let us acknowledge that it has been a long harsh winter for far too many children. The Families Package was too slow coming, and for the 140,000+ children below the very lowest 40% poverty line it has been a drop in the bucket. Without a longer-term goal of systemic reform, short term improvements can seem like tinkering and band aids. Or even worse, they may create the illusion the problems are solved.
Bill Rosenberg is the economist and director of policy for the Council of Trade Unions
In all the noise over the current fiasco, people have forgotten that what Labour are proposing is so mild as to be laughable. The only people who can seriously claim this will hurt business pay their staff a pittance and probably shouldn’t be in business.
TRIGGER WARNING: This blog is not as mean to Heather du Pleases-Allan as the title suggests
Well that was pretty meaningless with a hint of crisis management wasn’t it?
These are the ongoing effects of 30+ years of neo-liberalism, a political philosophy aimed at shifting wealth from the poor to the rich in New Zealand. It has been a most successful movement. Even though, as Max Rashbrooke shows, the bottom 90% of New Zealanders are worse off, most people still think that it is the best economic model.
If you are freaking out about 1080, vaccinations and fluoride in the water, wait until you hear about this thing called global warming. It’ll make you appreciate how petty your fears really are.
I re-entered politics because I wanted to see hope return for the many New Zealanders whom National had failed. I was sick of seeing the people in my community go without and fall further and further behind as those from the wealthier parts of town danced to a ‘rock star’ economy tune none of us could hear.
Stop hiding and engage, that’s the only way to ensure this issue gets fairly discussed.
Folks, it’s all bullshit spun by right wing trolls in the mainstream media. We are being led by people like Matthew Hooton, Tova O’Brien, Jordan Williams, Duncan Garner, Mark Richardson, John Armstrong, Cameron Slater, Mike Hosking, Kate Hawkesby, Heather Du Plisses Allan and Barry Soper!