Posts by Sacha
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"Gypo" is Henry's understandable self-hate bubbling closer to the surface. The boychild needs therapy and allowing him to poison our precious national discourses in the meantime is inexcusable. And mean.
Rick Ellis should be utterly ashamed - and act to redeem himself pronto. Big ups to Ben Gracewood for showing how it's done.
We also deserve a PM who can at least have the basic human decency to seem appalled on behalf of his people - at the time, not a day later when the focus group results are in.
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what is it that you consider makes "Pakeha" an ethnicity?
Belonging
Perhaps we need a bit longer so that it becomes obviously distinctive from the belonging of Maori New Zealanders, Indian New Zealanders, Samoan New Zealanders or Korean New Zealanders.Some of us Pakeha New Zealanders see it. How short-sighted or narcissistic must I be to leave off the first bit?
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You'd have to hope there was room for support activites like that
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Galling though it may be to the habitués on this forum, the dispute won't be brokered on these pages
I suspect we'll get over it - and "habitués" is a nice word, thanks
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Yet media are more interested in reporting the colour of the Minister's tie than fisking claims like this that ignore inflation and population changes:
Well, we've put more money into district health boards this year, and we've put more money in last year, so they are getting a generous increase.
Thank goodness for Helen Kelly standing up to shamelessly biased cheerleader Paul Holmes as he gives his kneepads a workout (how's my Ranapia channelling):
[HELEN] ...the reality is that that cuts in public services have been right across the board. We've seen $400 million taken out of early-childhood teaching services. We've seen 500 hours at Capital & Coast health cut from old-people's care. We've seen mental-health services cut in Canterbury. This isn't a reinvestment strategy, cutting in one place and shifting to the front line. This is pure cuts.
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PAUL You can overburden your country with public servants.HELEN It's pure ideology.
PAUL But you've got to have a good public service.
HELEN Yeah, no, it's pure ideology. This government believes in privatising services.
PAUL Nothing wrong with a bit of ideology, is there?
HELEN No, well, there's nothing wrong with it, except when it starts interfering with child safety and health services and early-childhood education, and then there is a problem with it.
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HELEN Yeah, but, actually, there's also this fixation, and I am concerned about doctor recruitment and doctor retention, but it's also this fixation with that level, when a hell of a lot of staff work underneath that and are able to save doctors time and support that work and treat patients. You know, we've got highly qualified nurses here. We've got highly qualified clerical staff...
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HELEN That's a myth that they're moving it to the front line. They're cutting. The budget said they want to save this money. This is not money that they're cutting. I work with the Ministry of Health a lot. They're the most amazing team of people look at international research, designing policy initiatives here that save money, that remove duplication. Once you start cutting those - and massive cuts he talked about to the Ministry of Health - you start wasting money in the public service. You start having to use consultants. You start having to use contractors.
PAUL Yeah, but there's another factor, isn't there? There is another factor - every dollar we spend had got to be maximised. The country is broke, for God's sake. The other person I'd like to ask&
HELEN We had $460 million worth of tax cuts, Paul. The country is not broke. If we can afford to give you your extra 200 bucks a week&
PAUL I hardly think it's that much.
HELEN &we can afford to retain good policy services.
4 minute clip in all. The towering intellect manages to bring it back on topic in the end though:
PAUL How many doctors do they keep on the set of The Hobbit, by the way? Therefore, if The Hobbit goes to the Czech Republic, how many doctors will not be employed?
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Joe, that is happening all over the country. People who have played by the rules their whole life are having essential services cut for piffling savings so that DHBs can spend more of their money on expensive hospitals and doctors and the govt can give a rich few a tax cut instead. It is a deliberate decision and it's evil.
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After all, anyone can play dress-up
Eyeliner
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Hobbit Battling on
Worth a read. Found this bit interesting:
NZ Actor's Equity organiser Frances Walsh said the union had been trying to negotiate a standard industry contract with Spada for 18 months, to replace current non-binding guidelines for actors, but the association had refused, offering only to renegotiate the guidelines. "There is no force in a guideline," said Walsh.
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Media advisory re The Hobbit
Thank you, Helen
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OK, who talked IrishBill round?
You may also want to talk to people with online influence who should be natural allies such as Russell Brown.