Open letter to the Prime Minister – Redirecting the post Covid 19 government spend
Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
Kia ora Ms Ardern,
Open letter to the Prime Minister – Redirecting the post Covid 19 government spend
We are deeply concerned at government proposals to spend the bulk of our post-Covid 19 investment on large infrastructure projects to match corporate priorities.
Earlier this year before the pandemic, the government announced a $12 billion infrastructure spend with the biggest chunk to go to roading projects and there seems no change in direction with a committee, headed by former Fletcher Construction Chief Executive Mark Binns, to evaluate and recommend which “shovel ready” projects should proceed.
While there are large New Zealand-wide projects which should be funded (eg revitalisation of national and regional rail) it is essential that the lion’s share of the post-pandemic spending be invested in local “public-good” projects across the country.
The corporate sector, representing big business, is desperately keen for New Zealand to return to “business as usual” to ensure a smaller group of wealthier people can continue to enjoy the benefits of economic development at the expense of the rest of us, especially our lowest-paid workers in essential industries.
However, it was clear well before Covid 19 that “business as usual” had failed most of us. Despite the existential threat of climate change, for example, New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions have continued to rise year by year as policy decisions have favoured economic growth over human welfare. Similar unacceptable failures are evident in biodiversity, fresh water, rivers and streams, poverty and inequality, health, education, housing, mental health, incarceration rates etc
If we go back to “business as usual” we will simply carry forward the myriad of social and economic problems from the pre-pandemic era, in particular the shocking levels of poverty and inequality which have disproportionately damaged Maori and Pasifika whanau and entire low income communities.
We cannot move forward with people and families on low incomes struggling with high rents while paying a higher proportion of their incomes in tax (through income tax and GST) than those who will gain the most benefit from the proposed corporate-led government investment to “get the economy moving” again.
Meanwhile, local and regional councils across New Zealand are struggling with huge infrastructure deficits from over 30 years of “user pays” policies and privatisation of assets. In everything from sewage to fresh water supply, council rental housing and public transport, to name a few, our local infrastructure is in poor condition.
We have an opportunity with this unprecedented pandemic event to refocus government investment on local “public good” projects which will lead to stronger local communities and sustainability rather than projects which benefit the big end of town and take us in the opposite direction.
The benefits in doing this are many. We can fund projects that are of social benefit at socially appropriate wage rates. These can help future-proof local communities, reduce emissions and pollution levels and take a big step towards sustainability.
Local employment on local projects also brings new opportunities for partnerships with local iwi and urban Maori groups, for example, to dramatically reduce unemployment for those struggling already and who will be hardest hit by the post-pandemic recession.
Many more changes will be needed. Rent controls, a wealth tax and a liveable universal basic income need to be part of the mix.
Without this proposed change to local “public-good” spending priorities, local and regional councils will continue to struggle with rate increases well above inflation and crumbling local infrastructure while at the national level we will be told we must face higher taxes and austerity measures into the future to reduce government debt. It’s time we began reshaping the economy to work for people rather than the other way around.
However, our proposed change in focus for infrastructure spending has an unseen obstacle.
Our biggest political parties, National, Labour and New Zealand First have a heavy dependence on corporate donations to run their election campaigns and will therefore tend to support corporate priorities rather than doing what is best for New Zealand as a whole. We must not allow this to happen.
We need a “new normal” in our economy which focuses on strengthening and empowering local communities to work towards a more sustainable future. It can start with post-pandemic government spending.
Nā,
Initial signatories:
Annette Sykes – Maori lawyer and veteran human rights activist
Mike Treen – National Director Unite Union
John Minto – Christchurch Progressive Network
Bronwen Summers – Community activist
Joe Carolan – Socialist Aotearoa
Warren Brewer – Community activist
Jen Olsen – Community activist
Andrew Tait – Community activist
Paul Hopkinson – Community activist
John Edmondson – Community activist
Plus 157 additional signatures so far…
Agree 100%. Very important points.
The rebuild of Christchurch for corporates and tourists has been a disaster and of course never gets finished, but costs a bomb and the money siphoned off by business interests while locals are irrelevant to the rebuild plans and have to wait decades for facilities that are increasingly not aimed at them to use in their every day lives.
