A report from South Auckland – it is time to change the government
Reason #4637 why we need to change the government – Midwife reprimanded after speaking out about abuse and neglect in South Auckland
brighter future
Malnutrition – in NZ FFS
Stunningly depressing piece by Kirsty Johnston in The Herald yesterday – Number of New Zealand children hospitalised with malnutrition doubles as food costs bite.
Proud of your legacy, National?
Campbell: Ten Reasons For Not Voting National
Gordon Campbell sets out ten reasons not to vote National. Well referenced and compelling. Standardistas may wish to add their own entries to the list.
Underpaying beneficiaries
Beneficiaries are not getting the support that they are entitled to. NZ is beset by rising poverty, its associated diseases, homelessness, and suicide. I wonder if these facts could possibly be related?
National – campaign vs reality
The brighter future cusp of something special moving forward advertising campaign fluff meets the reality of National’s NZ in this brilliant image.
Garner on Nats’ brighter future fail
Duncan Garner reviews National’s record, and is not impressed: “Because the list of blind spots for National is too long. If this is success then our standards have slipped.”
English on poverty – hasn’t read his own PREFU
After nine long years the election is forcing National to acknowledge the poverty in NZ. Bill English is promising to throw money at bootcamps and “social investment” (targeting) – but he hasn’t read his own PREFU.
The Listener on our health system crisis
A major piece by Jessica McAllen in The Listener out today. Cash-strapped hospitals are using unsafe hardware-store versions of proper surgical-grade equipment, and reusing “single use” devices.
Health disasters – useless Coleman in all kinds of shit
The Health system is riddled with crises and useless Minister Jonathan Coleman is in all kinds of shit. He doesn’t seem to care any more and we won’t front up for interviews. Coleman is a disgrace.
Brighter Future Delivering the Cusp of Something Special for New Zealanders
That’s a mish-mash of Nat soundbites past and present. For the reality underlying it all, check out the excellent RNZ series “Is this the Brighter Future?”
The Nation on housing
The Nation did good work on the housing crisis yesterday. This is the Brighter Future that Bill English warned of in 2010.
Our brilliant economy
We need new thinking on the economy – zero emissions, sustainable, a big redistribution from rich to poor. But the list of current economic woe shows that even on their own old conventional terms the Nats are useless economic managers.
UNICEF on our appalling child welfare record – but apparently we don’t care
UNICEF has another major report ranking the wellbeing of NZ kids 34th out of 41 developed countries. This is not new news, and apparently a lot of voters just don’t give a damn.
Immigration and economic growth
English’s scaremongering about Labour’s immigration policy does nothing but highlight the fundamental weakness of our economy. Just how anemic are we after 9 long years?
Slum rentals in the brighter future
The Sunday Star Times had some gut wrenching coverage of the conditions in some of Auckland’s slum boarding houses. How can anyone vote for three more years of this?
Postcards from the brighter future
Part of an occasional series. It all seems to be going according to plan.
Strong and Stable – guess National’s campaign slogan!
We’ve had the Brighter Future (it sucks). We’ve had The Cusp of Something Special (it wasn’t). What will National’s soundbite slogan be this time?
Pre budget positioning for a government that says it is “doing all it can”
National does the bare minimum that it thinks it can get away with for those in need. This positioning is just preparing the ground for a budget that does more the same not enough.
Suicide, Mike King, and mental health services
On the issues of suicide and mental health, the choice is pretty clear. Bungling and abuse from National, a positive plan for action from Labour.
How much information is being withheld from us?
Covering up inconvenient truths is an old pattern for this government. What percentage of their effort goes in to obfuscating and hiding the facts?
There is no housing problem!
But only in Nick Smith’s head. See the finally released government Housing Affordability Measure (HAM).
Fuck the homeless
Those compassionate conservatives of the National Party have a message for the increasing number of homeless who occupy our Brighter Future.
NRT: Inflation and poverty
I/S at No Right Turn writes: “The CPI is out today, and it shows that the poor are getting poorer … This is a long-term trend. Since National took office, inflation for poor households has been nearly twice that of rich households.”
Bill English doesn’t get it – literally doesn’t get it – how messed up the “Brighter Future” is
“There are approximately 92,700 Kiwis aged between 15 and 24 who aren’t working, in education or training. That’s up 19 percent during National’s time in power, and Prime Minister Bill English admits he’s not sure why.” Could it be because…
A legacy of poisoned water
We won’t be able to say that we didn’t have ample warning, with a another detailed and damning report on water quality out yesterday. Does National really want to be remembered for allowing the poisoning of our water?
Stewart: “Dying days of democracy”?
Probably not, but after 9 years of Brighter Future / Dirty Politics it certainly can feel that way.
Parata fleeing education mess
Parata can believe whatever brings her comfort of course, but the fact is that this National government has made, as usual, a mess of education.
A tin shed and a cup of cold Milo
Funny how the Nats can always find millions for vanity projects – and sweet FA for the homeless.
Mental health needs vs. cuts
The People’s Mental Health Review report puts the deterioration of our mental health system firmly in the spotlight. Despite a 60 per cent increase in demand since 2007/08 National has been slashing funding. Lives are at risk.
National’s economic report card fail
Though artificially boosted by high immigration and disaster rebuilds, the NZ economy is in the doldrums, and National are a failure even by their own goals and targets. I predict that National will soon abolish all targets, and that this will be “a sign of our success”.
Motels are full of homeless so now what?
Ordinary people are priced out of home ownership and increasingly out of renting, the state-housing safety net has been deliberately run down, and now the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff is full. National leaps into action – by asking the Salvation Army for ideas…
Nurses ask us to vote for our health
You could vote for three more years of “brighter future”. Or you could listen to the nurses.
Typhoid in Auckland
The typhoid outbreak in Auckland is very bad news. Now would also be a good time to reflect on NZ’s generally poor record on child poverty and disease.
Household debt
The IMF warns that our household debt is far too high, as desperate tenants start raiding the Kiwisaver accounts to pay the rent.
Salvation Army report – NZ “Off the Track”
“The absence of any meaningful progress in reducing child poverty rates over the past decade—and the lack of interest by Government in using welfare and income support programmes to do so—points to wilful indifference toward the long-term personal and social impacts of this avoidable harm.”
Screwing more out of Auckland renters
Already sky-high Auckland rents are set to rise further.