Salvation Army contradicts Key’s homelessness claims

Written By: - Date published: 2:32 pm, June 3rd, 2016 - 95 comments
Categories: john key, national - Tags: , ,

john-key1

Yesterday this was the news:

The Government has this week sent its flying squads into Auckland to battle the hidden homeless crisis, but says those living in cars simply don’t want help.

The squads were formed after The Nation revealed a number of people with full-time jobs were sleeping in cars because they couldn’t afford housing in Auckland.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) teamed up with the Salvation Army and other non-Government organisations and hit the streets.

But the Prime Minister says when they hit Bruce Pullman Park in Takanini on Monday night, they received a frosty response.

“MSD and the Sallies went around and knocked on eight cars that they could find,” he says.

“All eight of those people refused to take support either from Sallies or MSD.”

John Key says he isn’t implying people want to live in cars.

“I’m just simply saying that of those eight people that MSD and the Sallies could identify, knocked on the cars and asked them: ‘can we give you support and can we give you help’, not just MSD, the Salvation Army — the eight of them refused.”

But reality is stranger than fiction sometimes and the above turns out to be, how do you put this, not necessarily correct.  The Salvation Army has just released this press release which says this:

In the past few days, the Government and a government agency have made statements saying MSD officials accompanied Salvation Army personnel to visit homeless people living in Bruce Pulman Park in South Auckland.

These statements are incorrect.

MSD officials did not accompany Salvation Army social personnel to Bruce Pulman Park last Monday night, as part of the Army’s regular visits to the site. The Salvation Army declined the offer by MSD officials to accompany The Salvation Army as some of these people are very wary of government officials.

The results of this statement, as well as recent images of homeless people living in dire material hardship disseminated by the media, have deeply upset these people and have put the relationship between them and Salvation Army personnel in jeopardy, weakening the Army’s ability to assist them.

The Salvation Army does not knock on people’s car windows. It has a van from which food, water and toiletries are made available and where access to social services and advocacy can be arranged.

The Salvation Army has spent years developing relationships and building trust with these people living on the outer margins of society – people who often have a deep distrust of officials.

The article is based on this video where Key was at his assured convincing best.  It appears there may be a reality problem however.

Key ought to apologise to the Salvation Army and to the homeless people, preferrably personally.  And he should get his facts right before commenting.

 

95 comments on “Salvation Army contradicts Key’s homelessness claims ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. save nz 1
    3 June 2016 at 2:37 pm

    This government are serial liars and every statement seems to harm someone, even damaging the relationships and reputation of the Salvation Army.

  2. Lanthanide 2
    3 June 2016 at 2:40 pm

    Key only apologises to Slater.

  3. Wensleydale 3
    3 June 2016 at 2:40 pm

    Oh, look, John Key’s telling lies again. Well, I never!

    • Chris 3.1
      3 June 2016 at 4:59 pm

      And Key goes up in the polls.

      • WILD KATIPO 3.1.1
        3 June 2016 at 9:37 pm

        Normally he would… but not this time. Homelessness, wages well below costs of living, overheated housing market, unbridled immigration, dictatorial treatment of Auckland council, USA warship to be coming to our ports( which Auckland council will need to privatize ) and a meeting of the worlds top arms dealers – most probably in SkyCity gambling casino… he’s a goneburger.

        Along with his sanctimoniousness – a bit like these pompous gits…

        • Chris 3.1.1.1
          4 June 2016 at 3:27 pm

          I hope you’re right but every time something pops up that suggests they’re over they just bounce back even stronger. It’s so strange I don’t think a word’s been invented yet to describe the phenomenon.

  4. adam 4
    3 June 2016 at 3:01 pm

    No wonder the so many Ministers of The Crown are so useless, and paddling their own waka.

    This guy is just unbelievable.

  5. ianmac 5
    3 June 2016 at 3:03 pm

    When and if Key is questioned about this it will be interesting to see how he wriggles out.
    Labour’s fault?
    Misreported?
    It was true?
    Refuse to front?
    The MSD misinformed him?
    It was Paula Bennet’s fault?
    The point is that homeless people can get help if they want to?
    Mike Hoskings says it is true and he knows?
    Paddy says it is the PM at his best?

