The cynicism of this National Government is breathtaking at times.
The way they have abused the process within Parliament surely makes them the most power abusing Government in NZ history since the Waterfront Lockout of the 50’s. What’s most remarkable however is that most mainstream media portray them as ‘moderate’.
I think we have mistaken being a small country for an equal country. The vast divide between what those who have property think NZ is compared to those on the bottom who do not is so different that the reality of kiwis living in cars has shocked those who thought Key was better than this.
We have become a country fractured by class while refusing to acknowledge any such cracks exist.
Watching state agencies that the middles classes had assumed would help the vulnerable become warped into agencies that are actually counter productive pops those egalitarian pretensions.
The draconian welfare reforms and the worst impacts of the cheap migration policy aren’t hurting some and those some live such disconnected worlds to those who are suffering that they are utterly blind to it.
Ramming through law by mis-using urgency over issues like mass surveillance, TPPA and asset sales is as bad as denying a housing crisis, child poverty and homelessness. It’s a strangulation and muting of public criticism that is intentional and planned.
But that all seems to dim into the background when you look at the latest tactic by this Government to avoid being held to account over the housing crisis, child poverty and homelessness. They have filibustered members bills to dilute the Oppositions Members Bills with frivolous laws. So instead of debating Homelessness or affordable housing or public education or worker rights or child poverty we are talking about Luggage.
That’s right.
Time in our Parliament, the most powerful type of Parliament in the entire Western World, is being taken up by fucking luggage?
Luggage?
The rights of lost luggage being returned to wealthy people who get shitty about their lost luggage?
That’s what we are spending time in Parliament, the most powerful kind of Parliament in the Westminster tradition, a one chamber Parliament that can read policy into law under urgency within hours of reading the thing in the Speakers Chamber and Luggage is what we are spending time on?
When there are so many more urgent issues to discuss, National are stuffing the Members Bill with crap like this.
No wonder National are dropping in the polls.
Couldn’t agree more. The reality is that the mainstream media are controlled by individuals who support the current regime, therefore are disinclined to do anything that may undermine the current neoliberal hegemony that Key and his predecessors, Ruth Richardson and Roger Douglas, have installed in this country over the last 30 years.
This is exacerbated by prime-time mainstream television news and news affairs programmes (e.g. Hosking and Henry) simply parroting what their political masters are saying and providing no critical analysis of current affairs but masquerading as otherwise.
Untrained and misguided views take this all on board as fact without being aware that, in fact, what is being presented to them is simply political propoganda. This is made worse by seemingly “common sense” trampling of human rights and opposition to this propoganda as negative and uninformed. After all, there is no other way. Yeah right!
Bomber:
1. Stay focussed on the issues that are going to bring the current government down, i.e. housing speculation and Chinese neo-colonialism (linked).
2. Look ahead; there is going to be a civil war in this “country” (cash rate down, currency up – all that is solid melts into air, etc.)
Agree with you on this Chris,think you should stick to NZ politics,you know more about it than USA shenanikins, stick to what you know.
Yawn, yes, indeed, and I am also rather disillusioned how weak our opposition is so often when discussing things. But at least Marama Davidson sent home a message the other day, during the debate, being passionate about the injustices we have, while so many on the government side just went on and on about how “good” we all have it, in an “growing economy” (0.5 percent per capita, as I last heard):
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/44573
That was a rare occasion, and I miss more vocal, passionate and principled MPs in Parliament, what we mostly get is lacklustre and not convincing.
I dread also how the Third Reading of the ‘Social Security Legislation Rewrite Bill’ will go, as it is not discussed in the MSM, is not even heard of in any reporting, and even MPs are silent on it, while that further bill brings in yet more changes to the Social Security Act that should get us worried.
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/00DBHOH_BILL68669_1/social-security-legislation-rewrite-bill
I really fear, it will be waved and sent through like so many bills changing the law yet again (now bringing in legislative provisions for the “investment approach”, “mandatory redirections of benefits” and more), without much opposition and attention to it by the public.
It is a disgrace what goes on under this government, now a law change for luggage handling or tracking.
This! So much this! It’s being presented as ‘improved legislative structure, and reduces the level of detail in primary legislation to enhance clarity, coherency, and consistency.” Please tell me how reducing the level of detail improves any of those things? Isn’t law like this *meant* to be as detailed as possible?
I’m a civilian beneficiary with no background in law, (unless you count being constantly affected by it!) but I’ve read one page of each section of the bill and one of the current legislation, and I’m already freaking the hell out.
It writes all of National’s changes of social security into the base, or ‘standard’ of the law, – instead of following the tone and details of what the original legislation was created to do. Like the amalgamation of ‘sickness’ and ‘unemployment’ benefits into ‘Jobseeker support’. This actually changed *all* the rules of who could, and could not receive social security, and why. As well as the specific department of MSD they would have to deal with. It also kicked many people with painful, debilitating or serious illnesses/disabilities (including those on waiting lists for surgical procedures,) into having to look for some kind of employment – unless they managed to get a medical certificate exempting them from *all* work, – instead of giving them the previous option of part-time (or extramural) study, *OR* part time work. Study is a lot less harsh on you physically than work, and more available/flexible for sick/disabled people, especially when you can study at home as an extramural student. Why did they have to take this option away from people? So goddamn stupid – there are people that could have kept studying at home and finished degrees, while also waiting for surgical procedures for chrissake!
