No wonder Mike King handed back his medal – the real difference between Labour and National (you wont like it)

1. Yep, this one is indefensible.

   Mental Health badly needs this budget input but 2 years later it is, so I am reliably told, worse than ever.

   That equals unnecessary suffering and lives lost, innocent lives lost my because some arseholes within the “public service” don’t agree and weak government can’t do it’s elected job.

   Either there is a serious culling of Ministry of Health management immediately or Labour MPs should pack it in and give up.

   Too many policy failures are stacking up, and housing which is a major contributor to mental health issues, continues to worsen.

2. Labour is the political wing of the woke, joyless, morally superior, grossly incompetent, working class loathing bureaucratic elite.
   Or “ they are us” as the prime minister might say.

3. Because Labour did no substantive policy development when they were out of government, they are forced to appoint commissions and ‘working groups’ to try and deliver something, anything.

   If they were honest with themselves and sincerely wanted to fix a problem they would pick commissioners who were simply competent. But they don’t. Fearful of delivering solutions outside of their narrow ideological framework, instead they choose people who are politically sound but are otherwise as useless. Typically:

   >A couple of academic mates from the local uni. Usually in an irrelevant and flaky subject but also having no real world experience or a record of delivering anything to anyone.

   >A couple of union hacks.

   >A brown person or two just to tick the box (this is *actual* racism)

   >A gay person or two just to tick that box

   >A party donor; or their offspring so as to hide the backscratching.

   > A generic manager/director/administrator type with no specialist skills but who get a pretty report published even though it is tripe.

   • Racism Andrew is not having any brown people and that is how it used to be and who has had all the hierarchal positions in the state sector and who have they mostly employed, people like themselves of course.

     • No! Just the opposite in fact.
       When the government nominates brown faces on to these committees in order to tick a box, those brown persons and nearly everyone else knows that they’re not because of their competence. So how do you think that makes them feel?
       The signal given out to the community by these appointments is “We accept you brown fellas aren’t very smart but we’ll give you these token appointments to make you feel better”
       It is the racism of low expectations. If you wish to find ‘systemic racism’ here in New Zealand, it is this.

       • The racism is your gross assumption that brown faces could only be on committees to tick a box when Maori and Pacific Islanders have representatives every bit as qualified and intelligent as their pakeha counterparts. that’s racist as f.

   • So what substantive policy on mental health did National have in 9 years Andrew?

     THEY WENT BACKWARDS

     An ex National party hack employed the WDHB CEO (friend )after advice from his Canadian counterpart to stay well clear. That’s what you get with National even after being told not too. Now we have the same thing happening with their leadership selection. Collins and Co have completely ignored advice and keeping it ” in house).

     National had two policies in 9 years , roading and massive immigration, this has lead to Auckland gridlock, home unaffordability and years of neglect in mental health. How on earth did Coleman lay straight in bed at night?, because he didn’t care.

     • So Bert your entire argument is that Labour is not as bad as National? Despite no one suggesting National did a better job?

       Whataboutisms don’t get us anywhere.

       That old 9 years trope is getting tired now that the current government are rapidly closing in on half that period with very little to show as far as improvement or changing the course.

       • So let’s see where Labour are at after 9 years. The old argument that it doesn’t matter what National did is tiresome given the after effects last for years.
         My argument is that Labour have been more effective in 4 years that National were in 9 but are still having to deal with Nationals incompetence. That is the evidence I have to use. We are seeing more and more of the type of ministers National have coming out of the woodwork, the likes of why Nick Smith Maggie Barry, were forced to leave, let alone the sex scandal ministers. Can you rebuff any of that with evidence?

     • Yes its Nationals fault Labour are incompetent, inept and out of their depth…We have a majority government, stop the damn excuses and demand better!

       • Did you demand better of National like I did MickeyBoyle or are you just another hypocrite?

4. This is the reason successive governments re-brand their departments. In other words, all human action that has been politicised (ministerially departmentalised by statism) cannot be commanded or summoned only destroyed and replaced.

   When there’s a new logo or HQ or name or CEO or ‘philosophy’ or structure in government it’s not due to some amazing new breakthrough in the science of Industrial Organisation economics. It is simply that each new government must destroy the superstructural edifice of the government that came before it and replace it with its own

5. My brother has been under our mental health people for many many years and I can tell you they are fucken useless and have been for more than 25 years. In fact if we go back we will find they have been this way since the geckgo and the Lake Alice stuff has further highlighted this. Its is very hard to fix something that has been neglected by all our governments no matter who has been in power. And to make matters worse we have a ‘P’
   epidemic in our country and we have alcohol related violence on the rise (Young Tongan RSE worker recently killed in Blenheim) And yet despite us knowing the social harm alcohol does we are opening up more and more bottle stores. When are we going to learn. Lastly we need to close our bubble to NSW now. People were warned about travelling to Aus.

