Posts by Marc C
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Having waited for months, as it was planned to be started already late last year, I finally managed to listen to, and watch, the launch of Checkpoint with John Campbell on Monday this week. I agree that it is ok, but it still needs some improvements, like ideally more live streamed (Skype type) interviews than just some phone interviews with no faces.
It reminds me a bit of good old community broadcasting, the more natural way of presenting news and also some other info of interest, and it shows how distant and alienated our main channel TV broadcast news have become from “natural” reporting, or more traditional, fact focused reporting.
Sadly the effects of pictures and live casts have led to it, plus ruthless competition with the more commercially run stations, that is in the case of TVNZ, which are little different from TV3 now.
One thing worries me, the preference by John Campbell to personalise news stories, and to chat about them. It appeals to some, of course, but I like facts, with little fluff, and little dressing up and without too much emotive reporting.
So in a way I miss the hard reporting that Checkpoint used to deliver.
But as it is all an evolving process, this radio with pictures kind of program, I may yet be more pleasantly surprised. I will keep following the program, as RNZ is almost the only NZ broadcaster I now rely on. Please do not fall in the trappings of trying to “compete” with the “mainstream”, that is those making the program.
It is a program with potential to improve and become a news program leader in its own right.
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Access: Disability as a wicked policy problem, in reply to Sacha,
Many with disability depend on WINZ support. There was a rewrite of the SSA planned as early as in mid 2013, and a Cabinet Paper from mid 2015 seems to have authorised a rewrite, which will likely bring new, less publicised "reforms" on the back of it.
I remember that it was planned to present a draft bill as early as September last year, and no later than the end of last year.
Nothing appears to have been presented so far.
Does anybody have any more information?
Here is some older info:
https://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/work-programmes/social-security-act-rewrite/http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/social-security-act-set-rewrite
I suspect, same like with their "social impact bonds" program, they have stumbled across new challenges and issues, plus the difficulty to convincingly present stuff to the public, while other "reforms" are still not showing improvements, so that it has all been put on hold for time being.
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Speaker: How is Government evaluating…, in reply to Marc C,
Re my last comment(s), see above:
It has been established, Jo Goodhew, Associate Minister of Social Development, lied and misled the House of Representatives, we got NO evaluation information at all “later in the year” (2015)!
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39670
And in the meantime, away from public attention, yet updated regularly on the Ministry of Health website, they are step by step bringing in SOCIAL IMPACT BONDS:
http://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/preventative-health-wellness/social-bonds-new-zealand-pilot/social-bonds-progress-dateI wonder what our dear Leader John (Not the Baptist) Key will have to announce early this year, in his speech to address the nation? Last year we got much hype on the privatisation of housing, and so far little progress has been made. But it seems they continue to push that one also:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/01/08/exclusive-chinese-billionaire-lines-up-to-buy-state-houses/
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Just remembering, on 17 Sept. 2015 Labour’s Spokeswoman on Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, asked the following question 8 in Parliament, during Question Time:
http://www.inthehouse.co.nz/video/39670
It was answered by Jo Goodhew, Associate Minister for Social Development, who did in part misinform the House, claiming all these new outsourced, contracted trials to get mentally ill and sole parents off benefits and into work, were totally “voluntary”.
While this is claimed to be so for those accepting to go onto the ‘Mental Health Employment Service’ trial (which is again not quite the case), it is certainly not true for those asked to look for work as sole parents, expected to go onto the ‘Sole Parent Employment Service’.
And did Ms Goodhew not tell Carmel, she should be “patient” until the end of year, as then some evaluation information on these trials would be available?
Since we are two days away from Christmas, and since most government employees at MSD will most likely be heading into their annual leave holidays, I wonder, oh, I wonder, where this information is then? Or is it now due to come out on New Years Eve, perhaps?
John Key has left for Hawaii, after another “stunning” radio performance, so he wont front, I suspect most other Ministers are starting their holidays and won’t answer any questions, what about the CE of MSD, or is he also on leave already?
Again, we are left with NO answers, no information, it seems, and thanks for all that “transparency” we get, also thanks to an Ombudsman, that is the former Chief one, Ms Wakem, who has quietly vanished into her retirement.
Obfuscation is the an art this government has mastered at expert level, it seems, and we have no watchdog or even opposition speakers, who bother chasing stuff up, yet again. And the media are struggling to “report” on important things, while more and more journalists lose their jobs. Perhaps we will though get a follow up story on this in the new year 2016?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514141
Instead we get stories like this, galore:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11564773 -
Access: Is New Zealand Fair and Square?, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
Well that sounds encouraging. But I come across few such discussions. Also we must bear in mind, there is often a disconnect between what many people say and like to have done, and what they will themselves do, when they are asked to provide the means for it.
For instance the topic climate change and sustainability bring that to the fore, when many say they see a need to do more, but when the same continue their lives more or less as usual, as paying a price of making a sacrifice can create inconveniences that they are not prepared to accept.
The same applies to discussions about the minimum wage. When people may have to pay higher prices or pay more taxes for poverty to be alleviated, the enthusiasm to accept necessary measures often fades away.
But you do at least seem to be meeting some very interesting and also enlightened people.
