John Key likes to tout our growth rate as if it’s the most important thing in the world.
Put aside the growth rate is over inflated by rebuilding from natural disasters, property bubbles and increased tourism from China (which in turn feeds into more property speculation), let’s look at the other statistics Key doesn’t boast about.
Our exploding 10 000 person prison population, 300 000 kids in poverty, 80 000 going to school hungry each day, 40 000 kids hospitalised annually for poverty related reasons, tens of thousands of beneficiaries disqualified from welfare, our World leading suicide rate, 5.7% unemployment, 105 000 domestic violence call outs each year, growing inequality, depression spiking, housing affordability that is the worst on the Planet and a terrible level of child abuse.
Beneficiaries swell the number of homeless unable to find a place to live alongside working class and middle class Gen X + Y and all Key can do is build tax havens.
A legacy of poverty stemming from Ruth Richardson’s mother of all budgets haunts our nation. That neoliberal revolution when we traded solidarity and egalitarianism for selfishness and individual pursuit has marred our investment into the social infrastructure necessary for social justice, cohesion and equality.
Key claimed once there was an ‘underclass’ in New Zealand and that he wanted to be Prime Minister to make their lives better.
He lied to them.
Key has crushed the underclass and added to their number.
He has done nothing to make their futures brighter.
He has looked after his wealthy mates and elite friends, just like rich men have always done.
The malaise that plagues NZs soul starts at the top with its leaders. We could afford to pay for the social infrastructure our country so desperately needs if the elites paid their taxes. Being led by a Prime Minister who sidesteps the ethics of tax havens and actively helps build them is the kind of malformed mutation of a leader we deserve.
We don’t just need a change of Government, we need a change in Government.
Spot on as usual Martyn.
The National party only represents privilege and wealth.
Anyone who votes for these people who are of modest means are being sucked in and deceived if they think they will be better off.
They are only rewarding the wealthy by supporting this corrupt government.
The same applies to those living in over valued homes who think they are wealthy ,its a mirage and won’t last.
What is sickening is the revelations that wealthy individuals are being encouraged to hide their un taxed money in NZ and evade their responsibilities in their own countries and ours.
Its tax evasion pure and simple and a serious crime in most countries and by encouraging this illegal behaviour this administration is complicit in this unlawful activity
We should grow a backbone and protest strongly and not let this issue fade away like the TPPA and
dirty politics.
Other Western countries would not tolerate such blatant abuse by their own governments why should we!
Martyn, I am very interested to know the source of your figures as I am very keen to have a look at them for myself. I would also be pleased to know which organisations feed the 80,000 children during school holidays as I feel they need supporting financially.
Thanks in anticipation.
RightOn YOUR FISHING SOUNDS FISHY,
SOUNDS LIKE COTTON CANDY, YOU ARE OFFERING HERE.
WE ARE VERY WEARY NOW SINCE PLANT KEY AND PANAMA GATE THAT THOSE BEARING GIFTS MAY BE NOT AT ALL ON THE LEVEL.
IF I AM WRONG PLEASE CORRECT ME AS TO MY SUSPICIONS IN THIS TIME OF CORRUPTION RAGGING OROUND THIS CURRENT REGIME.
GOOD ARTICLE AS USUAL MARTYN KEEP THE BLOWTORCH ON NTHIS CROOKED REGIME PLEASE.
Righton; “I would also be pleased to know which organisations feed the 80,000 children during school holidays as I feel they need supporting financially.
”
Hmmm, I smell a Rattus Norvegicus. If you really “feel they need supporting financially”, you’d be researching the issue yourself and promoting said causes. I suspect your request for information has ulterior motives (not helped by your user-name).
Well, that one whizzed straight over your head 😉
Feel free to explain yourself, Andrew. Please elucidate.
Hmmm Andrew….if only you were Andrew Little, all would be clear. Unfortunately, you aren’t. You’re a little Planet Key toadie, a syruper, a remora, but more commonly called, a troll.
