Budget 2013: Radio NZ and politicians

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Acknowledgment: RNZ board concerned over budget freeze

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At a time when state sector workers have received little or no pay increases, perhaps one of the worst cases of worker exploitation is at Radio New Zealand.

This year, yet again, there was no provision in this Budget to give a pay rise to Radio NZ staff. Not one cent.

In fact, Radio NZ staff have not recieved a pay increase since 2009,

The Government froze funding despite an independent “baseline funding review” from accountancy firm KPMG, which showed Radio NZ was underfunded and understaffed, and underpaid its employees.

The review – commissioned by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and which the Herald obtained under the Official Information Act – was initially withheld by the Government.

Published in November 2007, the KPMG review said Radio NZ – which broadcasts Radio NZ National and Radio NZ – needed $7 million to $7.6 million to meet commitments in 2008-2009 and was short of 25 employees. The shortfall would grow to $8.6 million to $9.5 million and 40 staff by 2010-2011.

The Labour Government last year increased Radio NZ’s funding by $2.4 million. But an insider said that money had been taken up by inflation and Radio NZ faced essentially the same problems to sustain services as in 2007.

Acknowledgment: Pay freeze tipped as Radio NZ slashes costs

Interestingly, Statistics NZ states that  salary/wage rates (including overtime) for the public sector rose by 1.6% in the year to the June 2012. (see:  Labour Cost Index (Salary and Wage Rates): June 2012 quarter) Obviously Radio NZ staff recieved none of that increase and the 1.6% figure is probably made up mostly of executive’s generous increases on their already bloated salaries.

Just a few of the state sector executives who have recieved  salary increases, as reported last year;

• Albert Brantley – CEO, Genesis Power – $1.18 million (up 22%)
• Don Elder – CEO, Solid Energy – $1.4 million (up 11%)
• John Allen – MFAT -  $620,000-$630,000  (up from $580,000-$590,000, 2011)
• Doug Heffernan – CEO, Mighty River Power -  $1.8 million (up 34%)
• Tim Lusk – former CEO, Meridian – $1.22m  (up 42%)

And MPs are not shy at accepting regular pay increases. As the Herald’s Adam Bennett reported last December (2012);

MPs will receive a 1.9 per cent pay increase, the Remuneration Authority confirmed this afternoon.

The salary increases are deemed to have come into effect on July 1 this year meaning MPs will receive back pay for the last six months. That works out to $1400 for backbench MPs and $3895 for the Prime Minister…

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… Since 2009 general salaries and wages had risen by 5.6 per cent while parliamentary salaries excluding the $2000 and $5000 increases to make up for he loss of travel perks, had risen by only 2.9 per cent, the authority said.

Acknowledgment: NZ Herald -  MPs get 1.9 per cent pay rise

It’s self-evident how politicians view issues surrounding pay increases for themselves and executives, as opposed to staff at state owned enterprises.

What makes the zero pay increase for Radio NZ staff even more problematic – and downright reeking of surreptitious political interference – is that Radio NZ is the only remaining public broadcaster left in this country after the demise of TVNZ7 last year.

Judging by the high number of National ministers who refuse invitations to be interviewed by Radio NZ journalists, it is abundantly clear that right wing politicians fear and loathe the public broadcaster. Aside from a few gutsy journos (eg, Patrick Gower, John Campbell, and Guyon Espiner) on TV3, there are few left in corporate electronic  media willing to risk the ire of this current government.

National ministers simply don’t have the balls (except maybe Judith “Democracy Crusher” Collins) to close down or privatise Radio NZ.

Strangling it with lack of funding and underpaying staff is a safer, sneakier way to achieve that goal.

It’s pretty much like killing a potplant you got as a Christmas present from your Aunt Dotty. You can’t throw it out because Aunty would notice, so you “do the deed” by denying it water.

How else to explain that politicians have been awarded substantial annual salary increases – whilst Radio NZ staff have received nothing?

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Annual Salary Increases: 2009 – 2012

	MPs % Increase	Radio NZ % increase
2009	nil	nil
2010	10%	nil
2011	1.5% + $5000 payment to compensate for lost international travel perk	nil
2012	1.9% (backdated 6 months)	nil

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This is not just about the “politics of envy” – this is about the principles of  equity. We simply cannot afford to let a taonga such as Radio NZ wither and die.

Easy Solution?

The easiest solution? Tie ALL salary adjustments of state sector employees, management, executives, as well as the judiciary and elected representatives, to determinations by the Remunerations Authority.

If a salary increase is good enough for members of Parliament, then it’s good enough for everyone else paid by the taxpayer.

As  John Key exhorted in 2009,

“I think it is wholly appropriate that the Government leads by example.”

Acknowledgment: Key urges restraint on MP salary rises

Indeed, Mr Key, indeed.

Now would be a good time to show that you mean what you say.

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References

Save Radio NZ

Beehive: Key urges restraint on MP salary rises (22 Jan 2009)

Radio NZ: RNZ board concerned over budget freeze (16 May 2012)

Statistics NZ: Labour Cost Index (Salary and Wage Rates): June 2012 quarter

Additional

NZ Herald: Pay freeze tipped as Radio NZ slashes costs (31 Aug 2009)

TV3:  Govt accused of pay rise double standards (26 March 2012)

NZ Herald: CEO Pay Survey: Salaries stall for NZ’s top bosses (8 June 2012)

NZ Herald: Top public sector pay packets revealed (11 Oct 2012)

NZ Herald:  MPs get 1.9 per cent pay rise (20 Dec 2012)

Previous related blogposts

Why the Remuneration Authority just doesn’t get it

From July 1 onwards

TVNZ7 – value for money!

TVNZ7 – Picking at the body before it’s cold

21 May – Public meeting: TVNZ7 gets the big tick!

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Budget 2013: Suffer the little children… to starve

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See:  UN urges: Eat more insects! (Seriously)

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As the growing crisis of child poverty continues to dominate the country’s attention (and so it damn well should!), National  raised  expectations by dropping  more than a few  hints,

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Acknowledgment:  Poverty, housing key Budget features

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But National’s 2013 Budget yielded no real  solutions to the growing problem of hungry children in our schools.

With 275,000 children living in poverty, John Key and Bill English could not come up with any initiatives to combat this shameful problem,

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Acknowledgment: Key tight-lipped on food in schools

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Key’s response was that  feeding children was an important issue but was also “somewhat the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff“.

I’m sure that hungry kids in schools throughout the country will understand that  this rotten government (aided and abetted by John Banks and Peter Dunne) refuses to offer even a simple bowl of weetbix and milk or toast and butter because – god forbid – it might be an “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff“.

Using such logic, we should offer not offer any medical assistance to half the people in our hospitals. Many are suffering from obesity-related diseases; cancers caused by tobacco use; alcohol-abuse related injuries or diseases; etc.

Are we prepared as a nation to bar people from hospital just in case they contributed to their own misfortune?

Before anyone thinks we should, they may want to review their own lifestyle before passing judgement on others.

Meanwhile, our well-paid and well-fed (courtesy of tax-payers) elected leaders were doing very nicely for themselves at post-budget events,

As Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister Bill English tucked into post-Budget meals, they kept their mouths closed over the Food in Schools programme.

Providing breakfast and lunch to needy kids was discussed as part of the Government’s plan to tackle child poverty, but the details weren’t included in yesterday’s Budget.

The programme was expected to involve extensive partnership with companies and community groups already involved in providing food to hungry students.

Following a post-Budget breakfast of bacon and a chocolate muffin, English today said an announcement would be made in the next couple of weeks.

Acknowledgment: IBID

Well, I think we can all be relieved about one thing. At least our beloved politicians are eating well.

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Acknowledgment: Getty Images

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A Conversation with  JONS  (Judgemental & Opinionated National Supporter),

Frank: “We have a real problem in this country with children going to school hungry and without food.”

JONS: “It’s the parent’s responsibility to feed their kids. They need to lay of the booze and baccy!”

Frank: “Only a minority are wasting their money on alcohol and tobacco. For many families, there’s just not enough left over from a minimum wage of $500 a week Especially after $300 in rent or mortgage, $50 for electicity, plus phone, plus medication, plus car costs, etc are all taken out.”

JONS: “So, they shouldn’t have kids then!”

Frank: “Really? So only those on higher incomes should have children?”

JONS: “Yeah. Can’t afford’em, don’t breed’em.”

Frank: “Is that the kind of society you want to live  in? That parents who earn below a certain income shouldn’t have kids?”

“JONS: “Sure.”

Frank: “Ok. So let’s extrapolate from that. Let’s say it takes a household with children about $70,000 a year to live on.

Does that sound about right?”

JONS: “Yeah, sure.”

Frank: “Ok, In the year ended December 2011, there were 61,403 (live) births in New Zealand”

JONS: “Ok…”

Frank: “The number of households with kids in New Zealand earning over $70,000 is 26%.

26% of 61,403 is about 15,965…

So if only families who earn $70 grand or over can have kids, the next question is; who is going to pay for the superannuation for a couple of million baby boomers in retirement? Because 15,965 children growing up into tax-paying adults is not going to be enough  to pay the superannuation bill, is it, JONS?”

JONS: “Ummm…”

That’s right, my dear National supporters. You can put aside your blind prejudice against the poor. The kids that are hungry at school today, are the future taxpayers of tomorrow. They will be the ones paying for our retirement.

So we better take damn good care of them, eh?

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Previous related blogpost

Why Peter Dunne won’t “Feed the Kids”

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Budget 2013: How NOT to deal with Student loan defaulters

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1. Prelude

In my parent’s home nation in Eastern Europe, during the era of the Soviet Bloc, the citizens of Poland, East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovalia, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania, and Albania were denied the right to travel freely to the West. (Mainly because 90% would not have returned.)

Travel outside of the Eastern bloc was severely curtailed. Those trying to cross borders to the West, without appropriate documentation, if caught, faced lengthy prison sentences.

Such was life under authoritarian regimes that used extreme measures to control their citizens.

In 1989, those regimes fell, and freedom returned to Eastern Europe. People were permitted to travel freely without fear of hindrance or arrest.

2. Welcome to the People’s Republic of New Zealand, Inc.

In 2013, New Zealand’s National government announced plans to adopt similar extreme measures. Powers of hindrance and arrest are to be issued to our Border security. Travel will be curtailed for a few.

During Bill English’s Budget speech today (16 May), the Finance Minister made one of the most extraordinary revelations that I have ever heard from a New Zealand politician;

Introducing the ability to arrest non-compliant borrowers who are about to leave New Zealand

Making it a criminal offence to knowingly default on an overseas-based repayment obligation will allow Inland Revenue to request an arrest warrant to prevent the most non-compliant borrowers from leaving New Zealand. Similar provisions already exist under the Child Support Act. This will be included in a bill later this year.

Acknowledgment:  IRD – Budget 2013 announcements

It is extraordinary because a loan defaulter is not a matter under the Crimes Act. It is what is known as a Civil matter.

If, for example, you, the reader, default on your mortgage, rent, or hire purchase, the Lender does not involve the Police. Instead, they apply to the Courts for a remedy.

The Tenancy Tribunal and Small Claims Court are examples where litigants can take their cases before a Court, and make their claims. Police are not involved. In the Tenancy Tribunal, there aren’t even any lawyers (generally).

For National to intend issuing arrest warrants, for student loan defaulters, takes the matter of a civil contract into the realm of the Crimes Act.

One wonder if  banks, finance companies,  and landlords will eventually apply for similar powers?

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“Open up please, Mrs Jones. Your rent is two weeks in arrears!”

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The worst aspect – indeed, the dumbest aspect – of this new measure is that it appears no one in  National has thought through the consequences of such a harsh,  autocratic policy.

This law – if enacted – will not stop people leaving New Zealand. It will stop people returning to New Zealand.

Because the law involves ex-students with loans  who have moved overseas; who have defaulted on their loan repayments whilst overseas; return to New Zealand (perhaps for a funeral, holiday, or visit family) – and only then are arrested at an airport as they try to board a plane to fly out of the country again.

Under such circumstances; what loan-defaulting New Zealander will bother coming back to this country? Ever?

Well done, National. You have just provided a further reason (if any was really required) for expat Kiwis to remain – expat. In terms of economic policy, this wasn’t an exercise in rationality – it was an exile in perpetuity.

The message that Key and English have sent to every New Zealander, who owes money to the State, is: don’t come home. The police will  be waiting.

So not only have we lost any chance that ex-pat loan defaulters might one day return and pay back their debt – but we’ve lost their expertise and any fortune they might bring back with them.

The sheer lunacy of such an ill-conconceived policy beggars belief.

But then again, maybe not. This was the government that was so cash-strapped last year, that they raided the meagre earnings of paper boys and girls;

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Acknowledgment: NZ Herald – Budget 2012: ‘Paper boy tax’ on small earnings stuns Labour

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This is a mean, desperate government we have, folks.

Make no mistake, they will do whatever it takes to get back into some form of  surplus by new year’s election. Because if they don’t – they are dog tucker  for sure.

Which is why I’m not holding my breath for Bill English’s “Big Announcement” in two weeks regarding the problem of hungry kids, and initiating a food-in-schools programme. Expect a massive disappointment on this matter.

Meanwhile, our Border Security will no longer be focused on searching for contraband, dangerous goods, or potential weapons being carried onboard airport. They will now be Border Guards tasked with keeping New Zealanders from travelling. Or escaping any other way…

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One wonders who will  next  be barred from travelling to and from New Zealand?

Consider also,  when we take this insane proposal and place it alongside  other laws, and proposed law-changes,

•  the so-called Terrorism Suppression Act,
• the Search and Surveillance Act,
• the Crown Minerals Amendment Act which suppresses protest at sea and threatens protesters with large fines and terms of imprisonment,
• the IRD sharing sensitive information with other government departments,
• illegal spying by the GCSB – with no legal consequences for those in authority,
• and instead,  extension of the surveillance powers of that same GCSB,

- we can see that our country has taken a path that we hoped, and feared, would never happen to us.

Well, it has happened and it is happening.

We are slowly but surely drifting ever closer to a police state.

3. An Open Letter to Labour, The Greens, Mana, and New Zealand First

As a citizen of this country, it is my deepest, sincerest hope that an incoming Labour-Green-Mana(-New Zealand First?)
coalition government will, upon taking office, make an urgent review of the spying powers of our “intelligence community”.

I submit that we have drifted from an open, free society, to one that is highly surveilled; copious data files kept on us;  and where police and  intelligence groups are straying far beyond their lawful mandates.

I also submit the following,

1. We do not need the so-called “Terrorism Suppression Act” or “Search and Surveillance Act”.  The Police, with their normal powers, are quite adequate to deal with crimes.   They serve no useful purpose and instead give powers to the State which serve only as a prelude to even more Orwellian laws. It is time to take  several, big, steps back. These laws should be repealed forthwith.
2. The Crown Minerals Amendment Act must be repealed forthwith. It is draconian legislation which serves the interests of corporations and threatens the right of New Zealand citizens to protest activity that is counter to the welfare of our nation and environment. This is a brazen attack of democracy and would be perfectly at home in a Third World dictatorship.
3. Do not permit the IRD to share information with other government departments. There is no need to create a vast monolithic State apparatus that collects information on us and in the process, invades our privacy.  Allowing the IRD to share information with, say, the Police, will simply serve to drive certain activities further underground.
4. Any extension of the GCSB’s surveillance powers should be undone and returned to it’s original purpose. (Or even get rid of it altogether. Precisely why are we spying for the Americans anyway?)
5. We desperately need a more effective, well-resourced, oversight mechanism for the SIS, GCSB, and Police. Our Australian neighbours are more serious in the way they over-see their spy agencies and we need to look to them for guidance. If there is one thing that the current Prime Minister has illustrated with crystal clarity – we can no longer trust one person to hold the responsibility for these agencies. At some time in the future, we could have a worse Prime Minister, with even more incompetant or nefarious intent. We must prepare for that day.

Some might say, “if you have nothing to fear, you won’t mind being watched by the State”. If true, my fellow New Zealanders, we might as well put cameras into every home and workplace in the country. After all, if we have nothing to fear…

I would turn it around and say, “if the State has no cause to believe we are about to rob a bank or sell heroin to schoolkids, then it won’t mind keeping out of our private lives”.

Previous governments (including this current one) have gradually extended the power and surveillance capabilities of the State.

It is time to wind back that Orwellian clock and re-set the values which we used to hold for personal privacy, and allow State intrusion only for real (not imagined) criminal activities.

We don’t need to be monitored. We don’t need files kept on us all.

We are not a nation of 4.4 million criminals.

You don’t need to fear us.

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*** UP-DATED! *** NEWSFLASH!!! *** On TV3′s Campbell Live Wednesday night!

On TV3′s Cambell Live, Wednesday (not Tuesday) night;

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Acknowledgment: Dominion Post – Mum not prepared to wait and die

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Allyson Lock, and six other New Zealanders are suffering from a rare condition called Pompe Disease. It is a condition that is treatable – but which PHARMAC refuses point blank to fund because of “price”.

Allyson is “lucky”. She is receiving treatment from a pharmaceutical company as part of a trial. For this, she has to travel to Australia every two weeks. As I wrote in a previous blogpost,

The travel involved leaving on Wednesday by driving from Masterton to Palmerston North; flying from Palmerston North to Auckland; flying from Auckland to Brisbane; driving next day to a hospital; having treatment; next day flying from Brisbane to Auckland; staying in Auckland overnight; then flying from Auckland to Palmerston North, and then driving from Palmerston North, home to Masterton. In the meantime her husband took time off work to care for their children. (Travel, food, and accomodation costs are met by the drug company.)

This routine takes place every two weeks.

Source: “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part tahi

There are others with Pompe Disease not so “fortunate”, and PHARMAC’s decision is efftively a death sentence.

This blogger has supported Allyson and her fellow sufferers ( aas well as others with rare diseases). Correspondence with Health Minister, Tony Ryall, yielded this deeply callous response,

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Not enough money to fund treatment for ill New Zealanders – but plenty to throw at new BMWs?  Rugby World Cup tournaments?  Or subsidise movies? Or other corporate welfare? Or bail-outs for finance companies? Or pay rises for MPs?

Campbell Live has taken an interest in Allyson, and will be featuring a story on her tomorrow night(Wednesday 15 May).

This blogger encourages the reader to tune in to Campbell (tv3, at 7pm, ot TV3-Plus, at 8pm) and share in Allyson’s story.

[This blogpost has been up-dated. The original screening time was tonight, Tuesday, 14 May. The date is now Wednesday 15 May.]

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Previous related blogposts

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key – Update & more questions

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key

National Party Supporters and their ‘Empathy’ for a woman with a terminal disease

“One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable”

• Part Tahi…

• Part Rua…

• Part Toru…

“There’s always an issue of money but we can find money for the right projects” – John Key

Health Minister circumvents law to fulfill 2008 election bribe?

Priorities?

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On child poverty, to the Sunday Star Times…

A letter to the editor of the Sunday Star Times, based on a response on a previous blogpost, National on Child Poverty?!

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from:     Frank M <fmacskasy@gmail.com>
to:     Sunday Star Times <editor@star-times.co.nz>
date:     Wed, May 15, 2013 at 11:28 AM
subject:     letters to the editor

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The Editor

Sunday Star Times

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I would fully support meals in ALL schools, regardless of decile ratings. It would eliminate labelling a school as “poor”. Feeding kids in all decile schools would be a benefit for parents for  less pressure on them to daily prepare meals for their children – especially where both spouses might be working and busy in the mornings. School breakfasts and lunches would remove some of the early morning pressures and stresses.

The good thing, though is we would once again be on a road to egalitarianism. Imagine if all kids, regardless of class, had the same meals (taking into consideration personal needs; allergies, religion, etc).

If our cuzzies in Britain, Canada, and Scandinavian nations can achieve this, I’m dumbfounded why so many think this is beyond our capabilities. Are we, as a nation incapable of doing what needs to be done??

I don’t believe that. Not for a moment.

And if National and Peter Dunne can plow $200 million into the Rugby World Cup, their excuse that this is somehow “unaffordable” simply doesn’t wash with me.

So, ok, we start with Decile 1 and 2. I’m a realist. I understand we need to take this one step at a time. The Right Wing in this country are in a frothing-mouthed hysterics over this plan. It would be a major reversal of our current neo-liberal, Me First culture.

This isn’t just about feeding hungry children – this is about the soul of our nation.

This is where we decide what kind of society we want to live in.

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-Frank Macskasy
(phone number and address supplied)

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It’s time to raise our voices on this (and other) problem.  As election time nears, they will have one eye on polls and the other on public opinion.

Now is the time to grab their attention.

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National on Child Poverty?!

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Acknowledgment: Dominion Post – Poverty among Budget targets

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At first glance, it appears that National has recognised that a crisis exists in our country; a crisis involving 275,000 children living in poverty.

Without doubt, this problem (I refuse to call it an “issue”) hit the public’s collective consciousness on 22 November 2011, when Bryan Bruce’s sobering documentary,”Inside Child Poverty” hit our television screens (see:  Strong reaction to damning TV child poverty doco).

Since then, the problem has become a major concern concern throughout the country.

More and more organisations, schools, political groups, etc, are adding their voice to a growing clamour for action. Most New Zealanders – those with eyes to see; ears to listen; and a mind to understand – want action. They want kids fed, so that they can attend their schools and learn and get a decent chance at life.

This is what Bryan Bruce, the documentary-maker of Inside Child Poverty wrote on his Facebook page;

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OK, let’s get some things straight about providing free healthy meals in schools.

1. First of all let’s decide on the principle before arguing about the detail.

Let’s admit there is a significant problem of children turning up to school hungry and that a lot of kids are eating low cost foods that contain a lot of sugar and fat , causing obesity , diabetes and long term health problems.

And at least get the Feed The Kids Bill to Parliamentary Select Committee. You can argue all you want about how it should be funded or what’s going to be on the menu there.