Meanwhile who wants to live in cities, where the ratepayers are cash cows who are expected to suffer because some gold plated brain fart for the elite and tourists, new residents like Tarrent types nearby and blow people away, Meth expands, projects are all in the never never, remove community cash, while delivering little, but destroys the local community.
Example Christchurches stadium.
First blueprints 2012 in Christchurch. 8 years later, millions in consultancy fees to everyone but Christchurch local business, they are still fighting over it and of course there has probably not been any repairs/temporary facilities going for the community, as they are waiting for the think big, never, never project, whose costs blow out of control..
Meanwhile sports are declining in NZ, as they are no longer aimed at the mainstream and are increasingly out of touch. Apparently the industry is blaming ‘lazy’ parents for their own decline and lack of focus on grass roots players, while gym memberships are up!
Sports clubs tackle decline in player numbers
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/334813/sports-clubs-tackle-decline-in-player-numbers
Obesity is 1 in 3 adults, but don’t worry the MSM’s obsession (and co partnership) with grocery means there is plenty of takeaway news!
Big is not better in most instances. Just look at the rise in giant aquatic centres being built instead of more smaller traditional ones. Well the amounts of ‘code browns’ and huge volumes of kids playing on slides that make visibility hard for parents, means that you are unlikely to get a child swimming without a 1 hours queue to get in, while then finding the place has to be shut down as yet another pooh is found in the pool, and have dangerous sight lines to watch kids due to all the tack. Once this happens regularly people stop going to community sports facilities to learn the sports they are supposed to be promoting.
Increasingly infrastructure projects are used to make money for construction interests, cost a fortune, take a decade to build while business and councillors line their pockets, and even when they are built, the practical reality does not work (aka aquatic centers).
It is true that for some time at least our economy will not be able to return to pre covid normal. With the tourist industry almost ending for the foreseeable future for a start , and who knows how the countries we trade with are going to come out of this, and out of the global recession/ depression that seems to be accompanying it.
Both the crises and the unusually widespread approval of it’s handling of it, and others , affords this government a level of approval that enables it to seize the opportunity to remodel our economy more allong the lines of meeting the needs of our people than the enrichment of international financiers and corporations.
Let’s hope they take it.
Where do I sign?
D J S
Facebook – Redirecting the post Covid 19 government spend
What is in place to stop political interfering and propaganda being spouted as news (especially in NZ when we don’t even have any real investigative news and you can buy a list MP seat for $100k if you are a Chinese donor!)
EU ‘watered down’ report on Chinese disinformation about Covid-19
Foreign policy chief urged to explain claims that report was altered under pressure from Beijing
“Groothuis told the Guardian that the EU appeared to have “caved in on substance”, as he said an earlier version of the report had provided details of false Chinese government claims. For instance, he said, it reported untrue claims from China that 80 French politicians had signed a statement using a racist slur to denigrate the head of the World Health Organization.
Groothuis, a former analyst at the Dutch ministry of defence, said it was extremely important for the EU’s senior management to back independent factual analysis. “China will become stronger, more prosperous and powerful, also militarily. It won’t be the last time they will try to intervene in internal politics of the EU.” He said it was time for the EU to send a clear signal: “If this is true, this can’t happen again in the future.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/27/eu-watered-down-report-on-chinese-disinformation-about-covid-19
China will become stronger as they have engaged the confidence of states and enterprises to use the Yuan instead of the $US.
The USA has shown the world what it is like being under sanctions often as a part of resisting corporate US takeover, have 800+ military bases and troops on the ground in all parts of the globe, with missiles pointing at peaceful states and punishment given out to any state that trades with one under US illegal sanctions.
The USA now coerces foreign govt to give up their citizens who may have caused displeasure in the US but not broken any law in their homeland.
The hegemony of US operations is remarkable in its dishonesty, cruelty, hypocrisy, murder on a massive scale of millions with false flag wars, stealing of resources and continuous propaganda against any nation that does not bow to it capitalist billionaire rhetoric.
In NZ we have been bombarded with US propaganda everyday in news and reports of world events. So much that the Kiwi perspective of the international climate is poisoned.
