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)
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“You talking about me?”The neoliberal denigration of the past was nowhere more unrelenting than in its depiction of the public service. The Post Office and the Railways were held up as being both irremediably inefficient and scandalously over-manned. Playwright Roger Hall’s “Glide Time” caricatures were presented as accurate depictions of ...
Roger Partridge writes – When the Coalition Government took office last October, it inherited a country on a precipice. With persistent inflation, decades of insipid productivity growth and crises in healthcare, education, housing and law and order, it is no exaggeration to suggest New Zealand’s first-world status was ...
Rob MacCulloch writes – In 2022, the Curriculum Centre at the Ministry of Education employed 308 staff, according to an Official Information Request. Earlier this week it was announced 202 of those staff were being cut. When you look up “The New Zealand Curriculum” on the Ministry of ...
Chris Bishop’s bill has stirred up a hornets nest of opposition. Photo: Lynn Grieveson for The KākāTL;DR: The six things that stood out to me in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, poverty and climate from the last day included:A crescendo of opposition to the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill is ...
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Note: this blog post has been put together over the course of the week I followed the happenings at the conference virtually. Should recordings of the Great Debates and possibly Union Symposia mentioned below, be released sometime after the conference ends, I'll include links to the ones I participated in. ...
The following was my submission made on the “Fast Track Approvals Bill”. This potential law will give three Ministers unchecked powers, un-paralled since the days of Robert Muldoon’s “Think Big” projects.The submission is written a bit tongue-in-cheek. But it’s irreverent because the FTAB is in itself not worthy of respect. ...
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Chris Trotter writes – MELISSA LEE should be deprived of her ministerial warrant. Her handling – or non-handling – of the crisis engulfing the New Zealand news media has been woeful. The fate of New Zealand’s two linear television networks, a question which the Minister of Broadcasting, Communications ...
TL;DR: The podcast above features co-hosts and , along with regular guests Robert Patman on Gaza and AUKUS II, and on climate change.The six things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the ...
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The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
Chris Trotter writes – The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three. ...
Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blogIn 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
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Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...
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Māori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...
The Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
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Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
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The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
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Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...
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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)