BTW, do you get a Kiwisaver Contribution linked to your earnings for trolling through left-wing blogs? Or is your remuneration paid into a Panama Papers trust accounts somewhere?
Are you one of the 60,00 mentions in the leaked documents? Ooops, the PM said there were only 200? What is it Andrew? 200? or 60,000? Bit of a disconnect here?
“I would also be pleased to know which organisations feed the 80,000 children during school holidays as I feel they need supporting financially”
It’s the food banks. But don’t assume they avoid hunger. The kids are hungry 52 weeks of the year and get feed crappy food via charity. The long-term costs on our health system should concern economic-neanderthals like yourself, even if the empathetic argument doesn’t sway you.
Next question?
Well – they won’t be supplied by MSD, will they? They don’t keep those sorts of numbers – their minister has put her name to that fact.
Go pester the Sallies and St Vincent de Paul and the local foodbanks and the gang in Ngaruawhaia feeding the kids lunches.
Then look at all the places without those services and kinds guesstimate. You’ll probably be under by quite a lot because there are also hungry pensioners and people who are currently free of the claws of WINZ – and they get hungry, too.
If reported tales from the 1990s are still holding – some will be on half a can of baked beans or spaghetti a day – and camping in their car.
We can only hope that when you do have these all-important to you numbers you can drop your gold coin donation in to the Sallies whenever you can find a park nearby…
(People with a fixation on Magic Numbers irk me somewhat. If you don’t fall into that miserable category, sorry. Even one old person or little kid or desperate parent is too many, though. Isn’t it?
Martyn was spot on about the accursed Mother of All Budgets and Misery, and no political party has fought to have either it or the evil of GST removed, reduced, remedied. Aren’t they lovely, the tax and spend brigade?)
Thanks Martyn, fairy 0tale rock star economy seems to be fading in its brilliance when looking at the real stats of those who continue to suffer while millionaires hide their money here and pay very little if any taxes anywhere.
Our tarnished and embarrassing PM continues to be a good ole boys suck up PUPPET to the corporate interests whilst lying to us. He thinks he is above the law and we look forward to hearing his arrogant and dismissive shuffle dance in Parliament Q & A tomorrow. Lie and lie and treat parliament like it was his little sand box with his little boys with their little toys. I hope he gets hammered and heavily questioned this week and not allowed to waffle and lie and act like nothing wrong has happened.
He makes my stomach turn every time I suffer through hearing him talk.
Aren’t we all getting sick and tired of feeling and stating that WE DESERVE BETTER. Big changes ! ! !
Shit Blake my stomach turns also as he is a repulsive slimy creep.
Here’s a bit of info picked up on one of my strolls along the beach from someone who is employed (so few around here) within one prison in this area there is a budget …. each y/e the difference between spent and unspent is divided among the five managers. Not a bad bonus, huh? If only hard evidence were available, just imagine!!
While they hide their wealth, children go hungry and suicide rate grows.
While they hide their weatlh, arms deals and secret paedophile rings grow.
Full Enquiry ! ! ! and then stoke up the fire and grab the marshmallows.
Prison is too good for the likes of such filth and disgust.
Thanks again Martyn – keep the flame burning and job well done.
“Our exploding 10 000 person prison population, 300 000 kids in poverty, 80 000 going to school hungry each day, 40 000 kids hospitalised annually for poverty related reasons, tens of thousands of beneficiaries disqualified from welfare, our World leading suicide rate, 5.7% unemployment, 105 000 domestic violence call outs each year, growing inequality, depression spiking, housing affordability that is the worst on the Planet and a terrible level of child abuse.”
Children are hungry? depression and abuse rates up, desperate poverty among Maori? GO FIGURE- our tax money to alleviate family poverty and support breastfeeding etc is only for the deserving families who do the right amount of paid work. These are the families that don’t get the tax-funded payments for their children– in work tax credit ($3770 net pa) paid parental leave(up to $8400 net pa) the parental tax credit ($2200pa). Check out FWFF https://www.facebook.com/FixWorkingForFamilies/
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