This week has been particularly brutal when it comes to the government’s decisions regarding our country’s most vulnerable.
First they decided they weren’t going to feed hungry school children, then the report was released saying 11,000 children with disabilities and their families are being stopped from receiving allowances that they are perfectly entitled to.
I find it really difficult to understand how we can spend $36 million on the America’s Cup and send troops to fight in someone else’s complicated war while New Zealand’s most vulnerable children have little access to the quality of life that we all deserve.
According to the report by Child Action Poverty Group, launched on Thursday, criteria for eligibility for this allowance has been tightened and parents of children with disabilities aren’t informed that they are entitled to this allowance.
The blatant lack of empathy for what such families go through is incredible and I find it unbelievable that out of all the bludgers out there, this is a group the government has decided to crack down on. Never mind the corporate billionaires who evade shitloads of tax every year – let’s attack people who are simply just trying to make it day by day. Really?
The bottom line is that these parents are full-time caregivers. Most of the time, having a child with special needs makes it almost impossible to hold down a 40-hour working week.
It was mentioned in the Herald that one Wellington family lost their allowance when their son became old enough to tie his shoelaces. For anyone with a disability any amount of independence is a luxury. By cutting someone’s allowance for that reason, you are essentially punishing them for becoming more independent.
This is why so many people have to resort to exaggerating how bad their situation is just so that they can receive something – however little it may end up being – and you can’t blame them.
There’s plenty of money for war, plenty of money for GCSB who have had their funding increase from just over 40 million in 2007/2008 to just under 75 million for 2015 estimates (which assumes it won’t rise from 2014), plenty of money for rich guys to race yachts, plenty of money for a new flag….
But not enough to feed hungry kids or ensure disabled people are supported.
This is the effect of 30+ years of neo liberal ideology on the NZ public. They voted for this heartless government, and it still has plenty of support.
I’m disgusted.
Latifa
National MP.s appear to have vast interests in seeing road freight as the only transport player.
This is becoming very clear possibly as they seem to also are prepared to throw billions of our tax dollar’s on the roads that are actually the major truck corridors for truck freight companies benefit.
All this while our regional railways are deliberately being systemically being run down and closed for John Fucking Key’s cycle ways.
This Government is a criminal enterprise and they are probably involved in the shareholders of road transport companies so opposition should investigate who within National has secret interests in trucking companies.
Yes this government is definitely without empathy or compassion.
They are not “John fucking Key’s” cycle ways, they are actually the ‘bloody Greens’ cycleways, as they were the result of an in-house trade off in order to gain Green Party support for a National Party bill.
Mike@NZ, according to media stories at the time, there was no mention of Green involvement in the plan. According to this 2009 story, the idea came about from Key’s so-called “job summit” in 2009;
In fact, a month later, on 19 May, Key stated,
So, far from being a Green initiative as you suggest, the Green Party was brought on board to Key’s own pet project.
I trust that clarifies the matter for you.
Sources:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10560999
http://www.johnkey.co.nz/archives/699-PM-welcomes-Greens-support-on-Cycleway.html
Yes MIKE@NZ
That’s why I am not a Green Party member any more, as they also pushed for the toxic emitting HF radio frequency death ray Smart meter electricity program that has now been forced onto us illegally?
http://www.stopsmartmeters.org.nz/about/
This insidious dark oppressive smart meter electricity, gas and water metering plan is the brain child of Queen Beatrix (Daughter of Price Bernhard a card carrying member of the NAZI Party from 1943.
Key has been to Bilderberg here’s the truth.
twochurchesonly.com/…st_of_bilderberg_attendees.pdf
List of Bilderberg participants, (see under NZ) John Key as PM of NZ 2011-12. as part of the Bilderberg Group’s “one world order” digital Program and the total eventual control of all of Global energy, water & other resources, actively being sought by the dictators that run the Bilderberg and their Global elite partners that Key has been cozying up to since he attended their St Moritz Swiss 2011-12 secret global strategy meetings.
