting empty, awaiting millions to be spent on them, after needless evictions … in the middle of a housing crisis.
Now you and your contaminated notes may know something which supports Paulas and your science ….
She certainly needs help to continue her war on the poor.
“amid claims retirees are now smoking the toxic drug.” – Really? Where was that claim made? I always see retirees wasting their money at the pokeys now they are smoking P? End times cannot be too far away, oh my poor children!
hmm what does this mean, can we get rid of this Failed UK Rebstock Person, mums got nothing good to say about her, apparently she was crap there and bought her poison over here, mums words good enough for me, always trust a granny.
He is been sarcy I think, like saying ‘see, women can be as big as horrible leaders as men’, am I right CV? Thatcher & Imelda already proved that years ago.
He is been sarcy I think, like saying ‘see, women can be as big as horrible leaders as men’, am I right CV? Thatcher & Imelda already proved that years ago.
What’s sarcy about women being able to equal or exceed men in every respect?
Heard a rumour (No I started it) that Hillary is going to nominate bill as the vice president..so she can keep an eye on him.
Hey. Anything’s possible.
Actually I’m finding the numbers of not very well explained ideas and thoughts on ts at the moment tedious. It’s like people value their own cleverness over communicating well, which is problematic given the context.
It seems inoffensive to say that Dame Rebstock is at least the equal of any man that National could put in (what role ?). But how might she be even superior in (what role ?) as you suggest CV ? Are you talking the role of bought and paid for report ‘signer’ or the role of independent report ‘writer’.
Certainly an Ombudsman thinks she’s a pretty shit independent report ‘writer’. If on the other hand she’s merely a report ‘signer’, she is corrupt. Dame Ratshit whichever way.
Who appointed her to (what role?) CV ? Who made her a dame ? Oh yes…….it’s like dogs’ balls.
Yes we do. Whatever the errors of this inquiry, Paula has contributed much to New Zealand. She worked in Treasury in the late 80s and made an important contribution to the machinery of government reforms advocated by Treasury in 1987.
I think you should be ashamed of your childish disparaging of her
1987 was the first year of her employment at treasury shortly after graduating ….dont think she would have had much input to those recommendations somehow.
on NewsHub now to, stuffs bit slow too pick it up.
Personally this is one the left should pick up and get vocal on for the reasons it was Keys appointment and Rebstock did an attack job it cements into the voters minds this governments inquiries are all cover ups, we can then get the DP inquiry pressure going again and any other BS inquiries Keys had.
I’ve been waiting for a powerful body like the ombudsman to make decision man that office is slow to respond. But finally a proper report Key can’t rebuttal as plainl;y wrong. I dare him to say the Ombudsmans wrong.
“a proper report Key can’t rebuttal”
Wanna bet Richard?
“That is just one opinion and I could find another report that would vindicate the wonderful Paula Rebstock. Mr Farrar would be one of course.”
What?, I don’t think an ombudsmans report is just an opinion.
If Key wishes to use a Farrar’s opinion against the Ombudman’s fire away, can’t wait.
What I should have said, is any rebuttal would looks silly and just fake to the public, as there are not many bodies as respected as the Ombudsmans office.
To critique the office of the Ombudsman is bad form.
Mum must be senile, she’s from the states, my bad, must be getting confused then with someone else, it was a passing comment she made.
Tis Okay Richard. I was just mocking the way that Key denies uncomfortable facts by quoting a different source. He knows that by the time we try to undo his dissemblage the story has moved on.
Wonder if the release of this report just happens to be while Parliament is in recess for four weeks?
We might wonder about other “enquiries undertaken by Rebstock. Education? Social Welfare?
When a Government has a pet Enquirer would we expect an independent unbiased report? Doubt it. Or unbiased means you will not get another job from John Key.
Not many American Dames, I would imagine people would laugh at her over there if she told them she was a Dame.Was a good thing when Labour abolished those dumb titles.
Meanwhile, in the ninteties I was one of several hundred ordinary people walking down the main street in Dunedin yelling, amongst other things, “what’s the story, filthy tory? Out! Out! Out!”.
Hosking and gorgeous wife, Kate Hawkesby, starred in a women’s mag this week and revealed their romantic secrets – but it’s not clear where she and their five kids will fit in his new two-door beauty. As for his former love, it’s not known if the broadcaster has held on to his prized Maserati.
About time we had a Scandinavian approach to prisons and criminal activity. Even if you don’t care about society as a rampant neoliberal – think of how much money the state could save if they bothered to look at what is successful in prisons around the world!
Intentional homicides:
Norway: 0.6 per 100,000 people
United States: 6 per 100,000 people
Incarceration rates:
Norway: 71 for every 100,000 people
United States: 743 for every 100,000 (in 2009)
Recidivism rate:
Norway: 20%
United States: 50%-60%
Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Perhaps Norway’s way of doing things isn’t as bizarre as we think.
When Susan Devoy became Race Relations Commissioner I was skeptical – however I think she has done well to date.
This month when I opened a copy of the Wairarapa Times-Age, a New Zealander wearing a Neo Nazi uniform stared back at me…
…These are a few of the reasons why I will never think that it is okay for New Zealanders to wear Nazi-styled uniforms.
Why? Because people wearing Nazi uniforms murdered 1.5 million children.
They did it on purpose and they would have kept murdering children if they had not been stopped…
…I’ve written this article to help ensure that those children aren’t forgotten and to make it clear that Neo Nazi fascism and racism does not belong in Aotearoa New Zealand…
…Some say we should ignore these kinds of extremists but sometimes we need to stand up publicly and say that their philosophy is ‘Not Okay’.
Those children, their relatives alive and dead will never be forgotten – the horror of what happened will not be pretended-away.
No it is not okay marae-burner-kyle and your mate just-another-sad-tocker. You parade around in your dress up neo-nazi uniforms – such sad losers yet they are here with us and in our faces – in the paper!
Saying their philosophy is not okay is the least we can do – we need to make this place the way we want it and stepping out bullies, racists and their enablers (and those who use these dims for their own political ends) is a crucial step – for our self esteem, our values and so we can sleep at night.
A lot of commentators on TS hated on Devoy when she first got the job. I may have been one of them. However, she sharply picked up the pace after her first few months and is filling the role quite nicely now I think.
The comments under this article have the look of counteroffensive action against last week’s reckless show of compassion for the homeless. It is about a couple who have been given notice in a Huntly state house they have lived in for 23 years because they are now deemed able to pay market rent, although there is a shortage of rental houses in Huntly anyway. Comments that mercilessly bag the family are getting about 200 up-ticks. Comments that say “show some compassion” or “in other countries people are able to rent permanently” or similar are getting equivalent numbers of thumbs-down. http://i.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/81162744/huntly-mums-plea-to-stay-in-her-state-home.adaptive.html
Do you think it is acceptable that this family occupied a state house for 23 years? In that 23 years, what did other people do who met the criteria for state housing? The Greens have a policy to build more state houses – in my view this is oppression by stealth as there is no incentive for state house occupants to better themselves and not remain life long welfare dependants. State housing should always be for those who need it most and those that get a state home should never expect to build a lifestyle from it – especially starting a new family or occupying it for 23 years!. Its the steeping stone they need at a relevant point in their situation, improve their situation and then move on.