    • Stuart Munro 5.1
      3 June 2016 at 3:15 pm

      Paddy’s right though – Key is utter shite; he doesn’t get any better than lying.

    • Draco T Bastard 5.2
      3 June 2016 at 4:29 pm

      Come on, it was obviously the Salvation Army’s fault for not accepting MSDs kind offer to go round with them knocking on car windows.

      /sarc

  6. NZJester 6
    3 June 2016 at 3:05 pm

    John Key is the end of a line of a game of Chinese whispers. The whisper goes through the National party till what comes out of his mouth is so far removed from the truth it would be laughable if it did not make light of such serious problems!

    • AsleepWhileWalking 6.1
      3 June 2016 at 4:43 pm

      !

    • AsleepWhileWalking 6.2
      3 June 2016 at 4:47 pm

      Most disturbing is the perception of betrayal and minimisation of those in need that Key has fostered through his comments.

      A formal and widespread apology needs to be issues asap to mitigate the damage to the Salvation Army’s reputation.

  7. Adrian 7
    3 June 2016 at 3:07 pm

    Just watched the clip, and as usual he isn’t blinking, his own personal sign that he’s telling Porkies.

    • ianmac 7.1
      3 June 2016 at 3:24 pm

      Interesting Adrian.
      When talking about the facts of the loan system he was steady and confident. Then when talking about the 8 cars, he looks to his right every few words. Avoiding eye contact?

    • Keith 7.2
      3 June 2016 at 7:28 pm

      Another way of telling is his lips are moving!

      • NZJester 7.2.1
        3 June 2016 at 8:21 pm

        He has overcome that though by being able to lie without his lips moving via the ventriloquism act he does via his trained MSM puppets.

  8. McFlock 8
    3 June 2016 at 3:18 pm

    It’s like they have a defense in depth of lies:
    initially it was that there’s no housing problem;
    now the lie is that they’re doing anything to investigate the problem;
    then they’ll lie about doing anything to fix it; then they’ll lie about whether what they actually did fixed it.

  9. Stuart Munro 9
    3 June 2016 at 3:38 pm

    Damn – there goes the Sallies’ funding. Key is a useless screwup as a PM – but he’s vindictive.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 9.1
      3 June 2016 at 6:52 pm

      +1

      The obvious solution is to defund the Salvation Army.

      • Stuart Munro 9.1.1
        3 June 2016 at 7:22 pm

        I expect we’re supposed to be grateful that Key shows restraint – his colleague Kim Jong Un executes detractors with anti-aircraft guns.

        If someone went Jones & Olken on Key I wouldn’t mind at all.

    • Rodel 9.2
      3 June 2016 at 8:21 pm

      Yes Stuart
      Watch this space for your prediction about govt vindictiveness against the Sallies. It won’t happen overnight..but it will happen. A bit like a more subtle and more gentle Robert Gabrielle Mugabe.

      • Ffloyd 9.2.1
        4 June 2016 at 6:32 pm

        Rodel. You are so correct. I was going to say RIGHT but it didn’t sound right so I changed it to CORRECT. Anyhoo, Key does not forget anyone who shines a light on him that shows all the dirt piled up in the corners of his grubby little Government. Look what happened to John Campbell. Time for a Spring Clean.

  10. Wensleydale 10
    3 June 2016 at 3:52 pm

    Interesting that Stuff has allowed 13 comments on this story, and then shut it down. Meanwhile, Granny Herald isn’t allowing comments on this at all.

    Key needs to start a nationwide tour of primary schools with his traveling puppet show. Instead of Sooty and Sweep, he’ll have Granny Herald and Uncle Fairfax.

    • ianmac 10.1
      3 June 2016 at 4:34 pm

      Stuff is up to 109 comments; almost none in support of K ey.