   • Absolutely agree and I work in mental health. Sadly it is driven from the top down. Those at a corporate level have jobs for life. Where I work colonial immigrants have taken over at the highest level. They see themselves as elitists more worried about their title and salary, you know the types where their own shit don’t smell and have a do as I say mentality. The arrogance is nauseating. Unfortunately when reviews are done these are the people who do all the talking. It’s called job protection. Because of this, the core role of supporting those with a mental illness, get left behind and those of us supporting these people to have the best possible life they possibly can, get left kicking the van down the road.
     As an aside, the only way to fund mental health appropriately is not to fund to catch up as all government does but fund as if it is 10 years into the future. It’s the ONLY way to counter immigration.

6. This comes down to Little. Only a sanctimonious prick moans about the ministry when the control and monitoring of this funding is under your control. Asleep at the wheel of the Titanic.

   Luckily for the Blairite and him the sheeple are still in their covid, housing inflation delusion bubble.

   • Yes Little needs to and must fund the health system by billions!
     Because this came down to Nationals and Colemans abject failure to spend, they were the iceberg that hit the Titanic even with Key driving. Sadly the sheeple did not see because of the Christchurh earthquake and the kimjohnkeyite was very fortunate as he opened the borders to thousands.

     • So Bertie we are closing in 5 years since National have been in government – when will your side accept ANY responsibility for poor policy and implementation.

       • Little has, he is obviously pissed and is now asking why things haven’t been implemented. What do you expect him to do, know there’s failure before the event. I say failure because unlike your lot, at least he’s at least attempting Frankie

7. Frank the Titanic sunk a long time ago as did our mental health care. In fact I shudder to call it care more like mental health abuse. We simply don’t have the right people or enough expertise and like our lack of builders, trades people, engineers, clinicians, chefs, nurses, teachers, bus drivers etc this will take some time. In the mean time we need to work on prevention.

   • The voting public will decide Kraut, as they did to oust the do nothing National government whom, to use John’s words, did jack shit for 99% of the country. Remember when Key was asked what his legacy would be? He replied not getting the flag changed!
     Fuck the homeles, those with a mental illness,those in poverty , those who can’t afford to buy their own home, fuck em all, I’m sorry about the flag!!!

     • Bert, the unavoidable take out from this is once an announcement was made to substantially increase mental health funding by the government, not a soul in the Labour caucus nor cabinet thought to monitor progress, ask their ministry give a progress report, or anything. Certainly not the relevant minister, be it Clark in or Little and definitely not the Prime Minister.

       People are literally dying because these morons think all there is to been in government is to make the funding available and a grand announcement without ever taking the slightest bit of interest afterwards.

       Be it housing, light rail, walking bridges across the Waitemata, or even monitoring where 11 cents per litre of fuel goes when Auckland Council siphon it off, this Labour government have proven totally incompetent.

       It’s so sad this say this but I am rapidly losing any faith in them!

       • Whilst I agree, have you asked the question of what has been implemented? Many are bandwagon jumpers stating nothing has been done. Many things have been set up, councilors in school, increased FTE’s in mental health etc, however the issue is all we are doing is catching up on the last 12 years. So whilst we are painting over cracks there’s a long way to go. For the Frankie’s Mickey-s and John’s of this forumn I openly invite you to spend a day with me supporting those in mental health. You may learn a thing or two.

     • “Fuck the homeles, those with a mental illness,those in poverty , those who can’t afford to buy their own home, fuck em all”

       Yet all those measures have significantly worsened under our sides watch. Keep deflecting though Bertie boy. Maybe we will truly be transformational and deliver next term right?…

       • Can you provide evidence Mickey on “all those measures” MickeyBoyle ? Or do you just make comments with your left eye continually closed? Critical thinking escapes you.

   • That doesn’t excuse gross incompetence and laziness. $2B was pledged a couple of years ago and the best we get from the Prime Minister and minister in charge is “I Dunno”.

     • Your words Frankie, your words. Show me where our P.M. said that?
       Actually if you listened to her yesterday you would have been educated on where the money has been spent but you have such a closed mind I doubt you’ll ever hear.

       • Both the PM and Little had no real idea regarding funding until they had a session with their spin doctors. Apparently its all committees, rollouts and in progress infrastructure. LOL.

         It 12 months time when nothing has changed – what then. And we all know it won’t. Accept your team yet again has tits for hands when it comes to implementation of policy.

         • Your comments continue on the dramatical side rather factual. I’d rather a committee than the autocracy of National where many a policy was passed in the early hours of the morning.