Kiwis hang their understanding on flimsy often fake information. This is not new.
For example we sent troupes to Korea and supported the US carpet bombing of that country that would not give in to US attempted annexation. The war on Korea declared by the USA still stands.Soon followed by the American war in Vietnam where the US prevented fee elections and instead defoliated the forests, bombed countless villages killing civilian families using napalm, helicopter battleship machine guns, poisoning of waters supplies as well as secretly carpet bombing Cambodia and Laos.
We also followed them into killing over a million in Iraq, taking over Afghanistan and re-establishing the poppy / drug industry and stealing oil and other resources for 17 years so far.
Cuba has been under US illegal sanctions and has also been attacked. Cuba is a highly regarded nation in the UN because of the good they have done supporting third world health programs.
Now Venezuela in under intolerable stress as the US applies ridiculous and illegal sanction in an attempt to take hold of the country and its natural resources including oil.
China is a much more stable country with a larger population, and benign relationship with most countries with the qualified exception of the USA and a few of its puppet states.
China is our largest trader and close neibour.
We do need a law to make ownership of land in NZ a privileged to voting citizens. That is a problem at present but easily fixed.
I actually think there’s lots of potential for economic growth still around, and we haven’t grabbed all the low-hanging fruit by a long shot. Much of our national infrastructure, education, health, defence and regulatory environment are still holdovers from the 20th century top-down model of massive centralized bureaucratic nightmare.
Individuals need more occupational licensing so they can market themselves without submitting to monopolistic regulations (which are totally unnecessary in an uber world). Pair that with a massive investment in infrastructure to make them actually have them coexist efficiently and have cheap transparent prices and then start on the telecoms.
John W
It might interest you to know if you dont already , that every KG ov agent orange used by the US military in Vietnam was manufactured in the Ivan Watkins Dow chemical plant in New Plymouth.
D J S
Yes . Thanks David. We live with both the shame and toxic residues in our soil and some Kiwis..
In Vietnam second and third generation have defects at birth caused by the highly toxic agent orange defoliant affecting DNA.
A nasty business that Holyoake’s National Govt took part in the assault on Vietnam and ruined the lives of many NZ youth sent off to fight peasants who were trying to defend their land from foreign aggression.
Two of my friends did “a tour of “duty”” and came back emotionally and mentally shattered, to battle with the mental scars, nightmares and PTSD for the rest of their lives shortened by agent orange. The NZ govt and defense dept gave them no help.
Kirk spoke openly in opposition to the war and Kiwis being involved.
Kiwis were kept in the dark as to what was happening and were fed US propaganda.
I read a book by an Ozzie journalist who methodically laid out what had and was taking place.
The people of Vietnam ( French Indo China) were colonised by France who ravaged resources and subjugated the people, then Japan invaded causing further misery followed by France again after WWII.
The people had enough of foreign rule and the UN intervened. The UN allowed US troops to set up whole country elections on the UN’s behalf, which the US ignored. Instead they set up a puppet dictatorship and fought the Vietnamese who opposed that. We helped the US troops. Often both sides were using US made weapons.
China finally had to assist the Vietnamese fighters before the US admitted defeat with a strong protest movement in the USA..
Fucking hate open letters.
Fuck off then?
There is a lot of sense in the points made by Minto in the letter but judging by his results in the last Chch local body election there is not a ground swell of support for his mantra from the voting public. People are frightened for their future so the government will need to be seen to to getting the wheels of industry moving as quickly as possible . Labour will be looking at the up coming election and knowing they need to get as many employed as they can for them to get back into power . They will need to sell their policy to give confidence and trying to appease small community groups may not allow them to move as fast as they need to
Silly comment Trevor. Did you see the signatories, this is not just a ‘Minto’ thing, it is not just his mantra.
They all sing from the same song sheet and what they say is hard to argue with as good goals but then human nature comes along . There were long queues of people out side of the KFC and McDonald’s . We all know it is not good for us but it is still popular . The same with these ideas of Minto’s and crew
Good luck with that John. I have zero faith in politicians in this country and nothing I have seen has changed that view. Its people demanding they do better that will force change.