If you don’t think we have a community responsibility to feed children and/or educate their palates to healthy eating habits – then read no further it will only make you angry.

2. It doesn’t fill a hungry kids tummy to point at their parents and shout “Your problem is you have bad parents”. This page takes the view that kids don’t get to choose their parents and we have a community responsibility to ALL our kids to make sure they grow up healthy. And if that means feeding them for free- then that’s what we do.

3. No one is going to force feed any child food they don’t want to eat or is culturally inappropriate. If you watch the video below which I filmed in Sweden for the documentary you will see children from multi -cultural backgrounds CHOOSING their food. And Yes children with allergies are catered for and Yes children can still bring their own lunch prepared by the parents .

4.Free healthy school meals can be paid for without raising taxes. We just choose to re-distribute the existing pool of tax payer money and give up on some other things. Here are some suggestions, I’m sure you can think of other ways we could spend smarter.

(a) We could fund school meals out of the Health vote rather than the Education vote. In a document released under the Official Information Act I revealed that children under 14 receive 10% of the money set aside for health care. But children under 14 represent 20% of our population. So we could fund some of it – if not all of it – by giving kids their fair share.

(b )It is a well accepted health statistic that for every $1 we spend on preventing disease we save $4 in expensive hospital cure. So within a few years the scheme will fund itself out of what we save. If we DON’T do it, taxpayers will be spending much more than they are now on the Health budget in the future.

(c) We could make children a spending priority. National plans to spend a billion a year on Roads of National Significance over the next 10 years. What about Children? – aren’t they of National Signifcance? I’d much rather feed our kids than be able to by – pass small towns while driving to Auckland .

(d) We could pay the pension to people when they actually stop working and not just because they reach 65.

(e) We could spend more energy making sure people paid their taxes . Last year the IRD detected about a Billion dollars worth of tax evasion mostly by businesses. It’s estimated that the real tax evasion in NZ is between 4 and 5 Billion.
If you pay PAYE you can’t cheat your taxes. So we could easily pay for free school meals if more adults played fair.

Let’s impose greater penalties for tax evasion, and let’s stop thinking of tax as a bad thing. Tax is a good thing – it’s giving to ourselves. That’s how we can have schools and hospitals and yes even Roads Of National significance. Tax is the price of civilisation. Get over it.

Now whether you agree with some of the above, all of the above or none of the above , let’s at least agree that The Feed The Kids Bill should at least go to Select Committee after its First Reading so the issue can be properly debated.

Please contact your local MP today and urge them to support the Feed The Kids Bill.

You can find their contact details here, just click on their name :

http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/MPP/MPs/MPs

Thank you
Bryan

Inside Child Poverty New Zealand

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(Please give Brian support by going to his Page and “liking” it. The bigger the numbers, the more ‘clout’ he has.)

It’s fairly obvious to all by the most stubborn-minded that a malnourished child is not well pre-desposed to learning well. A child who cannot focus on his or her lessons and falls behind, eventually becomes alienated and disenchanted. The cycle of poverty, hopelessness, and anger perpetuates.

The Mana Party introduced a “Feed The Kids” Bill – aka the Education (Breakfast and Lunch Programmes in Schools) Amendment Bill – into Parliament last year, on 8 November 2012. The Bill is scheduled to come before Parliament for its first reading on 5 June this year.

With pressure coming hard and fast on Key and his increasingly shakey,  poll-driven,  ‘government’, their strategists are planning to end National’s destructive austerity Budgets and begin spending on essential social services that are critical to the well-being of our communities.

Part of this is Key’s stated intention;

Children who aren’t fed become victims and the Government has to deal with that, Prime Minister John Key says.

His comments come as action on child poverty is tipped to be the surprise package in Finance Minister Bill English’s fifth Budget on Thursday.

“The vast overwhelming bulk are [fed] in New Zealand, but if a child isn’t fed then actually they become a victim and whatever we think of that we need to try and deal with that issue.”

Acknowledgment: IBID

At his regular press conference,  Key was coy at whether National would  rule in or out a  food in schools programme – but was more candid in ruling out support for  Mana’s “Feed the Kids” member’s bill.

So. What we have is;

1. A firm “no” by National to Mana’s initiative
2. A firm “no” by Peter Dunne to Mana’s initiative  (Why Peter Dunne won’t “Feed the Kids”)
3. A vague committment;  “The vast overwhelming bulk are [fed] in New Zealand, but if a child isn’t fed then actually they become a victim and whatever we think of that we need to try and deal with that issue.”

Now, call me a cynic if you like, but National has a fairly poor track record on dealing with social matters, whether it be unemployment, solo-mothers, worker’s rights and conditions, etc.

To give an example; our high unemployment.

Unemployment is high.

Jobs are scarce.

National’s ‘solution’; “reform” social welfare and make it harder for the unemployed to access welfare support, or to retain it. Additional ‘solution’; demonise the unemployed and infer that that are bludging. Ditto for solo-mothers.

That was National’s ‘solution’; force people off welfare and make the numbers look good. (see: Bennett trumpets 5000 fewer on DPB, see: 5000 beneficiaries quit dole rather than reapply, see: Welfare rules force people to struggle on without benefits)

I hope I’m wrong, but my gut feeling is that the Nats plan to pull a “swiftie”. We’re going to see something along these lines;

1. A WINZ-based “targetted” approach where families that cannot afford to buy adequate food will have an increase in their food grants – but will probably have to re-pay it from their weekly welfare assistance.
2. A reliance on some form of “PPP”-style programme, such as Fonterra’s milk-in-schools programme. There will be nothing concrete – just a “promise” to “investigate possible options”.
3. A commision of enquiry of some description.
4. An increase for school budgets to buy food, but which will be limited; capped; and money will be taken from elsewhere in Vote:Education to fund this.
5. No increase in welfare assistance; no food in schools; but a form of food vouchers making up a portion of a beneficiaries overall entitlement.
6. A limited “trial” food-in-schools programme – for a handful of schools only.

Far from addressing this crisis, National, ACT, and Peter Dunne will apply a band-aid “solution” and present it to the public of New Zealand as “Mission: Accomplished”.

It will be nothing of the sort.

Only one thing will begin to address this problem – a change of government.

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References

NZ Herald: Strong reaction to damning TV child poverty doco (23 Nov 2011)

Feed The Kids website

Previous related blogpost

Why Peter Dunne won’t “Feed the Kids”

Can we afford to have “a chat on food in schools”?

Other blogs

The Daily Blog: Hungry Kids Annoy Frazzled Lobby Group Director

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= fs =

Skycity: National prostitutes New Zealand yet again

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Not only does an extension (to 2048)  of Skycity’s licence unconstitutionally bind future governments, but this deal adds to the growing problem (I refuse to call it an “issue”) of gambling addiction in this country.

What on Earth is National thinking?!  Is this the best they can do to grow the economy and create jobs???

Because it certainly seems that gambling is indeed one of the country’s “growth” industries,

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Acknowledgment: Statistics New Zealand – Gaming: an economically significant industry

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It is worth comparing the above graph with the timelime on the increase of different forms of gambling in this country;

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Acknowledgment: IBID

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Note the increase in gambling turnover sharply increasing from 1996, when Auckland’s Skycity casino opens.

The full National Government/Skycity deal is;

Key features of the SkyCity convention centre deal and what KordaMentha estimates they’re worth over 35 years:

* Extension of SkyCity’s casino licence, due to expire in 2021: $65m-$115m

* Additional 230 pokie machines: $95m-$115m*

* Additional 40 gaming tables: $72m-$101m

* More gaming tables that can be substituted for automated table game player stations: $77m-$109m

* Ticket-in, ticket-out and card-based cashless gaming technology on all pokie machines and automatic table games: $84m-$88m

* *Includes allowing up to 17 per cent of pokie machines and automatic table games (in restricted areas only) being able to accept banknotes of denominations greater than $20.

Acknowledgment: NZ Herald – PM defends 35-year SkyCity deal

It doesn’t take much imagination to consider the boost that this deal will give to Skycity’s turnover.

Key’s claim that this will create 1,800 jobs is dubious, to put it mildly, as his June 2012 NZ Herald report revealed;

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Acknowledgment: NZ Herald – “Puzzle of Key’s extra casino jobs”

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Once again, Key shows that our laws are for sale, if you happen to have the cash to buy a “good deal”. (I must remember that next time I get a speeding ticket…)

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What is the difference between a citizen bribing a policeman to evade the law – and a corporation paying a government   to changing the law in return for building a convention centre?

And note that this is not the first time National has changed our laws in return for corporate favours;

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Acknowledgment: NBR – Warner Bros sought job law change to film The Hobbit in NZ

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A government that has a plan for economic growth and job creation would not need to stoop to advancing the profitability of what is inarguably a vice – and a particularly dangerous vice, which can destroy families and bring down companies, as addicts steal from employers (or their own business) to fund their habit.

One has to ask; what next? Deals with the Chow Brothers to expand their brothel-business? Deals with tobacco corporations to expand their operations and/or weaken our anti-smoking legislation?

What else is for sale to the highest bidder?

And is this really how New Zealanders see themselves – available for sale?

Is this the best we can do for ourselves, to become  a nation of economic prostititutes? (No offence intended to sex-workers.)

Addendum

Some years ago, my partner and I were passing through Auckland on our way to Whangarei to meet up with friends. We stopped in to see Skycity – out first opportunity to visit the tower.

As well as going up the skytower and standing on the glass foot-block, seemingly suspended hundreds of metres over empty air, we had a ‘nosy’ into the casino itself.

I was expecting the casinos of James Bond novels and movies, with patrons dressed in smart, formal evening-wear; jet-black tuxedos and outrageously expensive and outrageously sexy gowns…

What I found were, for the most part, were local Kiwis dressed so far ‘down’, as to appear they had just come from working on their gardens. It was unnaturally quiet, with figures bent over table and pokie machines. There was no “atmosphere” of excitement… more one of fixated desperation.

James Bond would have sniffed his nose with disdain and walked out.

Which is what we did.

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Related blogpost

ACC. Skycity. NZ Superannuation. What is the connection?

Doing ‘the business’ with John Key – Here’s How (Part # Toru)

Doing ‘the business’ with John Key – Here’s How

Dear Leader caught telling porkies (again)?! (part rua)

Dear Leader caught telling porkies (again)?!

National under attack – defaults to Deflection #2

Johnny’s Report Card – National Standards Assessment – Sunrise, Sunset, and Outlooks

NZ’s 21st Century Growth Industries – Drugs, Gambling, & Prostitution

John Key has another un-named source???

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= fs =

National Party Corporate welfare vs real welfare

People welfare, bad!

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It’s fairly obvious what National thinks of New Zealanders who find themselves on the welfare safety net. Especially when those on welfare are there because of a global financial crisis brought on by unfettered,  laissez-faire capitalism (aka naked greed)  hitting a wall, and sending economies worldwide deep into recession.

But never mind. National has an answer for such dire events.

It’s called,

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Corporate welfare, good!

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Even as National continues to persecute, demonise, and blame the unemployed, solo-mothers (but never solo-dads), invalids, widows, etc, for their lot in life (because as we all know, the unemployed, solo-mothers (but never solo-dads), invalids, widows, etc, were directly responsible for the Global Financial Crisis that began in Wall Street’s boardrooms) – John Key and his cronies continue to lavish truck-loads of tax-payers’ money on corporate welfare.

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1. ETS Subsidies for farmers

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In June 2012, Business NZ CEO, Phil O’Reilly, wrote in the NZ Herald,

” There has been a lot of redesign and tinkering with the ETS.  Established in 2008, reviewed and amended in 2009, reviewed again last year and about to be amended again – it’s no wonder that businesses involved in the scheme have review fatigue.”

See:  Phil O’Reilly: Emissions trading scheme must bring investors certainty

Mr O’Reilly may well complain. But he is unfortunately too late. On the morning of  3 July, Dear Leader John Key announced that  the 2015 postponement (of elements of the ETS) had formally become an “indefinite postponement” (ie;  gone by lunchtime on that day).

Key stated,

“We’re not prepared to sacrifice jobs in a weak international environment when other countries are moving very slowly.”

See:  Slow economy puts ETS plans on hold

Yet that hasn’t stopped National from levying ETS on the public. No fears there, evidently, of  impacting on the pockets of ordinary Kiwis, and in effect, susidising farmers to the tune of  $400 million per year since 2009.

In effect, this is a transfer of wealth from  ordinary taxpayers to polluters [edited]. After all, what else can it be called when the public have to pay for an ETS – but farmers, industries, coal & oil companies, etc, – the very groups that produce CO2 and methane -  are exempt?

See:  Public to pay tab for polluters

So much for Tim Groser – Minister for Climate Change Issues and International Trade – insisting,

“The National-led Government remains committed to doing its part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is worth noting that we are the only country outside Europe with a comprehensive ETS.”

National’s “committment” to reducing greenhouse gas emissions  has gone up in smoke and carbon dioxide.

As the Sustainability Council NZ reported in November 2009,

•  Households would bear half the total costs under the amended ETS
  during its first five years (52%), while accounting for just a fifth of all
  emissions (19%). Together with small-medium industry, commerce and
  services, and transport operators, they would pay 90% of the costs resulting
  from the ETS during CP1 while being responsible for 30% of total emissions.

•  Pastoral farmers would gain a $1.1 billion subsidy and pay an amount equal
  to 2% of their fair share of the Kyoto bill during CP1, while large industrial
  emitters would gain a $488 million subsidy (at a carbon price of $30/t).

See:   ETS – Bill to a Future Generation

On top of that, National appears unwilling to release actual financial data when it comes to the ETS.  Critical data has been withheld, as the Sustainability Council discovered last year,

” Governments are legally required to provide an update of the nation’s financial position just before elections but those accounts do not recognise carbon obligations until they are in an international agreement, hence there is nothing concrete on the books until after 2012. “

See:   Simon Terry: Carbon books reveal shocking gaps

And the Council report goes on to state,

” The Sustainability Council requested a copy of those projections eleven weeks ago.
After various delays, the Treasury delivered its projections the day before the election
- late in the afternoon and with much of the key material blanked out.
What arrived is the carbon equivalent of a finance minister presenting a budget and
saying:

“Here is the estimated tax take for the next 40 years, and here is the total
spending. But we are not going to tell you how much tax is coming from any sector,
and we are certainly not going to tell you how tens of billions of dollars worth of
carbon subsidies and other payments are expected to be distributed. And no, we are
not giving you the figures for the past four years of the ETS either”.

It looks to be the closest thing in the public domain to New Zealand’s carbon books
and yet: future agricultural emissions are a state secret; future deforestation rates are a
state secret; even projected fossil fuel emissions are a state secret – all blanked out. “

See:  Show Me the Carbon Money

So what do we have here?

1. Ongoing subsidies to polluting industries, with said subsidies paid by you and me, the taxpayer.
2. Secrecy surrounding future  ETS  agricultural, deforestation, and fossil fuel emissions.
3. Constant deferring of including polluters in a scheme that was designed specifically for dirty industries and farming practices.
4. Importation of  unlimited, cheap,  foreign carbon credits.

Final point:

It seems a crying shame (as well as a fair degree of sheer madness) that we are paying subsidies to industry – whilst  not offering the same deals to  the  generation of renewable energy  and further research into renewable energy options (wind, solar, tidal, etc).

Ironically, the one subsidy that might have helped our economy and environment was scrapped in 2011, making Solid Energy’s biofuel programme uneconomic.  (See: Biodiesel loses subsidy, prices to rise)

Instead, the taxpayer continues to subsidise polluters. On 27 August 2012, National finally ditched agriculture’s involvement in the ETS, giving farmers, horticulturalists, etc, a permanent “free ride”  from paying for their polluting activities. (See: Farmers’ ETS exemption progresses )

This is the inevitable  result of electing a corporate-friendly political party into government.

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2. Subsidies to Private schools and Tertiary Providers

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Subsidies to private tertiary education providers continues to increase,

” The Government is investing a further $29.503 million in the Private Training Establishment (PTE) sector over four years. This increases the funding rates for private training providers in line with the Government’s promise to treat them more equitably with public providers. The resulting funding difference is now half of what it was previously. “

See: Tertiary Education Commission – Private Training Establishments

So, if you’re a private company offering to train someone a course in “xyz” – expect a hand-out from a corporate-friendly National.

In the meantime,

• ” Student allowances are removed for post-graduate study the parental threshold for accessing allowances is frozen for the next four years.  The Government says the changes will save $240 million in the first year and up to $70 million a year thereafter.  The Budget cuts all funding for adult and community education in universities, saving $5.4 million over four years. “

See: Radio  NZ -  Benefits for research, science and engineering

• “ It also saves $22.4 million over four years by ending funding used to help tertiary education providers include literacy and numeracy teaching in low-level tertiary education courses...”

See: Radio  NZ -  Benefits for research, science and engineering

• ” Sunday Star-Times recently reported one in five young people left school without basic numeracy and literacy skills, despite the future workforce depending on advanced expertise. “

See:  Not adding up on Easy Street

• ” Early childhood education subsidy cuts worth tens of millions of dollars are likely to be passed on to some parents through increased fees.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has kicked a total revamp of ECE funding into a future Budget, opting instead to stop cost increases to the Crown by cancelling the annual upward inflationary adjustment in rates.

The subsidy freeze takes effect on the next funding round, stripping about $40 million out of ECE payments to 5258 ECE centres. About 1427 of those centres are eligible for “equity funding,” however, and will get a boost through $49m extra directed to them over four years in a bid to enrol more children from the lowest socio-economic parts of the country.

But the scrapping of an annual inflationadjustment for other centres will be an effective funding cut as inflation pushes the cost of running ECE centres up. “

See:  Parents face burden of preschool squeeze

National’s most recent hand-out went to private school, Whanganui Collegiate,

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See: Govt ignored advice before private school’s integration

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For a Party that advocates the “free market”, it certainly seems odd that they’re willing to throw bucketloads of our taxes at businesses such as private schools.  After all, what is a private school, if not a profit-making business?

And don’t forget Charter Schools – which is the State paying private enterprise/institutions to run schools – whilst making a profit (at taxpayer’s expense) in the process. Why don’t exporters get this kind of support?

That was certainly Gerry Brownlee’s attitude when Christchurch’s post-earthquake housing crisis became apparent,

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See: Christchurch rent crisis ‘best left to market’

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3. Media Works subsidy

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In 2011, this extraordinary story broke,

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Prime Minister defends loan to MediaWorks

Published: 8:28PM Friday April 08, 2011 Source: ONE News

The Prime Minister is defending his decision to loan $43 million of taxpayer money to private media companies.

John Key claims the loan scheme was designed to help the whole radio industry.

But a ONE News investigation has revealed MediaWorks was the big winner after some hard lobbying.

Key is known for being media friendly, but he’s facing criticism from Labour that he’s become too cosy with MediaWorks which owns TV3 and half of New Zealand’s radio stations.

It has been revealed the government deferred $43 million in radio licensing fees for MediaWorks after some serious lobbying.

Key and the former head of MediaWorks, Brent Impey, talked at a TV3 Telethon event.

“I just raised it as an issue but we’d been looking at it for sometime. My view was it made sense. It’s a commercial loan, it’s a secured contract,” Key said.

It’s believed the loan is being made at 11% interest.

But in answer to parliamentary written questions, the Prime Minister said he had “no meetings” with representatives of MediaWorks to discuss the deal.

Two days later that answer was corrected, saying he “ran into” Brent Impey at a “social event” in Auckland where the issue was “briefly raised” and he “passed his comments on” to the responsible minister. ”

See: Prime Minister defends loan to MediaWorks

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Aside from another example of Key’s mendacity, when he originally claimed to have had no contact with Mediaworks,

… in answer to parliamentary written questions, the Prime Minister said he had “no meetings” with representatives of MediaWorks to discuss the deal.

Two days later that answer was corrected, saying he “ran into” Brent Impey at a “social event” in Auckland where the issue was “briefly raised” and he “passed his comments on” to the responsible minister.

See: IBID

… this affair was another example of selective subsidies being offered to some business – whilst others are left to their own devices to survive,

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Source

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We’ve lost 41,000 jobs in the manufacturing and construction sectors over the last five years. To which National’s Minister-Of-Everything, Steven Joyce’s response was,

“Nobody’s arguing that being a manufacturer isn’t challenging. In fact, in my history in business, every time you’re in business it’s challenging.

“But going around and trying to talk down the New Zealand economy and talk about a crisis in manufacturing, I don’t think is particularly helpful.”

See: Exporters tell inquiry of threat from high dollar

“There is no doubt that economic conditions in the post GFC- world are challenging for some firms. The role of Government is to do things that help make firms more competitive and that is what our Business Growth Agenda is all about.”

See: Opposition parties determined to manufacture a crisis

Or Minister for Primary Industries, Nathan Guy saying,

“Our trading disadvantage has meant that we need to do more with less, and to work smarter.”

See: Innovation in New Zealand’s Agribusiness sector

To which exporters responded with this,

“We’re told to get smarter and I find that irritating and insulting. I’m about as smart as they get in my little field. How the hell do these people get smarter? For a politician to tell somebody else to get smarter – he’s risking his life.”

See: Exporters tell inquiry of threat from high dollar

Not very helpful, Mr Joyce.  Though Opposition Parties may appreciate that you are pushing your core constituents into their waiting arms.

That’s how you alienate your voter-base.

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4. Sporting subsidies

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The Rugby World Cup

• Prime Minister John Key today announced a $15 million grant for an upgrade of Christchurch’s AMI Stadium for the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

See: Govt announces $15m for AMI Stadium (30 April 2009)

• Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin says he is “chuffed” the Government will contribute up to $15 million to cover shortfalls in private sector funding for the $198 million Otago Stadium project.

See: Chin ‘chuffed’ at $15m for stadium

• The Government blew out a $10 million budget to host VIPs at the Rugby World Cup – even though just a handful of foreign leaders attended.

