Greens smash Winston out of the park

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The enormity off what the Greens are suggesting in terms of combating our neoliberal welfare state takes a moment to sink in.

It is brave, courageous and ultimately problem solving the brutality of the state on beneficiaries by lifting rates and dumping moral obligations. Metiria’s admission that she had to play the system to survive gives her position validity and true leadership. Those attempting to claim she should be prosecuted are wilfully missing the far bigger picture of poverty and inequality.

Her confession should not be used as a weapon, it is an honest appraisal of our broken and hollow neoliberal welfare state.

This Green policy is a real way to combat poverty. The way this Government have punitively treated beneficiaries I believe has led directly to the surge in homelessness, overcrowding, poverty diseases, crime, suicide and mental health crisis. Green policy would make an immediate difference in the lives of the poorest amongst us and make a stand for a compassionate NZ.

It has vision, it has strength and it was bloody smart politics. Labour are too frightened to do this and the Greens are making a real play for the beneficiary vote (who are 14% of the electorate) that no one has bothered to court openly before.

If there is any way for the Greens to get to 15% and even in fact beat Winston, it is this policy.

Contrast this powerful vision for a better NZ with the creaking ruin of Winston Peters.

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Forget the Emperor his no clothes, it was more like Grandad has no robes.

A binding referendum on the Maori electorates and mutilating how representative our Parliament is by lowering the number of MPs?

Hello, last fucking Century is calling.

What train spotting anorak club did those policy suggestions come from?

How completely irrelevant to the reality of most NZers right now Winston. Making our democracy less representative is  not the way we build the future you tired old grump, Winston managed in one conference to show how stale and worn out his ideas sound.

This was supposed to be NZ First firing a shot across the bow of every other political party, but Winston’s underwhelming announcements are more yawn inducing and eye rolling than firebrand barn storming.

Taking the Maori electorates away from Maori without their agreement will spark a civil war while cutting our MPs down to this magical 100 number actually ends up making our democracy less representative, how can actively wanting to make your democracy less representative ever be a solution?

Stupid, underwhelming and interesting only to people who are actually pretty ignorant. It’s a dog whistle for retirement villages that can’t hear them because they’re deaf.

If you honestly believe that banning the Maori electorates & making Parliament less democratic are the greatest issues confronting us as a country right now, then you shouldn’t vote!

Prime news led with Greens over NZ First.

Newshub led with Greens over NZ First

TVNZ led with Greens over NZ First

Metiria and the Greens were the real winners today. They showed courage, boldness and a true passion to stand up for the weakest amongst us.

This has given me a reason to enrol.

 

65 COMMENTS

  1. Here is why I’m proud of theLabour/ Greens MOU. Two parties, each committed to transforming our nation and bringing back hope!!

  2. I agree, Martyn; however, his immigration policy has a great deal of merit, and, along with housing, is the number one issue. The Greens abandonment of their immigration policy is going to cost them a lot of votes. I completely agree about the right-wing nod to abolishing the Maori seats; shameful. However, I bet a lot of “new” New Zealanders will support it, which is why the Transnational Capital Party is going to announce the same policy.

    • Yup, clear we have to look after the people already here before we look to allow more into the country . . at a loss as to why we need more people in NZ anyway to be honest (surely we can limit immigration to returning NZ’ers and small refugee quota)?

      • The immigration policy debate is not about whether or not people should be allowed to move around the world. That’s a human right, and we cannot allow states the power to imprison people within their borders. The (non-racist) immigration debate is about how many people we give permanent residency/ citizenship per year. How we make sure our built infrastructure stays ahead of any population growth that creates. How we reduce resources used and waste created per person, so any population growth doesn’t put stress on our natural infrastructure.

        Do you know anyone who has either moved overseas to work for a few years before coming home, or emigrated permanently to start a new life? How would you like them to be treated? That’s how we need to be thinking about people who come here from other countries to work or start a new life.

        Would you think its ok for every country to become a de facto work prison, where people can only leave their country of birth on temporary holiday visa? Would you still think its ok if people couldn’t move around the country, and could only leave their region of birth on temporary holiday visas (papers please, comrade)? In a world where capital and workplaces can easily move to wherever labour conditions are most exploitative, workers need the same freedom of movement to go where the work conditions are the most protected.