The stupid clowns at todays Greens Party were suckered into this foolish plan of total overseas control of our energy electricity, gas, and water resources.
Yes and the Stop Smart meter co coordinator in NZ asked all political Parties before the election if they would make Smart (Dumb) meters not mandatorily compulsory for all and the only Political Parties that effectively said they would not force them on everyone who refused them and give the choice to us was the NZ First and the Mana Parties were acceptable to no meter and the rest were full on for pushing Smart meters all onto us all even if some people are now sick after having them installed just another case of No compassion,
Sadly we got only luke warm “we may support an option for those who don’t wish them” from Greens, and Labour.
Do you also oppose Mobile phones?
Can I ask please, with your distaste for the Greens, who then do you vote for? It is a situation that I hear often – people angry about a certain decision. My thoughts are we have to accept there will be differences but keep one’s eye on the bigger picture. If you don’t vote, then you are playing into the hand of the right – and if you vote for another party, you are demonstrating the mixed rowing boat in Nationals campaign advert – which says it all – divide and conquer. So I suggest, make your vote count and then put your energies into something positive like creating a resilient local community.
As this will be the final term for Key ,…and he will have nothing to loose by demonstrating his true colours, – expect more of the same.
You will see some sort of budget blow out held up as the reason.
You will also see troops off to Iraq as the ‘price for freedom’.
All this does is demonstrate the viciousness of those adherents to neo liberal dogma.
They are the antithesis to the Social Democratic state , indeed ..more-so true democracy , more inline to a proto – neo Nazi philosophy….
Indeed …..I ask you ….What is the difference between what Key is enacting and practicing now and the Hitlerian doctrine of ‘ survival of the fittest ‘
Alles Leben ist Kampf.
Indeed…is not the central core of neo liberalism based on this very principle?
I ask you.
Winner take all …justification of means to rise to the top of the pack disguised as somehow possession of superior intellect and / or a capacity for ruthlessness in achieving those ends?…..expressed as….’ might is right ‘ …..or alternatively…’ born to rule ‘ ?
Do we not remember our history books of Nazi Germany which tell us of the final fate of those less fortunate and by which the state deemed……..as having a lesser right to existence ?
This is what we are experiencing….justified (and sanitized ) by the accountant’s book keeping , ….budgetary ‘restraints ‘,…..’ lesser priority ‘…the degradation of human beings.
Your Social Democratic principles….was what past generations fought a horrific World War in Europe and the Pacific for.
It was an era that in many country’s practiced Keynesian economics…and its success was so patent it pulled all country’s who adopted it out of the Great Depression ,on average , in 6 months….and created in this country…a golden era of not only equitable living standards….but in general….EGALITARIANISM.
Since 1984,….the rift between the haves and have not;s has become obscenely apparent.
And the true color’s of the end product of neo liberalism are now becoming glaringly obvious for all to see.
Ultimately….enslavement .
On a Global scale.
Wild Katipo,
“You will see some sort of budget blow out held up as the reason.”
Yeah it will be 10 bridges under urgency for northland, and Americas cup challenge, and Convention Centre funding.
Oh yes and the reduction in Fuel taxes GST component as the cost of fuel was reduced in price and caused lower GST component tax revenues.
Yes , but it’s the unemployed , the physically and mentally unwell, the handicapped , the fringe dwellers and eccentrics to blame for not showing gumption or a can-do attitude and should just take their boot straps and pull themselves up by them .
To quote CHris Hedges .