“Do you think it is acceptable that this family occupied a state house for 23 years?” Yes, I do, couldn’t care less if they live in for 50 years, whats it to ya? Build more!
I see Indiana, the state should follow people around prodding them with a cattle prodder to better themselves. What’s your measure of better? At what point does your nanny state say your own your own now, ?
Secondly council housing is housing for life in the UK, well it was, they did the same over there, big sell off, but you know a caring state, worked with these long term tenants and worked a good deal with them to pay the houses off, or assist them into a loan, they had a plan.
AFAIK State housing was introduced because the working poor could never expect to own a house, there was over crowding poor conditions, a progressive labour government backed by the unions as at that time you greedy mine, shipyard owners etc had to be forced into compliance, so damn greedy, Labour state housing bettered the lives of millions of people. Something you lot have been rabidly trying to reverse ever since?
whether you know it or not that’s what high Tories are doing. But you’re not one of them you actually think they care for all, and the left are loonies.
Did you grow up in a family home that at some point was owned by the state? Thousands upon thousands of us did. And when we finally fled the nest, many of our parents were given the opportunity to purchase the properties for their retirement years. That my dear was the aim of the exercise. To give a whole generation, young and old, security and stability. And it worked.
People like you sicken me. It’s NOT welfare dependency to have a warm, dry home provided by the state. It’s a necessity especially in this neo liberal dog eat dog society we live in. And the security of knowing it is there for as long as you need it is a prerequisite for a generation of balanced, healthy citizens.
You remind me of Paula Bennett. Grab all the benefits yourself and use them to climb the ladder of success, then drag the ladder away so nobody can follow in your footsteps.
Yes I do think it is acceptable for them to live in that house for those years. In a society where are large percentage of the population do not earn enough to buy their own homes, I think that secure long term rental, both state and private, should be the norm. That is the case in many other countries, and it has not made the population of Germany, for instance, feckless and lazy. The couple in the article are working and contributing to their community – in fact they want to buy their house now but have not been able to raise the necessary loan. It is just not good enough to price people out of home ownership, sell off state houses and force a huge percentage of the population to rely on amateur landlords with high rents and minimal rights as tenants.
” in fact they want to buy their house now but have not been able to raise the necessary loan.”
But they had plenty of money to raise 7 children instead of saving for a deposit on a house. Was there a housing crisis in Hamilton 20 years ago? I’m presuming that in the first 3 years of them being a state home, they would have thought about this because if I put myself in their situation, this would be one of my first considerations – start a family or get out of the welfare trap.
Its a pity that default position to take is that I’m a heartless bastard and that I have no concept of living life on the edge, but feel free to make assumptions.
At the time when they moved into their state house, it was considered to be theirs for as long as they wanted and needed it, so it was not unreasonable for them to live their lives accordingly. There is such a thing as a decent humble person who is happy to contribute to a community but is not driven by material ambition – being a good or bad person is not contingent on owning or not owning a house. And I myself did not comment on your character, I simply disagreed with you. You, however, seem to feel quite free to comment negatively on the character of the people in the article.
What a dog ! And supremely stupid – to say that need for housing is reflected in availability of housing. To say that need for housing beyond numbers of available houses is not actually need. It is welfare bludging. What a dumb, extremist fuckwit ! Maybe Indiana should experience the unavailability of a supply of oxygen. No problem. No availability. No need.
The couple have lived in this house throughout the onslaught of neo-liberalism. During this period, by design, only a relative few were ever supposed to advance their fortunes, viz. those already at the top. That is the true ethos of neo-liberalism. Masked by cynical promises of trickle-down. The days when we might have regarded neo-liberals as fantasists truly believing in trickledown are well gone. They know it’s shit but they insist. They are amoral crooks.
Indiana invokes failure to triumph over the conditions created by Indiana and ilk. That’s a bit much like the rapist blaming the rape victim for the debilitating STD the rapist inflicted.
Ordinary people don’t advance under neo-liberalism. They were never meant to. You weren’t meant to be a dog Indiana but I see you’re trying your hardest. Dumb Fuckwit !
Hootens banked on the fact 80% of the voting people are too young and dumb to remember why state housing was a house for life at one time, why and what it was set up for, what it was like before labour saved them, and probably all of them owe there current lifestyle to that fact.
To Olwyn:
Tory Trolls have been placing a team effort to falsify comments on Stuff, ie. up-ticking the bagging comments and down-ticking the supportive comments. Many of these trolls appear to have vacated Newshub NZ (TV3)comments section and moved to Stuff to do their dirty work.
OK – I did wonder if it was something like that. They have relied for eight years now on generating contempt and division between social groups, so the humane response to homelessness last week must have given them a bit of a jolt. Now they are no doubt keen to regain their grip on the agenda.
Bit silly really as the show is reflecting current modes of thinking not new ones or for that matter old ones – to find the truth about power and some of the women who have held it – go back – indigenous women leaders are plentiful and their stories, memories and abilities are well known within their communities.
This guy key, you know the CEO of NZ inc, doesn’t know the difference between running a business and running a country and protecting it’s secrets. I would love to know the security level of the docs he just left about, some are not to be removed and eyes only.
I know right!!! Sweden & Finland had them too, though I think they were underground, but Denmark it wasn’t actually illegal to run dog brothels til the mid 2000s? sometime in the last 10-15 years anyway. Was a worldwide petition helped get them banned too.
Some in power in the USA don’t want peace in Syria …which is what many around the world thought all along…a dangerous situation…especially if Hillary becomes President
“A Syrian showdown is looming. Rebellion has broken out in the ranks of the State Department against Obama’s handling of the conflict. The Pentagon and the CIA are at odds. And Russia has demonstrated it has lost patience with Washington’s so-called moderates. The status quo cannot hold. CrossTalking with Richard Weitz, Mark Sleboda, and Lawrence Wilkerson.”
( and who is running the State Department?…what is their long term agenda for the Middle East?…whose interests are they representing?…surely not the American public’s)
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Carereport released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced$802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Carereport in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquirypublished its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone iconon the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive:Transport Minister Simeon Brownannounced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloittereport for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’sOliver LewisScoop:Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announcedthe Board of Te Whatu Ora-Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Orderimage, ...
Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
Waiting In The Wings:For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSAannounced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
Te Rangi e tu nei (The sky above us) Te Papa e takoto nei (The land beneath us) Tatou katoa te hunga ora (To us all the living) Tena koutou katoa (Greetings) ...
A late change to charter school legislation will cheat educators out of fair pay and negotiating power proving charter schools are just a vehicle to make profit out of our education system. ...
In 2004 te iwi Māori rallied against the Crown’s attempt to confiscate our coastlines and moana with the Foreshore and Seabed Act. This led to the largest hīkoi of a generation and the birth of Te Pāti Māori. 20 years later, history is repeating itself. Today the government has announced ...
It has been five and a half years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care was established to investigate the abuse of children, young people, and vulnerable adults within state and faith-based institutions. Yesterday, the final report - Whanaketia through pain and trauma, from darkness to light ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to take action off the back of the International Court of Justice ruling on Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine. ...
On Friday the International Court of Justice reaffirmed what Palestinian’s have been telling us for decades: that the occupation and colonisation of Palestinian lands by Israel is illegal and must end immediately. They also called for reparations for Palestinian’s who have lived under Israeli occupation since it began in 1967. ...
Labour calls on the Government to act after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian Territories is illegal. ...
The 53.7 percent rise in benefit sanctions over the last year is more proof of this Government’s disdain for our communities most in need of support. ...
Aotearoa could be a country where every child grows up feeling safe, loved and with a sense of belonging in their whānau and community. But for some of our children, this is far from reality. Instead, they are trapped in a maze of intergenerational harm that they can’t escape on ...
Te Pāti Māori are calling for David Seymour to resign as Associate Health Minister in response to his call for Pharmac to ignore the Treaty of Waitangi. “This announcement is just another example of the government’s anti-Tiriti, anti-Māori agenda.” Said Co-leader and spokesperson for health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “Seymour thinks it ...
The soaring price of renting is driving the rise of inflation in this country - with latest figures from Stats NZ showing rents are up 4.8 per cent on average while annual inflation is at 3.3 per cent. ...
National’s Emissions Reduction Plan will take New Zealand further from the economy we need to ensure the next generation has a stable climate and secure livelihoods. ...
Following consultation with named parties and thorough consideration of privacy interests, the Green Party is in a position to release the Executive Summary of the final report from the independent investigation into Darleen Tana. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should be asking serious questions of his Minister for Resources Shane Jones now it’s been revealed he misled the public about a dinner with mining companies that he didn’t declare and said wasn’t pre-arranged. ...
Te Pāti Māori have submitted to the Justice Select Committee against the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill. The bill will further entrench racism in our justice system and fails to focus on rehabilitation. “Reinstating Three Strikes will empower a systematically racist system and exacerbate the overrepresentation of Māori in ...
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee is set to make a determination on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (RTA) Bill in the coming weeks. “This legislation will give landlords the power to kick our whānau out onto the street for no reason” said Housing spokesperson, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “Their solution to the housing ...
“National’s campaign was about tackling crime and the best they can do is a two-year long Ministerial Advisory Group,” Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. The coalition Government is driving to dismantle our public school system and instead promote a privatised, competitive structure that puts profits before kids,” Jan Tinetti said. ...
“This government is choosing to deliberately mislead and withhold information, keeping our people in the dark about this government’s agenda and the future of our mokopuna,” said co-leader and spokesperson for Health, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. The call comes after the demand from the Chief Ombudsman that Associate Minister of Health, Casey ...
“Today’s climate announcement by Simon Watts makes clear the National Government is simply paying lip service to meeting its climate change targets,” Megan Woods said. ...
National is choosing to make life harder for workers by taking away the rights our communities have fought hard for. Here's how they’re taking workers backwards. ...
Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue. We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views. “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
Tēnā tātou katoa, Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts. “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet. “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks. “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care. At the heart of this report are the ...
For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis. “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
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Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Uncaring.
New Zealand’s housing.
Complaints of ‘despicable’ mould and leaking prompt Housing NZ to act
Step inside, make yourself at home. Breathe in the mouldy air.
You even get a free shower when you go to the toilet, Craig Ryan says, pointing to the dripping, sagging bathroom ceiling in the Porirua state house he calls home.
Ryan lives there with father Ross and brother Aaron, and they say mould grows relentlessly in the badly ventilated, east-facing house.
The Ryans said they did spend time and money on cleaning, and trying to warm the house, which was sorely lacking in ventilation. Even frequent scrubbing, cleaning and bleaching was no match for the cold and damp.
When lawyer Paul Surridge learned of the home’s condition, he was appalled.
“This is just despicable,” he said. “It’s not the New Zealand way.”
There was a limit to what tenants could do to the house without Housing NZ’s approval, he said. “The decent New Zealander would say ‘Look, this is horrific.’ ”
By contrast, Austrian and Singapore’s public housing systems…….
http://www.shareable.net/blog/public-housing-works-lessons-from-vienna-and-singapore
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Selfish.
Paul Henry and Mike Hosking
Every morning they pronounce New Zealand a paradise.
For them it is because they are wealthy and they choose to ignore the plight of others in the country.
Maybe they should read this article by a Bay of Plenty journalist…..
‘Mismanaged NZ is no paradise
‘After moving to New Zealand 12 years ago I heard a lot from locals about what a great place it was to raise kids.
But, as I took my children to school, I saw huge numbers of kids heading to class without shoes – in the middle of winter.
That was a shock. Couldn’t their parents afford shoes, I wondered?
To add to the picture many of the children didn’t have raincoats, others didn’t even have jumpers.
I didn’t think about it then, but now I would expect many of the kids didn’t have lunches and hadn’t had food for breakfast.
Nowadays when people say to me that New Zealand is the best country in the world to raise children I ask them why they think that?
They cannot say exactly why, I guess most just parrot the myth of this paradise for children.
Then I ask them if this is the best place to raise kids – why are there more than 270,000 children living in poverty right now?
Ummm.
Why do so many children go to school without being fed?
Ummm.
Why does a Kiwi kid die about every five weeks at the hands of parents or caregivers?
Ummm.
Is it true police are called to domestic violence incidents every seven minutes?
Ummm.
And can a United Nations’ report possibly be true when it states that one in four NZ girls are sexually assaulted before they are 15?
Ummm.
That doesn’t sound like a child paradise to me…..”
Another excellent excerpt….
‘In Auckland’s central suburbs rent is, on average, just under $600 a week.
On the North Shore you are looking at just under $570 per week.
Even in South Auckland the average rent is $450.
A TV3 investigation the other month found families in Auckland were hiring out garages for $400 a week.
Read more: Tauranga woman works fulltime but sleeps in car
Tauranga’s homeless: 4-year-old lived in car for six weeks
When the minimum wage is $620 a week, before paying $120 tax, even Blind Pew can see there is a crisis.’
Read more at ….