See: $5 million overspend on World Cup VIP budget

• An extra $5.5 million will be spent on the Rugby World Cup to make sure there’s not a repeat of the chaos that unfolded on the evening of the tournament’s opening ceremony.

See:  Government shores up Party Central, Rugby World Cup 2011

• Including the $350m spent to upgrade stadiums and provide IRB-approved facilities around the country and millions more pumped into infrastructure and preparations, the bill for the tournament has easily surpassed the $400m mark.

See: World Cup ‘absolutely worth’ price tag

Yacht Races

The Major Events Development Fund will invest $1.5 million on each of two Volvo Ocean Race Auckland stopovers to be held in 2015 and 2018 following an announcement today by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce

See: Govt to support 2015 & 2018 Volvo Ocean Race Auckland stopovers

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Meanwhile, Health Minister Tony Ryall refuses to provide additional funding for specialised medicines for patients with rare disorders. See: Letter from Tony Ryall, 5 December 2012

The message is crystal clear; National will subsidise rugby games and yacht races. But don’t expect help if you discover you have a rare disease.

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5. Warner Bros subsidy

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After Jackson made public noises in October 2010 that ‘The Hobbit’ could be taken offshore, there was a kind of mass-hysteria that pervaded the country.

Warner Bros wide-boys jetted down to meet Dear Leader, who kindly supplied a taxpayer-funded chauffeured limousine to bring the Holloywood execs to Parliament.

Dear Leader said “no more subsidies”.

Nek minit; Warner Bros demanded, and got, an extra $15 million. (see: Govt defends Hobbit jobs claim)

All up, the New Zealand taxpayer coughed up $67 million to give to Warner Bros. (Who sez crime doesn’t pay? Gangsterism obviously turns a healthy profit now and then.)

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The film obviously didn’t do too badly at the Box Office – $1 billion is not too shabby by anyone’s standards,

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Can we have our money back now, please?

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6.  Broadband subsidy

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Funny isn’t it.   Pro-business lobby groups always complain about State intrusion into the market place… Except when subsidies are being handing out.

One wonders why, if the Free Market” is more efficient than the State, that $1.5 billion in taxes has to be paid to private telcos to do what that they should already be doing.

Perhaps this is why it took the State to build this country’s infra-structure over the last hundred years. Infra-structure such as electricity generation. (See related blogpost: Greed is good?)

Which National is now preparing to part-privatise.

Private companies will soon be owning what taxpayers built up over decades, and which private enterprise was loathe to build in the first place. (If you’re wondering whether I’m referring to state power companies or broadband – there doesn’t seem to be much difference.)

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Meanwhile, back in the Real World!

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Full story

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Dear Leader says,

“Some argue that people on a benefit can’t work. But that’s not correct.”

Correct.

Because as Welfare Minister Paula Bennett stated candidly on Q+A on 29 April,

“There’s not a job for everyone that would want one right now, or else we wouldn’t have the unemployment figures that we do. “

See:  TVNZ  Q+A: Transcript of Paula Bennett interview

Correct.

Which means that National’s  “reforms” to push 46,000 of  welfare is not just a meaningless exercise (the jobs simply aren’t there) – but is actually a political smokescreen to hide their own incompetance at forming constructive policies for job creation.

Unfortunately, there are too many right wing halfwits and Middle Class low-information voters who readily buy into National’s smokescreen. It’s called prejudice, and means not having to think too deeply on issues,

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Fortunately, it is the job of those on the Left to dispel these unpleasant notions for the Middle Classes. (National’s right wing groupies are a lost cause.)

Let’s start by posing the question; why is welfare for  corporations supposedly a good thing – but welfare for someone who has just lost their job, supposedly bad?

That’s what we need to keep asking the Middle Classes.

Eventually, they’ll start paying attention.

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This blogpost was first published on The Daily Blog on 8 March 2013.

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Additional

Scoop: Where’s National’s ‘corporate welfare’ reform?

Fairfax media: Doubt stalls biofuels growth (14 March 2011)

The Press: Solid Energy ‘wasted millions’ on biofuels (31 Aug 2012)

Southland Times: Biodiesel loses subsidy, prices to rise (30 May 2012)

TVNZ: Prime Minister defends loan to MediaWorks (8 April 2011)

Radio NZ: Data reveals drop in manufacturing, building jobs (22 Feb 2013)

Previous related blogpost

Once upon a time there was a solo-mum

Doing ‘the business’ with John Key – Here’s How

Acknowledgements

Tim Jones of  Coal Action Network Aotearoa

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The NZ Taliban – quietly safeguarding our morals

From Whangarei,

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Acknowledgment: The Dominion Post – Guesthouse refuses to let gay couple sleep together

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Bigots/owners of the Pilgrim Planet Lodge refused to allow a same-sex couple, Paula Knight and Jane Collison to occupy the same room. Ms Knight and Ms Collison are a same-sex couple.

According to local Taliban morals-police, Ms Karen Ruskin,

“Why do they assume that we have to change our standards, our values, to accommodate behaviour that is sodomy?This is our home, we are not a big motel.  In our home, where our grandchildren are, where our guests are, we don’t want sodomy.”

Acknowledgment: IBID

Now, it occurs to me that Morals Enforcer, Ms Ruskin (and her husband – I assume they are a married heterosexual couple) seem to be a bit confused about basic biology and more specifically, human anatomy.

Sodomy requires at least one penis to be involved. I’m assuming (again) that neither Ms Knight or  Ms  Collison packed one with their toothpaste, spare knickers, and phone recharger?

So – no penis = no sodomy?

Point two. I hate to be the one to break it to the Christian Morality Commissars, Mr and Ms Ruskin – but it’s well known that heterosexual couples do engage in sodomy. At least one ‘member’ (*snigger*) of a heterosexual couple has the prerequisite anatomical appendage: a dick. (No, not Aaron Gilmore. Not this time.)

So – one penis = sodomy.

Now call me the government Minister in Charge of the Bleedin’ Obvious – but if  Whangarei Wowser, Ms Ruskin (and her hubby, who also, I’m assuming once more, is in possession of a functioning penis) are so fixated on preventing sodomy from taking place under their roof – wouldn’t the appropriate policy be to ban all males from their Humble Heterosexual  Hostel?

Kinda stands to reason, really.

Remember,

Penis = sodomy

No penis = no sodomy

So in reality, lesbian couples, single woman, post-op transgender-women,  and eunochs – should all be welcomed guests.

Unfortunately for  Mr Ruskin he’ll  have to live in the garden shed. Remember, he’s got a penis. And people with penii (correct plural?) tend to get up to mischief. Like sodomy.

That’s the problem with religious (?) moralists who take it upon themselves to look after our morals and mind our business – they often don’t think things through properly.

Now, unfortunately, I can already hear a chorus of conservatives and (some) assorted right-wingers who will be bleating the old mantra,

“It’s their business – they should be able to do what they like!”

These are usually the same conservatives and assorted right-wingers who demand the abolition of the Treaty of Waitangi, asserting that there should be one law for all.

One law for all – except when  right wingers and conservatives demand the right to discriminate against anyone for anything.

Back to the local agents for Moral Correctness – the Ruskins.

I guess I won’t be staying at their Happy Hotel for Hitched Heterosexuals. After all, I have a penis (or I did, last time I looked).

And considering the number of times various right wingers have urged  me to “go fuck myself” over the years, the very real risk of me sodomising myself is  worth considering.

So the Ruskins will be safe from my penis.

I bet they’re relieved.

Addendum

The Ruskins’ webpage promoting their motel doesn’t refer to a blanket ban on bumming (aka, sodomy), so I’ve taken the liberty of correcting that oversight,

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Pilgrim Planet Lodge – no sodomy please.

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2013 – Ongoing jobless talley

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Continued from: 2013 – More redundancies…

So by the numbers, for this year,

January

• Summit Wool Spinners: 192 redundancies
• Event Cinemas Highland Park theatre:  12 (or more?) redundancies
• Kiwi Pallets: 5 redundancies

February

• NZ Post/Datamail: 100 redundancies
• Mainzeal: 200 redundancies (+ flow-on effects)
• Contact Energy: 100+ redundancies
• Christchurch school closures: 50+ redundancies
• ANZ: 23 redundancies
• Transpacific: up to 200 redundancies in NZ and Australia
• Suzanne Grae: 100 redundancies
• Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment: 135 redundancies
• Gen-i: unknown number redundancies
• Solid Energy: 450 redundancies (1,200 more under review)
• Wairarapa and Hutt Valley DHBs: 41 redundancies

March

• Southern Institute of Technology: 6/7 redundancies
• Geon Group: 185  redundancies
• Ellerslie TAB: 54 redundancies (net, 30 redundancies?)
• Department of Conservation: 140 redundancies
• Telecom: 1,230 redundancies
• Park Road Post: 12 redundancies

April

• Starplus Homes: 10 redundancies
• Fonterra: 300 redundancies
• Fisher Funds: 13 redundancies
• Ministry of Justice: 38 redundancies

May

• Solid Energy: 105 redundancies
• Tait Communications: 70 redundancies
• Starfish Clothing retailer: 9 redundancies

Announced Plans for job cuts

• Fletcher Building

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[To  be periodically up-dated]

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Peter Mazany: We don’t Need No Edukashun!

From the NZ Herald, on 26 April, Peter Mazany makes his case for running a Charter School;

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Acknowledgement: NZ Herald – Peter Mazany: Charter schools ‘vital’ for some students

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This op-ed piece sounds more like a self-promotional advertisement than anything truly news-worthy,

“Our company Schoolsims NZ has submitted an application to start a Partnership School/Kura Hourua.

I and some of my colleagues have taught or have positions at tertiary institutions in New Zealand. I have received prizes for my work when teaching at the University of Auckland as the most distinguished teacher and as the MBA teacher of the year. I do not and will never have a teaching degree and without the partnership schools initiative, this opportunity to start a school and prove the value of our teaching and learning methods would never have been available. I am sure that some of the other applicants are in the same position.

We are working with about 50 schools and provide them with an effective form of simulation-based learning for NCEA accounting with a large computer-based component.

Our target is to double the effectiveness of teaching and learning in half the time and half the cost over a range of standards in NCEA accounting, business studies, and maths.”

Of particular mirth/derision, is Mazany’s statement,

“I do not and will never have a teaching degree…”

He sounds positively proud of the fact he has no formal training/education in teaching!?

One wonders if he’ll be de-motivating his Charter School students to likewise not  seek further, higher education?

Why should children in Mazany’s Charter Schools seek higher education? Aftrer all, Mazany has set himself up as a role model.

But more chilling was this statement in his promo;

“Our method can produce huge benefits in results, efficiency, flexibility, speed and cost.”

One can imagine the outcome of a regime that focuses on “results, efficiency, flexibility, speed and cost“,

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This is education for our children. “Results, efficiency, flexibility, speed and cost” sounds more like an assembly line for pre-programmed automatons.

It will be a primary issue for an incoming Labour-Green government to remove all funding from  Charter Schools and to eliminate this bastardised, dumbed-down, profit-generating version of “education” from our society.

As an aside, I wonder if Mazany paid NZ Herald to publish what is, in effect, an advertorial.

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Hat-Tip

“Burnt out Teacher”, Man expanding business seeks wealthy partner(-ship school)

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Marriage Equality Bill passes! First weddings due soon!

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History was made today when Parliament voted over-whelmingly to legalise same-sex marriage, 77 votes to 44.

Extending full marriage equality to consenting adults regardless of gender and sexual orientation was something that had to pass. No society can call itself civilised when it deprives some people a right enjoyed by others. Injustice cannot be allowed to prevail if we are all to live freely.

For those who opposed marriage equality, I say this; nothing has been taken from you, today. Your lives will go on as before. But the lives of gays and lesbians will have improved immeasurably.

For those people who opposed marriage equality on religious grounds, then understand this; your god is not everyone elses’ god. You may think so – but it isn’t true.

On a vastly more positive note, St Matthew-in-the-City in Auckland this evening announced,

“To those in the lGBTi community who wish a religious ceremony, St Matthew’s will begin taking bookings for your wedding tomorrow.”

This is the warm, inclusive, non-judgemental side of humanity’s religious faith. Imagine what kind of world we might live in if all regions expressed such tolerant, loving belief.

To all those seventyseven Members of Parliament – regardless of Party affiliation and political beliefs – who voted for marriage equality; it was a fine thing you did tonight.  This is what New Zealanders can achieve when we work together to make something good.

To all those seventyseven Member of Parliament – today you have made history.

And to all you seventyseven men and women – thank you.

Sleep well tonight.

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= fs =

When is ‘Nanny State’ not a ‘Nanny State’?

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… when National does it.

From one day ago,

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Acknowledgement: Dominion Post – Young people banned from sunbeds

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But when the previous Labour government attempted to improve the health of our children, National condemned it as,

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Acknowledgement: Dominion Post – ‘Nanny state’ fears on health bill

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When the previous Labour government tried to conserve energy use, National condemned it as,

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Acknowledgement: Scoop – Showers latest target of Labour’s nanny state

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Evidently it’s ok for National to pass laws controlling a legal (if somewhat unhealthy and dangerous) activity. The Nats are attempting to ban a group of young people from engaging in activity that  older New Zealanders are still allowed to do.

But not for the previous Labour government when they wanted to replace unhealthy food with healthy food in school cafetarias/tuck shops.

In fact, when National took office in November 2008, they reversed the healthy foods policy in schools,

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Acknowledgement: Fairfax Media – Schools’ healthy food rule scrapped

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According to Ms Tolley – National’s Education Minister at the time – it was “up to parents and students to make decisions about healthy food”.

The Nats couldn’t wait to allow fatty, sugary, salty, artery-clogging, diabetes-inducing, garbage back into schools for our young children to consume. And shorten their life-spans by several decades, no doubt.

That was ok. No “nanny state” here, folks – junk food was given the Big Tory Tick.

But not sun beds.

Apparently, Associate Health Minister Jo Goodhew and her National colleague, MP Paul Hutchison, don’t mind putting on a “Nanny” frock and instructing under-18s that cooking themselves with UV radiation has been banned by Big Government.

I wonder if when this Bill comes before the House for it’s three readings, that Labour and Green  MPs sitting opposite Ms Goodhew and Mr Hutchison will be quieting chanting…

“Nanny state… nanny state… nanny state… nanny state… nanny state… nanny state… nanny state… nanny state… “

Gowan. Do it.

You know you want to.

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= fs =

Meanwhile, back on Planet Key…

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1. Treasury, IRD, tax cuts…

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Acknowledgement:  NZ Herald: Income tax cut tipped as best bet

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It appears that right wing bureacrats in the ‘zoos’  we know as Treasury and IRD are, once again, advocating tax cuts.

A recent report by Treasury and IRD are once again pushing for tax cuts as a ‘panacea’ for our low economic growth. As Brian Fallow reports,

They conclude that cutting personal income tax would be the most effective in boosting economic welfare.

“Boosting economic welfare” for whom? We already know that there is a widening wealth/income gap in this country. (see:  NZ rich-poor gap widens faster than rest of world, see:  Gap between rich and poor highest ever, report shows)

So really,  that argument is ideological clap-trap. In fact, New Zealanders have enjoyed six tax cuts since 1986, and the mantra of “ cutting personal income tax would be the most effective in boosting economic welfare” seems as much an empty promise as ever.

The report next claims, that tax cuts,

“…would increase incentives both to work and to save and invest.”

No… the real incentive to save (via Labour’s Kiwisaver) was the $1,000 kick-start which government is offering ever New Zealander who opens a Kiwisaver account.

Other tax cuts have simply given people more cash to pay of debt; invest in mortgages (rental properties) or buy imported consumer goods. None of which contributes to our economy. In fact, our private debt continues to skyrocket,

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Acknowledgement:  Treasury – 4.2.2  Private-sector debt and factors affecting it

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At the same time our savings record has been abysmal, as Reserve Bank Governor, Dr Alan Bollard,said on 14 June 2010,

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Based on our Monetary Policy Statement, we forecast New Zealand household savings to improve from a very poor position to one that has improved, but is still in significant deficit. We believe that since the crisis, New Zealanders have decided they are over-exposed to property assets and to high debt, and they are prepared to constrain consumption to improve their savings. But we are unclear how much rebalancing they contemplate, and for how long.

Acknowledgement: Reserve Bank  NZ – New Zealand’s Economic Recovery, External Vulnerabilities and the Balancing Act Ahead

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The report also suggests altering the “fiscal drag” – whereby an increase in salary/wages ‘bumps’ the earner into the next highest tax bracket,

That would have to be some big ‘bump’,

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Acknowledgement: IRD Income tax rates for individuals 2012-2013

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Families receiving Working For Families pay much less tax, as the report clearly stated,

“And for a couple with two children and one earner, who is on the average wage, the tax burden was just 0.6 per cent, with Working for Families tax credits, compared with 26.1 per cent across the OECD.”

Acknowledgement:  NZ Herald: Income tax cut tipped as best bet

The report recommended,

“A simple change to current thresholds in 2015, to correct for five years of fiscal drag since the 2010 tax reform, is estimated to cost around $1.5 billion per annum.”

If the report’s suggestions are to be taken seriously and implemented by National, the result would be a massive one-and-a-half billion loss in tax revenue.

Where have we heard this before?

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Acknowledgement: Scoop.co.nz:  Govt’s 2010 tax cuts ‘costing $2 billion and counting’

Which then led us to this,

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Acknowledgement: Interest.co.nz: Treasury lowers govt’s forecast for 2014/15 surplus to NZ$66 mln from NZ$197 mln on Budget day

See also

Govt austerity slows growth, keeps rates low – RBNZ (13 Sept 2012)

Govt deficit up as tax take dips (5 Dec, 2012)

Now in case any National/ACT Party supporters are reading this and are still sceptical, I refer them to this piece from the United States,

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Acknowledgement: The Atlantic – Tax Cuts Don’t Lead to Economic Growth, a New 65-Year Study Finds

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Basically, in a nut-shell, the findings of the study in that news item stated,

In 2001 and 2003, President Bush cut taxes, and we faced a disappointing expansion followed by a Great Recession.

Does this story prove that raising taxes helps GDP? No. Does it prove that cutting taxes hurts GDP? No.

But it does suggest that there is a lot more to an economy than taxes, and that slashing taxes is not a guaranteed way to accelerate economic growth.

That was the conclusion from David Leonhardt’s new column today for The New York Times, and it was precisely the finding of a new study from the Congressional Research Service, “Taxes and the Economy: An Economic Analysis of the Top Tax Rates Since 1945.” 

Analysis of six decades of data found that top tax rates “have had little association with saving, investment, or productivity growth.”

Acknowledgement: IBID

Heck, I could’ve told you that.

In fact… I have.

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2. Rio Tinto, Meridian Energy, Bill English…

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Tiwai and  Bluff are situated in Eric Roy’s Invercargill electorate – sitting adjacent to Bill English’s Clutha-Southland electorate.

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Acknowledgement: Wikipedia – New Zealand electorates 2011 election

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In the US, this is known as “pork barrel politics“, where politicians support certain industries in their own constituencies, so as to save their own political necks.

I could imagine the electoral fall-out if the smelter was allowed to close down. English and Roy could kiss their lucrative, well-paid, parliamentary careers goodbye. And might even face a less-than-friendly welcoming committee if they ever showed their faces in Southland again,

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3. Rio Tinto, Meridian Energy, Fran O’Sullivan…

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It’s not a pretty sight when one of National’s tame journalists – in this case NZ Herald’s Fran O’Sullivan – falls out of love with Dear Leader. The shock to her system – when she realised that Key, English, Ryall, Joyce, et al, are dodgy bastards willing to cut secret, back-room,  dirty deals to facilitate their deeply unpopular asset sales – must have made her question her loyalties to  this shabby, so-called “government”.

The use of our taxes to subsidise a billion-dollar trans-national corporation – whilst superannuitants, low income earners, and the poorest of the poor freeze during winter (see: Winter triggers 1600 more deaths ) – must be stomach turning for all but the most dogmatic  National Party supporters.

Plus, this blogger has never read so many, none-to-subtle allusions, to men’s genitalia in one article. I encourage the reader to read Ms O’Sullivan’s entire column – it is eye-opening,

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Acknowledgement: NZ Herald - Govt intervention doesn’t cut mustard

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When right wing columnists turn against National and the most popular Prime Minister since [insert another prime minister's name here], and write a stinging attack on their inept, ad hoc, policies – then you know the tide has turned.

If National’s ministers are going to strike secret deals with big corporations, giving them access to millions in electricity subsidies, the least they could do is demand a 49% share-holding in said corporation (a  “mixed ownership model” in reverse) so the taxpayer gets something in return.

But then, National’s much-renowned, so-called “business acumen” is nothing more than a carefully-crafted,  self-created myth. In case National voters haven’t been paying attention, the MPs they voted for are inept.

And it’s our taxes they’re pissing against a corporate urinal.

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4. Mining, Drilling, Arresting, Imprisoning – Simon Bridges…

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On TVNZ’s Q+A today, Energy Minister and Dear Leader Mini-Me, Simon Bridges, announced a new law with heavy sanctions against protesters who “want to stop other people going about their lawful business and doing what they have a permit to do and they are legally entitled to do“.

He said, in part,

JESSICA MUTCH I want to start off by asking you your predecessor in a speech, Phil Heatley, said, ‘I’m determined to ensure the mining sector is not hampered by unsafe protest actions by a small but vocal minority.’ You’ve been working on this since taking over. What are protesters in for?

SIMON BRIDGES So, that’s right. So we are acting, and so two offences are going to be put into the Crown Minerals Bill. Look, the first of those is truly criminal offence. Effectively, what it says is that it will be stopping people out there at deep sea, in rough waters, dangerous conditions, doing dangerous acts, damaging and interfering with legitimate business interests with ships, for example, seismic ships, and what they’re doing out there.

JESSICA What fines are we talking about there?