      • Mrs Brillo 10.1.1
        3 June 2016 at 4:40 pm

        Now Stuff have shut it down again. Pity, because I was about to go there to suggest fundraising for personal fire extinguishers for members of Cabinet.
        It can’t be comfortable walking round in those flaming pants all day…

        • NZJester 10.1.1.1
          3 June 2016 at 8:25 pm

          They haven’t got flaming pants though. Those burnt off long ago.
          The emperor actually has no cloths.

  11. marty mars 11
    3 June 2016 at 3:58 pm

    Good stuff by little too – go hard and do it NOW!!!

    Labour leader Andrew Little says the Prime Minister needs to explain why he would make misleading comments that also seemed to sweep homelessness under the carpet.

    “Why you would lie, mislead, diminish this sort of rescue? It beggars belief,” he said.

    “It just looks like a Government that is so out of touch, they don’t even want to know it (homelessness) exists.

    “I can’t think of a time when the Prime Minister and another Minister has patently lied about something that’s happened, that hasn’t actually happened.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80725620/salvation-army-msd-homeless-visits-didnt-happen-and-the-pms-wrong

  12. Chrys Berryman 12
    3 June 2016 at 4:08 pm

    I held up a sign with “liar” written on it outside the Nat Party election opening for the 2014 election……the Nats abused the hell out of me as they drove in,one even mounted the footpath in his high end 4 wheel drive and tried to run me down.Key’s lies have continued…..when and if he is spoken about in the future people will say “oh that guy,he was a liar”….. his legacy……is lies.

    • Macro 12.1
      3 June 2016 at 4:52 pm

      His legacy is far worse than Lies –
      It is a broken and divided country, where homelessness and poverty are rife. We now have more and more of our young people drifting, and out of work, couch surfing if they are lucky, sleeping on the streets, or in a bed bought with their body. Our hospitals, social welfare, and education systems are underfunded, and our rivers, lakes and coastal waters are more and more polluted. We have passed on the costs of climate change to our children and they are out of work and cannot afford to house themselves. This is the blighted future of National and Keys legacy, bought with lies.

    • Don't worry. Be happy 12.2
      4 June 2016 at 2:57 pm

      Key’s legacy is spies and lies….

  13. Bill 13
    3 June 2016 at 4:29 pm

    I know what I’m about to write doesn’t quite make sense, but…

    I get the impression that Blip’s list just got depth-charged right out of the water with this one… just so many dead fishy little stories bobbing up and down now for as far as the eye can see.

    • Draco T Bastard 13.1
      3 June 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Would be nice to have the MSM publish Blip’s list or even just to start asking questions about what’s on it. Considering that it’s all based upon their own reporting it shouldn’t be too difficult.

    • weka 13.2
      3 June 2016 at 4:46 pm

      I’m not sure. It looks as likely to be outright incompetence. MSD did go out with Ak City Mission. I’m guessing that between the MSD bods and Key that got translated into Sallies (or Key fucked it up). I also reckon they’re panicked. Twitter says Bennett is now offering even more money to get people to leave town. Desperate to bury today’s story. No one knows wft the others are doing. The tricks going to be ifKey can front up and say it was his mistake or if they have to tell smother bunch of lies to save face.

      • Karen 13.2.1
        3 June 2016 at 5:07 pm

        Sorry I can’t remember where I read it but my understanding is the MSD just called into the City Mission at a meal-time and didn’t go out with them.

        Could be Bennett lied to PM about the Salvation Army, but my thought is it is a long weekend so the PM and/or Bennett just thought no one would check it out and they could continue denying a homeless problem.

        Edit. Can’t put it better than Dovil.

        Dovil
        ‏@Dovil
        I guess the bullshit line that homelessness exists because they don’t want any help is better than just outright saying “fuck ’em”.

      • Chris 13.2.2
        3 June 2016 at 5:15 pm

        It’s about the undeserving poor so Key and National won’t care about getting it wrong. They’ll bury it in the usual way then lie again when dealing with the next shambolic chapter in this homelessness disaster. They just don’t care.

