Posts by Hilary Stace
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What is it about Penny Bright and water privatisation? She is also mentioned in a prescient pre-Budget piece by Brian Rudman last week about politicians and broken promises for which the Herald editor got a Prime Ministerial telling off according to Pete Hodgson on
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Re Susan Boyle. I see this as an example of exploitation of disabled people, possibly the modern equivalent of the freak shows of the past. She appears to be a nice ordinary person with a learning disability (or a mild intellectual impairment) with a particular ability in singing. She should have had staunch supporters - caring professionals - with her throughout this whole process to keep her safe from the media and the international fuss, and support her at all times. The stress was inevitable, particularly for someone as vulnerable as her, once the 'celebrity' thing and the wolves got her.
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Thanks Russell for that clip
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I love visiting Auckland, What appeals to me is the cultural stuff - the art galleries, museums, concerts, multicultural events. However, the most common reason for me being in Auckland is one of those one day meetings fly in fly out and suffer motorway anxiety about whether you will get to the airport on time and how much the taxi is going to cost. It is not a joke that that it is sometimes more than the flight..What would appeal to me as a potential tourist is an ad that says - hey we are sorting our public transport. Soon you will be able to travel betwen the airport and city on efficient light rail - with an interconnected network all over Auckland.
(The last time I was there was memorable in that in the next highrise apartment building - about 20 floors up - was a toddler leaning against a full length partially opened window. Now that's something you don't see anywhere else in NZ.)
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That "Heart" of Auckland advert is bloody typical - could be anywhere in the world rather than confidently planted in the planet's largest polynesian city.
I don't understand that ad. Why is an old man riding a bicycle on the footpath without a helmet up to the gates of an old cemetery?
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install a good fireplace,
Daniel, was that cold house reference to the returning son in the Doc's Notes in the DP today, about you? If so I do love the synchronicity of NZ.
Might take more than a fireplace though.
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Congrats Paul. The creation of each new person seems such an affirmation of the survival of humanity these days.To think that these new babies will be adults in the great unknown of the future, possibly into the 22nd century.
One of the revelations of PA for me are the devoted fathering perspectives that surface quite frequently here.
Another perspective I enjoyed was Dorothy Butler's reflection on loving child-rearing particularly her own several children and many grandchildren, even though things weren't always easy. Discipline was not an issue and John Bowlby's theories of attachment were important. So long as there were lots of books and reading. On Kim Hill yesterday
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Some interesting 'savings' in the Education Budget, such as in several areas of early childhood education including not reducing teacher/child ratios as previously planned, also cuts to 'gifted and talented', support for students at risk and deaf education. Large cuts to the Ministry of Ed's budget for supporting teachers, especially in any area that is not related to narrow literacy and numeracy standards.
And there may be more ORRS money over 4 years, and it is unclear how this will be used, but remember the pay equity work on school support staff - eg teacher aides - has been stopped. Also some supplmentary special ed money has gone.
So a bit of shifting deckchairs, and the overall Budget barely keeps up with inflation -
For example, the boost in ORRS funding for disabled students is welcome after years of the Labs dragging the chain, but I notice what seems to be a large cut in funding for equipment and housing modifications (unless the responsiblity has been quietly transferred to DHBs).
Re ORRS. Not quite as it seems Sacha. Firstly, this extra money has come out of another part of the MoE Budget, possibly special education related (I haven't worked this out yet). I've had every Labour Minister of Education in the last 9 years give me figures about how much ORRS funding has risen in their time. And it has. But it hasn't stoppped inequities in the system of delivery of education for children with special educational needs. We are just not supporting the numbers of children in schools who need extra support one way or another (and that is way more than are supported by ORRS).
But most scary is that the Assoc Minister with responsibility for Special Ed, Heather Roy, has no commitment to inclusive education so there is actually likely to be more resources for special schools in the long run at the expense of supporting children properly in inclusive mainstream settings. (See Gio's comments above)
Secondly re disability services. There is a lot to worry about here. The Budget transfers a lot of responsibility for services eg disability from DHBs to primary health care providers like GPs. What is this going to mean, especially now that disability and mental health are not govt priorities?
Re the cut to housing modifications etc through the MoH - that was already very tight and a much lower entitlement than ACC provides. But ACC is about to have a review (probably from another bunch of middle aged businessmen friends of the govt) and you can expect that all current provisions will be cut. So don't have an accident or an illness that requires housing modifications or equipment like wheelchairs as the message is it will get tougher. Specially if you are already poor.
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The park will probably be privatised.
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Trevor had some leaks the other day on the Red Alert blog. It would be sad if the slashing of modern apprenticeships and trade training was true.
They sometimes blog from the House. I wonder if they will during the Budget debate.