YES YES
jUST GIVE ” THEM CAKE ” IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
The more things change the more they stay the same.
The pandemic has meant that the neoliberals have only been hibernating , they will be back with avengence.
Sign up then – facebook
Redirecting the post Covid 19 government spend
Yes, John.
Sadly, banks, corporations and opportunists have a stranglehold on the government, and, of course, mainstream economists continue to promote GDP, the absurd measure of ‘progress’ that counts negatives as positives (instead of GPI, the Genuine Progress Index, which assigns negative values to negative activities).
So, if the lockdown strategy was not so much about saving lives as about getting NZ back into a position of serving the short=term profits of banks and corporations and opportunists, we’ve been conned by Jacinda.
If, on the other hand, Jacinda is sincere about caring for people and promoting healthy longevity, then she has to challenge, and then sever, the banking-corporate-opportunist connection, and start looking at several realities:
1. That the industrial system has no long-term future because of resource depletion and the accumulation of waste.
2. That NZ is totally unprepared for the substantial sea level rise that accompanies planetary meltdown, and is equally unprepared for the devastation caused by increasing severe weather events that accompany gross planetary overheating.
3. That continuing [globally] the way we have will result in the Earth becoming uninhabitable for humans in a matter of decades.
My bet is that Jacinda, like politicians around the world, is prepared to sacrifice her progeny’s future (and that over everyone else) on the altar of some form of business-as-usual, despite compelling, indeed irrefutable arguments that it is not the way forward.
In that context, it is essential to recognize that current living arrangements are a gross aberration in the grand scheme of things, and that aspects like mass personal motorised transport have only been commonplace for 50 years out of the 200,000 years our species have inhabited the Earth. It is essential to recognize that current living arrangements are totally unsustainable and will vanish over the next decade or so.
The prospect of current living arrangements collapsing fairly soon due to energy depletion and the consequences of misuse of energy (rapid overheating of the Earth) clearly does not enter the minds of the proponents of return-to-what-we-were-doing-as-quickly-as-possible (industrial farming, buying and selling stuff over long distances using fiat currencies and digits in computer systems, squandering energy and resources as quickly as possible etc.). So they will keep up their “Build more roads” and “Upgrade existing roads” mantra in yet another round of gross misallocation of resources that exacerbates our collective predicament.
Ahh GROWTH!. They usually mean in their pockets not ours.
I forgot about trickle down. Has anyone seen any.
YES!
Our open letter to government today;
CEAC – “Gov’t must increase mass testing for all citizens now”.
Political Press release – Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre
Tuesday 28th April. –
NZ Ministry of Health do not have adequate data yet to understand the nature of who has been exposed to Covid 19 and recovered; and must incorporate with the current ‘swab test’- “the antibody test (also called a serology test.) which confirm all who develop immunity to Covid 19.
WHY?
• We need to know who has actually developed immunity to the virus.
• We do not have these tools at present in the test protocol
• NZ Ministry of health is using only the nasal or throat swab test, which can ‘migrate’ from the nasal or throat in a few days we are being advised.
• The current ‘nasal throat Swab’ coronavirus test look for the virus’ genetic material in a sample of mucus, which is usually collected by a nasal or throat swab administered by a health care worker. and only diagnose a current infection.
• Whereas the antibody test (also called a serology test.) finds who develops immunity to Covid 19.
• It signifies that the person has been exposed to the virus long enough that their immune system has been responding to it- which is the real gold standard now being used.
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/coronavirus-testing.html
QUOTE; “Before the coronavirus started spreading in communities, there was just one type of test to detect an infection; – the coronavirus test look for the virus’ genetic material in a sample of mucus, which is usually collected by a nasal or throat swab administered by a health care worker,
What is this coronavirus antibody test?
Unlike other tests on the market, the antibody test (also called a serology test) does not diagnose a current infection. “It signifies that the person has been exposed to the virus long enough that their immune system has been responding to it,” Stenzel says.
It’s important to remember: Many people who are infected with the coronavirus do not experience symptoms. And knowing whether someone has been infected but wasn’t sick can also pinpoint people who may be in the clear to return to normalcy.