  3. See msm is leading in with Meteria Turei’s forthright confession she wasn’t totally honest with WINZ in the past. What media fail to relay is the fact, like many today, Meteria’s decision to not be up front wasn’t done out of greed, but for sheer survival of herself and young daughter, something a good parent would do. I think I probably would have done the same in similar circumstances for my children. The fair social welfare policy announcement from the Greens came in second!

    Meteria admitting what she did only makes her human. And goodness knows, we need some humanity in Parliament.

    Now we wait for Natz supporters to give Meteria some stick, no doubt wanting her charged with an offence (which could still happen). Because Natz MPs wouldn’t dare rort the system would they?

    Um … hang on … one senior double dipping MP from Dipton comes to mind here. Bill English, who tried it on with his accommodation allowance! Who’d have thought!

    Now, where’s Paula Bennett … ?

    • This is what they did to Peter Fraser for voicing his disapproval at conscription for service in World War 1 – which he believed to be wrong :

      … ” Upon Britain’s entry into World War I, he strongly opposed New Zealand participation since, sharing the belief of many leftist thinkers, Fraser considered the conflict an “imperialist war”, fought for reasons of national interest rather than of principle ” ….

      And so it culminated in this :

      … ” Later in 1916, the government had Fraser and several other members of the new Labour Party arrested on charges of sedition. This resulted from their outspoken opposition to the war, and particularly their call to abolish conscription. Fraser received a sentence of one year in jail. He always rejected the verdict, claiming he would only have committed subversion had he taken active steps to undermine conscription, rather than merely voicing his disapproval ” …

      So we see these same autocratic types today in using the unemployed and working poor as their cannon fodder. These current National party wannabe autocrats would not be happy unless they could visibly see the poor living off grass and sleeping in a hole in the ground.

      Like cattle.

      If anyone from that sector even dares to try to raise a word against Metiria there should be large scale protests. And from the Greens as well as both Labour and NZ First.

      • “If anyone from that sector even dares to try to raise a word against Metiria there should be large scale protests. And from the Greens as well as both Labour and NZ First.”

        I’m not sure about “anyone” but I’m sure as hell that Paula Bennett won’t!

        • Bert, Paula Bennett won’t say a word. She will definitely take her own advice here and “Zip it.”

          • I heard Bennett on National radio this morning. She was very critical of Metiria, and denied ever being dishonest, in response to a very specific question from Espiner, regarding her benefit information.

            • That’s because technically Bennett is correct. She honestly believed she was not being dishonest. That just makes her “thick”

      • Yes WK NZ was pushed into WWI by Massey our PM who was a British Israelite , a term we now cover with Zionist. ( Like Key)

        Massey was not working for NZ but the same group that forced the Balfour declaration and the turning against Turkey so that empire could be taken. allowing the formation of a new religious state that today commits genocide with impunity.

        NZ young men sacrificed their lives for this.

        Any one who refuses to fight in wars or protests about war has my humble respect.

        Later Frazer should have been more courageous in facing the Bankers of London. He had the backing to do that but wilted with Nash and Savage.

        If our banking system had been nationalised we may not have had the current poverty.

  4. Right on.

    candidate vote labour

    party vote green only way to go.

    kick these right wing nut cases right out of parliament.

  5. when the right wing mainstream media side with the Greens …you have to be worried ( you forgot to mention the Christchurch Press)

    • Christchurch will swing back red.

      If everyone is smart they will vote like I intend to.

      Sweep the floor of all these corrupt National party people.

      DO NOTHING lot they are .

      #CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT in 2017

  6. So Metiria told a lie.
    Big deal!
    English, Joyce, Collins, Bridges, etc. tell us heaps of lies and b…s every day with one big difference:
    They will never admit it.

  7. A straight question Martyn.

    Are you a paid consultant (paid in any way by the Green Party) to advocate for them?

    The reason why I ask is because in the 2013 Auckland Mayoral campaign – you tried very hard to persuade me not to stand against John Minto (Mana), without disclosing you were being paid by Mana?

    Just asking – nicely 🙂

    As a pro- transparency campaigner, in my view, ALL political ‘commentators’ should disclose whether they are being ‘paid to play’ – as it were?

    Penny Bright

    2017 Independent candidate for Tamaki.

  8. Yes everyone in Government lies, it’s a certainty they needed to cling onto power and bribe everyone with false hope. that we will see time and time until there is no hope left for this land I love.

    Yes Miteria did rock the stage with this announcement for sure.