SIMON Well, for that one, 12 months’ imprisonment, or $1000 (please note: the minister meant $100,000 not $1000) or $50,000 fine, depending on whether you’re a body corporate or an individual. Then a lesser, more infringement offence, really, strict liability offence for entering within a specified area, probably up to 500 metres within that ship, again because of the dangers associated with doing that.

Acknowledgement: TVNZ:  Q+A – Transcript Simon Bridges Interview

Petrobras has already been involved in oil-spills elsewhere in the world,

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Acknowledgement: TV3 – Brazilian oil spill draws attention to drilling in New Zealand

It’s little wonder that East Coast locals and environmental activists joined together to protest against deep-sea drilling of their coast. The Deepwater Horizon disaster in April 2010 was a clear warning what the potential was for an environmental catastrophe – one that we are simply unprepared for, as the grounding of the MV Rena showed, eighteen months later.

For Simon Bridges to now threaten future protestors with heavy fines and prison sentences has the hallmarks of a nasty, petty, authoritarian  government that is afraid of it’s own people.

Never mind Labour’s so-called  “Nanny State” that National complained about in 2007 and 2008 – this has the hallmarks of a quasi-fascist state.

This is a desperate, shabby thing that Bridges is doing.

[See more at The Daily Blog]

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5. Solar power, water conservation, irrigation…

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Acknowledgement: The Hindu Business Line – Now, Gujarat to cover Narmada canals with solar panels!

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Last week, he inaugurated a 600-MW solar power project spread across 11 districts. This included a 214MW Solar Power Park, the largest such generation centre at a single location in Asia. Also, Azure Power, leading independent power producer in solar sector, announced a 2.5 MW rooftops project in Gandhinagar.

Gujarat, which invests nearly Rs 2,000 crore an year on renewable energy, has attracted investments of Rs 9,000 crore so far on solar energy projects.

The pilot project has been developed on a 750-m stretch of the canal by Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) with support from Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL), which owns and maintains the canal network.

Acknowledgement: IBID

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The pilot project will generate 16 lakh units of clean energy per annum and also prevent evaporation of 90 lakh litres of water annually from the canal, an official told Business Line here on Monday. The concept will, therefore, tackle two of the challenges simultaneously by providing energy and water security.

Acknowledgement: IBID

That’s what India – a Third World/Developing nation – is doing.

Why can’t New Zealand do something as bold; as imaginative; and as environmentally-sustainable as our Indian cuzzies? What’s stopping New Zealand from living up to it’s Clean & Green image?

Oh, yeah. I forgot.

This guy,

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*

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Previous related blogposts

 

Corporate Welfare under National

Anadarko: Key playing with fire

Petrobras withdraws – sanity prevails

On the smell of an oily rag

 

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= fs =

Easter Trading – A “victimless crime”?

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Some years ago, on ANZAC Day,  I was in a convenience store in downtown Wellington, chatting with a staffmember who also happened to be a friend.

It was before 1pm, and according to the law, whilst the convenience store was able to open, it was not able to sell alcohol.

A customer came in and wanted to buy a bottle of wine (who drinks booze in the morning?!). The staffmember advised him politely that, according to the law, they were not able to sell alcohol before 1pm.

The customer – a well-dressed pakeha male – threw what can only be called a tantrum and demanded his “rights” to buy whatever he wanted.

The shop assistant stood her ground. He continued ranting. And that’s when I said to him,

“Do you realise that if she sells you that alcohol, she is breaking the law, and if caught, would lose her job?”

His reply? He spat back with a fair degree of venom, “I don’t care. I don’t give a shit about her job. I just want what I came in for.”

To which I replied,

“Well, if you don’t care about her job, why should she care about your so-called rights? It cuts both ways, mate.”

His response was to swear and stormed out of the store.

Good riddance to an arsehole who, as a child, must have gotten everything he wanted by simply demanding it and stomping his feet.

I’ve never forgotten that incident. To me, it signified everything that is wrong with our society.

Since the mid/late 1980s, it seems to me that a “Me Culture” of  individualism, has achieved a degree of dominance that, in the past, would not have been countenanced.

This “Me Culture” is  one that demands consumer goods and services whenever we want it, without due regard for consequences or the rights and needs of others.  The issue of easy availability of cheap alcohol is one such example.

We all know that cheap booze is causing millions of dollars worth of damage to our society and economy. BERL put the figure at over $4.5 billion in 2005/06.  (See: Costs of harmful alcohol and other drug use) The demands placed on paramedic callouts, frontline hospital services, Police, Courts, Prisons, and loss to the economy due to ACC payouts, lost work days, family disruption and violence, etc, is costing our country hundreds of millions of dollars.

Yet, when community leaders and elected representatives want to control aspects of the booze industry, the shrill screams of outrage usually centre around one, selfish, argument,

“Why do you want to penalise me for the actions of others?”

Check out any messageboard, internet forum, letters to editor page, etc, on this issue – you’ll find that argument repeated ad nauseum. (And whinging like that it is nauseating.)

The perennial debate about retailers trading over the Easter weekend is another prime example of the “Me Culture”.

Companies such as Oderings flout the law every year; are fined a paltry $1,000, and are left to repeat the offence year after year,

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2011

Acknowledgement: TVNZ – Garden centre defies Easter trading ban

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2012

Acknowledgement: Fairfax Media – Nursery enjoys a good Friday

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2013

Acknowledgement: Fairfax Media – Easter trading ‘a victimless crime’ – retailer

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Meanwhile, in a quirky irony, larger corporate chain stores obeyed the law,

New Zealand Food and Grocery Council chief executive Katherine Rich said the corporate chains usually stuck to the rules, and would be closed today and Sunday.

Acknowledgement: IBID

The $1,000 fine paid by each store is outweighed by the big profits made by the law-breaking retailers.

So is it a “victimless crime”, as garden centre owner, Darryn Odering insists?

Or is this a a case of businesses manipulating ill-informed public opinion; selfish attitudes;  and exploiting their advantage as a minority of law-defying businesses, trading when their competitors are closed?

There are other laws in this country – specifically drug related – where it could be reasonably argued that smoking cannabis; ingesting LSD; snorting cocaine; or injecting heroin, is a “victimless crime”.

Yet, our prisons are filled with people who’ve used cannabis,  LSD,  cocaine, or heroin.

And how, specifically is “victimless” defined?

Are retail assistants who are forced to work on public holidays “victims” of  business owners whose only concerns are turning a profit?

There are a few numpties in this country who mistakenly  think that retail assistants (along with fast-food workers, etc) have a “choice” in working on public holidays.

Let me disabuse these naive individuals if that illusion. Retail, fast-food, etc, workers have zero choice in working whatever days/nights they are rostered on.  When employers interview staff one of their first questions will be,

“Can you work public holidays/evenings/nights/etc?” – despendent on what hours the business is operating.

If an employer needs staff  on a Monday, regardless of a public holiday; and s/he has two candidates; all other things being roughly equal; one can work a public holiday; the other can’t – who do you think the employer will choose?

And if a staff member doesn’t like working on  public holidays, and would rather spend time with a family; or has children to look after when schools are closed – do the Pro-Choice Muppets really believe that the employee has the power to change their rostered hours with repercussions?

I submit to the reader that with 170,000 unemployed in this country (and possibly higher according to some stats – see:  New Zealand Real Unemployment at 9.1%), that no retail or fast food worker will jeopardise their job by refusing to work public holidays.

They are a victim of their powerlessness and  high unemployment.

This is not a “victimless” crime. It is an exploitative crime, much like the pimp who forces his girlfriend/wife/relation out onto the streets at night, to have sex with strangers for money. It may be a legal activity, but it is not “victimless” (see: Girls pimped out by relatives – pastor )

Secondly; Louise Evans McDonald, of  the Retailers Association government and advisory group manager stated that,

“Many retailers similarly deserve the right to decide whether they open or not.”

Acknowledgement: Fairfax Media – Easter trading ‘a victimless crime’ – retailer

And that, folks, is the crux of the matter.

Oderings is open during Easter because it is hugely profitable.

Why is is hugely profitable?

Because it’s a public holiday.

Would it be hugely profitable if every single business was open on Easter Friday? Including schools, government departments, etc? In fact, if Easter Friday and Easter Monday was no different to any other day of the week – how profitable would it be for law-breakers like Oderings?

The answer, of course, is that it wouldn’t. It would simply be another business day. Let’s be clear here;

Oderings relies on it’s profits because it’s competitors obey the law.

Oderings would not have those huge  profits if it Easter Friday (and Monday) was another normal trading day.

So people like Rochelle Cook, with her children, at  Oderings Nursery in Upper Hutt on  Good Friday in 2012 (top image) would be at work and her children at day care.

So if the law is to be changed, let’s do it fairly and apply it across the board throughout the country: everything opens and everyone (with a job) works. Not just the captive retail assistants and fast food workers. Everyone.

And this is where the rubber hits the road. Do we, as a country, want to give up a holiday so we can all work like any other day?

And if we’re all working – how will that benefit us and retail outlets?

The answer is; it doesn’t benefit us. We get another day that shops are open and we’re all working. Oh  whoopty f****n doo.  What the hell did we just gain/lose?!?!

To all elected representatives, I offer this advice;

1. If we’re serious about keeping our holidays, then it’s time that the $1,000 fine was increased to a more meaningful amount. $25,000 seems a nice figure. The current  penalty of $1,000 is meaningless. It’d be like sentencing a drug pusher to community service. Both are supposedly “victimless” crimes, after all.
2. If we’re going to allow Oderings to open on Easter – then make it a blanket law, across the country. Everyone opens; everyone works.  That includes schools on Easter Friday and Easter Monday.  No one takes time off.

Now let’s see which way the public jumps.

As for Mr Odering, in future I think our household will be shopping at Mitre10 for our gardening supplies.

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References

TVNZ: Garden centre defies Easter trading ban (22 April 2011)

Fairfax Media: Nursery enjoys a good Friday (7 April 2012)

Fairfax Media: Easter trading ‘a victimless crime’ – retailer (29 March 2013)

Fairfax Media: Drought wilts Easter trade in plants (30 April 2013)

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= fs =

The road to Youth Rates – Wrong way, Prime Minister, Wrong way!

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1. Backgrounder

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It was during the 2008 general election that the issue of the growing wage disparity with our Aussie cuzzies became an issue. Curiously, it was the then-Opposition Leader, John Key, capitalist; multi-millionaire; and currency trader, who was making some very odd comments.

Indeed, he was sounding positively socialist – at the time;

“We think Kiwis deserve higher wages and lower taxes during their working lives, as well as a good retirement.” – John Key, 27 May 2007

Acknowledgement: John Key’s website – “National Tough On Crime”

“One of National’s key goals, should we lead the next Government, will be to stem the flow of New Zealanders choosing to live and work overseas.  We want to make New Zealand an attractive place for our children and grandchildren to live – including those who are currently living in Australia, the UK, or elsewhere. To stem that flow so we must ensure Kiwis can receive competitive after-tax wages in New Zealand.  We must cut taxes and grow our economy, and National will have policies to ensure both occur.” – John Key, 6 September 2008

Acknowledgement: National Party – “Environment Policy Launch“

“We will also continue our work to increase the incomes New Zealanders earn. That is a fundamental objective of our plan to build a stronger economy.” – John Key, 8 February 2011

Acknowledgement: Government statement

“We want to increase the level of earnings and the level of incomes of the average New Zealander and we think we have a quality product with which we can do that.” -  John Key, 19 April 2012

Acknowledgement: Dominion Post – Key wants a high-wage NZ

Which sounded all well and good…

Until reality set in. And we remembered that John Key was leader of the National Party – not Labour, Greens, Mana, or the Alliance.

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2. Present Day

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As this blogger wrote last year;

On 9 October (2012), Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson announced that National intended to introduce a new Youth Rate, to take effect in April (2013). The rate would be set at $10.80 an hour – compared to the minimum rate of $13.50 [soon to be $13.75]  an hour currently, and would include 16 to 19 year olds.

As Scoop.co.nz reported,

“That equates to $10.80 an hour, or $432 before tax for a 40-hour week. From April next year, the ‘Starting Out Wage’ will apply to 16- and 17-year-olds in the first six months of a job, to 18- and 19-year-olds entering the workforce after spending more than six months on a benefit, or 16 to 19-year-olds in a recognised industry training course.”

Acknowledgement:  Scoop - NZ teens face $10.80 an hour youth wage rate

It is doubtful if National’s Youth Rates will actually create new jobs. More likely, a drop in youth wages will simply create more ‘churn’ in employment/unemployment numbers.

As David Lowe, Employment Services Manager for the Employers and Manufacturers Association, inadvertently revealed,

“Without an incentive an employer with a choice between an experienced worker and an inexperienced worker will choose experience every time.”

Acknowledgement:  Scoop – Starting-out wage will help young people onto job ladder

So there’s no new job for the  younger worker – s/he is merely displacing an older worker. Which probably results in  older workers joining the migration to Australia.

End result; a loss of skill and experience for New Zealand, and a gain for our Aussie cuzzies.

Note: the above figures relate to the adult Minimum wage at $13.75 an hour. At the time  the above statements were written, the adult minimum wage was $13.50 an hour. National very generously raised it by 25 cents an hour, and will take effect on 1 April this year.  (Low income earners would celebrate by popping the corks on a few bottles of Wairarapa ‘champagne’ – but 25 cents an hour doesn’t quite cover it. Perhaps a bottle of fizzy will suffice.)

So what was the rationale for National to implement what, effectively, is a wage cut for 16-19 year olds?

Minister for [Cheap] Labour, Simon Bridges said on 21 March this year – and I reprint his statement in full;

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Acknowledgement: Government statement – Starting-out wage available from 1 May

Nowhere in that statement does Bridges state -  or even hint -  that cutting the wages of 16 to 19 year olds will create one single new job.

Contrast that to Kate Wilkinson’s statement on 18 July 2010, when National introduced the 90 Day Trial Employment Period,

“The Government is focused on growing a stronger economy and creating more jobs for New Zealand families,” says Ms Wilkinson.

“There are a lot of people looking for work and the changes announced today will help boost employer confidence and encourage them to take on more staff.”

[...]

“The evaluation showed that 40 percent of employers who had hired someone on a trial period said it was unlikely they would have taken on new employees without it.

Acknowledgement: Government statement – 90-Day Trial Period extended to all employers

Wilkinson assured the country that, in return for employees losing job protection for 90 days, that the counter-benefit would result in  “stronger economy and creating more jobs for New Zealand families” .

So how did that work out?

Let’s check the stats, shall we? From mid-2010 to the latest data for this year,

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Acknowledgement: Trading Economics/Statistics NZ

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From July 2010, unemployment rose to January 2011; dropped to July 2011; and then began an inexorable climb to 7.3%.

Even the drop to 6.9% [highlighted in the red box] in January 2013 is illusory, as Statistics NZ reported on Radio NZ,

The numbers officially out of work eased back from a 13-year high at the end of 2012.

But the fall in the unemployment rate was due to more leaving the workforce than new jobs being created.

The numbers of those deemed officially unable to find a job fell by 10,000 to 163,000 in the final three months, figures released by Statistics New Zealand on Thursday morning show.

As a result, the unemployment rate fell from 7.3% of the workforce to 6.9%.

The Household Labour Force Survey shows that employment fell by 23,000, led by there being more women out of work.

It was the third consecutive quarterly fall, taking those employed as a proportion of the workforce to a 10-year low.

The unemployment rate fell only because even more people gave up looking for work than lost jobs.

In all, 33,000 people dropped out of the workforce in the final three months of 2012 – the highest number to do so on record.

Acknowledgement: Radio NZ – Unemployment rate falls as more give up job hunt

If we add those missing 33,000 people to the number who are unemployed, the figures become  jaw-droppingly ghastly,

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Acknowledgement: Trading Economics/Statistics NZ

It’s fairly obvious; the 90 Day Trial Period not only did not create new jobs – but unemployment has skyrocketed.

Quite clearly, there are other factors that create new jobs, and silly, ill-considered, simplistic,  neo-liberal gimmicks do not contribute to the mix.

This blogger predicts that precisely the same will happen when youth rates are implemented on 1 April,

• No new jobs will be created
• Employment numbers will remain high
• Older workers will be displaced in favour of cheaper, younger workers
• New Zealanders will continue to migrate, en masse, to Australia, where jobs and wages have not  been undermined by an ideologically-blinded government

Is reducing the wages bill for  businesses really the best that Dear Leader can come up with? Because, really, the only thing that a new Youth Rates will do is transfer employment to cheaper workers and drag down wages with it.

This is not a plan for wage growth, it is a plan for a low-wage economy, with those New Zealanders who can, escaping to Australia.

Let’s not forget that on 10 April, 2011, Bill English actually welcomed lower wages, on TVNZ’s Q+A,

GUYON Can I talk about the real economy for people?  They see the cost of living keep going up.  They see wages really not- if not quite keeping pace with that, certainly not outstripping it much.  I mean, you said at the weekend to the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum that one of our advantages over Australia was that our wages were 30% cheaper.  I mean, is that an advantage now?

BILL Well, it’s a way of competing, isn’t it?  I mean, if we want to grow this economy, we need the capital – more capital per worker – and we’re competing for people as well.

GUYON So it’s part of our strategy to have wages 30% below Australia?
BILL Well, they are, and we need to get on with competing for Australia.  So if you take an area like tourism, we are competing with Australia.  We’re trying to get Australians here instead of spending their tourist dollar in Australia.

GUYON But is it a good thing?

BILL Well, it is a good thing if we can attract the capital, and the fact is Australians- Australian companies should be looking at bringing activities to New Zealand because we are so much more competitive than most of the Australian economy.

GUYON So let’s get this straight – it’s a good thing for New Zealand that our wages are 30% below Australia?

BILL No, it’s not a good thing, but it is a fact.  We want to close that gap up, and one way to close that gap up is to compete, just like our sports teams are doing.  This weekend we’ve had rugby league, netball, basketball teams, and rugby teams out there competing with Australia.  That’s lifting the standard.  They’re closing up the gap.

GUYON But you said it was an advantage, Minister.

BILL Well, at the moment, if I go to Australia and talk to Australians, I want to put to them a positive case for investment in New Zealand, because while we are saving more, we’re not saving more fast enough to get the capital that we need to close the gap with Australia.  So Australia already has 40 billion of investment in New Zealand.  If we could attract more Australian companies, activities here, that would help us create the jobs and lift incomes.

Acknowledgement:  TVNZ Q+A – Interview with Bill English

If the Nats think that the Australian government will sit idly by whilst Aussie businesses relocate to this country for cheaper wages, they are fooling themselves.  Australia will retaliate in some way – and it won’t be pleasant for us.

In last year’s May budget, the Nats decided to tax  the meagre wages of paper boys and girls (see: Budget 2012: ‘Paper boy tax’ on small earnings stuns Labour).  Now Key and English are cutting their pay again.

If this is truly the best that the Right can come up with, then they are bankrupt of ideas.

New Zealanders should ponder one, simple question; is this what we really  want for our country and our kids?

Meanwhile, we can add Key’s pledge to raise wages to his growing record of other broken promises. It’s turning into quite a list.

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Previous related blogposts

John Key’s track record on raising wages: 6. Youth Rates (11 Nov 2012)

Johnny’s Report Card – National Standards Assessment – Employment/unemployment (9 Jan 2013)

References

Government statement: 90-Day Trial Period extended to all employers (18 July 2010)

NZ Herald: Budget 2012: ‘Paper boy tax’ on small earnings stuns Labour (25 May 2012)

NZ Herald: Minimum wage to increase by 25c (26 Feb 2013)

Government statement: Starting-out wage available from 1 May (21 March 2013)

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392,000 New Zealanders send a clear message to John Key – Part Rua

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Continued from: 392,000 New Zealanders send a clear message to John Key – Part Tahi

NZ, Wellington, 12 March 2013 – Ms Maniapoto Jackson introduced the first speaker, Greypower’s President, Roy Reid,

“So please welcome up the man who initiated this historical moment for us – the biggest citizens initiated referendum in [New Zealand's] history!”

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Roy Reid

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“As President of Greypower, I wish to inform you  that Greypower has been opposed to the  sale of state owned assets  for a number of years. And this was reconfirmed at our annual general meeting two years ago. We advised all the political parties in this  House that we were opposed to them selling any of our assets.

Our generation worked hard. We paid the taxes, to build our existing assets. They’re not for sale. They belong to  all New Zealanders.

I sincerely thank all those who worked from one end of New Zealand to the other, to collect those 394,000 signatures just behind us.  It’s the biggest petition  ever presented to this House.
I pay tribute to our co-supporters, the New Zealand students association. For being involved with us, because it shows the country that we are united from the elderly to the younger generations…

…I’m sure that we’ve got enough valid signatures in those boxes to force the referendum. And [despite] no respect for what this government today says, the people of New Zealand will have their say.”

It as perhaps fitting that Mr Reid was given first opportunity to address the crowd.  It was indeed his generation, and others before him, who sacrificed so much to build what we have in New Zealand today. And which a few greedy, short-sighted number of our fellow New Zealanders seem unable to comprehend that these assets do, indeed, belong to us all.

Not just to those with the cash to buy shares.

Our elected representatives certainly did not hesitate to show their agreement with Mr Reid’s comments,

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Ms Maniapoto Jackson then invited the next speaker; ex-Vice President of the Auckland Students Association and  Ngai Tahu; Arena Williams,

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Arena Williams

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Ms Williams greeted the crowd in Te Reo and her following message was short, blunt, and to the point,

“There’s one message that the government needs to take home from such an over-whelming support of this petition, and that’s Stop the asset sales and give New Zealanders a chance to have a say on this really important issue!”

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The next invited guest-speaker was  economist, Peter Conway, from the Council of Trade Unions,

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Peter Conway

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Mr Conway said,

“The Union movement is really proud to be here today  at this amazing event and I just want to say, fantastic effort. Well done everybody! It’s awesome.