People who have already had the virus are “probably not going to be a danger to other people,” Stenzel explains. Scientists are still working to better understand if and how the virus mutates, but Stenzel says the thought is that those who have “been exposed to coronavirus and have developed immunity and have completely recovered, hopefully won’t get it again.”
Public health experts are also looking to serology tests to paint a more complete picture of how the virus spreads and to better understand its fatality ratio. The CDC is developing its own serology test for this reason”. Unquote.
The following report here confirms that the current NZ Ministry of Health nasal throat swab test can be false negative in several ways.
Proof is below; “A ‘negative’ coronavirus test result doesn’t always mean you aren’t infected”
This was found reported in China during their pandemic, and they resorted to ‘lung Xray’s’ to confirm that the patient was seriously ill after so many confusing false negative swab results were repeatedly found occurring there.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/a-negative-coronavirus-test-result-doesnt-always-mean-you-arent-infected/ar-BB11KbjX
And this also shows how false Swab testing is;
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7960423/The-Latest-Shanghai-index-drops-8-virus-outbreak-grows.html
Quote; “A test developed by the researchers was able to detect 2019-nCoV in oral swab samples. But samples taken about 10 days later did not have a positive result.”
CEAC are on the record here;
CEAC have several times requested for “NZ Ministry of Health to be cautious” now more so with the virus testing protocols beginning on 20th January 2020..
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2001/S00041/ceac-calls-for-ministry-of-health-to-be-cautious.htm
CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be cautious
Monday, 20 January 2020, 2:31 am
Press Release: Citizens Environmental Advocacy Centre
Monday 20th January 2020
“CEAC calls for Ministry of Health to be cautious of mystery viral pneumonia spreading from China.”
For our public health and safety;
CEAC is calling on Gov’t -Ministry of Health to carry out the following;
• NZ Ministry of Health do not have adequate data yet to understand the nature of who has been exposed to Covid 19 and recovered.
• Ministry of Health must incorporate with the current ‘swab test’- “the antibody test (also called a serology test.) which confirm all who develop immunity to Covid 19.
• To save citizens lives and avoid false negative throat nasal swab tests.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/content/tvnz/onenews/story/2020/04/19/contact-tracing.html?auto=6150550268001
‘If you even have a sniffle or the slightest sore throat’ get tested for Covid-19, PM urges
• Conduct full Covid 19 testing of all our citizens firstly and complete a full assessment of solid controlled ‘tracing of the Covid 19’.
• We must have mass testing of all our community firstly to have a solid ‘robust tracing process’ to fight Covid 19.
END.
Ol fletchers aye? Good ol fletcher/challenge. Good ol hugh fletcher aye…?
Still trying to slip your greedy little fingers into our pocketssssesssss aye?
Better get a bucket prior to reading and best pop the cat safely outside.
Wikipedia.
Fletcher was the second son born to Sir James Fletcher and Vaughan, Lady Fletcher. After attending Kings College, he gained a BSc 1969 and MCom (Hons) 1974 from the University of Auckland, in addition to an MBA from Stanford University.[2]
Fletcher’s wife is the Chief Justice of New Zealand Dame Sian Elias. His brother Angus Fletcher, who was also involved with the family firm, is ex-husband to former Mayor of Auckland, and City and Government Minister Christine Fletcher. His older brother Jim Fletcher was murdered at his holiday home in the Bay of Plenty in 1993.[3]
Fletcher Challenge
Main article: Fletcher Challenge
Fletcher played a major role in developing New Zealand industry as chief executive of Fletcher Challenge following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather Sir James Fletcher.
Fletcher was a New Zealand Representative on the Trilateral Commission. In 2002, he was appointed to the board of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. He was subsequently reappointed in 2007.[4] He is also Chair of the board of directors of IAG New Zealand and a board director of Fletcher Building and Vector Limited.[5] In August 2007 he was appointed to the board of Insurance Australia Group.[6]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Fletcher”
” Developed NZ Industry…”
How? Did he rip off farmers then diverted that cash into his own companies to launder?
Was it so that once the laundering process was stream lined, he then began to sever ties with our traditional partners, the UK, Europe and the USA to best suit his plans and greed and in so doing dropped our AO/NZ overboard?