Please tell me how this Bill is a good thing when we have rising levels of homelessness across the country, and more and more people are unable to get help they are actually *currently entitled to* from MSD, thanks to National’s leadership. Oh, plus disadvantaged people are increasingly developing PTSD from their experiences at WINZ – and don’t even get me started on their absolutely draconian version of Studylink.. Yet, absolutely nothing is wrong with National’s policy implementations being enacted into social security legislation. Nothing to see here… Yeah, right!
“This! So much this! It’s being presented as ‘improved legislative structure, and reduces the level of detail in primary legislation to enhance clarity, coherency, and consistency.” Please tell me how reducing the level of detail improves any of those things? Isn’t law like this *meant* to be as detailed as possible?”
You got it, you got it, that is exactly what I thought! It is BS throughout, sadly our MSM has neither the resources, time and interest to look at it.
So nobody out there is informed, and they will pass it without the affecting having any clue what will hit them.
But read some of the submissions, some are short, not that comprehensive and focused on single or only a few issues, but some others have understood, what this is about.
At least this one submitter understood what goes on:
https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/51SCSS_EVI_00DBHOH_BILL68669_1_A522410/9ebf8941c1e99194a90eb0803ccb8dacf0d8bbe0
I am sure there are a few others that also are highly suspicious.
Interesting how Speaker Carter can deny Labour leave to introduce a bill on the grounds that it is too similar to a bill that was defeated by the house, and yet can allow this piece of shite to go ahead with all National MPs emphatically declaring that it is absolutely vital, even though everyone else thinks it is a joke.
National will go to any lengths to avoid having to debate an opposition bill that calls into question their adequacy in government. Their swagger and self-inflated confidence seems to be rapidly evaporating.
Also just how much can we trust “the ballot system” of deciding which members bills will be debated?
National would consider rigging the ballot to make sure it went their way simply “business as usual”.
Well,…. luggage is important,… especially my luggage. (jokes)… but what perhaps really needs looking into is baggage. National party baggage. Neo liberal National party baggage.
And the corruption , vice and subversion type of baggage that this neo liberal National party has been serving up for going on its 9th year.
Then after we deal with that in 2017 we can settle back down and have a nice civilized chat about luggage. Maybe.
it’s a shame there has to be a law passed to facilitate a more decent system of retrieving lost property. BTW it’s more important than being able to drink alcohol at 6 a.m in the morning David Seymour, pompous git
In the past, visitors to New Zealand said it was shut at the weekend. We were a South Pacific tourist joke. Thanks to more liberal labour laws (sponsored by ACT), that is now a thing of the past and NZ is a better place for tourists as a result.
Crikey, the same applies to flexible hours for bars and restaurants to meet the needs of people watching sport. Party vote ACT, for more flexible work practices.
More flexible work practices in the interest of employers and business operators, for sure, but NOT for workers, who depend on a job, more than an employer depends on workers, as this government has provided an endless stream of willing immigrant workers, who will do anything to get a job and perhaps PR.
ACT is the rot within society, that is ACT’s ideology and policies, they divide and rule, and rob most of their strength and stability in employment, in making a decent living overall.
ACT are in my view criminals, in regards to how they have already corrupted social and cultural bonds, and how they are undermining the true interests of New Zealanders.
DO NOT VOTE ACT, NEVER EVER!
it will take an new government a year just to reverse all national’s rubbish changes next year so I hope the opposition have recorded all the changes this rubbish government have changed so they can fast track 10 items at once to reverse again.
No one has reminded us that it was ban election promise before the 2008 election that National said, “Labour had to many regulations and government control”
“National will reduce Government intrusion into your lives with less regulations!@!!!!!!!!!@W#F$r
So many lies they have told us all don’t forget this.
Three years later by 2010 Jonkey said this, of less & Better regulation
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/statement-parliament
Across all portfolios, the Government has been looking carefully at areas “where overly-restrictive regulation may be getting in the way of doing business, and we have a commitment to better and less regulation.”
Bloody liar he is still going at breakneck speed erecting more and more regulation. Just ask a tradesman like me an electrician @!#$%^&*(
The institution has discredited itself and must be reformed.
I have personally lost luggage, at least 8 times and it is very inconvenient. ACT’s coalition partners really do listen to the concerns of the voting public, so good on Nuk for his stance and courage in sponsoring his private member’s bill.
If we look after the little things, like lost luggage, then the big things will take care of themselves.
Is that all you ever lost, your luggage?
I think you may have lost common sense also down the way.
Many have said, Mike, that ACT has lost many things over the years, pre and post 1984.
Soul? Marbles? Common sense? Social responsibility? Aroha? Care for fellow human beings? Truth? Grasp on reality? Honesty? Agape? Priorities being things instead of people?
You’re a neoliberal muppet See-More. ACT are a joke outside the (non)-gated uber-rich enclave of Epsom.
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