First Otara, now Ashburton
The smiling assassin was back at her best yesterday with an incentivised plan to lure Samoan and Tongan families out of Auckland to places where those communities were supposedly growing and strong. It fits with National’s housing solutions in that it provides no immediate plan to build more affordable housing in Auckland where the need is, and no support for those families that will take up the offer regarding long term employment opportunities. So, typical of a government keen to keep house prices sky-high, their answer is to move people away from their social networks. Dislocated communities need social services support, raised community engagement and good local connections to give them the chance to thrive in new places. Disturbingly, Bennett (nor Tolley for that matter) made no comments on those key issues yesterday.
I wonder if Bennett read or learned much as minister of Social Development. About things like the correlation between un/employment and un/stable accommodation; the costs of commuting to work near where you live; poor accommodation and high family transience or even the health impacts on children of cold, damp housing. Jeepers! Did she read anything? Throwing money at people on a housing wait list is a short-sighted, temporary and ill informed solution on people it will have an enduring impact on. Pasifika families thrive in settings where people are happy, connected, warm and able to take up opportunities that give them confidence and reward. Something probably true for all social groups.
In 1964 Auckland’s home ownership figures stood at just over 50 per cent. Its generally lifted since then and is well above that today. Pasifika home ownership in the most recent 2013 census sits at about 32 per cent – light years behind a stat recorded more than half a century ago. So 50 years ago when 1 in 2 Aucklanders owned a home the answer was to dupe us out of Ponsonby, Grey Lynn, Westmere and Kingsland to parts of the city I know best. Places like Otara, Henderson, Mangere, Glen Innes and Ranui. But now that we’ve been shut out of home ownership in the suburbs of Auckland, the new plan is to pay our fares and relocation costs (or more correctly, removal costs) to Oamaru and Ashburton. This is not a long term solution but just another quick bandaid approach… and I’ve already heard the righteous bandwagon of people thru my office this morning saying we should just be grateful. At a guess and granted this now emerging pattern of government response to the issue… the south pole will be the next migration wave for Pasifika and migrant communities.
“I wonder if Bennett read or learned much as minister of Social Development. About things like the correlation between un/employment and un/stable accommodation; the costs of commuting to work near where you live; poor accommodation and high family transience or even the health impacts on children of cold, damp housing. Jeepers! Did she read anything?”
Answer:
She only read what she wanted to read, and listened to advice that suited her and her government, that is what Paula Bennett did as Minister for Social Development. Ask the insiders, they all know, she did not like to read stuff, certainly not complex and complicated reports that they usually write and receive ample of at MSD.
Instead she jumped at the opportunity to welcome selected “experts” from the UK, who preach exactly what was music to the ears of the National led government, SAVINGS in COSTS to be made, by doing what controversial Professor Mansel Aylward and some of his associates recommended, which was based on research funded by Unum Provident, a dubious health and disability insurer, with head offices in the US, where they were convicted of fraud.
Key persons like Aylward were facilitated to talk to the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, brought here by Dr David Beaumont, a former ATOS worker from the UK, who has also vested interests as he runs Pathways, a rehab company, “assisting” sick and disabled in a return to work. So the whole medical professional organisations have been instrumentalised to bring about changes the government wanted.
Then they (MSD) have their internal “expert” Principal Health Advisor Dr Bratt, and the mantra they spread is, get em all off benefits, quickly, whether sick, disabled or healthy, send them off to work, as work is going to solve all problems, and is also “therapeutic”.
Hand picked evidence was presented, and the benefit likened to a “drug”, off which the dependent had to be weaned off quickly by all means. Here are some posts with ample info and links proving that it is largely based on highly questionable, at best inconsistent “research”, some even simply made up:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/08/09/msd-and-dr-david-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-claiming-worklessness-causes-poor-health/
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/msd-dr-bratt-present-misleading-evidence-on-worklessness-and-health-post-09-08-15.pdf
Some documents of relevance that are accessible via the above post:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/msd-o-i-a-rqst-re-dr-bratt-presentations-contacts-anon-ltr-w-questions-16-01-14.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/msd-o-i-a-rqst-re-dr-bratt-presentations-contacts-anon-16-01-reply-by-ce-27-02-14.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/msd-o-i-a-rqst-re-dr-bratt-presentations-contacts-anon-16-01-further-reply-12-11-14.pdf
As much OIA info was simply withheld, a complaint was made to the Ombudsman, who did though make a rather disappointing decision:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ombudsman-complaint-o-i-a-to-msd-public-interest-re-dr-bratt-anon-xx-03-2014.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ombudsman-complaint-msd-o-i-a-rqst-16-01-14-dr-bratt-presentation-info-ltr-xx-12-14.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ombudsman-complaint-o-i-a-to-msd-dr-bratt-publ-int-prov-dec-compl-hilit-22-05-15.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ombudsman-complaint-3xxxxx-msd-o-i-a-fr-16-01-14-bratt-presentations-anon-ltr-13-06-15.pdf
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/ombudsman-complaint-msd-o-i-a-rqst-16-01-14-dr-bratt-presentation-info-hilit-dec-23-06-15.pdf
So with the underfunded Ombudsman and a neutered “watchdog” the government has been able to get away with a damned lot, and the media does not bother looking into much stuff either.