Is hugh one of the greatest traitors AO/NZ has ever seen?
Know your enemy.
Fletcher Challenge.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fletcher_Challenge
Let me draw attention to the Rural Bank and Wrightsons within the list of Subsidiary companies.
Now, lets ponder these fuckers?
National Mortgage and Agency.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Mortgage_and_Agency_Company_of_New_Zealand
And all that, prior to tourism. It’s a funny old world aint it?
BTW? Anyone seen ron brierly? After over 200,000 stills images and 500 videos and written material of child rape was found on him/ his laptop by AU police as brierly was heading to Fiji?
NZ Herald.11 Feb 2020.
“Sir Ron Brierley to fight child porn possession charges, court hears”
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12307358
Brierley’s directors were a Who’s Who of New Zealand business legend, including Sir Selwyn Cushing, current Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy, Sir Roger Douglas and Dame Fran Wilde.
Titans and Legends, as described by their all bought and paid for msm.
To me, however, I see them as deadly scum of the earth. No disrespect to actual scum.
You know AO/NZ people who are in dire straights? Then, now you know who’s to blame, right?
O.M.F.G. check out: https://donaldmarshallrevolution.com/
Nicely put. All a part of an international group sucking NZ dry as possible
It will be a great day when polticians listen to good sense like this. Still spending billions on super highways. Unbelievable really. I recall reading somewhere that the new Dunedin hospital had been scaled back. Seems things will need to get a lot worse before we wake up.
P.S. People.
If jacinda adern spurns fletchers’ overtures for our money and in favour of the collective ‘us’..?
It’s then, that you’ll know that jacinda adern’s name has earned the right to be given capital letters again.
If jacinda adern turns her back on fletchers? Hold on to your hats boys and girls, it’ll be a super fascinating ride to an entirely new AO/NZ.
If she doesn’t kick hugh in the balls, then we’re gonners and it’s business as usual and by that I mean we, keep getting fucked over while they grow ever more rich on our sweat and tears.
And since [they’ve] already tried their best at turning our AO/NZ into AO/NZ Co Ltd they’ll likely succeed in selling us to the highest bidder and in these heady times, it could be any scum bag with enough money, coke, hookers and lost little kids.
Good comment, ain’t going to happen
sign up on facebook
Redirecting the post Covid 19 government spend
The Press on April 20th? led with a bold line of various building projects being ‘shovel-ready’. I have nothing against quips describing matters in a folksy way. But we shouldn’t be too unimaginative – this could be used to describe any waiting project!
When will Labour start representing the people again with skill and character building projects? We should be supporting people, giving them a chance, the direction is reversed into something that would fit an epic scare-film.
Think of people as diamonds, uncut ones and unpolished they don’t shine, but give them that attention and what a place NZ would be. Chivvy along everyone to put their oar into the water and the waka will move speedily.
And in fact Hec Busby and his cohorts showed how a bright idea with determined, committed bodies behind can make world-news excitement and value.
Everything before they were born seems antique to the smitten tech-mad young-middle-aged, but antiques that have lasted and been recognised, are revered. The old doing mentor and support stuff, and the young getting updated mentoring and support and following their dreams will turn NZ round.
Have Labour got the guts to go boldly forward past the National and right, preachy, carping groups that gather wherever some new idea that gives opportunity is unveiled. And smile at them, and tell them that NZ is not, under their term, being developed as a cheap camping ground/concentration camp to hold the cast-offs of the 1-10 per cent.
Well, a commendable suggestion, but unrealistic in the current economic climate. NZ have lost 30%-50% of its tax base/revenue and to focus on social spending and public good will be a disaster in the making. There will be no money for social spending. You have to look at what projects would have the biggest cost benefit for the economy, create the maximum number of jobs and revenue in the longer term. So for government to focus on capital projects make perfect sense. The improvement of for example, infrastructure, will improve overall productivity and maximize benefit for all Kiwis. Social spending consume an already scarce resource, money. We first have to invest to achieve social benefit in future.
“policy decisions have favoured economic growth over human welfare” A fact of life, human welfare follows economic growth and not the inverse. Without money you can not improve human welfare. The approach of the Government to take well-being into consideration in achieving economic growth is sensible, but they do realize that well being without economic growth is a pipe dream.