    I hope this does not get chopped to bits by SS Joyce’s onslaught using his mega propaganda agency MBIE to bare.

    This is a sure left turn for the greens that the right will simply hate to accept.

    We await to see the loud din emanating from the greedy elite in the coming days.

    National will loose votes here I am sure as their Housing values begin to slump as see occurring.

    • “I hope this does not get chopped to bits by SS Joyce’s onslaught using his mega propaganda agency MBIE to bare.”

      Joyce won’t, otherwise it may be open slather on a minister within National whom appeared to rort the benefit system 10 fold in an earlier life.

      Well done Miteria, you’ve cornered that particular National Beast.

    • +100 CLEANGREEN…the main thing is that we get this NACT government out…whether we vote Green , NZF or Labour…we need them all in coalition…

      • Yes Martyn we are not aligned to any party in our NGO it is in our 2001 declaration statement and you have “Guilded the lilly” ratherheavily here for the green Party so Penny is technically correct there.

        We must give a balanced view to all patries and you was toxic on Winston Peters showing a vitriol hate for him in several posts.

        This is my first criticism every made to you.

        Please cover Winston’s other important party policies he released on Q+A when interviewed by the toxic “over-talking” Corin Dann that he blocked most of what Winston attempted to discuss with Corin!!!!

        It was revealing, as his party is the only one so far;
        1/ that will setup training of all low paid workers and unemployed .
        2/And take back foreign companies that threaten to close down if they blackmail Government into giving them taxpayers money to keep them here. 3/ Winston gave a example of the aluminuim company at Bluff that got a $40 million handout to stay here.

        Others you could suggest were Warner brothers and many others Martyn, so this is very import for balanced Investigative journalism.

        I note that this morning Labour is going after Foriegn companies also that are getting tax handouts as Winston was covering last Sunday in his discussion with Corin Dann so other parties are canibal-ising NZ First polices and you should be giving some criticism that other Parties are copying Winston’s policies already announced!!!!

        All we are doing is giving a balance view here, and we are not actually NZ First members or any other party either.

        If that wasn’t as good policy what the hell is???

        No-one even you ever highlighted this left sided policy, and was sad for me to see that happen so please give Winston adequate balanced cover please.

  9. I am proud of Metria that she had the guts to admit lying to Social Welfare about her circumstances to the public and that has helped draw people’s attention to the lengths honest desperate people will go to so their children are protected and the witch hunt has already begun from the usual suspects and the National party should be very careful on its comments on this subject considering its own appalling record of breaking the law for personal profit and never admitting to wrongdoing until they get caught and the subverting the law in the process.

    Bill English deliberately claiming money he had no right to when he already was well remunerated for the job he does and in no danger of his children going hungry as a result.

    I do not endorsing what Metria did but i respect her honesty and i know she would pay back any money if asked to do so because she a conviction politician , that is rare these days.

    My vote and support will be Green at this election as it was in 2014 and my wife and i were very impressed with her when we met last year.

    The war on poverty and abolishing it has begun today.

  10. “They showed courage, boldness and a true passion to stand up for the weakest amongst us.”

    Martyn,

    Is there any relief for the older retirees’ and the disabled?

    Or anyone who cant afford the high cost of power, and stay in bed with a water bottle to keep from shivering to death.

    Or those of us with a head full of rotting teeth since Nactional shut down any emergency dental work for the retirees and all beneficiaries?

    We all need help with those issues as many senior’s do.

    It is just a question;

    As we have not seen the full Green’s policy yet, but if you can shed some light on the large voting block seniors issues I have raised here, that if this Greens package assists those issues, to it may be helpful?

    Listening to TV one Q+A today I did hear several important policy issues that NZ First were releasing such as upskilling Kiwi’s and the unemployed with better paid jobs, instead of importing labour that depresses our workers pay.

    Another policy was passing any tethering Foreign owned businesses who are threatening to leave our shores such as the Aluminium smelter back into NZ hands for the workers to operate.

    They were not covered by the media at all unfortunately.

    • Are you STILL cheering for NZF? How long have you been around letting Winston blow smoke up your arse, then sell you out for baubles? If you seriously think he cares about you, and that he can be trusted – Shane Jones, FFS!! – I truly feel sorry for you. He’ll join the Nats, you’ll see. And then what?

