The last time we had the pleasure of a RW government (with the added joy of Paula Bennet) in 2008, they waited 6 months before wielding the welfare axe. They know better not to do it in the first week, just as they never divulge their real intentions pre-...
According to Seymour, they are going to do "good for ALL New Zealanders ". Is that all rich/white/politicians/landlords he's referring to? Nothing like starting off your term with blatant lying.
Alwyn- the very real knowledge- based on history- that low income/beneficiaries (including disabled) are the first group they will come after. If you've been fortunate enough not to have to live with that threat, you cannot appreciate the fear is very real...
I hear you RoG. No-one should ever be genuinely afraid of living under a government of any stripe.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/13/new-zealand-election-2023-voters-head-to-the-polls Of course we're small fry. In the same way NZ media doesn't make a point of mentioning elections in the smaller Eastern European countries, most of Africa, and...
Barfly, yes it does come down to individual circumstances. I'd say mine was the skyrocketing rent, like many others. And it's pay what they want or be homeless, thanks to the 'market.' I do manage- just- but the only real major difference I've felt is not ...
Actually Patricia, I am worse off financially than I was in 2016/17. Between the clawbacks to the supplements that go with core benefit increases, the free prescriptions cancelled out by losing it on disability allowance (otherwise a completely sensible ...
Anne, we will have to beg to differ on this one. I'm not going to ask about your personal experiences with the welfare system because that's not my business. But I've unfortunately been dealing with them since 1990 so have a pretty good idea. And yes, I'm ...
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300977306/nz-election-2023-live-national-party-to-crack-down-on-people-on-benefits Quell surprise. All I can say is, at least they are honest and upfront about their intentions, and beneficiaries know full well in ...
When my mother died I received a small inheritance that rendered me ineligible for the Accomodation Supplement until the money was consumed to be below the threshold – it felt a bit shitty. Which is why, if you're a long term beneficiary and are aware ...
You left out Paula Bennett...
Breaking the stalemate can only begin when there's a turnaround in the dramatic decrease of voters, of whom many are in the younger demographic, as well as lower-socioeconomic, and whose voting bloc could swing an election. For the former, once again the ...
Due to the even great inequity triggered by the sudden inflation spike. This needs to become a permanent feature, agreed to by governments of all stripes. Yeah, right. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/govt-explores-raising-annual-benefit-increases-by...
Don't get old, and definitely don't even think about getting sick in NZ. And if you're considering a vote for ACT (and by extension, National), make sure you have insurance for absolutely everything- redundancy, unemployment, trauma, comprehensive health, ...
An excellent article, thank you Mike, on Zelensky's imminent address to our parliament. How odious this will be. I think our govt simply got lost with covid and abandoned its independent foreign policy to save time and energy, .and with it went our nuclear...
Good, glad to hear it.
Great, Micky. You can criticise your party when it comes to their housing policy and even say they got it wrong with the CGT. But the cost of housing being capitalism's end game? Pray tell, where have you been in all the recent discussions here about ...
We are? https://healthcentral.nz/elderly-kiwis-dying-in-cold-homes/ https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/105645152/new-zealanders-hungry-and-cold-in-their-own-homes-this-winter etc, etc.
I've been thinking about political ideologies- I can understand how a certain economic/social theory might appeal initially to someone and they want to explore it more, even experiment with it should they reach a position of power. But to not acknowledge ...
But I'm doing OK, so everything's fine and they gave them $25 a week, didn't they?
Which once again invites the question: what is Labour for, exactly, if they're not going to ever deliver anything?" They work for Capital https://democracyproject.nz/2020/11/10/josiah-banbury-labour-won-the-election-battle-but-national-won-the-ideological...
Maybe they get a bonus for every person left to fend for themselves. At one point they were, that and deliberately denying all entitlements. It was common knowledge in our circles but then they got sprung publicly, the powers that be got a bit embarrassed...
"I would like to know whether any prospective beneficiaries have gone into depression and worst still, could not see a way out of it due to lack of financial help." You might want to include current beneficiaries in that question.
booking appointment times can be made by phone or on-line. Although they will do everything possible to prevent you seeing a real person. They don't like that. Be prepared for being told it can all be done online (including scanning in the necessary ...
So the Canadians have to suffer too? Just like most countries can't distinguish us from the Aussies, can you 100% tell where in North America that person originates from? I've met a fair few America migrant here who consider themselves 'political refugees'...
I've just been talking to a good friend, a Canadian ex-pat who's lived in Denmark for decades. She went out for a walk with an American friend earlier and they were afraid to speak in English because of their accents. She really believed they would at the ...
A Dem Presidency/Congress is still going to be severely hampered if they can't get the Senate. Even (even forbid) a Trump win could be mitigated a bit by this.
Mitch McConnel and Linsday Graham re-elected despite all the damage they have wrought. The former probably a bigger psychopath than Trump. Dems taking control of the Senate is the more important outcome.
and thus the Pharmac saving cost the taxpayer a lot of extra money overall. And that really sums up everything wrong with the Pharmac 'model'.
A bit over-dramatic there, RL. While the days of those types of constructions are definitely long-gone, there's nothing wrong with the idea of a state-only rental system, one that caters for renters at all levels, from those saving for their first home, to...
I'm sure I was one of many who wanted to scream (or do worse), at this self-entitled tone deaf twat while listening to her whining this morning. I'll never be a home owner, I was never going to be Personally, I want the State to be my landlord because for ...
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