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503346&objectid=11660630
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Cruel.
The government.
‘Government fights workers seeking minimum wage.
A Court of Appeal hearing begins today for a case that could lead to a big payout for thousands of respite carers.
Kapiti worker Jan Lowe was paid a “subsidy” of just $75 for a 24-hour shift for the Capital Coast DHB. Her work involved supporting people with disabilities, such as dementia, and caring for them while family caregivers were away.
Last year, the Employment Court found under the “home worker” definition in the Employment Relations Act, she was an employee and entitled to the minimum wage of $15.25 an hour, holidays and other minimum employment entitlements.
But her employer, Capital Coast DHB, and the Ministry of Health appealed the decision, arguing she was not an employee, and if she was, they were not the employer.
A hearing for the Court of Appeal case begins this morning.
The Ministry of Health says the case has implications for 30,000 respite carers.
E tu assistant national secretary John Ryall said respite carers did an important job in supporting some of the most vulnerable New Zealanders and deserved to be paid the minimum wage.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11661691
Another day in John Key’s neo-liberal nightmare.
We have become a cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish nation under his wretched leadership.
Greedy.
Google, Facebook, Apple….
‘Is it right these companies collectively extract hundreds of millions of dollars of profit each year from the New Zealand economy, yet contribute little or nothing to the funding of a civil society?
And not only that, cause New Zealanders to pay more tax to make up the difference required to fund our schools, hospitals and welfare.’
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11661266
Excellent work Paul (1,2,3 & 4) Thanks for all the info.
Key…….”cruel, greedy, uncaring and selfish”. All that need be said. Except that “love to have a beer with you……..” is a complete wank created by some amoral ad-man. To hoodwink us. Good work Paul !
Thank you
For those that missed it here’s the Get Rid of Mike Hosking petition, going strong at over 18,000 signatures,
https://www.change.org/p/tvnz-get-rid-of-hosking-1347aa6d-8044-4a33-ba59-7fe0a5dba42b
And here’s the Keep Mike Hosking petition, flying along on 39 signatures.
https://www.change.org/p/keep-mike-hosking-at-tvnz
lol
Not sure giving that exposure is a good thing 😉
Actually I suspect that this “Keep Mikey……” thing is tongue in cheek. Which is a nice change from Mikey’s imperative……tongue in Key’s botty. What a magnificent chain gang ! Richie at the top, somewhat bemused, Jonno Key’s tongue lashing lizard like at number 2, and “Crikey Mikey that’s good !” at number 3. Slurping away hard out !
That is very interesting , when I first heard of the get rid of hoskings poll, I thought that a keep hoskings poll would be the obvious way to retaliate and that he’d get a legion of viewers supporting him, that its not happening is a little ray of sunshine in my day.
I wonder how many votes it will get.
this should be interesting sort of like a election,
Or you could go off the ratings his show gets I suppose
Bit like deciding the health value of Coke by looking at the sales data.
ratings lol
are they like the music industries top 10 bestsellers? or books? or Farrars? or any vested interest poll.
Well it worked for Campbell Live 🙂
yeah, funny that.
Wasn’t Campbell Live doing better at 6pm news audience retention than the tv1 crowd?
It fascinates me how people argue that Hosking’s views are popular because people watch him. They could have a trained monkey in that job and it’d still get audience pickup – fucksake, wasn’t that the timeslot that stopped NZ when they sheared a fucking sheep?
People watch Hosking because of the timeslot and genre (inoffensive chat with pretensions of current event interest), and this makes the views he spews more popular. He’s a propagandist, pure and simple.
I don’t (I mean can’t) watch Hoskings on TV (don’t want to waste grey matter)- but occasionally can’t avoid his sudden appearance on TV1 promos.
Why oh why does he wear what appears to be paint splattered old jeans?
At least I hope it’s paint.
Hosking’s gear is all about the mutton as lamb of bewildered narcissism. Never comes off. Just embarrassing. Like Key’s DPS dyed hair.
We’ve been wondering about the painters pants when we’ve had the misfortune of catching him in the ads. Probably designer kit worth $1K
But what else could it be from someone of his nature?
Why would we do that when it’s obviously a failed system?
This pitting of two petitions will be far more accurate.
Well no it won’t be because you have one side that irrationally want his removal but theres no need for a counter petition because he’s not being removed
This isn’t Campbell Live we’re talking about, its a show people actually watch
*Disclaimer, I don’t watch Mike Hosking on TV or listen to his radio show either
Up to 100 now after a day.
IIRC, the petition to get rid of him reached 5000+ in the first day.
It’ll taper off, far more people working in TV and ZB than I thought, and I wonder how many times Katie signed it.
Hey Hoskings, they sell 5 dollar reviews over sea’s on the interweb, maybe you could pay people to sign or crowdfund it if your a bit tight.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/81322479/opposition-renew-calls-for-media-charter-after-mike-hosking-petition-gains-traction
Surprise surprise national dismantled the rules in place that would of stopped hoskings from getting away with his shit.
On a brighter note it was public pressure that got henry moved along in 2010
Labour should have returned TVNZ to a true public broadcasting basis instead of trying to keep gaming $$$ off it.
Labour? were they in power once? opps /jk
There were 90,000 signatures to save Campbell live, but we didn’t manage to do it.
http://www.newshub.co.nz/nznews/save-campbell-live-petition-marched-to-mediaworks-2015042413#axzz4CN2XZtis
I think if that number was doubled TVNZ might consider it. (Classic line coming up) – “I read somewhere” the other day that TVNZ was happy with 7 Blunt’s ratings. I don’t see that creepy mike hoskings getting shown the door any time soon but we can live in hope and I signed petition in that spirit.
I see value in the petition even if Hosking remains. A little bit of water wears away the rock. A big petition is humiliating for Hosking and TVNZ and at the same time buoys up the people who know how fucked the situation is. That alone is worth the petition.
You’re right. Each action contributes to the growing snowball. Such actions might provoke viewers to ask themselves why there would be a petition. As long as it gets people thinking, that’s the best start, and a part of the whole slow but growing movement of dissent.
It would be far worse if there were no action at all.
Not as humiliating as poor ratings.
That’s because it had been in the plan since John key pushed his mate wheldon to work there.
and that ain’t no wack conspiracy either.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/307064/disabled-boy-had-'diabolical'-post-op-aftercare
This is what National means when they talk about “building resilience”.
People are left on their own……
From the rotting fish head John Key down, those with power over us know the cost of everything and the value of nothing……..until it comes to their vanities and dodgy imperatives……..26 mill’ for a flag wank ?
“Go right ahead, this is for my legacy, money no object !”
Cancelled?
WTF were the DHB thinking?
And as for National continuously cutting the health budget I suspect that this is actually their desired result. Individuals having to go out and buy stuff for short term use will result in more sales and higher profits for the bludging shareholders.
