Interesting developments in the National Party’s attempt to dress up their asset sales policies. Bill English must be concerned, when even Don Brash can see through today’s announcement about a cap on private shareholdings and call it a “political ploy”.
National is obviously worried about the public reaction to the sales. There is a real sense of desperation to appear as if something can be done to the policy to magically see assets stay in New Zealand hands, The truth is that today’s announcement does nothing to actually stop assets ending up outside of New Zealand control, raises the prospect that the price of shares will be beyond so-called Mum and Dad investors and really just puts five companies in a strong position when the inevitable further sell downs take place.
There is one way to ensure that New Zealanders stay at the front of the queue of ownership of state assets that earned us all $900 million last year. Keep them in public ownership as they are now, so we all are at the front of the queue.
Posted in Asset sales and Bill English. |
The conventional wisdom is that Tony Ryall is making a good fist of the Health portfolio. Now that I am up close in the area I can say that he keeps a tight rein on matters health, and is managing the portfolio effectively. But there is a big difference between managing the politics of health and actually doing what is right for the long term health outcomes of New Zealanders.
The best evidence of that is the release today of the Child Health Monitor Report. It shows, among other things, that in the last two years there have been an additional 5 000 avoidable hospital admissions for things like respiratory illness and skin infections. The authors of the report note that the cost of going to the doctor, especially after hours is a factor in whether children are getting the healthcare they need, along with a range factors associated with child poverty.
I am not saying all of this is down to the Health policy of the current government. But the focus on the narrow range of health targets set by the Minister means that child health is not the priority it should be. The Minister has narrowed the health targets in such a way as to scratch the itches of waiting lists and time spent in ED, but it is at the expense of early intervention and public health programmes. District Health Boards have responded by pursuing the Minister’s targets, spending on public health has been slashed ($124 million in the last Budget) and funding for primary care has failed to keep up with inflation.
Just managing the Health portfolio is not enough. I actually think it is irresponsible to avoid the long term investments that will lead to long term health benefits in favour of things that are designed to fit on a coloured chart and make the Minister look good.
Labour, through Annette King, has already outlined our Agenda for Children that will put children’s well being at the centre of our social policy. More details will be announced in the election, but from a health policy point of view public health and affordable and accessible primary care must be a priority.
Posted in Children's Health, Public Heath, Tony Ryall and Inequality. |
When MAF made the announcement of the loss of 241 positions, that will end up putting 144 people out of work, it was a continuation of this government’s policy of putting more than 1500 people out of work in the public service. In my media release I made the point that those put out of work are real people with families and themselves to look out for.
That hit home to me yesterday when the daughter of one of the women who found out she was losing her job visited me in my electorate office yesterday. She was upset. Her mother is in her early 60s, and faces the prospect of trying to find work in an environment where jobs are few and far between especially for someone of her age. She has written a letter to John Key. She asked me if I thought he would actually get to read it. I said I didn’t know, but I want to make sure people get to know the real impact of losing jobs. Here are some extracts from the letter.
My mother who raised her children on her own and started work part time when my younger brother started school has worked her guts out for her family and paid tax to a government that has basically shitted on her.
She also lives on her own in a small privately rented one bedroom flat. Now faced with unemployment and the prospect of having to move out of the flat that she will no longer be able to afford and go on the unemployment benefit and move into a state flat.
The reality is employers are not looking for workers of her age the the prospect of her getting a decent paying job is very slim. This has terrified her and she is in turmoil and worry about her future something that a woman of her age does not need in her life. My mother is a loving and vibrant woman who now seems depressed and anxious.
I know from talking with other people facing the same issues that she is not alone. People in this country continue to struggle to buy food and clothe their children or themselves.
Cutting the public service is not the answer. People’s livelihoods depend on their jobs and the retail sector depends on people spending their money. This government should be creating jobs which I do not see them doing. When cutting budgets and jobs is the only method a government has to reduce debt that government will not survive in an election.
She goes on in the letter to talk about some of her personal circumstances which I won’t put in the public arena. But the reason she wrote was not for herself, but for her mother. Its a real story about the real impact of unemployment, and I think it deserves to be heard.
Posted in Public Services and Jobs. |
On Monday I was in Rangiora for a public meeting organised by local MP Clayton Cosgrove, calling for the reinstatement of the after hours GP services that were cut last year. It was a great turnout, 250 to 300 people. They are understandably angry. This was a service they have had for more than 20 years. The population is growing, and it is also ageing. The 40 minute ride to the nearest after-hours in Christchurch is expensive if the one ambulance is not available and you can’t drive yourself. On Monday we heard the story of young mother who had to take her toddler who had burns to Christchurch. The total cost of taxi and being seen came to $300. By the end of the week she did not have enough money for food for the week and had to rely on the support of other agencies.
I have great admiration for the people who are behind this campaign. With Clayton’s support, a local woman named Paula Thackwell set about getting signatures for a petition to get the services back. She managed to get 8,246 signatures. That amounts to about 70% of the population of Rangiora, a truly phenomenal effort. The submission found its way to the Health Select Committee, which eventually reported on it in July.
I was on that committee, and I can tell you that the attitude of the government members was that there was no issue here. We got a report from the Canterbury District Health Board, and they said there was no issue. The majority of the select committee rejected the petition. Labour put in a minority report backing the petitioners. We asked questions in Parliament, Tony Ryall said it was not his problem either.
At that point Paula could have given up, the government was not listening. But she did not. Along with Clayton, she kept the pressure up. Eventually the government reacted, and the District Health Board have proposed a “solution”. It involves a six month trial of paramedic and nurse triage phone service. That is a step forward, and a complete change of heart from the DHB. But the community is not satisfied. The view at the meeting yesterday was that there needs to be a solution that still gives the people of the Rangiora area the confidence that there is a doctor available in their community when they need one. The meeting passed a motion to keep up the fight for the reinstatement of the services.
There is of course a bigger question here, which I have put to Tony Ryall which is what responsibility does he take for people across New Zealand having access to after hours services. Last week they were cut in Temuka and Geraldine. There are stories from elsewhere as well. The government needs to be up front with New Zealanders as to whether they will ensure that the services are there. But in the meantime, hats off to the prople of Rangiora for keeping up the fight. We are right there with them.
Posted in CLayton Cosgrove, After Hours GP and Health. |
For those viewers who have just tuned in to watch the debate on asset sales on Q+A this morning they would have seen David Cunliffe and Don Brash, but no representative from the National Party. That’s right, no Tony Ryall as SOE Minister or Bill English as Finance Spokesperson. TVNZ made clear it was a refusal to debate rather than either of them being unavailable. Good on TVNZ for doing the ‘empty chair’, but I think this is one of the most staggering arrogant actions we have seen from National. If its your policy, get out and debate it for goodness sake.
Anyway, since Bill would not debate, here is the video again from last week’s National Party conference where he fails to convince his own delegates of the asset sales policy and makes clear that he does not actually know how he will fulfil his own policy to put “Kiwis at the front of the queue” if assets are sold. This is a deeply flawed policy that will be bad for long term future of New Zealand.
Posted in State Asset, SOE and Privitisation. |
