Even National’s $25 per week benefit increase last year pales into insignificance with the news that reductions in the real value of Working for Families payments since National took office have taken a cumulative $2 billion from the homes of families on low incomes.
The real devastating failure of the city rebuild is the plight of low-income families left high and dry by the Christchurch City Council.
What this situation shows most clearly is the complete lack of public service ethos in these individuals. It is a lack of ethical behaviour which now pervades the senior levels of our public services across the country – both in government and local body organisations.
A significant proportion of New Zealanders want to see the GCSB (Government Communications Security Bureau) spy agency closed, its Waihopai spybase shut down and New Zealand withdraw from the “five eyes” alliance.
People are often surprised when I say I am much less impressed with Jacinda. I’ve heard her speak in public many times and have shared the platform on various panels with her and others (in my case to represent MANA Movement while she represented Labour) to discuss issues such as child poverty, housing, inequality and the struggles of beneficiaries etc
Not content to have the poorest New Zealanders face the biggest tax burdens and corrosive social problems our lowest income communities also face a plague of what can only be described as “parasites on poverty”.
With the smug, casual arrogance of the wealthy English said there was no need to change policy settings and the government’s approach was working for New Zealanders. English claimed National’s so-called “social investment” policies would deliver better outcomes for struggling families while on housing he said the real problem was local councils failing to make enough land available for urban development and the government was addressing the issue.
This clear detriment to social housing in Tauranga has in our view not come with any discernible other improvements and delivery by Accessible Properties. For all intents and purposes they will slot into the same role as HNZ in being a landlord providing social housing for MSD.
The government’s intention to sell up to 2,500 state houses in Christchurch can expect to be met with a vigorous community campaign to stop the sales.
The so-called “defence industry” with their war-mongering expo on at the same time is an affront to all of humanity. Their profiteering from human misery, death and destruction makes them arguably the most depraved human beings of all.