WTF were the DHB thinking?
Indeed. See what a spica cast looks like here…http://www.webmd.com/children/spica-cast-667
1. While I’m am not suggesting for a single itty bitty second that the Whanganui DHB has such a policy…is it pure coincidence that this is the DHB that the world famous in New Zealand eugenicist Michael ‘if you choose to give birth to a disabled kid don’t expect the State to care for it’ Laws was once an elected member of?
2. Fact….. Non ACC disabled are entitled to NOTHING in the way of support.
3. It has always been the case that applications for funding for equipment are delayed/declined….often forcing disabled people to seek out other funding sources.
It’s just getting worse.
and then there was this
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-democrats-gun-bills-sit-in_us_576ab443e4b0c0252e77ecb8
the cynic in me says ohhhhh….. kabuki theater, the romantic in me says…..ohhhhhh a sit in, and the pessimist in me says…….ohhhh, grandstanding for nothing.
But then a good sit in is a good sit in. 🙂
Maybe our Opposition could do the same in regards to our homeless. T’would be fun to see the speaker spit bricks.
Haven’t read The Ombudsman’s report on the Rebstock findings re the leak about minister’s bashing of MFAT. However, going by what’s been said on Nine to Noon this morning (interview with one of Rebstock’s MFAT scapegoats/victims) The Ombudsman has roundly concluded that Dame Rebstock’s findings are Dame Rebstock’s Rubbish Findings.
Key and his lackeys had better be careful if they set out to rubbish Ombudsman Boshier in favour of ‘Their Loyal Servant’ Dame Rebstock.
Correction of my error – report of Ombudsman Paterson, not Chief Ombudsman Boshier.
The report –
http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/system/paperclip/document_files/document_files/1587/original/investigation_into_ssc_conduct_of_mfat_leaks_inquiry.pdf?1466629016
Well said that man!
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/307085/nz-egalatarian-that's-a-pretty-little-lie
It is welcome analysis from Eaqub, but I get the feeling that he is constantly a little surprised at the sometimes slow, sometimes fast degradation of the socially conscious New Zealand we once enjoyed.
And talk about ‘New Politics’. The deliberate policy of pitting peoples against each other has developed the world over by various right of centre governments. See Brexit, see the US election, and see John Key’s government of divisiveness.
“The deliberate policy of pitting peoples against each other has developed the world over by various right of centre governments….”
Absolutely, it feels like one big game of “the Block”, the axing of TV7 and the endless, mindless TV contest shows, cooking, singing, house decorating and finding a mate…….and distracting us.
Police regularly blaming “Mental Health Services”, and CYPFS blamed for the appalling lack of societal infrastructure and the tragic, yet inevitable consequences.
A question about MMP from yesterday. Do party votes from parties that don’t reach 5% or get an electorate MP get reallocated?
First link says yes they do, second apparently says no they don’t. The context is whether if Harawira doesn’t win TTT, are the Mana votes ‘lost’, or do those lost votes give an advantage to other parties? e.g. in 2014 IM got something like 1.4% of the vote.
Since 1996 these “wasted” votes have averaged 4.96%. After each election the St Laguë formula has reallocated between two and nine list seats to qualifying parties (see table below). This disproportionately benefits the parties with the largest share of the primary vote. Of the total of 38 seats reallocated this way, Labour has won nine and National 14; the other 15 went to smaller parties. In addition, between 2005 and 2011 the Maori Party had a total of four overhang seats.
http://www.listener.co.nz/current-affairs/politics/state-your-preference/
http://www.elections.org.nz/voting-system/mmp-voting-system/sainte-lague-allocation-formula
The overhang seats were a known issue when we voted MMP in. That said, I don’t think that the people who recommended MMP thought that we’d be getting so many of them and so often.
As for the ‘wasted votes’ being effectively reallocated the only option for that is to decrease the threshold from 5% to 0.8%. If a party gets enough votes for a seat then they should have a seat.
P test finds NZ banknotes may be the most meth-contaminated currency ever found
One point I made in my Cashless was the effect it would have on criminal undertakings – essentially criminals wouldn’t be able to use money at all. Now it appears that it would be good for everyone’s health as well.
Handling eftpost receipts is looking like being a problem as a source of endocrine disruptor toxicity,
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141022143628.htm
I’m guessing that most people handle eftpost and other thermal receipts far more than they do banknotes.
I keep wondering why they hand them out. I just refuse them myself so I’m not handling them anyway. Would much prefer it if I could get online and check my purchases through my bank. Of course, I happen think that the bank should be a state bank and not a private one. I don’t trust private banks with my data.
I think the machines in shops have to print out. Lots of places ask if you want the receipt, so heaps just go straight in the bin. ATMs give an option of no receipt. Till receipts are trickier if you need proof of purchase.
Years ago I used to keep them all but then realised I never used them. Utter waste and health/ environment damaging.
and its still not a good enough reason to only have electronic money.
i rather have a bit of meth on my hand, then a government like our current one just cut of access to our cash for the sake of it, or to teach the plebs a lesson in obedience.
Sorry mate, you’re not thinking ahead. What happens when you or your political movement are criminalised for taking a set against the establishment.
Tracking, suspending, banning, revealing, reversing all your financial transactions and the financial transactions of associated parties would be just the start.
The cashless society, having tracking modules on all vehicles, we’re stupid for thinking that these things will not be used to crush future dissent.
Look at how they fucked over Julian Assange and wikileaks by banning their access to paypal and the credit card system. Or how they threaten to ban entire countries from SWIFT.
People need to learn for fucks sake.
That’s why you put in place rules and processes about it that cannot be broken by the parliament of the day. If they try it becomes an automatic act of treason and they a) lose everything and b) go to jail for the rest of their lives.
Fuck your magical thinking mate.
So, I take it that you’re in favour of getting rid of laws against murder, Laws for health and safety at work sites and Minimum wage laws?
You know, to get rid of all this “magical thinking”.
???
no idea what you’re talking about, also no idea why you’re promoting systems which will make it easier for the power elite to make political activists lives miserable.
We make laws against bad behaviour all the time but you’re here saying that that is magical thinking.
yeah those laws have effectively stopped violent crimes and other bad behaviour in NZ haven’t they
So you must be in favour of getting rid of all those laws then, to get rid of all that “magical thinking”.
Or do you think that we should keep the laws and hold people accountable for their bad behaviour? To let them know that there are consequences and that those consequences will be grave?
Dude, I don’t give a fuck about your laws, I give a fuck about you wanting to empower people with the technology to do shitty things to us, even knowing full well that your precious laws have never stopped that happening in the past.
DTB 1 : CV Nil. And a very naughty and graceless Nil too !