“Those who fail to exhibit positive attitudes, no matter the external reality, are seen as maladjusted and in need of assistance. Their attitudes need correction. Once we adopt an upbeat vision of reality, positive things will happen. This belief encourages us to flee from reality when reality does not elicit positive feelings. These specialists in “happiness” have formulated something they call the “Law of Attraction.” It argues that we attract those things in life, whether it is money, relationships or employment, which we focus on. Suddenly, abused and battered wives or children, the unemployed, the depressed and mentally ill, the illiterate, the lonely, those grieving for lost loved ones, those crushed by poverty, the terminally ill, those fighting with addictions, those suffering from trauma, those trapped in menial and poorly paid jobs, those whose homes are in foreclosure or who are filing for bankruptcy because they cannot pay their medical bills, are to blame for their negativity. The ideology justifies the cruelty of unfettered capitalism, shifting the blame from the power elite to those they oppress. And many of us have internalised this pernicious message, which in times of difficulty leads to personal despair, passivity and disillusionment.”
― Chris Hedges
” The ideology justifies the cruelty of unfettered capitalism, ”
Unfettered capitalism aye ? I see . Could the very pillar of capitalism be the Banking Industry ? You know that industry right ? The one that’s made record profits out of us Kiwis this last financial year ? Could it be argued that all of New Zealand’s many serious societal problems lie behind any given soulless banks bleak interiors ?
Might I suggest a concerted effort to remove foreign owned banks from Aotearoa / NZ ? A bit of a big one I admit . Let me explain …
( Metaphor Alert ! )
We’re standing beside an enormous elephant . We are starving hungry . We have a knife , a fork and a box of matches . How does one cook and eat an elephant ?
Cut a tiny little bit off , scorch it with a match and eat it .
No you guys ! Don’t for Gods sake go to the Auckland zoo with a fry pan and a machete . It was a metaphor ! Run Nelly Run ! Pack your trunk ! Flee ! Toy Dolls . https://youtu.be/eti21PVHXrg
You expect empathy from yankee doodle jonky-stiens government ? From the Smiling Assassin ? Empathy ??? That’s a human emotion .
That recommendation comes (largely) from an expansionist era before those who had ‘made it’ slammed the doors and moved the concrete blocks of protectionist laws against them. And thrown down the flimsy ladders from cess to success.
It’s an anachronism.
It may have led to ‘self-made enterprisers’. It also spawned gangs and fresh outbursts of slavery. It underpins the current sweat shops in various countries at present.
Enough truth to catch and blind. Enough ‘winners’ to keep hope alive. Hideous, eh?
It is interesting that although Hitler adopted Keynesian economics…he chose the path of war to stimulate his economy…
Inasmuch as he did not practice ‘democracy’ …but the opposite end of communist ‘fascism ‘ …….
In other words ,… Totalitarianism.
And …in common with other totalitarian states…a core tenet is always the denigration of groups within a society….a creation of a second class citizen…
By justifying ‘costs’ …citing that as the reason…….when indeed there is ample finance to support those less well off through physical disability or otherwise…
By the very act of doing so , creates a distinction at one time and at once also a denial of that human beings specific needs. And throws that person or family on the mercies of fate and happenstance.
Once again…subtlety enforcing the underlying ‘survival of the fittest’ dogma of the neo liberals ….and , totalitarianistic dogma.
@ Wild Katipo . Very well said/ written . The wily ways of the logical fallacy . Weasel words spoken around many a board room table .
How did we go from an opinion piece based around disability eligibility and allowances to Nazism and Facism?
Some of you people need to get out more!
Cant you spot the similar path NatZ are taking here?
Natz think only of Totalitarianism, and can clearly be seen when they will not consult with the community’s any more if ever.
Our 15yr NGO sent 105 letters to PM Key over the last six years and never had any answered.
Yes we checked with Eagleton’s “office of the PM” though we sent them all directly to The name of John Key PM. and the office only admitted they got them all.
This doesn’t sound like your fuzzy warm approachable JFK does it?
At the very least you should have received a ‘thank you for your letter of … ‘ acknowledgement.
That you didn’t indicates the basic servicing in the Beehive has slipped beyond acceptable.
We, the people, pay for this service through our taxes. Keeps NZ Post twitching, if not alive.