      • Olwyn 13.2.3
        3 June 2016 at 5:22 pm

        I see most of what the PM says as salesman’s prattle – like the guy who says of a toaster or something, “I got one for my dear old mum and she swears by it,” etc. What’s more worrying to me his apparent determination to follow through on his mission, regardless of what happens to anyone else. Shrink the government, sell the assets, financialise everything, and don’t let small matters like homelessness and despair divert you. In his own eyes he’s no doubt “making the hard decisions” because the ruin of other people’s lives is “worth it.”

  14. weka 14
    3 June 2016 at 4:39 pm

    Flying squads? Wtf?

    I really don’t think homeless people need rescuing, I’m guessing they need access to the same civil society entitlements as the rest of us, including dignity. Positioning them as victims who can’t look after themselves or know what they need is asking for trouble.

    • Bill 14.1
      3 June 2016 at 5:02 pm

      Missed the laughable reference to “its flying squads”. Don’t know whether to imagine ‘The Sweeney’ or to include helicopters with shouty N. Americans screaming “Go Go Go!!!” as the machine birls around it’s own centre of gravity in the Auckland night sky.

      Maybe the government should kit out “its flying squads” in capes and lycra? At least the homeless would get a chuckle. (Damn! Got really bad images of government ministers cape swooshing at the head of a mid-night charge of saviourdom…)

      Going now.

    • Anne 14.2
      3 June 2016 at 5:34 pm

      “Flying squads”? Is that their latest ruse to make it look like they’re doing something?

      I’m reminded of the Benefit Fraud Squad ( made up mainly of ex cops) in the mid to late 1990s. TV and radio ads exhorted people to dob in benefit fraudsters. Some of the outcomes were quite tragic. The Clark govt. tossed it out ( and Christine Rankin with it) after they came to power. Figures were later released showing that 76% (my recollection anyway) of the claims made had been false and malicious in intent. The Nat mindset for you!

      • Lanthanide 14.2.1
        3 June 2016 at 6:31 pm

        Oh wow, I had no idea that happened. That truly is despicable right-wing harassment.

    • emergency mike 14.3
      3 June 2016 at 6:49 pm

      It also reinforces the idea that the people living in cars are just some extreme fringe rather than a symptom of deeper structural problems. Hence ‘flying squad’ as if they are the crack navy seals of the MSD. I guess ‘clueless bandaid’ doesn’t have she ring.

      Myself I imagine them as kind of an X-men type deal. Flying to the homeless in an experimental plane, born with the mutant ability to determine a persons work skillz on sight, and to make the words ‘Ready To Work’ appear on others foreheads.

  15. dave 15
    3 June 2016 at 5:07 pm

    can that key guy get any lower total scum

  16. Gangnam Style 16
    3 June 2016 at 5:21 pm

    Checkpoint, right now, reporting on a crisis. Very sad stories.

    • Paul 16.1
      3 June 2016 at 5:35 pm

      Impressed they are keeping with the story.
      They should keep a score of how many times Bennett, Smith and Key do not front.
      And publicise that fact.

  17. Paul 17
    3 June 2016 at 5:40 pm

    The Prime Minister is a barefaced liar.
    What a shameful state of affairs.

    http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11650205

  18. North 18
    3 June 2016 at 5:41 pm

    Either Key like no other PM ever is so disrespected by his ministers and departmental advisers that they deliberately mislead him, or he’s a fucking liar/fantasist congenitally incapable of takng responsibility for anything – ever. Either way the man’s a simpering, effete weakling. Disgraceful !

    • Lanthanide 18.1
      3 June 2016 at 6:35 pm

      Or, both his ministers and advisors, and himself, are human, and occasionally make mistakes and get things muddled up.

      • weka 18.1.1
        3 June 2016 at 7:24 pm

        Let’s see how they handle the mistake then. Front up and tell the truth about it, or obfuscate, spin and lie?

      • North 18.1.2
        3 June 2016 at 7:36 pm

        Yeah thanks Lanth’……..your sometimes (as here) pedantry is noted.