Now it might have been a little bit easier if for me to have the backing of a one million dollar advertising campaign, and maybe if we we’d been able to do it all on line. But I actually think that the fact that we went out there into communities where people work, live, and play and debated the issues; talked to people about it and got such a fantastic response, is really a testament to our democracy…

… So this is part of our democracy. And what we’re saying to the government; respect democracy… Let’s get this referendum up,  and the Council of Trade Unions, on behalf of the union movement, is calling on the government to halt all asset sales and listen to the people.

Kia kaha, and thanks very much.”

Ms Maniapoto Jackson then welcomed the Leader of the Labour Party and MP for Mt Albert, David Shearer,

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David Shearer

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 After expressing his welcome,  Mr Shearer gave a brief thanks to the people, followed by a similarly brief message,

“Look, I just wanted to start by saying ‘thank you’, ‘thank you’ for all of those people who went out day after day, weekend after weekend, who stood on cold corners in the middle of winter and got people to sign this petition. Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who care about this country so much that they put their signature to this petition.

This is about the transfer of an asset that we all own into the hands of a very few. That’s what it’s about, it’s about fairness. It [asset sales]  is not fair.

This referendum will make the government listen to New Zealanders.

The fight will go on. It’s not finishing today. It will go on and we in the Labour Party will continue to fight this until 2014.

I wanted to say, as the boxes were being put up there, I was thinking that “Another Brick in the Wall” tune came into my mind, and I was thinking “We Don’t Want your Asset Sales Programme John Key”…

… Once again thank you for your effort, thank you for being here today. Kia Kaha,  let’s take  it to the government.”

Before Ms Maniapoto Jackson introduced the next speaker, Green Party co-leader Russell Norman, she briefly pointed out  that the Parties behind her were unified, “with only the odd absence, which was duly noted“.

Mr Norman then addressed the people,

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Russell Norman

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Mr Norman then addressed the people,

“Today we stand here here on behalf  of the millions of New Zealanders who are opposed to the sale of their assets. Today we stand here on behalf of the hundreds of thousands von New Zealanders who have signed this petition, behind us. Today we stand here on behalf of future generations who are relying on us to stand up for our country.

And that is why we have done this massive piece of  work that you see behind us.

It has been incredibly hard work on behalf of thousands and thousands of people to go out and collect these signatures. It is despicable that the Prime Minister  then says that the people who signed this petition were children and tourists! Prime Minister you do not know New Zealanders!

If the Prime Minister of New Zealand thinks that the people who signed this petition, the 400,000 people who signed this petitition, are not real New Zealanders, then he is in the wrong country…

… Real New Zealanders are the ones who worked and laboured to build those assets up so that we could inherit them. Real New Zealanders are the ones who will look after them so that we can pass them on to those who come after us…

… We have a mandate to keep our assets. The Prime Minister has no mandate to sell them.”

Ms Maniapoto Jackson then introduced Mr Peters, saying  “if there’s anyone who can talk about justice and fairness, it’s Winston Peters“,

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Winston Peters

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“…Mr Key does does not have a mandate to make these sales. We all know the last election result and he relies upon the vote of Peter Dunne, who you know, with your money, at the last election had TV adverts saying that he would not do that.  So there is no mandate.

We come now to the referendum, which  is a chance for Mr Key to see whether he’s got the public backing and he doesn’t have even have the backing of one third of the National Party vote by every survey that you and I have seen.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s going to be difficult over the next few months on this issue, but I want to make something very, very,  clear. Unless we make it clear to everyone who’s buying, that after the next election, whenever they fly the white flag, we intend to take back those shares at no greater price than they bought it for, then we will not be making the message very clear for Mr Key who governs for the few and very few.

Now your problem is,  you don’t own a casino. Otherwise he’d be listening to you.

And you’re you’re not a Hobbit or some wide-boy from Hollywood, otherwise, he’d be listening to you.

No wonder he fell upon the defence of tourists, because that’s what Mr Key is; a CV Prime Minister, who will soon go, on issues like that…

… this is just the beginning. It is not the end.”

Next up, Ms Maniapoto Jackson introduced “the wonderful leader of the Mana Party, and MP for  Te Tai Tokerau, Hone Harawira“,

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Hone Harawira

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Mr Harawira injected a note of humour into the afternoon, and the crowd enjoyed his off-beat way of giving a speech,

“Look I’m going to do most of my korero in Maori, so the best way for you to support it is, every time I stop to take a breath,  clap like crazy!”

The crowd obliged with enthusiasm, clapping and cheering each time he paused  during his korero.

Ending his speech in  Te Reo, he  added,

“Now just for a short chant, a short chant, eh? Because Moana get’s all the the recording rights for this little gig, so mine is going to be a short little chant. So just follow after me. You ready?

“Aotearoa is not for sale!”

The crowd responded, “Aotearoa is not for sale“.

“C’mon, c’mon, now you can do better than that,” he ‘admonished the crowd with a smile.He repeated, “Aotearoa is not for sale!”

The responded boomed back, “AOTEAROA IS NOT FOR SALE!”

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“Tell John Key to Go to hell!”

“TELL JOHN KEY TO GO TO HELL!”

And with that, Hone  Harawira finished with a cheerful “Kia ora tatou!”.

As far as political speeches went, it was one of the shortest and more entertaining that this blogger has heard for a while. He certainly injects a bit of fun into a political event.

As an intriguing aside, this blogger managed to capture this picture of two Davids and a Damian. Their body language seemed to belie any suggestion of tension or ‘struggle between Messrs Cunliffe and Shearer.

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(L-R) David Shearer, David Cunliffe, Damien O’Connor

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Hmmmm… One has to wonder…

On a closing note, Ms Maniapoto Jackson ‘encouraged’ (dragged!)  Hone Harawira back to the microphone to sing a duet – an old song from their protest days together,

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And final posed-pics from Ms Maniapoto Jackson and  Hone Harawira, after their singing-duet finale,

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It’s interesting to compare the persona of Hone Harawira in the media, especially in his early days in Parliament – with the man who presents to the people, at public gatherings.  There is a warmth and sincerity to the man that is almost wholly lacking in his MSM appearances – but a warmth and humour that is obvious when seeing him in person.

And from the Green Party caucus, this lovely snapshot. They deserve thepride they were feeling in being part of a movement to collect nearly 400,000 signatures,

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In conclusion…

John Key’s casual dismissal of the petition, and the nearly 400,000 New Zealanders who signed it,  was not a “good look”. It spoke volumes of Key’s persona; his arrogance; and his pettiness.

He could just as easily have accepted the petition as part of the democratic process and congratulated New Zealanders for   participating. It would have made him look statesmanlike; stand above petty politics; and increased his mana.

Being derisive; suggesting that the signatures were from “children and tourists”;  was offensive.

It was unnecessary and uncalled for.

It was childish.

It publicly revealed John Key’s innermost insecurities – as he knows that the people are not with him on this issue. It must be a debilitating, depressing feeling, knowing that three million New Zealanders are angrily opposed to what Key and his cronies are up to.

“Where is the love”, he may well ask?

“Where is the respect”, we ask him.

An open message to John Key…

The Prime Minister insists he has a “mandate” to part-privatise our state assets.

I disagree. More people voted for Parties opposing state asset sales than voted for Parties endorsing said sales.

John Key has a one seat “majority”, due in part to manipulations during the 2011 election, and MMP rules that prevented some Parties from gaining representation in the House.  For example, the Conservative Party won twice as many votes as ACT – but gained no seats. (see: Mandates & Majorities)

That’s not a mandate, Mr Prime Minister – that’s an accident of circumstances.

Mr Key – if you truly insist that you have a mandate, then put it to the test. Hold off on the sharefloat for Mighty River Power. Let the people have their say in a referendum.

I, for one, will accept the verdict of a referendum, whatever the outcome. If the majority – even the slimmest margin over 50% – support your asset sale programme, you’ll not hear one more word from me on this issue ever again.

Are you willing to  put your “mandate” to the test, Mr Prime Minister?

Are you willing to listen to, and abide by, the will of the People?

I am.

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Additional

Radio NZ: Petitioners confident of asset sale referendum

Dominion Post: Government to ignore asset sales referendum

NZ Herald: Asset sales petition arrives at Parliament

TV3: PHOTOS: Asset sales petition presented

TVNZ: Petition against SOE sales delivered to Parliament

Newstalk ZB: Opposition MPs greet anti-asset sales petition

Copyright (c)  Notice

All images are freely available to be used, with following provisos,

• Use must be for non-commercial purposes.

• Where purpose of  use is  commercial, a donation to Child Poverty Action Group is requested.

• At all times, images must be used only in context, and not to denigrate individuals.

• Acknowledgement of source is requested.

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392,000 New Zealanders send a clear message to John Key – Part Tahi

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NZ, Wellington, 12 March 2013 – Another beautiful sunny day with blue skies  (apologies to farmers) was a perfect setting this afternoon in Wellington, when a couple of hundred marchers arrived on Parliament’s grounds, bearing 68 boxes, containing 392,000 signatures.

The referendum requires 304,000 valid signatures to precipitate a nationwide referendum. The 392,000 signatures gives a 22% ‘buffer’ against invalid signatures; people not on the electoral roll; duplicate signatures; and malicious attempts to undermine the petition.

There was a small number of people on Parliament’s grounds  awaiting the march, amongst them tino rangatiratanga activists, Brenda and Fran,

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At about 1pm, marchers arrived, bearing the boxes that contained a priceless treasure – signatures of 392,000 New Zealanders. Media flocked around them. This was an historical event,

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They walked onto Parliament’s grounds to cheers and applause of those waiting,

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On the steps to Parliament, more media and elected representatives from Opposition Parties were waiting. (Curiously, none from National, ACT, or United Future were in attendance. Their ‘invites’ must’ve been lost in the post?)

Politicians clapped as the marchers approached. Men, women, young, old, Maori, Pakeha, these were New Zealanders who believed that the People’s Assets were not to be stripped and flogged off by a handful of politicians,

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Sixty eight marchers proudly carried a prized box each,

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The boxes were carefully passed over a security barricade, to be stacked on the Parliamentary forecourt,

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Meanwwhile, the crowd watched, as the stacking of boxes progressed,

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The leadership of the Green and Labour Parties,  with Brendan Horan (far left, standing beside Metiria Turei); former AUSA President, Arena Williams (standing beside David Shearer); Grey Power National President, Mr Roy Reid; Annette King; and (far right – no slur intended, Mr Conway) CTU Economist and Director of Policy, Peter Conway .

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Mana Party leader, Hone Harawira, joined the Party leaders shortly afterward (NZ First lreader, Winston Peters was standing off-camera, to the left),

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NZ First leader, Winston Peters, being interviewed by a MSM journalist,

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A panoramic view of part of the assembled crowd,

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Green MP, Jan Logie; NZ First leader, Winston Peters, and NZ First MP, Andrew Williams, at the stacked petition boxes. At this point, the  invited guest-speakers were preparing themselves – and  their notes – to address the crowd and media,

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With a  unique style and flair she has become reknowned for, Moana Maniapoto Jackson welcomed people to today’s presentation of the petition,

“We are celebrating people power…”

Coaching the crowd, to chime in with “Ohhhh yeahhhh” as the chorus, Ms Maniapoto Jackson launched into a short protest-style song. Her powerful voice belted out the words, making her microphone and speakers practically redundant, as she filled Parliament with her lyrical sounds,

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“Hey, hey Mr John Key,
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You say you’ve the mandate
We’re here to help,
it’s not too late,
People here are standing strong
a hundred thousand – can’t be wrong
We’re here to help you get back on track,
Let’s stop the sales,
Let’s pull it back.

Crowd’s chorus, Ohhhhh Yeahhhhh!

All together now!

OHHHHH YEAHHHH!”

Ms Maniapoto Jackson then welcomed the first of “a long line of luminaries, that are positively glowing with energy and excitement as we deliver to the government a very strong call from New Zealanders.”

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To be continued at: 392,000 New Zealanders send a clear message to John Key – Part Rua

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Additional

Radio NZ: Petitioners confident of asset sale referendum

Dominion Post: Government to ignore asset sales referendum

NZ Herald: Asset sales petition arrives at Parliament

TV3: PHOTOS: Asset sales petition presented

TVNZ: Petition against SOE sales delivered to Parliament

Newstalk ZB: Opposition MPs greet anti-asset sales petition

Copyright (c)  Notice

All images are freely available to be used, with following provisos,

• Use must be for non-commercial purposes.

• Where purpose of  use is  commercial, a donation to Child Poverty Action Group is requested.

• At all times, images must be used only in context, and not to denigrate individuals.

• Acknowledgement of source is requested.

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This is Must See: George Carlin’s Greatest Moment

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This may be American-focused, but I believe it applies pretty much to every other nation and society on this planet.

But don’t take my word for it. Look, listen, and make up your own mind…

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Census, Surveys, and Cellphones…

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Three polls in February (2013)  yielded two distinctly different results.

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	Roy Morgan 13 Feb 2013	TVNZ/Colmar Brunton 17 Feb 2013	Fairfax/Ipsos Poll 20 Feb 2013
Right bloc:
National	44% (-2%)	49% (+5%)	44.9% (-1.3)
Maori Party	0.5% (-1%)	1% (n/c)	1.3% (-.01%)
ACT NZ	0.5% (n/c)	.01% (-0.5%)	.04% (+.04%)
United Future	0% (n/c)	.02% (-0.3%)	.01% (-.01%)
Left bloc:
Labour	34.5% (+3%)	33% (-2%)	36.3% (+1.9%)
Greens	13.5% (n/c)	11% (-2%)	10.7% (+.02%)
Mana Party	0.5% (n/c)	1% (n/c)	1.4% (+.08%)
Other:
NZ First	4% (-1.5%)	4% (n/c)	2.8% (-1%)
Conservative Party	2% (+1.5%)	1% (n/c)	1.6% (.02%)

n/c = no change

At the previous election, National was consistantly polling high – in the low-to-mid 50s. Their election result was actually 47.31%, several percentage points out from polling figures from Roy Morgan, Colmar Brunton, and Media Research,

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	Roy Morgan 24 Nov 2011	TVNZ/Colmar Brunton 24 Nov 2011*	Fairfax/Media Research 23 Nov 2011	2011 Election results	Closest Polling result
Right bloc:
National	49.5%	50%	54%	47.31%	Roy Morgan
Maori Party	1%	2.0%	1.1%	1.43%	Media Research
ACT NZ	1.5%	1.7%	0.7%	1.07%	Media Research
United Future	0.5%	0.1%	0.1%	0.6%	Roy Morgan
Left bloc:
Labour	23.5%	28%	26%	27.48%	Colmar Brunton
Greens	14.5%	10%	12%	11.06%	Media Research
Mana Party	0.5%	1.0%	1.1%	1.08%	Media Research
Other:
NZ First	6.5%	4.2%	4%	6.59%	Roy Morgan
Conservative Party	n/r	2.4%	n/r	2.65%	Colmar Brunton

n/r = no result provided

As the chart above shows, polling figures were all over the place. Roy Morgan called it closest for the result for National – but under-reported for Labour.

Colmar Brunton called it closest for Labour.

Whilst at the same time, Media Research was way out for National – 6.69 percentage points off the mark – over twice the margin of error (3.1%) for that poll.  (see:  Gap closes as election looms – poll)

None of the poling companies were consistent in their results and all over-polled National. Only one pollster over-polled for Labour.

Part of the problem are anecdotal  stories that many low income families, students, transients, etc, no longer rely on landlines and use only cellphones. Polling companies do not call cellphone – only landlines. (A low-income family living not far from us fits this demographic group perfectly; no landline; cellphones only. The sole-parent head of the household votes Labour.)

This year’s census has an interesting question; Question 17,

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The question asks the respondent to “mark as many spaces as you need to show which of these are available here in this dwelling”.

What will prove interesting is not whether or not “a cellphone/mobile” is marked – but how many households will mark “a telephone”.

This will finally give us a clearer understanding what percentage of households do not have a landline.

If the numbers of households without a landline are significant (+/- 10%), then polling companies will either have to adjust their polling techniques – or be rendered useless. Without factoring in cellphone-only households, polling companies risk becoming an expensive ‘parlour game’ with little value.

One option is to return to the days of door-knocking pollsters. It’s an expensive option, but may be more reliable than phoning people on landlines.

This blogger keenly anticipates Statistics NZ releasing poll results on Question 17. It’s impact on politics in this country may be greater than we realise.

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Previous blogposts

Three recent polls

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“One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part toru

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Continued from: “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part rua

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Chris Higgins - Muscular Dystrophy Association

Chris introduced himself as Chief Executive of Muscular Dystrophy Association. He was present to give the MDA’s perpective on high-cost medicines. Chris told the seminar that the MDA covers over forty  neuro-muscular conditions, including Pompe Disease. All forty conditions are rare, he said.

Chris acknowledged Pompe Disease patients, Freda and Allyson, who were sitting in the audience. He thanked both women for supporting him, at the seminar.

Chris opened his talk by saying that Freda and Allyson “should be given a fair go”. They deserved the opportunity for a longer, and higher quality of life, so they can achieve their full potential. He said that going by what Freda and Allyson had been saying at the Forum, that family/whanau were really important to both women.

He added that family members of people suffering neuro-muscular diseases were important. Chris said that Freda’s grandchildren should not be deprived of growing up and getting to know their nana.

He said Allyson’s husband shouldn’t be deprived of the opportunity of having a long marriage with his wife. And Allyson’s children shouldn’t have to watch their mother slowly get worse, and then eventually be deprived of her altogether.

Chris said,

“And believe me, if you’ve ever been through the experience of having your mother die, it is a truly devastating experience. It just never leaves you.”

Chris then outlined his Association’s concerns. He spoke of being worried that the health system seemed unable to respond to the  needs of people living with rare conditions such as Pompe Disease. He asked if other people with neuro-muscular diseases have to go through the same processes as Freda and Allyson have had to face.

Chris said that as new advances are made with drugs to treat neuro-muscular conditions such as Pompe Disease, and other rare diseases,  that Freda and Allyson’s experiences will be repeated over and over again, as the relatively small  numbers of sufferers result in high-priced treatments.

Chris then questioned whether Pharmac’s NPPA Scheme   system was actually becoming a mechanism to justify their decisions to denying treatments, rather than providing access to much-needed medicines for rare diseases. He added,

“We’re concerned that Pharmac seems to have the ability to ration resources using cost-benefit criteria which do not seem to be applied anywhere else within the New Zealand health system. So it seems  to be one rule for some, and another rule for others…  because of that, MDA members, and I’m sure it applies to a lot of people in this room, as well, are starting to feel really discrimnated against by the New Zealand health system. Seems if you have a rare condition, you don’t get the same consideration from the health system as other people.”

Chris said that discrimination is inconsistent with medicines strategies as well as community values and ethics.

He said there seemed no political will to require Pharmac to relax its cost-benefit criteria, so access becomes a reality rather than a vain hope.

Chris then dropped a quiet ‘bombshell’,

“We’re coming to the point where [the] MDA has lost confidence that  Pharmac will ever grant it’s members access to high cost medicines.”

Chris told the seminar that his group, in conjunction with others, will continue to support their members who are suffering rare diseases.

But Chris expressed a view that he did not believe that it would be a long term solution for the future. Instead, he offered a solution to this problem, by advocating for a separate agency, outside of Pharmac, of an “orphan drugs access programme”,

“We see that  operating within the Ministry of Health but outside of Pharmac. And we see it as having access criteria which are a lot more relaxed than Pharmac’s, and [which] acknowledge  the particular requirements of people living with rare conditions… the thresholds need to be different… and people need to be given a fair go.”

He added that a different mechanism will better address the medicines requirements of rare disease sufferers,  and which are more equitable and reflective of community values.

Chris offered an ‘olive branch’ to the Health system and stated that the MDA is willing to collaborate with both the Ministry of Health and NZORD (New Zealand Organisation for Rare Diseases) in designing an affordable and mutually satisfactory alternative programme.

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Jenny

Jenny works for the support group, Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand. She gave a brief outline of events over the last few years – some of which has been covered by others at the seminar. She referred to one application, for treatment for Gaucher’s disease patients, that had “sat” on Pharmac’s desk for two years before being prompted to make a decision. Funding for that application was finally granted.

A subsequent application, for enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for another rare disease was declined for a number of reasons, including, she said, that the applicants were “too sick” and “not sick enough“, etc..Some of those patients are now on clinical trials (Allyson) and some are untreated (Freda).

Jenny said that the 2008 election gave her group hope. The extension of Herceptin treatment from 9 weeks to 12 months was a campaign pledge from John Key in 2008 (see:  12-month Herceptin treatment now available)  -  and was enacted within a month of National being elected into office.

Jenny said,

“The Minister of Health funded [an extension to] herceptin, and we thought this is actually a really good step. And we might get some of our other Enzymes [Replacement Therapies - ERT] across the threshold.

The Minister pledged to improve access to specialised medicines…… we took families to Wellington so they could meet the politicians, and tell their stories.”

Jenny’s group thought they were making progress in 2009 when a little boy, with Hunter’s Syndrome, was quickly given Pharmac funding to  receive enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). Adult patients with similar conditions, though, were untreated and without funding for ERT.

Despite a Ministerial review to investigate how adults could gain access to treatment, there was no change, Jenny told the seminar.

Furthermore, in 2010, Allyson’s application for myozome (ERT) was declined by Pharmac, even though the Agency acknowledged there would be stabilisation and improvement to Allyson’s health through treatment.

An appeal to Pharmac’s decision was also rejected.

By 2011, Jenny said,

“We really ramped it up. We put a call out to the community and we asked our families to go and talk to their own local politicians; brief them about what we were doing;  what we needed; about the  issues around access to medicines. And John [Forman] and Chris Higgins got a meeting with Tony Ryall, who said to them that the ‘EC’ (exceptional circumstances) review would solve the problem.

It didn’t.”