      • …actually the health services in New Zealand are in crisis through lack of money, or hadn’t you noticed? New Zealanders are being short changed . New Zealanders should come first .

        Just as New Zealanders should come first for New Zealand housing stock and land and assets …or don’t you agree?

        ( but at least one commentator on this site ,who says he will now vote Green for calling Winston a racist, has consistently argued that New Zealanders should NOT aspire to have houses…New Zealanders should accept the fact that they will always be renters, much better for them)

        There is a crisis in all sorts of areas due to more immigration than New Zealand can sustain in all sorts of areas eg transport

        New Zealand’s very high youth suicide, particularly among Maori, is a litmus test as to how well New Zealand’s social welfare system and employment/education prospects and hope for youth is going

        http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/policies

        http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/health

        http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/education

        http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/transport

        http://www.nzfirst.org.nz/social_development

        • Oh I agree with much of his rhetoric. But the ‘bottom lines’ he’s throwing about should be the claxon to the most stubborn – he CANNOT keep his promises, even if he had any intention or record of doing so. Oh sorry I mean ‘they’ (as if).

          Look at the self interested front three – Winston, Jones and Mark.

  11. She made my day…Metiria Oh what a change, what honesty almost unbelievable in this day and age. We have hope that collectively we can rid ourselves of the neoliberalist leftovers of a past era.
    Her message was clear, you won’t fix the social problems created by greed and repression…Winston is a lost case, a relic of a past era…a reincarnated cardboard cutout of the Muldoon era.
    !’m well into my seventies and I’m for Metiria rather than Winston, every government that has pandered to his ego has had to sack him…Bring on the election, get to the polls and toss out the Todd Barclay types… Metiria has a touch of Corbyn…Give the Greens your Party Vote except in Nelson where you should give then both ticks…

    • Here here Peter. Seems we are of the same generation and surprisingly contrary to common opinion, do not vote NZF. I can’t understand why because we are in our senior years, it’s taken for granted we are Winston supporters?

      My estimation and respect for the Greens has risen remarkably over the past week, particularly for Meteria Turei. Prior to recent events, I was getting disillusioned with the party, mainly because I felt they were beginning to move away from their social justice policies, drifting to the centre.

      However, Meteria has given the party a whole new lease of life, not only with its new fair social welfare policy, but her vibrant honesty relating to her time on the DPB. This is a refreshing progression, not only for the Greens but for politics in general.

      And yes, I too can see a hint of Jeremy Corban/Bernie Sanders in Metria. Long may this progressive trend continue.

      • 100% Mary,
        We all apear to vote as to who suits our own needs.

        There is some un-equal coverage of Winstons policies by Martyn on recent blogs unfortunately when we need to give all opposition Parties equal coverage !!

        Yes even for Winston – no mater how much some may hurt the thought.
        We must be democratic!!!

    • .. ” I’m for Metiria rather than Winston, every government that has pandered to his ego has had to sack him ” …

      ………………………………..

      Actually , every government that has pandered to his demands to soften their neo liberal stances , cease selling off state assets and quit indulging in identity politics has had to sack him…

      Lest we forget the Bolger govt and the fact Peters was given the position of Deputy PM and Treasurer , – before the UBER neo liberal Ruth Richardson became Finance Minister to which both Bolger and Peters (and many other National caucus members disliked ) – and then after the other UBER neo liberal character , – one Jenny Shipley rolled Bolger , turned on Peters as well.

      And then let us also recall when Peters was made Foreign Minister – (and introduced the Gold Card against widespread opposition due to the cost) under Helen Clark , – and everyone was saying Peters wouldn’t be accepted in the regions – even the National Party leader Don Brash said the choice was “astonishing”, because “the whole region distrusts Winston Peters – Australia, Asia […]. I think putting him as minister of foreign affairs does huge damage for our international reputation.”…

      Apparently Peters then turned out to be one of the more successful Foreign Ministers we’ve ever had.

      Hes a mixed bag of tricks for sure and it is true hes more centrist than ‘left’ – but compared to the neo liberal hard right , – hes not really that either.