      • ankerawshark 18.1.3
        3 June 2016 at 8:05 pm

        Yes Lanth @18.1. but how convenient that it is a “mistake” that then gives a very strong impression that we offered helped with a respected social agency and they (the homeless) turned it down. The implication is either that the homeless are all good and don’t need help or, there we went to all that trouble and the ungrateful bastards rejected the help.

        The aim of this spin of course, is so people will think those bloody homeless people! No wonder they homeless! The don’t even want help so we don’t have to bother or care!

      • Shug McGlumfer 18.1.4
        3 June 2016 at 10:27 pm

        There is no sense here only a hatred of John Key. What is the alternative to a National goverment, Angry Andy and the Greens? I don’t think so!

        • Ad 18.1.4.1
          3 June 2016 at 10:56 pm

          Next election isn’t until late 2017, so you’re just going to have to watch him go down nice and slowly. It’s a pleasure to see Key get what’s coming to him.

          • Shug McGlumfer 18.1.4.1.1
            4 June 2016 at 12:08 am

            Again you a focussing on the man and not the policies. You don’t like Key so who are you proposing Angry? FFS

            • One Anonymous Bloke 18.1.4.1.1.1
              4 June 2016 at 8:33 am

              The useless incompetent policies are worse than the lying man. What kind of person defends lying low life and then pretends competence in their assessment of anyone else, let alone the leader of the NZLP.

              Paging Dr. Dunning-Kruger.

        • DoublePlusGood 18.1.4.2
          3 June 2016 at 11:00 pm

          Better that than Corrupt Key and the Incompetents.

        • Lloyd 18.1.4.3
          4 June 2016 at 1:16 am

          Most commentators here know that the Labour and Green Parties contain MPs and potential MPs who have empathy with the poorer members of our society and will actually do something to improve the lot of the poor when they get into the Government benches. Noting only the latest low behaviour of our dear leader is appropriate in this case.

        • gnomic 18.1.4.4
          5 June 2016 at 12:29 am

          Detesting the smirking weasel makes sense. Any alternative to a Natsi lead govt makes sense. Now get lost. Fail Oil needs you. On the basis of this post who cares what you post. Thinking doesn’t come into it.

      • Stuart Munro 18.1.5
        4 June 2016 at 7:17 pm

        His office was not confident that he is human.

  19. Bill 19
    3 June 2016 at 6:00 pm

    Just pointing out that there are barriers to anyone advocating on behalf of people at WINZ. Unlike every other piece of potential advocacy I know of, it’s not possible for the advocate to so much as claim back costs for any case taken and won, and it’s illegal and comes with a threat of jail should any advocate accept payment from a person seeking or receiving entitlements.

    The upshot is people being left with the likes of the Salvation Army. Now whatever else the Salvation Army may say about helping people and advocating for people, the simple fact of the matter is that they will not go and butt heads for someone.

    I’ve no doubt that’s suited governments of all stripes. (I think Invercargill and Auckland may be the only places with any advocacy service for WINZ claimants now)

    The law around WINZ advocacy needs to be changed, and changed as a matter of urgency, so that people can access solid and robust advocacy services.

  20. Paul 20
    3 June 2016 at 6:11 pm

    The Prime Minister should forced to walk down the main streets of New Zealand’s cities and witness the growing legions of homeless. He, Bennett and Smith should be forced to witness the misery and desperation at a WINZ office. They should be driven to the parks where people sleep in cars. They should be compelled to live in the cold mouldy properties they allow people to rent out.
    Then they should made to resign.

    • North 20.1
      3 June 2016 at 7:48 pm

      Oh come on Paul bro’………as remarks Lanth’ it might just be a matter of them being human and all a horrible mistake……which is an assessment at considerable odds with his/her tone at 2 and 14.2.1 above.

  21. mauī 21
    3 June 2016 at 6:22 pm

    Looks like there’s no cover for this one, no excuses, no Labour did it too or dropping of dead animals by the resident righties.