Clerk of the House? Parliamentary Services? State Services Commission? (I’m still a trusting soul…) Ombudsman? Leader of the Opposition?
It’s when the paper trails expire and the electronic histories are deleted that trouble is well underway. Not to be brushed off as irrelevant, either.
@ Mike NZ .
What ? And become an another idiotic, linear thinking moron like the 48 % of the voters who voted yankee doodle jonky-stien back in . When there are poisonous gasses about isn’t it advisable to stay in doors ?
There are vividly clear parallels between fascism and yankee doodle jonky-stien’s agendas .
@ MIKE@NZ…..Even you i’m sure can see you do not need to have black uniformed thugs on street corners toting Mauser rifles and having S.S emblazoned on their uniforms….
Nor do you need to have death camps, or pogroms to have a type of proto fascism.
Those images above popularized by events during World War Two, …and bearing in mind I said ‘proto’ and ‘ neo ‘…as there was a time before true fascism developed….but the foundations were laid years before that.
Totalitarianism is a broad field…we have 19th century imperialism that had democratically elected govt’s…yet..the same as fascism…demonized another class in order to plunder their wealth.
Then you have right wing fascists such as Franco , Mussolini , Hitler…on the other side is Russian and Chinese communism.
Certain things they all share in common….centralization of power , propaganda used to sway public opinion ie: destruction of a true independent news media…….and , importantly …the creation of a group or individuals that fulfill the role of the scapegoat.
In NZ ,all three conditions are met under the Key govt.
A symptom of totalitarianism is hipocracy and largess…
Such as $65,000,000 to be allocated to sending troops to a war that’s not our own yet …..our very own citizens who have children with disabilities …are having that meager allowance slashed, and made to be even more inaccessible.
The hipocracy with the economic decline of Northland is a classic case…glowing reports of ‘growth ‘…yet under closer analysis…the direct opposite. And only when threatened by Peters taking their seat of 70 years…did they bother to even do a thing a bout it. And even then…it was a bribe.
Think of the SkyCity deal….and how close to handing out millions it was to big business…
The selling off of state houses to private concerns- in the midst of a housing crisis.
The unilateral decision to commit troops….and to sign the TTPA…which means our govt can be sued by Multinational corporate s…if we are in disagreement with conditions of trade that will be imposed…
The vast profits declared by Banks that are owned by foreign concerns…this being praised as pure entrepreneurship by much of our foreign controlled media…
This neo liberalism….creates and maintains a distinction between the super rich and the vast amount of workers who work for low wages…last count…300,000 on the minimum wage…
The core ideology of neo liberalism maintains it is their ‘fault’…that it is a ‘survival of the fittest’ , ‘ winner take all ‘…and that these people…deserve their servitude , their lack of choices ,….no , it does not use overt visual tactics such as the Brownshirt’s to indoctrinate, ….but the insinuation is clearly there.
The creation of a class of people ie: unemployed , the working poor , the sick , those with disabilities , low decile schools….these held up as burdens to the profit margins of those better off…that they have to pay taxes in support of other’s is abhorrent to them..
And yet ..more often than not these same individuals own large company’s that do not pay even a percentage of their fair share of tax…the same individuals that belong to the likes of the govt lobby group the Business Roundtable…
Who were complicit in drafting up the ‘Employment Contracts Act’…
Oh yes…the parallels between what has been allowed to develop in NZ and neo /proto fascism are patently obvious…
And as said before…the vehicle used was the ideology of neo liberalism.
I suspect with your well reasoned and articulated response. . . You haven’t changed his mind.
The Gospel says “bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children”. Unfortunately, some governments simply prefer to stay bad! Effectively, they commit a “crime” against our children.
You do all understand that without a growing economy your Kiwi Saver investments will go down in value?