Paula Bennett is a loose attack dog for the government, sending out false claims, making bold, unfounded statements, misleading the public and Parliament, and in doing all that, she offers NO real solutions, and serves as the big mouthed, ideological lap dog for Bill English and John Key, propagating policy that the neoliberal right love.
Remember what they said prior to last election:
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/nz-finance-minister-bill-english-insults-beneficiaries-with-mansel-aylwards-work-will-set-you-free-approach/
Paula Bennett is yet again OUT OF CONTROL, she has not even consulted her Ministry, that is rather Housing New Zealand, the corporation with which she is expected to work:
“Houses out of action for pay-to-move plans”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/294649/houses-out-of-action-for-pay-to-move-plans
“There are currently no state houses available to rent in Ashburton or Oamaru, Housing New Zealand says.”
So draw your conclusions, she is NOT fit to be a Minister for Social Housing, that one Ms Bennett we have heard so much BS from!
She stuffed up as an ineffective, also at times out of control Minister for Social Development (e.g. revealing private info on two sole parents that dared criticise her policy), who brought in questionable, not sufficiently evidence based, ineffective “reforms”, she has stuffed again now. Sack her, if not now, at election 2017!
She’s really on it our Paula. I can’t wait for her campaign to go all the way – getting all ‘poor’ people out of Auckland and out to the provinces.
If she can manage to get 30 or 40 thousand ‘poor’ people out, her cobbers can get 30 or 40 thousand ‘rich’ people in from overseas to take up the spaces created.
Reminds me of Pauline Hanson
Geez Efeso, if Paula Bennett banishes Auckland Tongans and Samoans to the rural “homelands”, it will be like the Oscars this year – no dark-skinned people there at all.
Auckland will be a rich, white, National-and-ACT voting enclave. Do you think Paula Bennett will erect a wall around Auckland and the North Shore to stop them sneaking back later?
It’s apartheid in New Zealand. It sucks.
Looks like Paula Lee Bennett has been influenced by that smiling danger man, Donald John Trump and his crazy, crazy harebrained ideas.
An apartheid policy against the poor!
A government that works for the welfare of the wealthy.
What a disgrace!
Social engineering is what they call it!!!
Evidently a lot of Housing Corp houses are not fit for human habitation according to the Herald this afternoon?
This is a callous and cunning plan to kick the poor out of Auckland to primarily benefit the rich pricks rather than building more houses for the poor or try to help people get employed or to help increase their incomes and wages.
I winder why she does not try to kick the rich pricks out of Auckland instead.
Ahhhh , look ,…she an idiot. And a hypocrite to boot.
On the DPB when she was young , then uses the state to provide an education then denies others in similar circumstance and now this…
I wonder if these morons in the National inner core havent considered the amount of JOB CREATION that would occur if there was a new housing plan…
Oh wait…they wouldnt do that because that might upset a few of their rich prick mates who adore an overheated property market.
What is wrong with Paula Bennett, she need to have a living experience among the Samoa and Tonga. She need to taste the Pacific Love because her experience can compare to a Pacific Island people live in Aotearoa.
House NZ also stop the lease of property but they looking community house what is that all about yes!
In the Epsom electorate, we have a diverse range of ethnicities with 14.6% Maori and 6.9% Pacific people and 9.2% Asian. Using the “race card” to make a political point is naughty. The Pacific people in Epsom have the democratic right to vote for whomever they want and if they want to take up Paula Bennett’s offer, they have that right also.
ACT is the only New Zealand party promoting choice and personal responsibilities and both of these character traits are evident in Paula Bennett’s scheme to match a state housing need with Pacific peoples’ housing needs, in a supply and demand environment.
You probably won’t print this email Efeso, because it does not suit your political agenda, but I could not let Winnie get away with using the race card to to try and back up her racist views.
Next thing, Winnie will be wanting to send Asians back to their respective countries and ban immigrants, like Donald Trump does, so there are more houses for Tongans, Samoans and Maori.
At least Winston will be looking after New Zealanders first, I am sure the South Islanders will welcome the Maoris, Tongans and Samoans with open arms?
David See-more You are really full of ” s–t”. Your Party will not be in the House after the next GE. The key poodle will have to go back to that ” small part of Academia “, the University community and talk the same sort of “s–t ” as you do .
David See-more You are really full of shit. Your Party will not be in the House after the next GE. Your key poodle will have to go back to that ” small part of Academia “, the University community and talk the same sort of “s–t ” as you do .
Te Tangata.Te Tangata. Te Tangata. Marketing slogans at all the WINZ offices pasted on every wall. I had an experience some four months ago on Dominion Road. Six staff locking their eyes on a computer screen and nine ” clients ???? ” waiting for twenty to forty minutes.
No use of the old courtesies at the front desk , Where two underpaid security staff are standing bored and embarrassed by the lack of civil kindness. No ” please ” , ” Sir ” or thank you. I watched with a bemused confirmation.
Te Tangata. Te Tangata. Te Tangata.
Bennett , you run a slovenly department.