Jenny’s group made submissions to Pharmac about the (revised EC scheme), the NPPA Scheme, stating that they believed that people with rare disorders would not make it past the threshold and “would be cut out”.

In September, three more applications were made to Pharmac for treatment for Pompe Disease. They were all declined said Jenny.

In desperation, the group brought a patient with Pompe Disease from the United States to New Zealand, so she could “tell her story” to Pharmac, politicians, and to the media,

“But still that didn’t make a change.”

Jenny then told the seminar about their experience in trying to seek a meeting with Prime Minister John Key,

“We went to Parliament to  request a meeting with the Prime Minister. We got turned out. They got the  security [guards] and we got bailed out of Parliament.”

Jenny read out a statement from Labour’s deputy leader, who called the decision to forcibly evict Jenny’s group, “cowardly and disrespecful”. (For more in-depth information how rare-disease sufferers have been treated by this government, see: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand News & Issues  . See Party responses here:  Political party commitments on Myozyme and orphan drugs )

The National government had stated that the ‘new’ NPPA (Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment ) Scheme would solve the problem of funding for rare diseases,

“The High Costs Highly Specialised Medicines Review – a National promise – recommended PHARMAC review its Exceptional Circumstances process. PHARMAC did that and the result is a new scheme
to replace the old one called “Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment”. It starts next March and its budget is expected to go up from $4 million to $8 million in the first year.” – Jackie Blue

Source

Jenny said that in August last year, her group tested the new NPPA process by submitting an application for treatment for Freda (see previous blogpost). Like Allyson, Freda has Pompe Disease – but is receiving no treatment whatsover.

“We thought we’ve got nothing to lose, let’s see if it works,” said Jenny.

“Well guess what,” she asked, “It didn’t work. She got declined.”

Freda “was not eligible” because, amongst other reasons,

“Pharmac had not provided a pathway forward for their new scheme for rare diseases. So in October we went to the Health Select Committee to ask for help. They sent us to the Minister. Then to the Ministry. Back to the Minister. And he said go and talk to Pharmac.”

They had nowhere else to go, except on a bureacratic roundabout.

Health Minister, Tony Ryall, simply refused to address their problems in any meaningful way.

Jenny outlined the stress on families whose loved ones were either not receiving medication because Pharmac refuse to fund treatment, or, were forced to fly to Australia every two weeks to be part of clinical drug trials,

“That’s a huge stress on their families. We shouldn’t have to do this when there are treatments available in New Zealand. And our patients say ‘it’s like genocide – they pay their taxes, they’ve contributed to society, why can’t we have a fair go?’.

Jenny then asked, “Where to from here? I guess we’ll have to have a Plan B for what [comes] next.”

Blogger’s note: With each passing story that I write up for this blogpost, I am more and more impressed by the sheer heroism of these good people.

See previous related blogpost: Health Minister circumvents law to fulfill 2008 election bribe?

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Jenny

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John Forman introduced the next speaker, saying  that the seminar had heard from patients and from support groups, but there were very few people who could contribute to this issue from an academic viewpoint. He said that  few people with an academic or professional background were willing to challenge or criticise Pharmac and that many tended to have a sympathy for the core role that Pharmac has.

John explained that Dr Greg Coyle had written his University Ph.D thesis on the role of Pharmac and how it manages exceptional circumstances.

“It is exactly the topic that we’re interested in, and it’s exactly the kind of academic rigour, independent of a direct patient interest or family interest in this issue.”

Dr Greg Coyle

- Health Researcher

- Principal Advisor to the Salvation Army

Dr Coyle voiced his appreciation for meeting the members of the Forum the previous night (27 February),

“I want to thank the people I met last night…It was important to me for me to meet some of the people that I thought about; researched; and wrote about. And I’m the better for that.”

Following Dr Coyle’s very personal remarks that were directed to those present at the seminar, he launched into his pre-prepared speech and power-point present.

This blogger will re-print some  of his main statements and the rest of the text of his speech can be found here: How does the operation of PHARMAC’s ‘Community Exceptional Circumstances’ policy align with the distributive justice principles of fairness and equity?

“Thank you for inviting me to talk about my research. The subject was fairness and how we might know if agencies are being fair when we ration health care, particularly pharmaceuticals, in New Zealand.”

“…Today I would like to spend a few minutes talking about my study into PHARMAC’s operation of the exceptional circumstances policy (now renamed the Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment scheme). This policy of PHARMAC’s was interesting to me because it is located at the very boundary where the needs of the whole society and the needs of an individual meet.

Examples of how we ration healthcare in New Zealand in an explicit manner are very rare. I do not wish to suggest that health rationing is rare –it most certainly is not –but it is mainly done in an implicit manner and patients and families often will not be aware that it is even happening. PHARMAC is one agency which is explicit about limiting care. Many of you know this well.”

“…So the questions I suspect that you want answered is how much cost for the treatment of a person with a rare diseases is too much? As a country do we have processes to decide this? Are the processes rational and fair? Would providing more money for public health mean that other sectors like education, police, welfare, public housing or recovering from natural disasters would be given less? “

“…John Rawls, an American philosopher, developed a theory of ‘justice as fairness’the chief purpose of which was to ensure that utilitarian and consequentialist thinking, in meeting the greater good, would not sacrifice the position of individuals.   He presented the principle that each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive liberty compatible with a similar liberty of others. However when social and economic inequalities are to be arranged, they should be arranged so that they are both to the greatest benefit of the least advantaged and attached to positions and offices which are open to all under the conditions of fairness and equality.”

“…Amartya Sen, a contemporary welfare economist, philosopher and winner of a Nobel Prize for economic science in 1998, developed a contemporary widely held view of distributive justice…

…  He clarified perceptions of distributive justice in terms of a person’s capability to experience justice.  Sen’s notions of justice are ultimately linked with the capability of people and how their lives are lived in the world.”

“… Sen held that the reach of health equity is immense and health care must be of primary importance in any discussion on social equity and justice;

“…health equity cannot but be a central feature of social arrangements in general”.”

“… Consequently, using these two philosophers, I posed the question of PHARMAC:

How does the operation of PHARMAC’s Community Exceptional Circumstance’policy align with the distributive justice principles of fairness and equity as described by John Rawls and Amartya Sen?”

“…I decided to distill their theories into four questions which decision-makers could ask of themselves to discover (or simply begin to debate) whether their decisions are fair and just.

Here are my 4 questions. I use the term ‘distribution’to mean decision, policy, funding or delivery of a service:

1. Would the most advantaged in society accept this distribution if they, at an instant, found themselves to be the least advantaged in society and requiring such distribution for themselves?

2. Is this distribution arranged so that it is attached to positions and offices which are open and accountable to all?

3. Is this distribution based on the efficiency of substantive opportunities and on procedural fairness in defining efficiency?

4. Is this distribution based on information available to decision makers about the capability of this person to do things he/she has good reason to value?”

“… We see the two purposes for PHARMAC in the governing legislation. One is to approve subsidy on an adequate range of quality pharmaceuticals for the general community. The second purpose is to approve subsidy for citizens whose needs are not met by the general schedule and considered exceptional.”

“… The evidence showed that in PHARMAC’s first purpose, general allocative policies have been highly successful in procuring an adequate range of quality medicines at internationally low prices.

PHARMAC has saved the New Zealand health system approximately $1.17 billion in 14 years. This has been achieved by methods of utilitarian efficiency analyses relying heavily on the Quality Adjusted Life Years calculation. PHARMAC has also expertly utilised subsidising and purchasing decisions based on evidence of clinical effectiveness.”

“… However, in PHARMAC’s second purpose,  its success has been achieved, in part, by managing the claims of individuals in exceptional circumstances in a way that has not closely aligned the Rawls’and Sen’s principles of fairness, equity, openness and consistency.

The research shows that using the functions required of it by governing legislation, PHARMAC well achieves its statutory purpose. However, in doing so, PHARMAC must deal with the tension between justice as fairness to individuals whose needs are exceptional, and fairness to the needs of wider society.”

“… There are three structural problems here. The first is that PHARMAC has no stated philosophical principal on which to base its decision-making other than limiting expenditure to achieve its budget, which is not a principle but an outcome.

The Minister, parliament, the courts, the Ombudsman, DHBs, the pharmaceutical industry, doctors or patients have no way of knowing if the decisions being made by PHARMAC are fair to both the community and the individual. “

“… The second problem is that PHARMAC and its committees claim to use the 9 decision making criteria to guide decision making. However, my research showed that the priority, or weighting, of the criteria are never explained. So one cannot know which criteria were met or not met when PHARMAC comes to a rationing decision. “

“… The third problem is that under these conditions PHARMAC will always feel embattled and defensive because it cannot serve both purposes and adequately protect the Minister from criticism. My research showed that PHARMAC Community Exceptional Circumstances Committees don’t record the reasons for their decisions because they would most certainly be challenged. If I was a panelist I am not sure I would record the reasons for my decisions either because of the hazard of doing so.”

“… The pharmaceutical industry has worked out how to squeeze PHARMAC in the media over funding for pharmaceuticals for rare diseases particularly if these drugs are available overseas or the drug company has made a new drug available for a short period provided to individuals on compassionate grounds. Pressure groups, such as your own, highlight individual cases in the media appealing to the ‘Rule of Rescue’to raise public sympathy and put pressure on PHARMAC.”

“… PHARMAC’s claim that it simply does not have the budget for $500,000 a year for drugs for a single person is quite true. But the government does have budgets for other things for example $30 million for a sports stadium in Christchurch, $8m a year on ministerial limousines, assisting a private boarding school in Wanganui for $3.8m,  a greater than $350m tax subsidy for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit  pictures or the government considering recapitalizing the state coal company for $400m… I could go on. “

“… and one million for the penguin!” [Not in pre-prepared speech notes.]

“… In this first purpose they are world beaters and we should celebrate the relatively large savings PHARMAC has made…

… However in this system the needs of the individuals with rare diseases will always take second place. To achieve budgetary control over the community pharmaceutical schedule and provide for people in exceptional circumstances are contradictory purposes. The first purpose is explicit meso-level rationing and the second purpose is explicit micro-level rationing. They are not the same and cannot be treated the same way.”

“… Well what system for analysing pharmaceuticals for rare diseases would I propose?

Firstly I believe PHARMAC should continue to do what it does well which is carefully analysing clinical effectiveness and cost utility in the approval of subsidy for medicines for public hospitals and the general community.

(Slide 14) I believe the second purpose of PHARMAC, to approve subsidy for medicines for individuals with rare diseases should be handled by another agency administered by the Ministry of Health. Shall we call it the ‘Rare Diseases Funding Agency’ Its chair and members should be appointed by the Minister of Health.”

“… The Rare Diseases Funding Agency in New Zealand would be similar to PHARMAC in that it would have a fixed budget determined by parliament for the specific purpose of deciding on all claims not just for pharmaceuticals, but also for home support and other necessary assistance for people with rare diseases in the community.  The agency would need to implement the medicine strategy including the objectives of efficient use of resources and fairness and equity considerations. I have no idea what the level of funding should be, but a starting point would be transferring PHARMAC’s budget for ‘Named Patient Pharmaceutical Assessment’scheme, I believe is $8m, to the Agency.”

“… Or, here’s an idea, a reallocation of a proportion of the savings made by PHARMAC could also be made to the Rare Diseases Funding Agency.”

“… Finally, there should be consideration of the fairness of decisions to individuals. Fairness can be a consideration because the Rare Diseases Funding Agency is separated off from the funding of pharmaceuticals of the wider public.

The agency should demonstrate openness and transparency about it decisions. “

“…A good model of openness and accountability to consider might be the investigation and reporting mechanisms of the Office of the Health and Disability Commissioner which I hold to be exemplary.

Clearly PHARMAC and the Rare Diseases Funding Agency would have boundary issues and it would be in both agencies’interest to have a cooperative relationship.”

“… I believe that there will never be a time when all the pharmaceutical or other health needs of people who suffer rare or common diseases will be able to be met. This day will never come. But such an agency which I am proposing, underpinned by distributive justice principles, will provide an accountable, cost effective and fair system for analysing and managing the limited resources which are available for this purpose.”

“…In summary, (Slide 15) I submit that the current PHARMAC system delivers incredible value on behalf of the general community but it does not deliver justice as fairness to individual claimants who suffer rare diseases. I believe a new Rare Diseases Funding Agency, such as I have described, would.”

(Blogger’s Note: It’s apparent that a general concensus throughout the seminar was that Pharmac’s role to fund treatment for patient’s with rare diseases was not working well, and that a new agency was needed to undertake this responsibility

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Lucy

Lucy has been advising NZORD of legal matters in relation to access to medicines for rare diseases. She has been undertaking this role for a couple of years. She said this has been of limited success, and likened it to trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

She said,

“But it doesn’t necessarily need to be this way. The legal framework feels like it should be capable of making these decisions.”

Lucy said that the Health Minister and Ministry “make all the right noises” when it comes to accessing treatments for rare conditions. She referred to various agencies, laws, and documents which all indicate a need to improve access to highly specialised medicines.

Lucy said that all the documents which refer to specialised medicines and principals of fairness, equity, and distributive justice (prompted with a whisper from Dr Coyle), and affordability,  should allow people to have a “fair go”.  She read from legislation and Statement of Intent relating to Pharmac,

“… including in exceptional circumstances providing for subsidies for pharmaceuticals not in the Schedule.”

She pointed out that rare disease should be the “exceptional circumstances” – “they’re the diseases that are so rare, hardly anyone has them.”

Lucy pointed out that these are the drugs that Pharmac will never fund because they don’t meet their narrow cost-benefit, health-economics basis – which Pharmac uses so well for mass-market medications.

“And why would we fund these things?” she asked. “We would fund them because,  we don’t want to abandon our citizens. We mount  hugely exprensive rescue operations  to rescue people stuck up on mountains even thought they’ve taken themselves up there. “

Lucy said that Pharmac considers that it doesn not need to take into account issues of morality, fairness, equity, and community values, because of the way legislation has been enacted. So they do not take those factors into account.

As a lawyer, Lucy said she would be assisting NZORD to ensure that Pharmac does take those factors into consideration, when making decisions.

She said,

“I don’t agree with their argument that fairness means the same processing criteria for everyone. Because it can’t be fair to say from the outset that this whole subset of patients will never be funded; ‘just rule them out’. There must be cases within that subset that deserve to be funded.”

Lucy added that in all cases the onus is on Pharmac’s decision makers to make their decisions with humility, empathy, and with respect,

“I think that Pharmac is exceptionally proud of the system that it’s developed and the $1.7 billion of savings that it’s  achieved for the Schedule. Such that, ‘they shall not be questioned’. And I think that;’s really  insulting for the people who don’t fit within that process.”

Lucy agreed with suggestions that a fundamental change to the system was required. She said that in the meantime  “legally we have what we  have”.

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Lucy

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At the conclusion of the speakers’  addresses, there was ample time to mingle and ask questions. In a room full of people with serious medical conditions – many life-threatening – there was a strong feeling of cheerful optimism. Never underestimate the human  ability for hope…

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This blogger wishes to thank the fine people who invited me to attend the Forum; to hear their stories; and who trusted me to present those same stories in an appropriate, respectful, and honest way.

The thing that struck me the most was that these were ordinary New Zealanders who most likely have never thumbed their noses at authority; have never engaged in protest activity; and are your typical Middle Class fellow-Kiwis.

They are also people who’ve not been well treated by the system – including politicians who often promise The World – but when held to account – find shabby excuses not to help those who desperately need it.

This country – our government – could help sufferers of rare diseases. The money is there. Perhaps politicians could cut some of the subsidies they give to businesses; build one less motorway; take a bus instead of chauffered limousines (which Green MPs do very well); or any other number of savings.

The money is there.

It’s the will to spend it on medicines, which is lacking.

And to Allyson and Freda – you two are fabulous! My thoughts are with you both (and all the others who I met at the Forum, and those I didn’t).  May the politicians and others in high positions of decision-making hang their heads in shame for how they’ve let you down.

You’re simply the best.

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So who uttered the quote, “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable”?

Look for yourself,

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Fine words, Mr Prime Minister. Perhaps these people would like to know how deeply you believe them…

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**Update** **Update** **Update** **Update** **Update** **Update**

NZORD has annnounced that it will be approaching the Office of the Ombudsman.

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Addendum

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Source

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Previous related blogposts

Priorities? (19 Oct 2011)

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key (12 Nov 2012)

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key – Update & more questions (28 Nov 2012)

Health Minister circumvents law to fulfill 2008 election bribe? (18 Dec 2012)

Johnny’s Report Card – National Standards Assessment – Compassion (9 Jan 2013)

“There’s always an issue of money but we can find money for the right projects” – John Key (20 Jan 2013)

Media

Pharmac: The politics of playing god (16 June 2011)

$500,000 a year to keep toddler alive (5 Feb 2013)

Rare disease sufferers want pricey treatments (1 March 2013)

Rare disease takes awful toll on boy (1 March 2013)

Call for an Orphan drugs access policy to overcome Pharmac’s systems failure (28 Feb 2013)

Additional Information

Gregory John Coyle: How does the operation of PHARMAC’s ‘Community Exceptional Circumstances’ policy align with the distributive justice principles of fairness and equity?

The PNH Support Association of NZ

PNH Support: Petition to Government to Make Soliris available to New Zealanders!

Support for Jethro Morrow

Facebook: Support for Jethro Morrow Facebook Page

Facebook: NZ Rare Disease Day

Website: NZ Rare Disease Day

Facebook: Treat NZ Pompe Patients Now Facebook Page

Website: Pompe Network

Facebook: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

Website: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

Facebook: NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders

Website:  NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders   

Pompe Support: Petition to Government Fund Myozyme for Pompe Patients

Copyright (c)  Notice

All images are freely available to be used, with following provisos,

• Use must be for non-commercial purposes.

• Where purpose of  use is  commercial, a donation to Support for Jethro Morrow  is requested.

• At all times, images must be used only in context, and not to denigrate individuals.

• Acknowledgement of source is requested.

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= fs =

“One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part rua

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Continued from: “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part tahi

John opened the NZORD seminar with a welcome to attendees and members of the media.  He was sporting a newly designed purple ribbon, denoting support for people with rare conditions, and the every day struggles they face in their lives.

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Paul

Paul began by telling those present about his son, “Ja”, and his rare disease, Hunter Syndrome (MPSII). “Ja” is only one of two children in the country with this rare disease.

Paul’s concern, he told listener’s, was the problem of fairness in getting access to specialised medicines for rare diseases. Paul said that current enzyme replacement therapy, available world-wide, was proven to have an effect on this disease, by slowing its progress.

Paul told the seminar that in June 2010, Pharmac’s Dr Peter Moodie appeared on TVNZ’s “Close-Up” (now replaced by ‘Seven Sharp’) agreed that the drug ‘Elaprase’ (an enzyme replacement therapy) was an effective drug for “Ja’s” disorder. The drug was approved for the second child suffering Hunter Syndrome – but bizarrely, six months later, Pharmac declined access for “Ja”.

Paul’s son’s doctors immediately placed a second application for Pharmac to get funding for this treatment for his son.

Paul said they got results when they went on nationwide TV (See:  Campbell Live – “$500,000 drug treatment for boy”). He was not the first case where media attention had both accelerated the decision making process, but also had a positive treatment result. As he said,

“When you talk about fairness and equity, this is the perfect example of two cases, of two kids, with exactly the same disease,  wanting exactly the same medicine. One was allowed access, one wasn’t. And we had to go on TV and beg for the drug. Parents of kids with rare diseases shouldn’t have to do that.”

Paul’s address to the seminar was short, lasting only a couple of minutes. But the power of his soft-spoken  words, describing his family’s experience in their dealings with Pharmac, was sufficient to get his message through,  with chilling clarity.

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Paul

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Jo

Jo wanted to share her perspective of how a rare disease affects an ordinary family. In fact, Jo’s experiences and struggles were anything but “ordinary”. Jo described herself as the “proud mother of two  wonderful boys”, “J”, 9,  and  “C”, 11.

“C”  was diagnosed two years ago with a rare brain disease for which there is no cure; is degenerative; and life expectancy is mid-to-late teens.

At this point, I wondered at the inner strength of a parent who could talk about her child’s impending fate, in a room full of strangers. There was an underlying tension in Jo’s voice – unsurprising considering  the subject matter she was talking about. As if to underline this, Jo said,

“No one said life was going to be easy, but we were not ready for this.”

Jo told the seminar that a drug called “genistein” – whilst not a cure – might help ease the symptoms. The drug is not available in New Zealand and they source it from a pharmacy in New York, USA.  She said the US pharmacy will not permit the medicine to be sold to a local pharmacy here in New Zealand. They will only on-sell to patients and their families.

Jo outlined the process by which they purchased  “genistein” from overseas. She had the support of her pediatrician in Dunedin; a metabolic specialist from Auckland’s Starship Hospital; and advice on dosage from another specialist, a Professor,  in Poland. They then “crossed their fingers” that the exchange rate was favourable when they made the purchase.

She then told the seminar that soon after the medicaton arrived into the country, they were phoned by NZ Customs, demanding payment of GST and Duty, on the medication.

Jo said they no longer have to pay some of the Duty on the  “genistein”, as they were exempt. She added, “I struck the nicest guy [at Customs] who had a heart“.

Jo questioned why her family should have to pay GST for a drug for her terminally ill son – a drug not otherwise available here in New Zealand. She asked,

“Why should the government benefit from my son having an illness that will take his life. It is not a lot of money, but it is to us.”

Jo has written a book called “It’s OK”, about a child with a disability, starting a new schiool, and another child recognising that it’s ok to have a disability. She said it was the book they had been searching for, in relation to their son’s condition. It did not exist, so she wrote it herself.

Jo said that her local community in Otago held regular bingo nights to raise money to purchase the “genistein“ for “C”, and was hugely appreciative of their effiorts to support “C”.