Might be a good reason to not take banking back into complete control of the government a Draco
“Dr Nick Kim, a senior lecturer in environmental chemistry at Massey University, tested the residue left on walls by meth smokers and found the potential health effects of past P smoking was no worse than those of tobacco, or handling meth-contaminated bank notes.”
So you are now pushing a Paula Bennett myth that is being used to demonize state tenants and evict them from state houses Draco ? .
Classy.
Dr Nick Kim: “What seems wrong is the idea of kicking people out of houses where residues are not too dissimilar to [tobacco] smoking residues on walls.”
Draco & Paula ….”We are not going to risk houses suspected of being drug dens today, becoming potentially toxic playgrounds for innocent children in the future.”
As many as 600 state homes will need P decontamination this year, amid claims retirees are now smoking the toxic drug.
Each home needing decontamination cost between $8000 and $16,000, with the work costing the agency $2.3 million last year.
Dr Nick Kim: “Tenants who found that their houses had been smoked in could wash down walls and curtains but Kim said he personally would not worry. There was no need to tear down gib or replace carpets and insulation unless there was strong suspicion that there was a lab and the chances were lower than people feared.”
+1 Reason – now P is the new scare device with everyone running about and plenty of money to be made out of the P scare scam by some (especially the government to explain why nobody lives in state houses anymore and why State houses are the new ‘ghost’ houses!).
Don’t attribute to me that which I never said nor have ever indicated that we should be doing.
Sorry Draco …. I thought you were using Paulas cult science for your own agenda.
I may have overestimated your intelligence ,,,,,,,,,, sorry.
You may be sincere about wanting to protecting our health from meth on bank notes …….
In which case you are A fool with good intentions ,,,,,,, helping to spread Paulas witch trial drug hysteria ……… and the rip-off industry and eviction program that it enables …..
p.s using Paulas lies to back up your argument massively undermined your points ……….
What other lies and myths do you support?
I don’t support any and I certainly do not support the ones that you’re making up about me and that’s all you’ve done so far in this thread.
Which makes you the fool.
really? ………….. then you didn’t type this on the basis of Paula’s contamination cult? …..”Now it appears that it would be good for everyone’s health as well”
vrs Dr Nick Kim …..”Even that level was 24 times lower than “the lowest level that could you could plausibly have a health risk”.
You need to Explain yourself and your use of the same ugly false fear mongering which Paula is using to evict the poor and their children onto the street…..
Keep your explanation simple for a fool like me 😉
I get confused nowadays in New Zealand, when rivers that WILL make you sick,with their soup of fecal matter, pathogens and nitrates are not called polluted and toxic…… these are instead to be known as ‘up to national standards & Wade-able’.
Yet at the same time we have hundreds of perfectly safe state houses which pose no health risk labeled ‘contaminated’ and ‘toxic’ sitting empty, awaiting millions to be spent on them, after needless evictions … in the middle of a housing crisis.
Now you and your contaminated notes may know something which supports Paulas and your science ….
She certainly needs help to continue her war on the poor.
“amid claims retirees are now smoking the toxic drug.” – Really? Where was that claim made? I always see retirees wasting their money at the pokeys now they are smoking P? End times cannot be too far away, oh my poor children!
FLASH ALERT IMPORTANT
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11661851
hmm what does this mean, can we get rid of this Failed UK Rebstock Person, mums got nothing good to say about her, apparently she was crap there and bought her poison over here, mums words good enough for me, always trust a granny.
Yes Rebstock, we need more women in leadership positions like her.
Did you forget the /sarc tag?
Nah CV doing his anti feminist thing, going hard for the mens.
Oh did Helen tell him off? Or does he have gender issues with women I’m happy to toast his nuts over?
If Rebstock was a bloke i’d say the same.
That’s my point. Rebstock is at least the equal of any man that National could put in that role, if not even superior.
Why do we need more women leaders like her then?
Same rationale that Hillary Clinton should be US President. Women in top leadership roles can do at least a good a job as men, if not better.
Interesting to know that you now think that Clinton should be US president. Bit of a turn around though.
He is been sarcy I think, like saying ‘see, women can be as big as horrible leaders as men’, am I right CV? Thatcher & Imelda already proved that years ago.
I didn’t say that Clinton should be US President. I said that she could do the job as well as most other men could, if not better.
Whether or not I think her politics are any good is another matter entirely.
@Gangnam Style, he’s being an arse to people about so called identity politics, he just can’t do it honestly.
What’s sarcy about women being able to equal or exceed men in every respect?
Heard a rumour (No I started it) that Hillary is going to nominate bill as the vice president..so she can keep an eye on him.
Hey. Anything’s possible.
You know how to read between the lines right weka?
Actually I’m finding the numbers of not very well explained ideas and thoughts on ts at the moment tedious. It’s like people value their own cleverness over communicating well, which is problematic given the context.
Ouch, that’s down right harsh CV, but I like it.
It seems inoffensive to say that Dame Rebstock is at least the equal of any man that National could put in (what role ?). But how might she be even superior in (what role ?) as you suggest CV ? Are you talking the role of bought and paid for report ‘signer’ or the role of independent report ‘writer’.
Certainly an Ombudsman thinks she’s a pretty shit independent report ‘writer’. If on the other hand she’s merely a report ‘signer’, she is corrupt. Dame Ratshit whichever way.
Who appointed her to (what role?) CV ? Who made her a dame ? Oh yes…….it’s like dogs’ balls.
The opportunity to prove oneself an arse shouldn’t depend on gender.
That arsery is not dependent on gender shouldn’t be a reason for commenting on gender instead of abilities, imo.
Yes we do. Whatever the errors of this inquiry, Paula has contributed much to New Zealand. She worked in Treasury in the late 80s and made an important contribution to the machinery of government reforms advocated by Treasury in 1987.
I think you should be ashamed of your childish disparaging of her
So she’s been sucking on the public teat all this time. The problem with delusional trash like Paula is they’ve never worked in the real world.
1987 was the first year of her employment at treasury shortly after graduating ….dont think she would have had much input to those recommendations somehow.
Ha, nice one Pat, Srylands caught in a lie, though must be hard defending the indefensible gotta admit.
National Party apologists, you mean?
http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/commission-acted-unreasonably-in-mfat-leak-report-2016062309#axzz4CITeYEnU
on NewsHub now to, stuffs bit slow too pick it up.
Personally this is one the left should pick up and get vocal on for the reasons it was Keys appointment and Rebstock did an attack job it cements into the voters minds this governments inquiries are all cover ups, we can then get the DP inquiry pressure going again and any other BS inquiries Keys had.
I’ve been waiting for a powerful body like the ombudsman to make decision man that office is slow to respond. But finally a proper report Key can’t rebuttal as plainl;y wrong. I dare him to say the Ombudsmans wrong.
Get that pressure on my Beauties, fly fly…
“a proper report Key can’t rebuttal”
Wanna bet Richard?