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Access: Is New Zealand Fair and Square?, in reply to Rosemary McDonald,
But do not sow the seeds of doubt, work is "better for your health", it has "health benefits", it is "therapeutic", there is ample evidence for it, so rather than have people sit around doing nothing, get them off to the work bench, or other places for “constructive” activity, the rest are just insignificant “side issues” that can easily be dealt with:
https://www.racp.edu.au/advocacy/health-benefits-of-work/stakeholder-updates
(They have changed the website repeatedly, deleted stuff that was available before, and “polished” up statements and so, that present information in summary and presentation form, giving little info on whose “evidence” and “research” it was based)Here the glossy and brochure like presentations, “corporate style” almost:
https://www.racp.edu.au/advocacy/health-benefits-of-work/position-statements
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/2011ROT/Saturday/2-First/1630%20Beaumont.pdf
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf
This is what the affected, advocates and critics in the UK think of one of the major “master minds” behind the “health benefits of work” drive, a relentlessly pushed agenda:
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/09/18/dwpatosunum-scandal-an-academic-responds-with-disbelief-to-professor-aylwards-statement-to-black-triangle-and-dpac-outside-the-ifdm2012-conference-on-11th-september-2012/By the way, Dr D. Bratt, PHA for MSD, was in early 2014 working with Prof. M. Aylward in the UK for one whole month, also learning about “change management” (to better achieve change in attitudes to accept new policies, which I guess will start with “information” being formulated to convince, and “non effective” or potentially critical information being left out and not being made available.
Misinformation is gaining momentum by the day, assisted by modern IT communication, so we get bombarded with stuff that we are meant to take note of, and unfavourable info increasingly being cleansed from the web, assisted by search engines only listing what is heavily promoted. The ones that have the money and power are winning, which is not only happening in politics, I fear.
So there is virtually NO discussion about poverty and many other "bio psycho social" aspects causing poor health, as that is not politically wanted. Low pay, poor job conditions, lack of suitable, decent work for those that do it, particularly persons with disabilities, those do not seem to be priorities.
At least our government, same as many other neoliberally minded ones, do not care about those issues, it is rather that work is the solution to all problems, and we get results as this post above tells us.
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"The work experience served to accentuate extreme anxiety for the disabled person and it was necessary to advise the other party to the contract that further service could not be provided." And:
"It seems to me that the ‘free economy’ has almost achieved its goal; that is competition has run its course to the point where human rights in Gods Own (NZ) are being contravened. This is because some of its citizens are now doing strenuous manual labour for almost nothing. If payment for the work is not made it will be less than nothing – at least $5.00 for the use of the family car and backpack has been expended. My guess is that this is not an isolated case."
This proves my fears, and knowing other persons with mental health conditions, some rather complex ones, I am not surprised that few dare take the bold step and “volunteer” to attend the so called ‘Mental Health Employment Services’ trials that MSD and WINZ run on a trial basis. Indeed, it seems the whole exercise of offering so-called “wrap around services” (which means anything else but that in reality) to persons on benefits for health reasons is a total failure.
I do fear though, the Minister and her underlings in her departments will again see the “problems” with the “lack of motivation” and “attitudes” of those involved, and try a bit harder (putting on yet more expectations) in the future.
Read this to get some more info on all this:
"Back-to-work programme labelled a fail"
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11514141“Despite $7.3m spend, beneficiaries in trial did not stay in work longer or earn more”
Also OIA info that has been made available:
https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2015/04/10/mental-health-and-sole-parent-employment-services-msd-withholds-o-i-a-information-that-may-prove-their-trials-a-failure/Our society is in parts now a “dog eat dog” society, believe it or not, and here in Auckland I see a lot of people that work for pittances, on casual, insecure part-time and also virtual “zero hour” contracts, and few dare speak out against anything much, as it is so damned hard to get a job and worse even to try and get a benefit from WINZ.
But as the lower numbers on benefits, and costs associated, means the government can CUT taxes for many others, the ones not in such insecurity do not care, they just love to get their bags filled at the supermarket and the tank of their car filled at the petrol station, to drive home to leafy suburbia, where life is better, and where they vote governments in, such as we have.
Add the endless spin, a largely neutralised MSM, consumerist brain washing, and the earth can be flat, it does not really matter, there will be no dissent allowed.
I feel sorry for the weakest at the bottom, or those trying to work, while others do not give them a fair chance from the start. This post shows exactly what some of our biggest problems are, a good post, thank you for sharing this!
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Speaker: How is Government evaluating…, in reply to Ian Dalziel,
Yes, they do, hence so much gets either swept under the carpet, denied it ever existed, or is just plainly "wrong", no matter what.
AND how much is this for “fall out”, that the MSM have NO knowledge about?
Heaps more seems to be there, but no one in government seems to care, as the MSM chooses to focus on trivial stuff, and not do their job, which must be, because their masters own them, and do not want to “rock the boat”, which is a “safe hand” government under our esteemed leader John (Not the Baptist) Key.
A government of compulsive liars, that is my conclusion.
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Maybe the government just hates releasing information, and uses all legal and possibly not so legal means to do so? Frank Macskasy wrote an interesting post on the OIA frustrations he has experienced, but it seems others had much worse experiences:
http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2015/12/01/hekia-parata-breaks-law-ignores-official-information-act/
I think we are denied the truth at a huge scale.
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A new post is available with the above mentioned new OIA info:
It is likely to be edited a bit more, to add more links and relevant info.