Does the “genistein” work? Jo said they don’t know, and with a hint of resignation in her voice said,

“There’s nothing else. That’s it.”

Jo then told listeners that their son, “C”, will become a donor. Jo said that she and her husband were trying to think of other parents, and hoping  that this decision would help them,

“It will be ‘C’s’ gift to them.”

[Blogger's note: At a time when Jo and her family are faced with the unimaginable, they still have the courage and forethought to think of others. This is people in their darkest moments, rising and being the best they can. I cannot put into words what I feel as I listen to Jo's voice on my Recorder and write them here, for  others to read. To continue Jo's story...]

Jo said it was impossible to try to explain, so others understood,  how such a rare disease affected  their family.  She said, “as a mum, there are days I cannot breathe“.

As Jo tried to describe the heart-wrenching feeling , as the disease took more and more “everyday things” from ‘C’, her voice began to break. She said,

“There is not a day that I walk past ‘C’ without touching him as one day I will not be able to.”

She said she enjoyed days when she watched her boys play. “Life,” Jo said, “was not a dress rehearsal“, and she emphasised making the most of every day we had. She ended her address by saying,

“Families dealing with a rare disease should be able to enjoy the time they have, not have to spend their time fighting for what they need.”

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Jo

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Shannon

Shannon began by explaining that in 2010 her eight month old infant son, “Je” was diagnosed with kidney failure. At the time, she says, she believed “that was all she was dealing with“. Later, it was discovered, “Je” was suffering from a rare disease with a long, complicated name (but which Shannon can roll off her tongue with extraordinary ease), with the initials aHUS.

The condition is a genetic mutation resulting in chronic kidney failure, high blood pressure, neurological damage, risks of heart attacks and strokes and “the list is pretty endless“.

Though her young son was in bad shape at the time, doctors managed to restore kidney functions assisted with dialysis and stabilise him with plasma infusions. Later still, Shannon and her family learned that their best hope for “Je” was a drug called “soliris” – an expensive medication. Though “Je” was undergoing weekly plasma infusions – not much fun for a three year old little boy – that was not a long-term solution. When infusions are no longer effective, “Je’s” only other option will be “soliris”, Shannon said.

The medication is not funded by Pharmac.Two applications have been made to Pharmac – both rejected by the Agency.

Shannon and her family are busy fund-raising (see previous blogpost: ), knowing that every dollar they manage to raise will be a dollar that goes towards saving “Je’s” life. Shannon describes her activities as “a mad fund-raising mission”.

She says that “Je’s” health is currently stable, but that  60% of  aHUS sufferers do not survive their first year of diagnosis., “so we’re very lucky there”.

Shannon concluded by saying, “we have a pretty intense journey ahead“.

Blogger’s note: “Je’s” life will depend upon the generosity of ten thousand strangers, each  contributing $1 per week to save him – an awful dichotomy between the life of a child  and $1 per week. It is amazing how Nature’s cruelty can be offset by human beings’ love and compassion toward each other.

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Shannon

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Allyson (assisted by Jenny)

Allyson has Pompe Disease – a condition shared by only six other people in this country.

With Jenny’s help, Allyson read from a pre-prepared power-point presentation on her lap-top.She called it “Innocent people dying under John Key’s Watch”.

Quoting Treasury’s website, Allyson stated that  $7.9 million was spent annually on Ministerial cars and chauffeurs. The figures covered Members of the Executive (government Ministers); leader of the Opposition;  former Governor Generals; former Prime Ministers; their wives’ judiciary; Distinguished Visitors (see: Govt paid $6000 limo tab for Warner Bros in Hobbit talks); as well as self-drive vehicles for Members of the Executive.

Allyson suggested that $8 million could pay for life-giving medication for everyone in the room.

Allyson pointed out other examples, such as drunk-drivers who killed someone being elegible for ACC, if they also happened to injure themselves. Even incarcerated criminals, she said, received more funding from government than sufferers of rare diseases did.

By comparison, she said, rare genetic diseases like theirs “got zero”.

Allyson’s application for enzyme replacement therapy treatment (ERT) has already been declined twice by Pharmac. “But I’ll go for three“, she said with a quiet chuckle. She said that the medication would slow down, or even stop,  the progression of her disease and offer a modest improvement, which is a “huge thing for a degenerative disease”. But Pharmac still rejected her application.

Allyson said she’s currently on a trial programme, for which she has to fly overseas – initially to Florida, and subsequently to Australia – and had to fund-raise by selling raffle tickets outside a super-market.

“Selling raffle tickets to save my  own life. That’s pretty bad, isn’t it? For New Zealand. Or any other country.”

Allyson said there were sixty countries that funded ERT, but New Zealand and Australia were not one of them. “So we’re really in the Third World.”

Allyson explained that currently she was part of a drug trial that involved her travelling to Brisbane every two weeks (see previous blogpost for details). She was obviously worried that if the pharmaceutical company stopped the trial at any time, she would have to go “cap in hand” to Pharmac. There was an edge to her voice -  Allyson must have realised the likelihood of Pharmac granting consent to her application would most likely be nil.

Blogger’s note: Allyson’s life is currently in the hands of a pharmaceutical corporation that owes  very little to her. She is assisting their drug trial in a purely commercial transaction. By contrast, our own  government does nothing for her, or others, suffering from rare diseases.

Allyson considers herself lucky to be part of this drug trial, and says,

“The alternative to not getting treatment  isn’t worth thinking about.”

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Allyson (L) and Jenny (R)

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Olivia

Olivia began her talk by explaining the nature of Hereditary Angioedema (or HAE).

HAE is a potentially fatal, genetic condition that involves parts of the body swelling, and affects one in 50,000 people worldwide. There are 49 known sufferers here in New Zealand.

Olivia said that an attack can occur in the stomach, internal organs, and sometimes fatally, in the air-tract. Death by asphyxiation can occur in under twenty minutes, if not treated appropriately. She said there is one treatment only, which is available only  in certain major hospitals, for in-patients.

This current situation affected families of HAE sufferers who had to familiarise themselves with the locations and means of access to  specific hospitals that carry suitable treatment. Olivia said that because frontline staff are not always familiar with the condition, there can be critical delays in treatment. Olivia pointed out that a sufferer in Spain died during an attack, when hosital staff failed to recognise the condition correctly – even when presented with information regarding HAE.

As a consequence, Olivia said that,

“International physicians are recommending that patients have the ability  to carry their own medication for treatment at a hospital...”

Olivia added that there is a new medication available to 37 other countries, including Iceland and Russia.Whilst the drug is not available here in New Zealand, if it were, it could be self-administered by the patient in his/her own home.

Olivia outlined what was required for HAE sufferers,

“We need equal and fair  access for all patients across  all of New Zealand. Even if they live in a smaller town or city. We need timely access to treatments, either through a patient carrying their own supply, or through the ability to self-administer at home which is available in other countries as well. Also access to the best treatments that are available in other developed nations. These allow early treatments at the first sign of attack, meaning less hospital admissions; less severe attacks; and the ability for patients to carry on with their every day lives. “

Olivia criticised the current system which forced people to  spend their  limited time and resources on  fighting for access to treatments, rather than “looking after the health that we do have“.

“And we don’t think that’s fair.”

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Olivia

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Daniel

Daniel is a 32 year old father of one. He suffers from Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). He started by explaining his “journey”, and which started with experiencing odd symptoms that his then- partner suggested that he check up on. His GP insisted on blood tests which led to an MRI; then to a urologist; and then haematologist… and finally after nine months, a diagnosis of PNH was arrived at.

Daniel’s current treatment is referred to as a “supportive treatment”. This does not address the underlying causes of his condition, and only manages his blood levels, which are constantly fluctuating.

For deeper treatment, Daniel requires “soliris” – which Shannon’s son also needs for his condition. The drug prevents the body’s immune system from attacking red blood cells.

Daniel explained that many of the new drug treatments “are at the leading edge of science and health  technology” and by funding these innovative new treatments, they will eventually have greater applications and benefits. He said that by not funding these new treatments, the government is putting out a message that it is not interested in seeing science and technology develop in such a way as to treat other diseases and  benefit more people.

As a treatment, Daniel was offered a bone marrow transplant – which has considerable difficulties and risks for complications involved. With no sibling as a close blood-type match, Daniel would have had to seek assistance from a non-relation who matched him as closely as possible. He said a bone-marrow transplant offered a 50/50 chance of success – or coming out at the end in a worse state, “or potentially dead“.

An alternative was presented to Daniel when a UK specialist shared his research-findings in April last year (2012), regarding the use of “soliris” to treat PNH sufferers. What Daniel heard was like a beacon of hope being switched on,

“With the treatment option [ “soliris”],  patients were living for the same period of  time as the general population, so mortality rates had dropped away. Without treatment, the expected survival is around ten years, so the median is about ten years, post-diagnosis. But with treatment, patients were living long and full lives. And the important thing for me was hearing some of the quality of life strories which he shared…living with PNH, one of the major symptoms is this constant and sometimes quite severe fatigue burden… to live day to day.“

Daniel said it wasn’t just physical but the psychological impacts of living with a chronic disease, and the awareness that it’s “not going to go away”.

Daniel described  “soliris” as an “amazing treatment” that is “now proven to give people back quality of life” as well as extending their life span and which has been  part of the British public health system since 2008. In Australia it has been available since 2011.

Daniel asked the UK specialist,

“What would you do in my situation?”

The reply from the visiting doctor was unequivocal, according to Daniel,

“There’s no question. If you were in the UK you’d be treated with “soliris”. You don’t go down the bone-marrow transplant [option], there’s too much risk involved. Internationally doctors are moving away from bone  marrow transplantation. Come to the UK.”

Whilst he was tempted to make use of other country’s health systems, Daniel recognised that there were many others in New Zealand – many of whom were young people – who desperately needed leading -edge drugs such as “soliris”, and he couldn’t “run away from these problems”. He said he and others were entitled to receive treatments that he had been paying taxes for a number of years.

Instead, Daniel did what Kiwis are famous for – he decided to take a stand for something which he recognised was grossly unfair.  He and others set up a patient association [The PNH Support Association of NZ] and have taken to lobbying government and Pharmac for funding for “soliris”.

Daniel made the point that PNH “rogue cells” are common in approximately 10% or 20% of the population. Occassionally, these rogue cells over-whelm healthy cells in the bone marrow and the disease becomes manifest. However, the visiting UK doctor informed Daniel that with life-spans extended by soliris, sufferers were often experiencing “spontaneous remission” as the body had more time to adapt and experience a kind of  “cure”.

Daniel then shared his experiences with Pharmac, after he and others had launched a media campaign, earlier this year, highlighting their difficulties at getting funding for treatment. He said,

“I felt it was fairly non-agressive, fairly straight-forward… ‘We’re a group of patients; we’re sick; we want access to a particular drug. We didn’t hide away from the fact that it was a high cost treatment…”

He said, “we didn’t really attack Pharmac, we simply told the story of  ‘this is a treatment which has been under consideration for over 14 months’. We made it clear that there had been funds provided  by the drug company to support our media relations company, [but] none have come directly to the Association, but they have been paying for us to have access to this group. And we told our story.

And immediately on the same day, we began to see what John has described as the ‘clobbering machine’. The misinformation machine… essentially Pharmac is a hugely resourced government agency. It doesn’t take these stories lying down. It fights.”

According to Daniel, Pharmac fought back in the media with a variety of strategies, including denunciation by recognised leaders in various medical-related fields and painting the PNH Association as a proxy, attempting to speak on behalf of pharmaceuticals. Pharmac was also derisory about PNH sufferers, dismissing it as a “fashionable disease“.

(Blogger’s note: if, reading this, you are experiencing a sense of unease that taxpayer-funded state agencies are able to employ taxpayer-funded ‘spin doctors’ to counter public concerns surrounding Pharmac funding decisions – that is a normal reaction. It signals that, in an Age of Madness,  you are sane.)

Daniel said that many of Pharmac’s public statements did not make sense and it appeared that there was “a mechanism” within this public agency that worked to actively counter any argument it deemed critical of it’s performance. He said that whilst Pharmac was entitled to make its position clear, that it seemed that the agency was speaking through other groups and ‘proxies’ to put their message out to the public. Daniel said  “to me, this is an abuse of power“.

He said that the system is broken if people, such as the ones who had spoken at the seminar, were having to beg for treatment whilst being very sick.

Daniel said that he felt that the disease had not only taken over his health, but had taken over his life and that he was having to counter Pharmac and fight for what he believed to be a simple request; access to healthcare.

He said his concerns were two-fold.

Firstly Daniel believed that the system was “broken” and that decision-making for funding treatments for rare diseases be taken away from Pharmac, and given to a separate decision-making body. Such a new body, he said, would recognise a “different equation” where, by default, rare diseases would have to be treated differently.

Secondly, Daniel  said that “we need to be looking at Pharmac  and asking some questions about how it operates”. He said that as a government agency it is accountable to the citizens of the country, who it is supposedly serving, and has no mandate to attempt to “squash a small patient group”. He said there were problems around dissemination of mis-information, poor presentation of decision making processes, and a lack of transparency.

He repeated his assertion that, to him, this was an abuse of power by a governmental agency, and he hoped for better outcomes than this.

(Blogger’s note: And it should be said that when a government agency – of any description – uses media streategists and spin doctors to counter public concerns and criticisms – they are using our own taxes against us.)

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Daniel

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Jane

Jane began by telling the seminar how shocked she was to hear other peoples’ stories on the previous evening of the Forum (27 February). She said she considered herself “lucky” in that she has resources, plus resources of her close friend, Susan, who Jane describes as “incredibly astute and on-the-ball” and very supportive.

“So together, we quite a formidible team.”

Jane said that she’s managed to cope with her situation, but expressed concern for those less fortunate and with less resourcing and support.

“What about all those other people when someone looks them in the eye and says, ‘We’re terribly sorry but this is a disease that we just have to watch and wait‘?”

Jane detailed her own situation from initial diagnosis; the search for a stem-cell donor (no match anywhere); flying to Melbourne to consult a specialist;  and finally getting approval to commence a specialised drug, “azacitidene”.

“Azacitidine” is not available in New Zealand. She said therefore that you either fund it yourself – or you don’t have it at all. Jane said if she doesn’t have it, “she’s going to drop through the ice” (See previous blogpost: “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part tahi )

Though not funded by Pharmac, “azacitidine” has won approval  for it to be administered. Her treatment starts in a couple of weeks.

Jane then posed the question to the seminar, “so why am I here?”.

She answered that she had the skills; the resources; the “team”; to work her way through the system; to research and network and therefore give herself a chance.

“What about the person who can’t do that? What about the person who hasn’t got the resources? … They’re going to have no chance.”

Jane concluded by saying,

“I just have this real concern that this is not fair. Health systems are not fair and equitable. It really relies on the individual, and relies on luck around the individual…This is an organisation that … by bringing people together, can make a difference.”

Next

Where this blogger reveals the author of the quote, “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” .

And where concrete proposals are made to reform Pharmac with a bold plan for a “Baby Pharmac”.

To be Continued at: “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part toru

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Previous related blogposts

Priorities? (19 Oct 2011)

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key (12 Nov 2012)

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key – Update & more questions (28 Nov 2012)

Health Minister circumvents law to fulfill 2008 election bribe? (18 Dec 2012)

Johnny’s Report Card – National Standards Assessment – Compassion (9 Jan 2013)

“There’s always an issue of money but we can find money for the right projects” – John Key (20 Jan 2013)

Media

Pharmac: The politics of playing god (16 June 2011)

$500,000 a year to keep toddler alive (5 Feb 2013)

Rare disease sufferers want pricey treatments (1 March 2013)

Rare disease takes awful toll on boy (1 March 2013)

Call for an Orphan drugs access policy to overcome Pharmac’s systems failure (28 Feb 2013)

Additional Information

Gregory John Coyle: How does the operation of PHARMAC’s ‘Community Exceptional Circumstances’ policy align with the distributive justice principles of fairness and equity?

The PNH Support Association of NZ

PNH Support: Petition to Government to Make Soliris available to New Zealanders!

Support for Jethro Morrow

Facebook: Support for Jethro Morrow Facebook Page

Facebook: NZ Rare Disease Day

Website: NZ Rare Disease Day

Facebook: Treat NZ Pompe Patients Now Facebook Page

Website: Pompe Network

Facebook: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

Website: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

Facebook: NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders

Website:  NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders   

Pompe Support: Petition to Government Fund Myozyme for Pompe Patients

Copyright (c)  Notice

All images are freely available to be used, with following provisos,

• Use must be for non-commercial purposes.

• Where purpose of  use is  commercial, a donation to Support for Jethro Morrow  is requested.

• At all times, images must be used only in context, and not to denigrate individuals.

• Acknowledgement of source is requested.

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“One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part tahi

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NZ, Wellington, 27/28 February – This blogger was invited to attend a forum held by NZORD (New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders).  The Forum addressed issues and problems surrounding PHARMAC funding (or lack, thereof)  for “orphan drugs” (see: Wikipedia – Orphan Drugs), for rare medical conditions such  such as Pompe Disease.

Until now, many of the folk involved (John Forman, Allyson Locke, and others) were just names and media stories to me.

But on the evening of 27 February, when I met Allyson at Wellington Airport, and subsequently met John at Rydges Hotel in downtown Wellington – they became very real, engaging people. I was finally able to put people-to-names.

And then I heard and learnt their own stories.

What I found humbled me and made me realise that their stories and their problems with PHARMAC could be any New Zealander impacted by government policies.

These were our stories as well as theirs.

27 February

About 20 people met in the Rydge’s Function Room. It was a bright sunny day outside – and the hotel’s air-conditioning was on the blink. The heat was stifling; comments were made about hot-house conditions suitable for growing tomatoes; fans were brought in; and Management expressed their apology by shouting us five free bottles of wine later, during our buffet dinner. (Since I was driving, it was water for me.)

The Forum kicked off with John Forman, Executive Director of NZORD, welcoming attendees,

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John introduced himself and explained his own situation,  referring to two family member with a rare disorder. This has given him  first-hand, intimate  empathy with people living with rare diseases and disorders.  He works in the dual roles of Executive Director of New Zealand Organisation for Rare Disorders and Chairperson for the Lysosomal Diseases support group. He has worked in this field, at first part-time and now full-time, for fifteen years.

John then invited those present to give a brief introduction to their own situation.

Daniel

Daniel explained his rare disease – PNH -  and that he is currently fighting to gain access for medication that is known to be a life-saving treatment for people with his condition. His group, The PNH Support Association of NZ, launched a media campaign this year to highlight their fight to access treatment for their condition.

He said that the Pharmac process had been ongoing for twelve to fourteen months. His group are pushing for release of documents from Pharmac relating to their application for drug-funding.

Daniel is a founding member of the The PNH Support Association of NZ which is currently running an online  Petition to Government to Make Soliris available to New Zealanders. [Blogger's note: please take a moment to sign the petition. It will take only a couple of minutes, and will be the best thing you can do to help Daniel and his fellow PNH sufferers.]

Daniel said he lives with a disease that effects his life on a daily basis, and was excited about prospects to help his, and fellow sufferer’s, situation.

Paul

Paul spoke on behalf of his young son, “Ja”, advising the group of the rare disease, Hunter Syndrome (MPSII) that affects him. His son had undergone a bone-marrow transplant in October last year, following twelve weeks of Enzyme Replacement Therapy (ERT). Paul’s son was one of the few cases where Pharmac has funded ERT, and they appeared on “Campbell Live”.  (See:  Campbell Live - $500,000 drug treatment for boy)

Paul said that his son is doing “really well” at present, but will be going back to Starship Hospital for further, ongoing treatment.

Shannon

Shannon also spoke on behalf of her three year-old young boy, “Je”, who has a life-threatening, genetic disorder. She rattled of the lengthy, tongue-twisting, medical name for the disorder with an ease that suggested how frighteningly and  intimately familiar she was with her son’s condition. (I doubt most doctors could repeat the name with such ease.)

Shannon explained that whilst her little boy was presently stable, there was currently no cure for the condition. “Je” has plasma infusions every week – not much fun for a three year old lad who should be out playing with his mates and doing all the things that other three year olds do.

Shannon said that at some stage he will need “soliris“  -  “the sooner the better for a quality of life”. She hopes for funding in the near future, and in the meantime has been privately fund-raising. Shannon is asking ten thousand  people to donate $1 a week, to pay for upcoming treatment with ‘Soliris’. She said they were a quarter of the way to her target with two and a half thousand people making $1 weekly donations, plus extra donations coming in from other fund-raising activities, events, and auctions.

“I basically fund-raise non-stop… I’d like to basically give him a relatively normal life ,” she told the Forum.

Despite Shannon’s soft-voice and demeanour, she held a steely determination to do the very best she could for her son. She is obviously not going to give up on him.

People wanting to help Jethro can do so through the following;

http://supportforjethro.co.nz/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Support-for-Jethro-Morrow-aka-Jethro-Gantley/251266464918462

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/8262237/500-000-a-year-to-keep-toddler-alive

Remember – just $1 a week!

Jo

Told the Forum that her eleven year old son, “Co”, was diagnosed with a rare disorder two years ago. She said, “there is no cure, and there is no treatment”.

Jo said that her family imports a drug from the United States called “genistein“, but it’s use is “purely a trial”. She said it may help to ease the symptoms.

Jo said that “Co” is still walking – but his life expectancy was mid-to-late teens only.

At one point Jo found it difficult to explain why she was attending the Forum, but said that it was good to be with other people who had “been through the same journey, and probably understands”.  She referred to the “huge”  implications of a late-diagnosed disease and ongoing battles relating to her son’s condition.

Marianne

Marianne is from Dunedin and both her adult sons are affected with the same rare disorder, MPS1. She said that whilst both her sons are “living relatively normal day-to-day with the condition, as much as they can”, there was no enzyme-replacement therapy  that would be effective for their particular situation.

