Another postcard from the Brighter Future
In the midst of the cataclysmic big stories, we should not lose sight of the small personal ones.
brighter future
John Key’s Paradise
This really happened. Contains crimes against music, dance, fashion, and irony. Also some recent headlines from “John Key’s Paradise”…
Poverty is too difficult in Key’s New Zealand
Key is out of touch. But not so out of touch that he doesn’t know about the poverty crisis in NZ. The denial and evasions are deliberate.
Metro: A government on the ropes
Metro: “The National-led government — with its laissez-faire approach to homelessness, house prices and mass immigration — is sailing into a ferocious storm. A newly critical mainstream media and a resurgent opposition is a powerful mix.”
The housing crisis and the diseases of poverty
Rheumatic fever is on the rise again. It is likely that other diseases of poverty are also or will also increase as the housing crisis drags on under National.
Al Jazeera on NZ homeless – watch it and weep
Al Jazeera: Once a pioneer of the social welfare state, New Zealand now has over 40,000 people who are homeless, forced to live in their cars and in garages as a result of rapid house price and rent rises and a shortage of social housing. Al Jazeera … charts the country’s fall from and egalitarian society to one with deep divisions of wealth
NZ being used as international example of a bad welfare system
NZ under National is being used internationally as an example of a bad welfare system.
Do we care? Are we going to fix it?
NZ in the international news again
CYF massively underfunded
National pays electoral homage to our vulnerable children. They talk a big game about putting “the needs of our most vulnerable children and families at the centre of decisions”. Their actions tell a different story – of under-funding at CYF and falling numbers of social workers.
WINZ sends families to live in garages
The government is demolishing and selling state house while WINZ sends families to live in garages. This is New Zealand in the Eighth Year of the Brighter Future.
O’Sullivan and Watkins – warnings to the Nats
Even National’s fans are worried for them these days. The “third termitis” meme is becoming well established.
Nats abandon social housing target
As part of their “comprehensive” response to the housing crisis, the Nats are backing off their promise to increase the number of social housing places. Great news for those families sleeping in cars tonight.
“Post-truth” politics (and false equivalences)
Interesting pieces recently on “post-truth” politics. They rightly tear strips off Key and a government that lies and denies reflexively and at all levels, and has been doing so for eight long years.
Another Lifeline cut
— Deborah Russell
Suck-up economics proceeding as planned – rich getting richer
Inequality in NZ is the worst it’s been in a decade. Key’s response is pathetic. We need to vote to end suck-up economics. We need to be a better country than this.
Speaking of inequality…
“Poverty NZ’s ‘new normal’ – report”. “Food bank pantries bare, emergency food grant dropping – report”. “NZ egalitarian? That’s a pretty little lie”. Hello – National supporters – where do you think this is going to end?
Four personal stories
From the “Brighter Future”, four personal stories published recently are all well worth reading.
Funding priorities
Why are we spending so much money on “defense” when there are so many real and urgent needs? It is hard to imagine that our “enemies” could possibly do us more damage than we are inflicting on ourselves.
Has NZ hit this milestone too?
For the first time in 130 years, more young adults (18 – 34) in America live with their parents than with a partner. How long before we pass the same milestone – or have we done so already?
Help Te Puea Marae help the homeless
The Marae providing practical support to the homeless in Auckland needs our help. You can donate at the Givealittle page here. It is shameful that this is needed in NZ, but there it is, this is what the Brighter Future looks like.
Budget 2016 – F for Fail
— Deborah Russell
Budget Live
Live coverage of the budget starts around 2pm.
Well that was boring.
Pre-budget reading
Budget day! Here’s a little light reading to get us started. Write your own line for the budget!
Nick Smith 0.75% successful on Auckland housing!
One year later Nick Smith has delivered three quarters of 1% of his promised 430 ha of new Auckland housing land. The Brighter Future strikes again.
Homeless coverage goes international
Coverage of Auckland’s homeless goes international. The working poor are now the working homeless.
Unemployment jumps
After eight long years of National there are almost 40,000 more unemployed than when they came to power.
Trade deficit worst in seven years
Add it to our record debt, our record pollution, our record housing unaffordability, our rising inequality, our terrible carbon emissions…
Job losses everywhere
Brighter Future. Cusp of Something Special. Tell it to the newly jobless.
Postcard from the “brighter” future
Evidence of growing poverty hitting “mid-decile” schools.
Postcards from the brighter future
Part of an occasional series.
NZ first in the world!
Police raiding journalists is a thing now
Yesterday the police raided the home of a 3 News journalist. This seems to be quite a trend in the Brighter Future.
Homeless children
RNZ covered a Salvation Army report on housing this morning. These figures are a national disgrace.
Is this what Key meant by investing in research?
Yesterday Key listed, among the “achievements” of his government for this term: “investing in … research and development”. Was this an example of what he had in mind?
Fact checking Key on government performance
A year after the last election John Key lists his government’s achievements. It’s a pretty desperate effort.
Signs of a society under stress
The signs are all around us.