  12. This is all growth based crap
    The greeds are a large part of the problem.
    I call it the scatter gun approach
    It’s like loading the gun with children, then firing them at the bottle neck of depletion and massive crop failures , with the hope that some will make it through, alas if they do they will come smack up against the cork of climate change , and methane ‘explosions’
    So yeah like I said before the greeds only contact with the environment is when they fly through it.
    They are 100% ignoring reality, and by encouraging breeding are just making the situation worse, but not for me and you, just for the LAST human generation, currently maybe 20 years old?
    As Guy says, we are living in a system governed by opinion not facts.
    They should be arrested for their lies, or at least treated with total contempt, or the utter joke they are.
    May your gods protect us.
    Flying Spaghetti Monster Akbar

    • ?

      Not sure what you mean, Robert. Rent is usually divied up equally between the number of tenants. Eg; four tenants – the rent is split 4 ways. Same with food, power, phone.

      Unless you’re making a ‘funny’ and it went over my head…?!

        • Welfare is not a subsidy. It is a utility. WINZ clients do not recieve a discounts, they infact pay premiums. So digital code is infact converted into widgets, screw drivers, food, housing, what ever, with in a week of receiving payment. So welfare is a utility, like any other water or power provider.

  13. Gosh, now the Greens have realised there are about 280,000 votes to gain from those on main benefits. This is a policy push that deserves respect, as no other party has bothered looking after the worst off in society, those who also tend to not bother voting.

    Now every beneficiary has a good reason to vote Greens.

    The Greens must go and door know on every beneficiary home. Some do not follow the news and the media.

    But her admission to not having informed DSW or WINZ of her true circumstances, that is likely to back fire something badly.

    Three decades of conditioning under neoliberal governments, and a biased media have divided society, and so Metiria Turei will get hammered for her dishonesty, ruthlessly.

    She should have kept her mouth shut, like others do, and just announced the new policy.

    Every media report mentions her convenience with the truth, and that is not a good look for her.

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2017/07/metiria-turei-urged-to-pay-money-back.html
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/94781490/opinion-metiria-turei-makes-a-risky-admission-politically-and-legally
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11891410

    A great many people are judgmental, and Joyce and his colleagues will exploit this admission for their advantage to the maximum.

    For a law student she also appears to not have been that smart then, she should have had boarders, not rent paying or sharing flatmates:
    https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/on-a-benefit/tell-us/income/other-regular-income/income-from-boarders.html
    http://www.cab.org.nz/vat/hle/fb/Pages/PrivateBoard.aspx

    As a beneficiary you are allowed up to two boarders, and it should not affect your benefit, same as IRD do not consider it as taxable income (for up to two boarders paying no more than a set maximum).

    With this policy announcement, and other recent comments by Metiria, I wonder whether the Greens are still expecting that they will be in government after late September, as it rather seems they are now only out to profile themselves. NZ First will not have anything of what was announced by the Greens, and without NZ First it is unlikely that Labour can form a government.

    • +100 MARC….seems like the GREENS are desperate to me…and their attacks on NZF have not impressed

      but anything that helps beneficiaries better survive (until a Universal Basic Income is brought in) is good!

    • Except if you are on National Super apparently. There are now Thousands of single elderly people, especially women, who are renting. With rents going sky high they are in deep strife and may have something like 50 to 100 dollars per week to live on for everything over and above the rent. If they enter into a flatting arrangement with one or two others their national super is reduced to the married rate. But they are not married. They are still independent people with their own financial commitments such as car, insurances, etc. Why not reduce the student allowance for students who are living in multitenant flats?

      • Why not just go ahead with the increased taxes on the rich and the foreign corporate’s and force them to do their civic duty for the society that blessed them with their material wealth?

        There’s a source of ( to date under National ) untapped revenue right there.

        We were not put here on this earth just to provide a free lunch for the wealthy.

  14. Which political parties are REALLY going to ROLLBACK ROGERNOMIC$ by taking on CORPORATE welfare?

    Seriously?

    Where could the public money come from to provide SOCIAL welfare for the vulnerable poor and needy?

    By cutting CORPORATE welfare for the undeserving rich and greedy!

    International research has PROVEN that contracting out (privatisation of public services formerly provided
    in-house under the ‘public service’ model) is TWICE as expensive!

    So! Let’s OPEN THE (public) BOOKS and CUT OUT THE (private) CONTRACTORS!

    Shouldn’t PUBLIC money benefit the PUBLIC majority – not the PRIVATE minority?

    Time to look after the PUBLIC 99% – not the CORPORATE 1%?

    (Please SHARE if you agree?
    🙂

    Here’s a blast from the past – a Press Release I made in 2011, when I stood as an Independent against John Banks in Epsom.