Marianne said that they were living their lives in the “present day like kids would their age” but that the disease might not manifest problems until they were much older. She said she was attending the Forum to be kept up to date “in the loop”, and appreciated that others who were present, had a “hard journey to make”.

Brenda

Brenda’s family in the UK had been devastated by a rare disease and told the Forum that “it’s now working it’s way through family here”.

Brenda’s  granddaughters have not been tested yet, and said that was  “a shock yet to come”.  She says her daughter, “D”, has Fabry diagnosis – hence a 50/50 chance that her two granddaughters  may also have the disease.

Brenda said she had been “a bit naive all my life”, thinking  that “when you got sick, you  got treated”. But she said she was horrified to learn that even living in a developed country that was not always the case.

Brenda said she wanted to help, “I want to do something, I don’t know what….just to do something, to kick arse!”, which prompted laughter from the Forum attendees.

Jane

Jane told the forum that her condition was often just a chronic disease but in her case was more serious.   She’d recently sought an opinion from our nearest centre of excellence for the disease in Melbourne where she was told that despite having ‘a performance level of 0’ and being ‘extremely well’ she is now in the ‘high risk’ category.  The specialist described her as being “a really good ice skater but that the longer she skated the thinner the ice”, and she could “crash through” at any moment.

Quite liking being alive, Jane’s uses her skills and resources to challenge and achieve opportunities.  She expressed her determination “to get what I need“, and referred to her “terrier” nature; getting her teeth in; and not letting go, but it takes huge effort.

Jane said “the rules of engagement are not explicit” and it is hard to work them out.  They [the system] expected people in her situation to follow a certain ”role”. She said if you altered that, it can make a big difference, but not everyone could do that and many would just walk away.

A treatment is available in many other countries for people categorised as high risk however, it’s not available here. She has decided to self fund even if it means becoming “houseless” in the process.  However she expressed real concern and called it “dreadful” that someone else with similar health status but without her resources would just have to accept that only supportive care would be available for them.

Susan, Jane’s Friend

Susan and Jane have been friends for the last 20 years and as she put it, “it’s a helluva journey to be a support person“, and immediately expressed her feelings at what she had heard from others at the Forum.

Susan launched into a well-reasoned, articulate description of the system. She also said that whenever they go to Capital Coast Health  [Blogger's note: Wellington Public Hospital as it was once called, in simpler times], it was as if they were teaching them that they were people first and patient second.

Susan referred to the “ease with which judgements are made” with regards to Jane’s situation and that often it was necessary to challenge what was behind the judgements. She said not knowing how the system worked that made being proactive in support of Jane more complex.  For example under what criteria would a person qualify for special assistance and does a successful application come with additional funding.

Dr Greg Coyle

Dr Greg Coyle explained that he is a principal  advisor to the Salvation Army who has written a thesis on exploring the boundary between what was provided to an individual, compared to what was provided to society as a whole. His thesis explored how fairness came into the issue. He said it was a policy analysis, and looked at how the system worked and did not work.

See: How does the operation of PHARMAC’s ‘Community Exceptional Circumstances’ policy align with the distributive justice principles of fairness and equity?

He said he looked at how disadvanged people have huge barriers  put in front of them for the normal and simple things in life.

Dr Coyle advised the Forum that he would explain his thesis, in more depth, tomorrow.

Freda

Freda, of Ngapuhi, greeted the Forum in Te Reo.

Freda told the Forum  that twentyone years ago, she had  been diagnosed with “acid maltose glycogen deficiency” – aka Pompe Disease.  In fact, Freda was the first person in New Zealand ever to be diagnosed with the condition.

At first, Freda was happy with the diagnosis, as she had been sick for a long time without knowing the cause. That happiness rapidly disappeared when she was told; there was no cure. Her reaction was simple,

“What the ‘heck’?!”

At this point in her life, Freda had a young, three year old son, and her oldest son was getting reading to go to Boarding School. And now she’d been diagnosed with a condition for which there was no known cure.

She asked the specialists, “Well, what do I do?“.

One specialist  replied, “Nothing. Go home.You probably won’t live till 40.”

Freda did live to see her 40th birthday, and in her own words, celebrated the event with a “hua of a party – two days, we partied!”. And every birthday party since then has been an unbridled celebration of another year lived, and the disease kept at bay.

Freda says that whilst it is her pure determination that has kept her going, that it is getting harder for her to walk and get around.

Freda then shared with the Forum the chilling fact that she had applied three times with Pharmac for treatment – and had her application  denied all  three times. She said she had been given a “host of reasons“.

When asked by this blogger if she would apply again, Freda said she was considering a fourth application. She said she was thinking about it. Having just become a grandmother, and seeing another granddaughter come into the world in three weeks time,  Freda said she wanted to take them to Kapa Haka; she wanted to take them to ballet. “Because trust me,” she said, “both my grand-daughters, they’re going to do ballet“.

Freda said she wanted to sing to them, as  she had done for her sons.

She then wondered if it was worth  putting in a fourth application, and suffer the emotional let-down? She said, “stuff it, I don’t want to be let down again“.

She said her condition was worsening and even a common cold affected her harshly, as she had very little immune system. If she fell, Freda said, her bones would not mend,

“I’m getting tired. I’m so tired… It’s a struggle. I think all of us are in the same boat. Be it your daughter. Be it your son. Be it yourself, we’ve all been there“.

Freda brightened when she referred to Allyson, who was sitting beside her, saying,

“Allyson, she and I may not be bioligically comnnected. [But] She’s my sister. For she’s the only other woman in this country who has the same disease as me.”

It was something that this Blogger noticed; Freda and Allyson seemed to have a special bond. Closer to being sisters than friends.  I wondered if their mutual support for each other gave them both added strength – to keep  going despite constant rejections for medical treatment, and a looming future that was bleak.

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Freda (L) and Allyson (R)

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Allyson

Allyson began by confirming her status as a Pompe Disease sufferer. She said, with a warm smile at Freda,

“We, that’s going to be a hard act to follow…”

Freda replied,

” Well, I would break out, with a waiata, but...”

They both laughed at that and Allyson continued,

“…All of us are struggling. None of us should have to struggle this hard to get treatment. Just having the disease is bad enough. Why should you have to grovel to Pharmac and have them say ‘no, you’re not worth spending the money on’.

I don’t quite know what to do about it. We’ve tried and tried. We have to keep trying. Eventually they’ll have to do something.”

Allyson then pointed to the National Government over-turning Pharmac’s decision on Herceptin and another medication,

“They’ve set a precedent for being able to do that [over-turning a Pharmac decision].”

Allyson also pointed to Pharmac using high costs of  drugs to garner public sympathy for their refusals to fund treatment,

“It’s actually a lie and they say that to try and gather sympathy from the public and people say , ‘Oh well, yeah why should we spend $500,000 on you when they could help fifty other people with diabetes?’”

But we’re going to die if we don’t get help, she said.

“But every time you try and stand up to them, to say ‘Hey we really need this thing, ‘cos we’re actually going to die if you don’t, ‘cos this is a fatal disease that we’ve got”… they sort of clobber us down  by saying ‘well, you know,  if we help you, then Joe over here is going to die along with a hundred mates..”

“We need everyone to be helped.”

Allyson added that she was one of the “lucky few” who was part of a drug-testing trial. Every two weeks she had to travel to Brisbane for treatment.

The travel involved leaving on Wednesday by driving from Masterton to Palmerston North; flying from Palmerston North to Auckland; flying from Auckland to Brisbane; driving next day to a hospital; having treatment; next day flying from Brisbane to Auckland; staying in Auckland overnight; then flying from Auckland to Palmerston North, and then driving from Palmerston North, home to Masterton. In the meantime her husband took time off work to care for their children. (Travel, food, and accomodation costs are met by the drug company.)

This routine takes place every two weeks.

It should be pointed out that Allyson uses an electric mobility-scooter; tires easily; and has difficulty breathing by late afternoon. She can stand, but not walk for more than a few steps.

Imagine the outrage if a government attempted to force a similar wheelchair bound person – suffering from a disease that could be treated easily here in New Zealand – to travel overseas every two weeks.

The stress of this constant travel cannot be helping Allyson’s already weakened state.

[Blogger's note: by late Wednesday evening, Allyson's breathing had become a noticeable wheezing. She took laboured breaths at semi-regular moments. I cannot help but wonder at the damage high-altitude flight, in a pressurised cabin, must be causing her. Perhaps Health Minister Tony Ryall and Pharmac Medical Director Dr Peter Moodie, should accompany Allyson next time she makes her arduous journey to Brisbane and back? My money is on a big, fat, 'No!' to that.]

However, Allyson expressed her gratitude that she had the option of engaging in the life-giving drug trial. Allyson knew she was one of the lucky ones. She pointed out that Freda is already too frail to make the flight to and back from Australia. Freda has not even been given the choice of participating in the drugs trial. She is receiving no treatment. Freda is simply awaiting her fate.

[Blogger's pi**ed off note: One wonders if this is good enough for our country? Or is it ok because it's happening to someone we don't know?]

Allyson commented that she had an anger towards politicians in the Beehive,

“They spent nearly eight million dollars on chauffeurs. This was, I think, 2010 Vote Ministerial Services. Where I got that was from the Treasury website. So that was verifiable,  that’s what they spent. That would help a lot of us in this room. But that was just for one year.”

(See: Govt’s VIP limo fleet cost goes up)

Greg Coyle added,

“The point you’re making is how does the government prioritise the life of one person?”

Allyson agreed, adding,

“Is providing a limo service for all the dignitaries from overseas and our ones here, at $8 million a year, more important than saving a life? That would help a lot of us in this room, right now.”

Jenny

Jenny introduced herself as Administrator at Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand head office. It is a field she has worked in for twelve years. Jenny is close to the members of her association, saying,

“I’m right at the coalface and I work quite closely with these guys. We cry together, we laugh together. Obviously it’s very distressing seeing these guys get  turned down time and time again [by Pharmac].”

Jenny is also a mother to a son, “Ha” and daughter, “Sa”, who have a very rare disease – in fact the only two people in the country with this particular condition. She said that her role is to fight for  good clinical outcomes. Jenny said that managing her children’s rare disease has been difficult, and pointed out that there have been many times when “Ha”, in particular, has been put at risk by the inaction of  her local DHB.

Jenny therefore has many roles; organisational administrator, advocate, and a mother.

Chris Higgins

Chris is Chief Executive for Muscular Dystrophy Association of New Zealand. He said that Freda and Allyson were the reason that he was attending the Forum, as Pompe Disease was also a neuro-muscular condition.

Chris told attendees at the Forum that Muscular Dystrophy Association covered forty different neuro-muscular conditions, including muscular dystropy. All are rare diseases. With the exception of Pompe Disease there was no cure or treatment for any of them.

Chris remarked that he had not seen Allyson for two or three years, and that her disease had taken it’s toll on her. With a wry smile, Allyson said she thought that Chris was amazed she was still alive. Allyson added,

“Damn, I thought you were going to say I looked good.”

Chris went on to say that he was moved to hear other people’s stories; people who are directly affected by the issues; particularly Freda and Allyson and that it “grounded him back to reality”.

He thanked the Forum for the humbling privilege of being invited to attend.

Olivia

Olivia is a director of HAE Australasia, which is a patient advocacy and  support group for Hereditary Angioedema or HAE. Olivia said there were 40 known patients in New Zealand alone and possibly more undiagnosed. She said HAE is a swelling disorder that can have sudden onset. The condition is life-threatening; extremely painful; and an  attack can take place in twenty minutes. There is only one treatment available in thre country. Olivia said there was often difficulty in explaining the condition to EDs at hospitals.

Olivia said that her group is looking for both additional treatments both here in New Zealand and overseas, as well as better access to the one treatment already available.

Lucy

Lucy is a lawyer who has given assistence to John on various issues. Lucy said she she was also concerned at issues of morality and what sort of society do we want to live in. She said she wanted a society where people who were vulnerable had wrap-around services, rather than being isolated and having to fight the system.

Lucy said there should be abilities  for exceptional circumstances; where discretionary decisions can be made.

Lucy  said that Pharmac’s process did not provide for exceptional circumstances or  funding for treatments outside their usual criteria. But listening to these cases,  “is this not the exceptional circumstances they’re talking about“?

She said there will always be people who are not the greatest number and who are at the margins with rare diseases. What kind of equity was there in a system that ignored their needs?  Lucy voiced her frustration at a system that ignored people’s needs. She gave an example of ACC providing a better service if you were disabled through an accident than if you were born with it. These are things that reflect on our society.

Lucy closed by saying she would be willing to offer her legal services to help in this area.

At this point one of the attendees quietly asked in a hopeful voice, “Do you do divorce cases?”

There was instant laughter to this.

Lucy declined to take the case.

She did, however,  make the point that there was a big difference to where only one drug was available for a rare disease than  to situations where Pharmac had to consider a fourth generation drug over a third generation product already funded.  In cases of rare diseases,  there was no drug treatment being funded by Pharmac whatsoever.

Lucy had no sympathy at all for people in high decision-making roles who wanted to put some difficult issues into the Too Hard Basket,  by saying they couldn’t assess morality as part of any decision. Lucy was adamant and said,

“Well tough luck, buddy, you signed up for that decion-making role. You stepped forward to make those tough decisions – so just make them. Don’t say you can’t assess them.”

Meeting and listening to people at this Forum gave me two valuable insights…

1. Their afflictions – many of them untreatable and terminal – had not affected their sense of humour. They were still able to crack jokes – often at their own expense.
2. The people in the room were ordinary New Zealanders – mostly middle class; ages ranging from early 20s to 60; men and women. These were the “mums and dads” that politicians often refer to when seeking their votes at election time. And they are the ones who will most likely vote.

These folk are not seasoned political activists. They are people that live next to us in our neighbourhoods; who pass us on the footpath; and stand in line with us at the supermarket.

They are the face of New Zealand. And they have come up hard against The System and political intransigence.

Next

Where people’s stories are continued – and begin to touch upon reforming Pharmac…

To be Continued at: “One should judge a society by how it looks after the sick and vulnerable” – part rua

 

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Previous related blogposts

Priorities? (19 Oct 2011)

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key (12 Nov 2012)

Terminal disease sufferer appeals to John Key – Update & more questions (28 Nov 2012)

Health Minister circumvents law to fulfill 2008 election bribe? (18 Dec 2012)

Johnny’s Report Card – National Standards Assessment – Compassion (9 Jan 2013)

“There’s always an issue of money but we can find money for the right projects” – John Key (20 Jan 2013)

Media

Pharmac: The politics of playing god (16 June 2011)

$500,000 a year to keep toddler alive (5 Feb 2013)

Rare disease sufferers want pricey treatments (1 March 2013)

Rare disease takes awful toll on boy (1 March 2013)

Call for an Orphan drugs access policy to overcome Pharmac’s systems failure (28 Feb 2013)

Additional Information

Gregory John Coyle: How does the operation of PHARMAC’s ‘Community Exceptional Circumstances’ policy align with the distributive justice principles of fairness and equity?

The PNH Support Association of NZ

PNH Support: Petition to Government to Make Soliris available to New Zealanders!

Support for Jethro Morrow

Facebook: Support for Jethro Morrow Facebook Page

Facebook: NZ Rare Disease Day

Website: NZ Rare Disease Day

Facebook: Treat NZ Pompe Patients Now Facebook Page

Website: Pompe Network

Facebook: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

Website: Lysosomal Diseases New Zealand

Facebook: NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders

Website:  NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders   

Pompe Support: Petition to Government Fund Myozyme for Pompe Patients

Copyright (c)  Notice

All images are freely available to be used, with following provisos,

• Use must be for non-commercial purposes.

• Where purpose of  use is  commercial, a donation to Support for Jethro Morrow  is requested.

• At all times, images must be used only in context, and not to denigrate individuals.

• Acknowledgement of source is requested.

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Health and safety jobcuts? Haven’t we been down this road before?!

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Three things here…

(1) Sacking trained, experienced health and safety inspectors?! Haven’t we been down this road before?

Why yes – indeed we have.

In the early 1990s the Mining Inspectorate was amalgamated with the Labour Dept, and mines inspectors went from 7 to two  positions. And only one of those positions was filled to service the entire country.

The result was a shoddy and lax culture of safety in  mines – and on 19 November 2010, 29 men died as as result. (see:  Royal Commission on the Pike River Coal Mine Tragedy)

Mines Minister Kate Wilkinson took “responsibility” and resigned immediatly after the Commission report was released.

It was a faux resignation, of course. She ‘jumped’ before the Commission’s report forced Key’s hand. It was a cold, calculating strategy to minimise and close down media and public scrutiny of National’s past performance in de-regulation and reliance on “market” forces.

National does not seem to have learnt a single damn thing.

(2) The irony of sacking 135 people from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has also not escaped me.

Doublethink at it’s best?

I think so.

(3) The 135 sacked employees are expected ” to reapply for their positions through a rigorous process including psychometric testing “.

“Psychometric testing”?!

National is allowing government departments to use a technique that is controversial at best, and  voodoo ‘science‘ at worst,  to interview potential employees?! When  did this bit of hocus-pocus chicanery become State sector policy?

All in all, this is further indication of the mess that National is creating, and will leave an incoming government to clean up.

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Previous related blogposts

Heather Roy – head down the mine shaft?

W.o.F “reforms” – coming to a crash in your suburb

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Is this really the solution to our housing problem?

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Illustration by Tim Denee – http://www.timdenee.com

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Our housing problem is getting worse with each passing year and each successive government.

In 1991, 73.8% of  households in New Zealand lived in their own home. By 1996, this figure had dropped to 70.7%.

By 2001 home-ownership rate was 67.8%, and by 2006, this had dropped below the half-way mark to 44%

(see: Stats NZ – Owner-Occupied Households, Home-ownership falls dramatically)

As with so many other indicators, the “free market” reforms of the late 1980s and 1990s were creating a flow-on effect that very few had foreseen.

The drop in home ownership was perhaps worsened after the 1987 share-market crash when  investors – many of them ordinary folk – were burned and lost theire lidfe savings, and often their homes.

Part of the problem is that the housing stock is insufficient to meet demand of New Zealanders wanting to buy their own home. Far from being a Local body council or RMA problem, this blogger sheets home responsibility on successive governments who have failed to,

1. Introduce a comprehensive capital gains tax to stifle speculation,
2. Speculation drove up property prices as investors played an out-bidding war against each other,
3. Uncontrolled capital flowing into the country allowed prices to rise as vendor’s expectations grew for higher and higher sale prices (much like in the 1970s and ’80s when wage spirals led to price-rise spirals)

During the  2011 Election, Labour campaigned to introduce a Capital Gains Tax (CGT).  A CGT, Labour (and others) maintained, would put a dampener on housing speculation by removing it’s near total  tax-free status. As well as driving up house prices, speculation of this sort took investment away from more productive industry.

Speculation also relies on using overseas borrowings, pushing up the amount we owe to offshore lenders,

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- Treasury

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Predictably, the “genuises” at National – and especially John Key – trashed the idea immediatly,

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Key’s criticism ranged from “complexity” (it is not more complex than other tax laws) to “when you put more taxes on the economy you slow things down” (the economy can’t be any slower than it is now).

A few days later, Key went one step further,

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According to Dear Dear, in one of his LSD-inspired moments of alternate-reality,

“Labour are trying to put up, as a stalking horse if you like, a problem that existed when they were in government but doesn’t exist now.”

Source: IBID

That was Key being his usual mendacious self, of course. Despite his assertion that National had “solved the problem”, our housing crisis was worsening.

In fact, less than  two years later,  the headlines were screaming the problem from Bluff to Kaitaia,

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As per usual, National Ministers were pointing the finger at everyone except themselves (see:  Dear Leader Key blames everyone else for Solid Energy’s financial crisis) and English was quick to point the finger at the RMA ands local body councils.

Of course, the last time National interfered with home-building processes, they de-regulated the building industry; loosened the Building Act 1991; and gave New Zealand a legacy of thousands of rotting houses.

National’s most recent pronouncements are vapid and will do nothing except put  superficial band-aids over a deep cancer in our society and economy,

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“Restrict high-loan-to-value ration lending in the housing sector“  translates to requiring first home owners – usually young couples – to have to save tens of thousands of dollars, whilst at the same time paying high rents and other out-goings.

Let’s be crystal clear what National is advocating here;

1. Without a capital gains tax, National is allowing the older generation (sometimes referred to as “Baby Boomers”) to;

• keep their rental investments,
• use the equity in their currents investments to buy more properties,
• eventually ‘flick off’ their investmental properties for a tax-free profit

2. New home owners will have to;

• build up a large savings deposit (returning us to a 1970s-style era),
• create a demand for more expensive, second mortgages,
• push up rents as more and more young people are forced to rent for longer,
• compete with property investors who will continue to drive up prices,  to buy a home

In effect, young New Zealanders will find it harder and harder to get into their own home whilst Baby Boomers will continue  to make the most from increasing rents and a tax-free regime for property  (house) investments.

It will be young New Zealanders being penalised for high house prices – a situation not of their making.

And worse still – and this is truly salt in the wound for young New Zealanders – the money they will be forced, by National’s decree, to save, will be used by Banks to on-lend to housing speculators to buy more investment properties.

The sheer obscene unfairness of this scenario cannot be under-stated.

By what logic, or concept of justice, is it fair to make it harder for young New Zealanders to buy a home whilst older generations continue to enjoy their tax-free investments – which contributed to driving up house prices and our overseas borrowings in the first place???

If this country wants to send another 500,000 New Zealanders to Australia, I can think of no better policy with which  to achieve this enforced emigration. National is practically screaming at our kids to “bugger off !”.

Good on you, John Key, Bill English, Steven Joyce, et al. Another dumb idea.

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Previous related blogposts

A Capital Gains Tax?  (3 Aug 2011)

Blood from a stone? (27 Jan 2012)

Regret at dumping compulsory super – only 37 years too late (21 Jan 2013)

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