         • Again you haven’t shown me where they said that, just some more of your ramblings about mysterious homeless spin doctors?

8. Even the most cynical, and doubting of our esteemed Editor’s take on this must admit that the neo liberal bureaucracy is rogering the Labour Govt. The Deputy PM has had to set up an “Implementation Unit” fer crissakes!

   The more vulnerable people are ignored the more suffering there will be, cops will step in and bash and taser when people act out and more young people will suicide. There is literally blood on the hands of public servants who have thwarted the spending of the $1.9bill.

   Direct action from the people is the only thing that will enable the Govt. to overrule the State Sector. Mike King did lead by example in handing back his medal. DHB and Ministry offices need ongoing “mattress” protests and barricades–super glue locks, visit their homes with over the top crazy protests until some action is taken–another inquiry will not, read my lips NOT do it.

   • Or it could be that this government and it’s ministers are incompetent. Ministers have control. This is another case of asleep at the wheel.

     • So give me the names of people whom you see could do a better job, bearing in mind not one from the previous National coalition were competent and in fact many deserted a sunk ship?

       • Anybody…..the answer is anybody Bert. When do you accept shamozzle after shamozzle is actually on your team?

         • When your party is a basket case and you highlight them as the saviour, it says more about you than anyone else Frankie.

     • You mean like the standard of competence like Smith, Brownstains, Woodlouse Falloon,Hamish Walker, Maggie Barry, Sarah Dowie, Jamie Lee Ross,Coleman, Bennett, Joyce etc etc. Yep Frankie top class National ministers, top class!

       • LOL all could do a better job than Little here. If it wasn’t for the feckless ones running a protection screen this would be the scandal of the year. Less than $1m of $2B of spending.

         Little should resign out of embarrassment however the entitled prick won’t

         • Anyone of the above mentioned?, my God Frankie you need a straight Jacket! No you really do!
           I see your standard of person is set, you have no hope. You and Fallon should share a room.

9. Do we now assess the success of mental health policy by the number of new acute mental health beds it creates?

   • One of several important Metrics we should be tracking, pretty obvious Little had zero idea of what was going on in his own protfolio

10. “National got shit done because the Wellington bureaucracy was frightened of them”.. And how many of those senior bureaucrats were actually in sync with the nats policies? How many were specifically put there because they had the “right attitude” to the abuses and inhumanity of the Key/English /Richardson years? How much “advice” they give their minister is a pile of shit?
    What’s the point of quoting Robert Reid if there is no exploration of ALL the ramifications of his statement?
    What I do know, is that there are a percentage of senior managers in the ministries that are actively sabotaging anything the current admin sets out to do, which has been alluded to on this site.. Where is that fact in the mix?
    I’ve heard far too much shallow, reactive assumption being put forward as gospel since being back this time around… It’s both disappointing, and self defeating… Right now, all I’m seeing is a large percentage of the electorate talking themselves into reinstalling the tories for another round of fleecing the population of it’s ability to have a reasonable quality of life… Sigh…

11. Personality politics is the problem in both National and local politics . Whether it be John Key or Jacinda Ardern how many actually look past them to see how they will vote. 4 years ago Labour changed leaders but little policy and the result was a resounding victory. While personnal I think Judith Collins would be a good leader but I am realistic enough that Labour will need to make some monumental mistakes to change peoples vote but they do seem to be trying hard.

12. My brother in law was with us for years and needed a lot of mental health support. The front-line workers cannot be faulted its just that they didnt have more than 24 hours in their day or more than 7 days in their week to cope with their work. They have also never have enough beds for all their patients. A mental health worker must have the most stressful job you can find. I think the government must train more professional and front-line staff. I know Labour are doing their best to provide good mental health facilities and services – $1,9 billion is a good start.

    I wouldnt trust the Natz as they cut back on public services. Natz dont give a shit about the disabled, mental health, homeless, unemployed, Maori, Asian, beneficiaries. Let the Natz look after the property speculators as they did in their last stint in govt. They achieved zero in that time.

    Aotearoa is the safest and most free and democratic country in the world. So let us rejoice.

    • Nikorima, you have just outlined the issues perfectly. As a mental health worker, everything you say is correct. National were happy to invest in property speculators, yet denigrated our own health services at the same time. Labour are at least trying to rectify this and whilst I admire Mike Kings stance, fixing mental health infrastructure will take time. Building a solid bridge does not happen overnight, building a collapsed bridge takes longer.

13. This article implies that only money spent from the initial fund is the 5 acute beds. That is wholly incorrect. Considerable investment has been put into primary care for mild to moderate mental health. This is the fence at the top of cliff so you don’t need so many ambulances at the bottom. Of course you won’t see the result of this immediately but it the right approach to take.

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