National Thus Far

[Ab]

Originally Posted by blynk

Hey, at least they got a surplus.

Truly delivering a budget surplus after saying they might not is the greatest political deception in our lifetime.

[CCS]

Lul!

[Lightspeed]

"Hey boss, it seems our social policies are making a bad situation worse."

"Don't worry mate, just talk up the surplus, people find it hard to think about the people we're hurting anyway."

[pxpx]

http://www.hauraki.co.nz/video/rando...-week-tonight/

many lols were had!

[blynk]

I can only assume that Colbert didnt understand the final question. I thought that was the best one

[pxpx]

Um, who?

[blynk]

Oops, my bad.

Oliver.

[Lightspeed]

Youthline set to close due to lack of funding:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/we...-can-be-raised

This is in the context of CYF apparently failing. Which is unsurprising because children are the most impacted by the closing of these community services (for example, the resulting unwanted pregnancies that could be avoided.)

My wondering is, is National aware of the impact of letting these low cost, high value services fail?

If so, what are they hoping to gain? Cheap, unskilled labour? An increase in criminality to justify more policing and state control?

If not, how can they be so ignorant? What has so captured their attention that they're missing this?

[Lightspeed]

My summary isn't accurate. A Youthline service is about to close, Youthline itself will remain running.

[Ab]

This is a private organisation deciding whether or not to cancel one of its services based on its own revenues, right? WTF does this have to do with the government?

[Lightspeed]

Community health is a responsibility of the government. Under National we are seeing a general collapse in both public and private community health services.

[Ab]

So the fact that Youthline even exists is the problem?

[spigalau]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

Community health is a responsibility of the government. Under National we are seeing a general collapse in both public and private community health services.

Like this one - http://www.maungakiekie.co.nz/

Note: UNDER 13 CONSULTATIONS ARE NOW FREE

[pxpx]

Budget 2016 is going to be interesting.

[Lightspeed]

Originally Posted by Ab

So the fact that Youthline even exists is the problem?

No, it's necessary. There's no one size fits all approach to community health, at least not without worsening the health of the marginalised. So it is necessary for independent services to exist.

It's the general context of the devaluing of community health that's the problem. It's both causing such services to struggle to get the funding they need, which degrades the quality of the services, which in turn generates more need for such services. It's a vicious feedback loop we're only seeing the very beginning of.

[fixed_truth]

Editorial: PM to blame for sloppy trust affair

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/ar...ectid=11633618

[fixed_truth]

Auckland's housing crisis worsens: RNZ Checkpoint

Brighter future everyone!!

[pxpx]

Nick smith is really fucking it up

[blynk]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Nick smith is really fucking it up

No, I'm pretty sure its Labour fucking it up.
Some how.

[Juju]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

Auckland's housing crisis worsens: RNZ Checkpoint

Brighter future everyone!!

Campbell talking to poor people about poor people in a poor people area. He know's he's on a gravy train which is why 80% of his stories from Campbell Live and now this are sob stories.
How about we check some figures.

Don Place was in the background there, which is in meshblock 0706600.

For meshblock 0706600 (30 households in total):

Average residents per household in 2001 Census - 4
Average residents per household in 2013 census - 4.8

No. of houses with 8 or more residents in 2001 - 6
No. of houses with 8 or more residents in 2013 - 6

Sure, the data is 3 years old, sure it's a very specific and low number example - but not a lot has changed in 12 years between censuses, I doubt it's changed much more in the past 3 years.

[fixed_truth]

I see your point about a small sample size but I do think that a lot has changed in the Auckland housing market over the past few years.

[pxpx]

Is there one for rents? I mean, even in 2011 poor people generally didn't expect to own houses in the short term.

[Lightspeed]

For CCS:

National reigns over an age of worsening horrors in NZ:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-...alone-in-death

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Is there one for rents? I mean, even in 2011 poor people generally didn't expect to own houses in the short term.

Though I'm pretty sure this is only private rentals and also I reckon supply of rentals (incl. state houses) would be a significant factor here too.

Hearing reports from those on the front-line about what's going on makes for some depressing reading.

[CCS]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

For CCS:

National reigns over an age of worsening horrors in NZ:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-...alone-in-death

I'm not sure why that is for me and I'm not sure why you've made the connection between National and that story. Surely you realise the problem existed under Labour as well?

[pxpx]

Originally Posted by Lightspeed

National reigns over an age of worsening horrors in NZ:
http://i.stuff.co.nz/national/faces-...alone-in-death

It's almost like CYFs needs a total overhaul

[Lightspeed]

Yeah, like a well used car that's been left unserviced needs an overhaul.

Originally Posted by CCS

I'm not sure why that is for me and I'm not sure why you've made the connection between National and that story. Surely you realise the problem existed under Labour as well?

Because.

And no, it was not a worsening problem under Labour. At the end of Labour's government thriving community health services were really starting to get underway. National pulled the rug out from all of that. Exactly how they're juggling the funding is not clear, but it is clear that the kinds of services that would support people in making better choices with their lives are struggling to the point of collapse.

[CCS]

Ah right, so it's National's fault after all. You'd better write a letter to your MP.

[Lightspeed]

Yes, the worsening community health situation is National's fault. This is "National Thus Far". Their policies have undermined community health in NZ and NZ is facing the consequences.

[CCS]

Cool bro?

[pxpx]

Some numbers re state housing:
http://www.hnzc.co.nz/assets/Uploads...al-summary.pdf

[Juju]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Is there one for rents? I mean, even in 2011 poor people generally didn't expect to own houses in the short term.

For meshblock 0706600:

2001 Weekly Rent Median: $80 (18 households out of 30 are rented)
2013 Weeklt Rent Median: $150 (18 households - the median is higher but the number of households paying less than $100 per week has stayed the same - 9).

2001 Number of Housing NZ houses: 12
2013 Number of Housing NZ houses: 15

2001 Median Household income: $29,200
2013 Median Household income: $65,000


Sure - rents have doubled - but so have incomes.

[pxpx]

Where are you sourcing this stuff from Juju?

[Jodi]

No, income hasn't doubled, the income needed to live in a house has doubled.

[fixed_truth]

Originally Posted by Juju

Sure - rents have doubled - but so have incomes.

I'm not sure what point you're instigating here. Do you not think that there is a rental crisis?

[Ab]

Only in Auckland. How many times do we have to do this dance?

[Lightspeed]

National to introduce $41m of new funding for sex abuse victims over the next four years.

[CCS]

^ Is that good?

[Juju]

Originally Posted by pxpx

Where are you sourcing this stuff from Juju?

http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2013...k-dataset.aspx

[Juju]

Originally Posted by fixed_truth

I'm not sure what point you're instigating here. Do you not think that there is a rental crisis?

Nothing I read in that article appeared to be based on fact - it was all anecdotal and circumstantial.

It would be nice if someone could do some homework and compare year on year figures from correctly taken statistical surveys for all of these claimed problems - to see if the trend really is worsening as much as they claim it is.