Hunger, poverty and disease explode in New Zealand – We need another Hikoi!

By
Martyn Bradbury
-
28
898
Has managed to screw up a great deal and pretend that's prudent economic management

The terrible mismanagement of this economy, laid bare in savage attacks against the austerity budget this stupid Right Wing Government have implemented is hitting a crescendo…

Economists call for end to Budget cuts

A group of economists, including former Treasury Chief Economist and former Productivity Commissioners, published a letter to PM Christopher Luxon this morning calling for an immediate suspension of budget cuts to avoid further worsening a recession they say is hollowing out businesses and conflicts with the Government’s goal of doubling exports.

They argued fiscal policy was needlessly worsening the recession, saying there was no clear rationale for projected budget cuts and little consideration about the short-term effects.

They argued a focus on government debt ignored the impacts on private sector debt and external debt and also lacked a clear rationale.

They also pointed out the Government’s cuts risked a long-lasting hollowing-out of business.

The economists pointed to workers voting against the policy with their feet.They argued the Government’s fiscal policy of trying to get public debt and the size of Government both under 30% of GDP also conflicted with its aim of doubling the value of exports over the next decade

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They called for an urgent suspension of spending cuts and further delays in infrastructure funding, along with “a clear economic rationale for fiscal policy” in next year’s Budget.

…this Government borrowed more than the Labour Government but the majority of that was for tax cuts and landlord loopholes.

They are purposely underfunding public services and watching them crash as right wing performance art!

Look at the latest official annual Health Survey and how hunger, poverty and disease have all exploded in New Zealand…

  • One in four children (27.0 percent) lived in households where food ran out often or sometimes, up from 21.3 percent in 2022/23
  • 10.7 percent of adults had an unmet need for professional help for their emotions, stress, mental health or substance use in 2023/24 – more than double the rate of 4.9 percent in 2016/17
  • One in 11 adults (9.1 percent) and 8.2 percent of children aged 2-14 years ate the recommended amount of vegetables
  • Fewer than half of adults (46.6 percent) met physical activity guidelines, ie at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity activity in the past week – down from 50.9 percent five years ago
  • One in three adults (1.5 million) classified as obese, rising to nearly half of those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods
  • Nearly half of adults (44.9 percent) reported unmet need for dental care due to cost. Rates were worse for Māori, Pacific, disabled, people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods and those aged 25-54 years
  • One in four adults (25.7 percent) and one in five children (18.5 percent) reported that “time taken to get an appointment was too long” as a barrier to visiting the GP in the 12 months prior to the 2023/24 survey. This is higher than the previous year (21.2 percent for adults and 14.8 percent for children). In 2021/22, the figure was 11.6 percent.

…this is Late Stage Capitalism exacerbated by Free Market neoliberal mythology passing as economic policy.

This Government has walked away from its obligations as good stewards to implement right wing vandalism that amounts to killing the common good for the interests of their donors.

Labour is good for Capitalism while National is good for the Capitalists.

We need an urgent recalibration of the Economy to be harnessed for the people articulated by Labour, the Māori Party and the Greens.

We need free public services empowered by Universal Left policy.

We need taxation aimed at the rich, the polluters and the speculators.

We need vision because the stark austerity of this hard right racist, climate denying, beneficiary bashing, disabled abusing Government with its anti-Treaty, anti-Māori, anti-Worker, anti-renter, anti-beneficiary, anti-environment agenda demands we stand as one to face off against these forces.

We need another Hikoi!

 

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28 COMMENTS

  1. Surely the quoted figures show a failure of 6 years of a Labour control and show why they lost . While I agree National tend to support the bosses Labour did not look after the workers.

    • Bullshit, we are all far better financially better off under Labour governments, hence the name of the party.
      You are thick, look at unemployment under Labour compared to National on the graph. Labour keep employees employed, National make them redundant. Labour look after the workers, your rhetoric is fucking boring.
      Wages go up under Labour, they go down under national, can you not read a graph?

    • cognitive bias – an affliction of the mind… less. whilst I appreciate your sincerity, you are fooling yourself – why do you even bother posting here? we all railed against Labour when they did dumb shit, yet you just keep on with the Labour bad nonsense, when compared to this lot – they weren’t actually half bad. I eagerly await a time when I can praise National but I’m not holding my breath – give me something I can acknowledge National for doing? Key gave us fibre (monopolies), cycleways (through my dog walking park and not over the harbour bridge) and actually worked with Maori (because he had to) which I actually applaud them for. What’s Luxons plan? Where is he leading us, apart from the gutter?

    • So Trevor in the past you have implied Labour are beholden to the unions? Now when it suits your argument it’s the opposite.

    • Trevor Labour looked after Maori pretty well. I gather that Maori got paid for having the covid jab, but white people didn’t. The weighty te Puapua doc was secretly produced by Labour not to help workers or bosses, but to empower a minority based on ethnicity. Read it.

      • What you say is true Pip, however it can be better defined by the word equality. Not like we have now with such a divisive government. Just read their policies.

  2. Can’t have a Hikoi every 5 minutes. But, we can have community support where people connect more with each other. Share transport and shopping, do child, pet, and eldercare for others. Run “Fix it” sheds where things get repaired and recycled–we have a number in the Far North now. Pātaka Kai of course when you have food to share.

    Politically, join a union if in paid work, join a solidarity group or other group where you meet people and do stuff. Get ready for 2026 to help make sure this is a one term Govt. Help young people enrol, not everyone gets their mail these days as NZ Post continues to retrench.

    If you are politically conscious, get active against appropriate corporates, SMEs and local employers. Stand up to reactionaries and racists, do a graffiti night, wear provocative T shirts, put a sign on you gate, deck or front window.

  3. Awww fair do @Martyn. You have to make allowances because she’s SO bloody gorjiss – even IF it’s only in her own mind.

Comments are closed.