National Party Exceptionalism

We make up the rules as we go along

It is fascinating that when it comes to National Party neoliberal social experiments, this Government’s ability to turn a blind eye and ignore the truth is as unsubtle as a Klu Klux Klan rally.

Look at how they hide the failures and fudge the numbers for their Private Prison experiment…

Corrections refuses to explain Serco ratings

Guards left Benjamin Lightbody lying in his cell with brain injuries while they filed paperwork and ate afternoon tea in mid-2013.

Corrections’ inspectors failed the prison for security and safety, but the department then gave it a pass.

It has refused to explain why.

The inspectorate’s investigation report in July 2013 went to Corrections chief executive Ray Smith. Mr Lightbody obtained it under the Privacy Act.

It found a root cause was widespread understaffing that meant Mt Eden’s wings frequently went unsupervised by guards.

Mr Lightbody, who has permanent brain damage, wants to sue Corrections.

Yesterday, the department wrote to Mr Lightbody’s lawyer saying it was keen to meet the Northlander to “help address what occurred”.

From 2013 through to 2015, when videos of fightclubs operating at Mt Eden emerged, Corrections scored the prison as ‘exceeding’ (twice) or ‘exceptional’ (six times) for rehabilitating prisoners.

To receive those ratings it had to pass a benchmark test of meeting minimum requirements for being safe and secure. It passed that benchmark every time.

But Corrections’ own inspectors were telling the department that Mt Eden was not safe and secure for prisoners or staff in reports in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

…look at how they do the exact same thing with their Charter School experiment…

Charter school reports show some failing to meet the grade

The reports also reveal two of the publicly-funded private schools expelled and suspended a lot more students last year than permitted by the performance standards in their contracts.

The schools had to publish their 2015 reports by the end of May.

They showed two of the three secondary schools – Vanguard Military Academy in Albany and Terenga Paraoa in Whangarei – had NCEA pass rates as high as 100 percent last year. But at the third, Pacific Advance Senior School, only 36 out of about 60 students got NCEA level one last year.

Four of the five primary or middle schools had published their reports by the end of May and two had good results in reading, writing and maths while two others had done poorly, with National Standards pass rates as low as 25 percent.

…and when their mass surveillance of beneficiaries fails to keep the information they are taking safe, they sack someone who has nothing to do with the actual issue so they can keep the program running.

Ministry of Social Development deputy chief executive steps aside after blunder in data collection project

“Following a report into some of the actions of the Community Investment business group, covered by the investigation into the security and privacy issues relating to the collection of individual client level data, Murray has advised me that he will take responsibility for the actions of his team at the time, despite having no direct involvement in those actions.

…so meaningless accountability and manufactured stats, anything to keep National’s neoliberal welfare reforms on track. Even when their policy is a complete meltdown, National are happy to throw millions at it to hide it from the public…

Homeless crisis costing Govt $100,000 a day for motels

Government blows the budget on emergency housing