    • mickysavage 21.1
      3 June 2016 at 7:58 pm

      I suspect some poor civil servant may be lined up to be thrown under a bus because Key should have said “Auckland City Mission” or some other entity …

  22. AmaKiwi 22
    3 June 2016 at 6:23 pm

    The good news:

    1. The MSM are giving Key’s fiasco big coverage.
    2. Andrew Little went for the jugular and the MSM reported it.

    • Paul 22.1
      3 June 2016 at 6:36 pm

      The media have covered for this wretched National government for 8 years. They are complicit in this crime.

    • Shug McGlumfer 22.2
      3 June 2016 at 11:47 pm

      Having Andrew Little going for the jugular is like Desmond Healey’s response to Geoffrey Howe “Like being savaged by a dead sheep” Little is a caretaker leader until after the next election then he will be dumped, if not earlier.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 22.2.1
        4 June 2016 at 8:38 am

        You don’t strike me as having the wit nor inclination to be a Labour Party member, in fact you come across as a cardboard sign saying “I agree with the Prime Minister”.

        So “your” “opinion” of anything connected to NZ politics is worthless.

  23. Paul 23
    3 June 2016 at 6:34 pm

    If you voted National, you should feel ashamed.

    • tc 23.1
      3 June 2016 at 6:58 pm

      Rwnj’s don’t have sufficient quantities of it, it’s replaced with cognitive dissonance.

    • Shug McGlumfer 23.2
      3 June 2016 at 11:32 pm

      FFS Why?

      • One Anonymous Bloke 23.2.1
        4 June 2016 at 8:35 am

        You don’t know. You haven’t the first clue. You’re utterly and completely ignorant of the contempt you’ve earned.

  24. Rodel 24
    3 June 2016 at 8:34 pm

    Hey where’s all the nattrolls on this topic?. C’mon… ineeda laugh!

    • mickysavage 24.1
      3 June 2016 at 8:39 pm

      They are waiting for instructions which may take a few days …

      • Neil 24.1.1
        3 June 2016 at 10:05 pm

        I guess it will take Crosby/Textor a few days to get what to say emailed out to all the nat trolls

      • mac1 24.1.2
        3 June 2016 at 10:52 pm

        Crosby-Textor’s dilemma.

        1. Blaming the Sallies is not a good look.
        2. Blaming the media when they scent blood is not a good move.
        3. Blaming the Mexicans won’t go.
        4. Blaming the Judaeo-Zionist-Left Wing conspiracy might be a little OTT.

        So, let’s have a diversion.
        1. Key will announce tax increases (well, it’s got to look better than being seen as a callous and black-hearted liar).
        2. Key will announce Helen Clark to be the next Governor-General.

        or 3. Prime Minister Stephen Joyce will announce that Sir John will be the next Ambassador to London.

  25. UncookedSelachimorpha 25
    3 June 2016 at 9:22 pm

    Disgusted to see one of the richest people in Nz treating the most vulnerable with such disdain, dishonesty and cruelty

  26. Ad 26
    3 June 2016 at 10:53 pm

    Key is starting to do his own celebrity roast of himself.
    He used to be much better than this.

  27. Jack Ramaka 27
    4 June 2016 at 7:57 am

    Good to see one of the local South Auckland Marae’s stepping up to the plate, at least the Maori People have a sharing, caring culture they have had this since the TOW however the pakeha have consistently abused their position here in NZ.

  28. Gerald 28
    4 June 2016 at 7:58 am

    It reminds me of a certain Australian PM who spoke about refugees throwing their babies into the sea in order to save themselves, same script writer? Damnable lies!

  29. Bruce 29
    9 June 2016 at 5:52 am

    It seems the Salvation Army is finally fed up with doing the Government’s bidding.

    The National Government certainly have been taking them for granted.

    For a long time the National Government has enjoyed the trust of the Salvation Army, using it as a safe space to bury difficult issues, such as when, with great fanfare, the National government placed Stop the Traffik Aotearoa under the Sallies: so they could pretend that they were addressing human trafficking/modern slavery.

    Unfortunately for them, too many real migrant labour activists were elected to the board and the government shut it down (quietly).

    I’m pleased that the Sallies have finally had enough, or seen the light, so to speak.

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