Feeding children and growing profits do not go together, ask the green party want to be new leaders, I’m sure they will tell you the truth, which is that the kiwi saver society they helped create and continue to support is on suicide watch.
To maintain KS ‘we’ need more roads, more money spent on the military, way more planet destruction, and more children to help feed the machine, all you mums and dads are doing a great job of keeping this system ticking …. just like a time bomb, tick tick fucking tick.
Are we, as a species, so bereft of imagination that the ‘trash-it-all make-profits’ model is the Only Way?
People created this silly concept. That’s all it is – a concept. An imaginary Wealth Fairy fable for selling banana oil and ‘a better life in the hereafter’.
For all those of us who AREN’T in KiwiSaver. Who can’t be. The excluded: do you really think we care if it dies? The dimwitted Dancing Cossacks Mob, who shiver in their jackboots at the thought of competition – they’ve now twice starved the intention to have a safe and growing reserve of funds.
That fund could be used for so much more than ‘superannuation’, or propping up the property rort. So much. And they’re starving it.
There’s an unlimited resource between your ears. It needs no permission whatsoever to use. Imagine that everything you’ve been told is not for your greater good – and proceed from there.
PS Agree that being conned into breeding excessively is not in anyone’s best interests however much of a ‘right’ some want to claim.
Without support, and as alienation worsens, the irony is that as many of these children get older, there will always be a bed for them in a prison. Then society will be ‘pinged’ $90,000 a year to pay for the State to “care” for them…
I’m sure there are some out there that would prefer that the rest of us were housed and fed in this fashion. . .but then it would probably be easier to gas them/us than bother retaining us when a machine can do our job far better then we can in this day and age.
Totalitarianism is exactly where Fuck John Key is taking us all, as he is a dictator within his dark character.
‘Just the fact that he was jilted at his Christchurch school and then spent years climbing the corruption tree to become a millionaire club dictator.
He is sadly now hooked on the power he has seized akin to a junky.
So as Wild katipo, and Country boy correctly claim junkykey will continue his perversion on us all to achieve his own ends.
His ultimate game is to become a member of the global club of the “One World Governance model”.
The Bilderberg Group has tasked him with this goal as a candidate, as he attended their Nazi foundation members Prince Bernhard, (deceased) the father of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, now a member of Bilderberg, Bernhard was a member of the Nazi party in 1943, as the German-born Dutch war hero’s life-long denials still shroud this clandestine dark ops group’s meeting’s all around the globe every year.
Fuck John Key met them in St Moritz Switzerland 2011-12 while keeping yet another dark secret.
http://www.bilderberg.org/bernhard.htm
“…jilted at his Christchurch school…”
Please elaborate 🙂
Every one is wasting their time trying to have a Rational meaning full discussion with any National party member. They are totally incapable of anything that doesn’t fit their EGO Driven Agenda. Witch is take from the poor and give to the rich . Because the rich are just to dame Lazy to work for their own Money .They are the Laziest people in the country So they such off the poor and middle class.
True, every word Don.
They have an agenda they must follow almost militarily. this comes in orders from afar.
“Access to Justice” is a nice concept, but it is hard to be found these days, especially if you are dependent on a social security benefit, especially if you are sick an disabled, it seems:
http://www.communitylaw.org.nz/fileadmin/documents/assets/Access_to_Justice_11_Dec_2014.pdf
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/17116-the-medical-appeal-board-how-msd-and-winz-have-secretely-changed-the-process/
“Justice” is an alien, unknown concept under this government, when you read what can be found in the way of a report and a new blog forum post under the above links.
It makes my stomach sick, it is disgusting, absolutely disgusting what has been going on recently, yes over the last 6 to 7 years!
What will this country look like in another two years NatACT neoliberal madness and pervertedness?
M.
For those interested in reading the whole report and more from the CPAG, here are two links:
http://www.cpag.org.nz/the-latest/in-focus-1/
http://www.cpag.org.nz/assets/150317ChildDisability.pdf
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