    (I have been persistent and consistent on these matters for some years – and now folks are getting it!

    YAY! 🙂

    https://www.google.co.nz/amp/s/m.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1111/S00095/wheres-nationals-corporate-welfare-reform.htm

    Where’s National’s ‘corporate welfare’ reform?
    By: Penny Bright
    Published: Thu 3 Nov 2011 05:28 PM

    PRESS RELEASE: Independent Candidate for Epsom Penny Bright:

    “How many billion$ of public monies could be saved by ‘CUTTING OUT THE CONTRACTORS’?

    3 November 2011

    Where’s National’s ‘corporate welfare’ reform?

    Which of the maor political parties are pushing for ‘corporate welfare’ reform and shrinking the long-term dependency of the private sector on our public monies?

    Where is the ‘devilish detail’ at both local and central government level – which shows EXACTLY where our public rates and taxes are being spent on private sector consultants and contractors?

    Why aren’t the names of the consultant(s)/ contrators(s) – the scope, term and value of these contracts, published in Council or central government Annual Reports – so this information on the spending of OUR public monies is available for public scrutiny?

    Where are the publicly-available ‘Registers of Interests’ for those local government elected representatives, and staff responsible for property and procurement, in order to help guard against possible ‘conflicts of interest’ between those who ‘give’ the contracts and those who ‘get’ the contracts?

    Where’s the ‘transparency’?

    Given that New Zealand is ‘perceived’ to be the least corrupt country in the world – along with Denmark and Singapore, according to Transparency International’s 2010 ‘Corruption Perception Index – shouldn’t we arguably be the most transparent?

    Going back a step – where are the New Zealand ‘cost-benefit’ analyses which prove that the old ‘Rogernomic$ mantra – public is bad – private (contracting) is good’ can be substantiated by FACTS and EVIDENCE?

    At last – someone – somewhere has actually done some substantial research – which proves the opposite.

    That ‘contracting out’ services that were once provided ‘in-house’ is actually TWICE as expensive.

    “USA Project On Government Oversight (POGO)[1] decided to take on the task of doing what others have not—comparing total annual compensation for federal and private sector employees with federal contractor billing rates in order to determine whether the current costs of federal service contracting serves the public interest.

    http://www.pogo.org/pogo-files/reports/contract-oversight/bad-business/co-gp-20110913.html

    Executive Summary

    Based on the current public debate regarding the salary comparisons of federal and private sector employees, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO)[1] decided to take on the task of doing what others have not—comparing total annual compensation for federal and private sector employees with federal contractor billing rates in order to determine whether the current costs of federal service contracting serves the public interest.

    The current debate over pay differentials largely relies on the theory that the government pays private sector compensation rates when it outsources services.

    This report proves otherwise: in fact, it shows that the government actually pays service contractors at rates far exceeding the cost of employing federal employees to perform comparable functions.
    POGO’s study analyzed the total compensation paid to federal and private sector employees, and annual billing rates for contractor employees across 35 occupational classifications covering over 550 service activities.

    Our findings were shocking—POGO estimates the government pays billions more annually in taxpayer dollars to hire contractors than it would to hire federal employees to perform comparable services.

    Specifically, POGO’s study shows that the federal government approves service contract billing rates—deemed fair and reasonable—that pay contractors 1.83 times more than the government pays federal employees in total compensation, and more than 2 times the total compensation paid in the private sector for comparable services. ”
    ____________________________

    The implications of this both nationally and internationally are HUGE.

    If NZ central government figures are comparable with those of USA Federal Government – could the current NZ $82 billion central government spend be sliced in half by $40 billion ‘CUTTING OUT THE CONTRACTORS?

    • The non aggregation of institutional knowledge and experience is a degraded position public bodies are exposed to by contraction out.

      Contract out once and you follow by doing it over and over as no experience of information is held in house.

      Similar to importing labour rather than training our own young people with consequences far wider than anything to do with the actual job to be done.

    • Let
      s start with Charter Schools Penny. Personal financial responsibility, let them stand on their own feet, No government money to these private institutions.

    • You are onto it , Penny Bright , and only saying what we all know ;

      That this whole neo liberal scam has just been one big con job from the start. And it rely’s on the hiding and fudging of figures , nondisclosure and media blackouts with the motives behind it being simply being ‘vested interests’ – as opposed to ‘ conflicts of interests ‘.