“failures are evident in biodiversity, fresh water, rivers and streams, poverty and inequality, health, education, housing, mental health, incarceration rates” of which non be achieved without economic growth.” You can have the best policies in the world but if you have no money to bring them to fruition, there will be no progress. Serious consideration should be given to require those on the benefit to participate in projects such as cleaning up streams and rivers, provide labour for councils etc. This will allow them to contribute to their won well-being in the long term.
“shocking levels of poverty and inequality which have disproportionately damaged Maori and Pasifika whanau and entire low income communities.” It is indisputable that businesses pay inadequate wages to workers. Lifting the minimum wage helps to alleviate this, but having something such as working for families WFF, is unacceptable. It is a subsidy to business and encourages them to persist in low wages. Its a reflection on the business community that they pay such derelict wages that the taxpayer needs to support their bad behaviour. It has become a subsidy to some of their extravagant habits such as amassing property and making ordinary Kiwis tenants in their own country. Furthermore, pressure should be put on Moari to invest their money in the interest of all members of their community not just the few. Employ Kiwis and do not partake in slavery practices as with the labour they use on trawlers. To expect taxpayers/government to subsidize their poor decisions and management is ludicrous. It will now more than ever be necessary that they take responsibility for their own welfare and not go cap in the hand to the government (the government equals taxpayer or ordinary Kiwis), we are all under duress.
Rent controls, a wealth tax and a liveable universal basic income need to be part of the mix. High rent is a result of the property ponzi that has been running in the country for some time. Limit property ownership or put a tax on housing property and you will solve the problem. Rent control tinkers with the symptoms and not the cause. Universal basic income is a pipe dream. We can hardly afford super and having another system that is producing no investment benefit is putting us on a downward spiral. With a possible depression, it is just not possible, we might not even have enough to keep the health system going.
Whilst the Labour government is struggling to keep the bus running, trying to fix the motor, suspension, gas in the tank, fix the punctures and make sure there is air in the tires and that all passengers stay on board for the journey, the writer is more worried whether we should fit bigger wheels, paint the bus a different colour, go on a detour than getting to a better place on the quickest most economical route. When we arrived safely at our destination it that would be a valid discussion to have.
It is now Kiwis responsibility to constructively support Governments efforts to salvage the economy and to deal with the tantrums of business and those on other side of the political divide. Ask what you can do for NZ and don’t dwell and what you want. Together and united more will be achieved.
Money for social expenses doesn’t have to come from taxes, but if the top bracket for taxation was restored to earlier rates then that would help. And why not.
Agree with your blog John and delighted to see our most impressive politician, Annette Sykes, sign in.
What you leave out is the courage to end the capitalist system, the foundation of all the monstrous inequality. Capitalism depends on the exploitation of workers, unemployed and most of us, to survive. Reforming it is not on. Do you and your team have a plan?
This, I think is the story to that picture.
“I’ll sell-out the Workers before I’ll stand up to the Bosses! Because thats how we roll!” The Labour party ‘Rogering’ NZ Workers again!!
John any chance of this letter being run in all the daily newspapers including the Herald.
Thank you for this. I really like the idea of focusing on ‘public good’ projects. It’s not just about keeping people busy and creating projects that are likely to take abig a toll on the environment while funnelling money into infrastructure giants. We need more focus around certain words and concepts ‘localisation/local supply chains/buying local’ ‘community ownership/community gardens/community resilience’. History shows us that things work in cycles. We’ve gon from local to global and we need to go back again and retreat from mechanised globalisation where everything is connected and we’re all just a cog in the big wheel serving the 1%.
Agree with this article. More convention centres, motorways, stadiums and other vanity projects might win votes – but they are not the way of the future.
Resource limitation issues such as climate disruption may be slow-burn, but they will ultimately be far more significant than COVID. Pity most of our our MPs can’t see past the next election.
Get them build that Dunedin Hospital John! That way the billboards they put up down here can actually reflect the reality!
Censorship rules on TDB, MB cannot handle criticism.
You’re critisms moan like a cold wet flannel
Hah! Censorship truly rules here.
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