“That is just one opinion and I could find another report that would vindicate the wonderful Paula Rebstock. Mr Farrar would be one of course.”
What?, I don’t think an ombudsmans report is just an opinion.
If Key wishes to use a Farrar’s opinion against the Ombudman’s fire away, can’t wait.
What I should have said, is any rebuttal would looks silly and just fake to the public, as there are not many bodies as respected as the Ombudsmans office.
To critique the office of the Ombudsman is bad form.
Mum must be senile, she’s from the states, my bad, must be getting confused then with someone else, it was a passing comment she made.
Tis Okay Richard. I was just mocking the way that Key denies uncomfortable facts by quoting a different source. He knows that by the time we try to undo his dissemblage the story has moved on.
Wonder if the release of this report just happens to be while Parliament is in recess for four weeks?
Well the bastard doesn’t even ‘quote’ a different source. Just says there would be one. That’s it. Discussion over.
Funny how quickly the Herald moved the story down to about 15th online?
We might wonder about other “enquiries undertaken by Rebstock. Education? Social Welfare?
When a Government has a pet Enquirer would we expect an independent unbiased report? Doubt it. Or unbiased means you will not get another job from John Key.
“We might wonder about other “enquiries undertaken by Rebstock. Education? Social Welfare?” Yes ianmac!
I don’t think you can hold the UK accountable for this lamentable stooge. Believe she’s all the way from the USA.
Yep my bad ty Intgralenz.
Not many American Dames, I would imagine people would laugh at her over there if she told them she was a Dame.Was a good thing when Labour abolished those dumb titles.
NZ Tories re-established those those dumb titles that Labour abolished and then Australia’s Tory govt abolished them also.Can’t figure it out.
A ‘tory’ government in Australia? They would not know what the fuck you were on about.
In fact in the real world I have never heard anyone outside of the UK ever use the word ‘tory’ in a conversation.
My old man always called you lot torys.
Yep I was right..
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/tory
Nah, you’re just being the same slimy, selectively-defining, lying tory as you were the last time you had difficulty with the word tory, and the time before that, and the time before that. You’re loathsomely repetitive and repetitively loathsome. Get some new lines.
Meanwhile, in the ninteties I was one of several hundred ordinary people walking down the main street in Dunedin yelling, amongst other things, “what’s the story, filthy tory? Out! Out! Out!”.
You know she is a NZ citizen right? She has been here for 30 years.
Canadian isn’t she ?
No she isn’t.
Rennie said that he:
“accepted that the way the inquiry dealt with Mr Leask “could have been better”.
Mr Goff said, “It was not simply unfair. The treatment of those two men was disgraceful.”
The Prime Minister mumbled ..” There’s um clearly been some…some…errors that have been made.” …Did he also say..’It was all Labours fault?’
Mike Hoskings said. ..#@^@$##&^#x.. Hey-Who cares what he said..
Hosking also said:
“Hey why wasn’t I also in on the deal – I’ve got a Maserati to maintain!”
Hosking also said:
“Hey why wasn’t I also in on the deal – I’ve got a Maserati to maintain”
Hoskings doesn’t own a Maserati.
How awful for him.
leased?….or has he sold it?
Seems he has Ferrari now as well…
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11329195
So Naki has inside knowledge obviously.
stranded assets?
The PM said, ‘the ombizzman ovisly saw sim areas of concern but we’ve got confidence in the staysservicecommishn an in Paula Restock’.
That is literally what he said.
Paula is from America. She has a distinguished career in New Zealand spanning 30 years. You must be thinking of someone else.
About time we had a Scandinavian approach to prisons and criminal activity. Even if you don’t care about society as a rampant neoliberal – think of how much money the state could save if they bothered to look at what is successful in prisons around the world!
Intentional homicides:
Norway: 0.6 per 100,000 people
United States: 6 per 100,000 people
Incarceration rates:
Norway: 71 for every 100,000 people
United States: 743 for every 100,000 (in 2009)
Recidivism rate:
Norway: 20%
United States: 50%-60%
Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Perhaps Norway’s way of doing things isn’t as bizarre as we think.
http://www.upworthy.com/how-a-tour-of-a-norwegian-jail-might-make-you-reconsider-how-effective-the-us-justice-system-is?c=ufb4
This is an interesting site, and check out
He found a way to build mini homes at no cost, and he’s donating them all to the homeless. (via NationSwell)
https://www.facebook.com/nationswell/
When Susan Devoy became Race Relations Commissioner I was skeptical – however I think she has done well to date.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/north-island/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503932&objectid=11661907
Those children, their relatives alive and dead will never be forgotten – the horror of what happened will not be pretended-away.
No it is not okay marae-burner-kyle and your mate just-another-sad-tocker. You parade around in your dress up neo-nazi uniforms – such sad losers yet they are here with us and in our faces – in the paper!
Saying their philosophy is not okay is the least we can do – we need to make this place the way we want it and stepping out bullies, racists and their enablers (and those who use these dims for their own political ends) is a crucial step – for our self esteem, our values and so we can sleep at night.
Yeah she’s all right, def takes the job seriously. Tough job to do well, so thank you Ms Devoy.
A lot of commentators on TS hated on Devoy when she first got the job. I may have been one of them. However, she sharply picked up the pace after her first few months and is filling the role quite nicely now I think.
yeah, I’m in the same boat.
I rather suspect that is an under estimate, too.
The comments under this article have the look of counteroffensive action against last week’s reckless show of compassion for the homeless. It is about a couple who have been given notice in a Huntly state house they have lived in for 23 years because they are now deemed able to pay market rent, although there is a shortage of rental houses in Huntly anyway. Comments that mercilessly bag the family are getting about 200 up-ticks. Comments that say “show some compassion” or “in other countries people are able to rent permanently” or similar are getting equivalent numbers of thumbs-down. http://i.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/81162744/huntly-mums-plea-to-stay-in-her-state-home.adaptive.html
Do you think it is acceptable that this family occupied a state house for 23 years? In that 23 years, what did other people do who met the criteria for state housing? The Greens have a policy to build more state houses – in my view this is oppression by stealth as there is no incentive for state house occupants to better themselves and not remain life long welfare dependants. State housing should always be for those who need it most and those that get a state home should never expect to build a lifestyle from it – especially starting a new family or occupying it for 23 years!. Its the steeping stone they need at a relevant point in their situation, improve their situation and then move on.
“Do you think it is acceptable that this family occupied a state house for 23 years?” Yes, I do, couldn’t care less if they live in for 50 years, whats it to ya? Build more!
I see Indiana, the state should follow people around prodding them with a cattle prodder to better themselves. What’s your measure of better? At what point does your nanny state say your own your own now, ?