      You know it , I know it , and anyone who’s ever thought it through knows it.

      And that’s where many of these party’s also need to be held to account to push these issues.

      And not take a year to get to the bottom of it , either.

    • 100% Pennny un-real how most others apart from labour & NZ First so far have been the only ones voicing policy changes to go after these foreign companies gutting our country by taking advantage of loopholes in handouts,
      No-one has yet highlighted Winston’s comments on thios with Corin Dann last Sunday when he was interviewed by Corrin Dann on Q+A yet!!!!!!!!

      Matryn must be balanced here.

  15. I think this move by the Greens is a game breaker. Just watch the Right panic and throw everything at Metiria. It won’t work though because this is the first big break from neoliberalism and will be much appreciated by all who have decried Rogernomics .

  16. Good on Turei. Comments on Stuff are soooo judgemental and nasty towards her. Good Policy from the Greens sounds like Sue Bradford is back writing policy for them. If I was young and still raising a family I would vote for them. Right now the issues for rural people are about our filthy water,overstocked farms, and ending immigration thus providing the work and skills training young kiwis need to get by. A collapse in the housing market would be just dandy right now along with a radical drop of our inflated dollar.

  17. its really sad to read the stuff comments about turei. You would think they would lynch her the way some of these comments go. What a devided state our country has become. Good on Turei for putting it out there and hope the greens get that missing million votes which currently no centerist parties are aiming for.

  18. “It a’int necessarily so” Gershwin

    The Right Honourable Billy English has promised high earners $56.00 unearned free dollars a week, if they vote for him.

    On the other hand, He will remove some benefits from the poor with the help of his Right Honourable Deputy, and will give low income earners $10.00 a week.

    It is actually an offence to bribe people in political matters. But given that the Attorney General has a close relationship with both the above Right Honourables no charges will be laid.

    Filling the pockets of the wealthy is deemed not a bribe.

    Doing any measly thing for the wretched poor is considered a Grace. Not a bribe. It is also a Grace to make sure they cannot afford electricity. Or Rents. Or Health. Or Homes. They’ve got plenty of Nothing ” Gerswhin.

    Be it noted that neither the Prime Minister or his comfortable Deputy has ever done anything wrong ever. Not ever. I have read their own statements to this effect.

    I think Billy and Paula were meant to do a good job for all New Zealanders. And thereby get a nice name for themselves – such as Honourable.

    In fact they have been very ornery indeed. They are in need of a nine year holiday – come September.

    • Well spotted Observer. 20% of a $300 benefit is $60. Very close to the $56 given to the rich by Bullshit Bill. Maybe Bennett should’ve thought about that, before attacking the Greens policy!

  19. Not saying what Metiria has done is wrong.
    But it is politically naive.
    Yep sure, it’s been met with a positive response by people who were already going to vote left anyway.
    But it will harden the brainwashed soft National vote that Labour lost to the criminal Key in 2008.
    And the belief that the missing million will suddenly become motivated to vote?? Dreaming. You could plug the average Kiwi directly into the national grid and barely get a flicker out of them. Or should that be a tweet?
    Time and again, the left underestimate the antipathy and ignorance of the average (potential) voter. National don’t make the same mistake.
    This is the reality of politics. This is what wins elections.

      • Yes exactly,

        Winebox????

        These opposition parties are peppered with mistakes that they blame Nactional for but are actually going the similar things like mis-representing the facts and failing to cover the policies like that last of important policies Winston released under difficult “over-speaking by Corrin Dann on last Sunday’s Q+A interview which Winston was the first Party that put the issue of going after the foreign companies for not paying tax and getting handouts buy the government as he said his Government will take over these companies, and let the employees run them!!!!

        This sounds very much like co-operatives, or Socialism which we need now doesn’t it????

        Martyn pleas cover the Q+A policies Winston discussed with Corrin Dann as NZ needs to hear his policies.

        https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a

  20. And lets be clear here,

    Why did we never hear of Green Party anger in this manner as they have demonstrated this week any time during the last 9yrs?????

    I am not de-announcing their policy!

    I am just marking the timing of this “Game Changer” policy as we have not even heard so close to an election, it was never muted any time earlier ?

    Good policy however as we need a shared wealth system finally in this country as we had during the egalitarian era after Labour Party Michael Joseph Savage begun it in the late 1930’s.

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