Secondly council housing is housing for life in the UK, well it was, they did the same over there, big sell off, but you know a caring state, worked with these long term tenants and worked a good deal with them to pay the houses off, or assist them into a loan, they had a plan.
AFAIK State housing was introduced because the working poor could never expect to own a house, there was over crowding poor conditions, a progressive labour government backed by the unions as at that time you greedy mine, shipyard owners etc had to be forced into compliance, so damn greedy, Labour state housing bettered the lives of millions of people. Something you lot have been rabidly trying to reverse ever since?
whether you know it or not that’s what high Tories are doing. But you’re not one of them you actually think they care for all, and the left are loonies.
IMHO
@indiana
Did you grow up in a family home that at some point was owned by the state? Thousands upon thousands of us did. And when we finally fled the nest, many of our parents were given the opportunity to purchase the properties for their retirement years. That my dear was the aim of the exercise. To give a whole generation, young and old, security and stability. And it worked.
People like you sicken me. It’s NOT welfare dependency to have a warm, dry home provided by the state. It’s a necessity especially in this neo liberal dog eat dog society we live in. And the security of knowing it is there for as long as you need it is a prerequisite for a generation of balanced, healthy citizens.
You remind me of Paula Bennett. Grab all the benefits yourself and use them to climb the ladder of success, then drag the ladder away so nobody can follow in your footsteps.
Yes I do think it is acceptable for them to live in that house for those years. In a society where are large percentage of the population do not earn enough to buy their own homes, I think that secure long term rental, both state and private, should be the norm. That is the case in many other countries, and it has not made the population of Germany, for instance, feckless and lazy. The couple in the article are working and contributing to their community – in fact they want to buy their house now but have not been able to raise the necessary loan. It is just not good enough to price people out of home ownership, sell off state houses and force a huge percentage of the population to rely on amateur landlords with high rents and minimal rights as tenants.
” in fact they want to buy their house now but have not been able to raise the necessary loan.”
But they had plenty of money to raise 7 children instead of saving for a deposit on a house. Was there a housing crisis in Hamilton 20 years ago? I’m presuming that in the first 3 years of them being a state home, they would have thought about this because if I put myself in their situation, this would be one of my first considerations – start a family or get out of the welfare trap.
Its a pity that default position to take is that I’m a heartless bastard and that I have no concept of living life on the edge, but feel free to make assumptions.
At the time when they moved into their state house, it was considered to be theirs for as long as they wanted and needed it, so it was not unreasonable for them to live their lives accordingly. There is such a thing as a decent humble person who is happy to contribute to a community but is not driven by material ambition – being a good or bad person is not contingent on owning or not owning a house. And I myself did not comment on your character, I simply disagreed with you. You, however, seem to feel quite free to comment negatively on the character of the people in the article.
“Indiana wants me…..on the streets he wants me !”
What a dog ! And supremely stupid – to say that need for housing is reflected in availability of housing. To say that need for housing beyond numbers of available houses is not actually need. It is welfare bludging. What a dumb, extremist fuckwit ! Maybe Indiana should experience the unavailability of a supply of oxygen. No problem. No availability. No need.
The couple have lived in this house throughout the onslaught of neo-liberalism. During this period, by design, only a relative few were ever supposed to advance their fortunes, viz. those already at the top. That is the true ethos of neo-liberalism. Masked by cynical promises of trickle-down. The days when we might have regarded neo-liberals as fantasists truly believing in trickledown are well gone. They know it’s shit but they insist. They are amoral crooks.
Indiana invokes failure to triumph over the conditions created by Indiana and ilk. That’s a bit much like the rapist blaming the rape victim for the debilitating STD the rapist inflicted.
Ordinary people don’t advance under neo-liberalism. They were never meant to. You weren’t meant to be a dog Indiana but I see you’re trying your hardest. Dumb Fuckwit !
Hootens banked on the fact 80% of the voting people are too young and dumb to remember why state housing was a house for life at one time, why and what it was set up for, what it was like before labour saved them, and probably all of them owe there current lifestyle to that fact.
+1
To Olwyn:
Tory Trolls have been placing a team effort to falsify comments on Stuff, ie. up-ticking the bagging comments and down-ticking the supportive comments. Many of these trolls appear to have vacated Newshub NZ (TV3)comments section and moved to Stuff to do their dirty work.
OK – I did wonder if it was something like that. They have relied for eight years now on generating contempt and division between social groups, so the humane response to homelessness last week must have given them a bit of a jolt. Now they are no doubt keen to regain their grip on the agenda.
An interesting if controversial comparison between women in power on Game of Thrones, and how women change in real life when they ascend power:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501119&objectid=11661912
And yes, they compare Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at the same time as they compare Danys in Game of Thrones.
Bit silly really as the show is reflecting current modes of thinking not new ones or for that matter old ones – to find the truth about power and some of the women who have held it – go back – indigenous women leaders are plentiful and their stories, memories and abilities are well known within their communities.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81380931/john-key-admits-confidential-cafe-slipup-while-defending-protection-officer
This guy key, you know the CEO of NZ inc, doesn’t know the difference between running a business and running a country and protecting it’s secrets. I would love to know the security level of the docs he just left about, some are not to be removed and eyes only.
The articles sting in the (pony) tail!
So distracting those pony tails, anyone seen my shooty thing?
All is not well in the State of Denmark:
http://www.humanityinaction.org/knowledgebase/59-the-danish-illusion-the-gap-between-principle-and-practice-in-the-danish-welfare-system
It reads all to familiar. How long do you reckon they have?
The right wingers have been screwing Denmark for a bit over 10 years now so I figure another 10 years or so.
Denmark only shut down their dog brothels a few years ago, I like their bonfire culture though.
I thought you were kidding and then I googled it.
I know right!!! Sweden & Finland had them too, though I think they were underground, but Denmark it wasn’t actually illegal to run dog brothels til the mid 2000s? sometime in the last 10-15 years anyway. Was a worldwide petition helped get them banned too.
Nothing to see here…….except the PM’s security boys do a shocking job of dying the PM’s hair…….and even dogs don’t trust Mark Mitchell…….
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81380931/john-key-admits-confidential-cafe-slipup-while-defending-protection-officer
Some in power in the USA don’t want peace in Syria …which is what many around the world thought all along…a dangerous situation…especially if Hillary becomes President
‘Dissent memo’
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/347703-syria-russia-pentagon-cia/
“A Syrian showdown is looming. Rebellion has broken out in the ranks of the State Department against Obama’s handling of the conflict. The Pentagon and the CIA are at odds. And Russia has demonstrated it has lost patience with Washington’s so-called moderates. The status quo cannot hold. CrossTalking with Richard Weitz, Mark Sleboda, and Lawrence Wilkerson.”
( and who is running the State Department?…what is their long term agenda for the Middle East?…whose interests are they representing?…surely not the American public’s)