Posts by Marc C
Last ←Newer Page 1 2 3 4 5 Older→ First
-
Speaker: David Fisher: The OIA arms race, in reply to phplad,
It took centuries for humanity to finally come to grasp and accept, that the world is not "flat", it took thousands of years to grasp that the earth rotates around the sun, and not vice versa, and it has still not been achieved, to convince sufficient human beings, that they were not simply "created" from "clay", and "made" in six or seven days.
I would not be hopeful at all, about the "humanity" we are facing, and having fundamentalists get so much support not only in the Middle East, but also still the "bible belt" in the US, that just proves to me, that hope is something few of us can have or even dare to "rely" on.
Oh, "God bless America", and its "enemies".
-
Access: Art and disability: a festival, in reply to Russell Brown,
Sorry, I accept your point. I will bear this in mind in future and endeavour to focus more on the topic.
-
I respect David Fisher as one of the remaining real, dedicated, investigative and hard working journalists there still are. He raises very valid concerns and points out what has been going on in the public service, and how they deal with OIA requests now.
"David wrote/said: "The shift really began after the 2005 election, when Helen Clark’s third term threatened to get away from her. I believe what happened then perverted all that has come since, when it comes to media and the public service."
He also mentions how the "no surprises policy" started with the introduction of the SOEs. Indeed much of what goes on in regards to OIAs now seems to be the result of the public service having adopted "corporate business style communication". Like the present day public service corporations tend to be very mindful of their reputation, their public appearance and image, and for businesses of course their "share values".
Mistakes, failings, certainly illegal conduct and poor results are all stuff that neither corporations nor government departments and their Ministers like to get to the public. Hence such sensitive information is withheld, where it can be, or the release is delayed to take place in less damaging times.
The spirit of the OIA legislation though forces the public service to deliver, and to also respect the public interest. There though starts another discussion, what is and what is not in the public interest. And it takes bizarre forms, what is then considered to be in the public interest, as information and reports withheld until recently revealed.
While talking about delivering "better public services", the government has often done the opposite. It has primarily focused on cost savings, and used past budget deficits as an excuse to justify this. This has not only affected ordinary public service, but also the funding of such key institutions as the Office of Ombudsmen, the Health and Disability Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner offices.
In underfunding the Ombudsman for years, huge backlogs of complaints sent there have accumulated. Repeatedly Beverley Wakem stated that their office was not able to function properly, as it was under too much work load pressure, and legal obligations to serve, while funding was not allowing for additional staff and so.
This has only assisted the government and Ministers further, to have media and others get no or very delayed responses to OIA requests. This is certainly an abuse of the OIA law and system. It is not in the public interest to have such a state of affairs, and it is overdue that the Ombudsman investigates public service departments and also ministerial offices, re all these abuses.
Apparently the Ombudsman has got additional funding now, but I wonder, how long it may take, until we get proper answers as to what has really gone on, and whether it was illegal. Will we get a proper report before the 2017 election, I wonder? Also the Office of Ombudsmen itself may deserve to be looked at, as I know of some getting responses upon complaints that were not satisfactory.
As for much of the mainstream media, no wonder we get so much reporting on less relevant stuff, while needed information is being withheld, and while this has become the new "normal" in this society. Without transparency and accountability, and with selective release of information, does NZ still deserve to be seen as one of the least corrupt countries, I wonder?
-
Access: Art and disability: a festival, in reply to Sacha,
Of course such a festival is good and deserves all kinds of support, but my additional comments were re some other concerns I have for disabled, particularly those with (often not so visible) mental health issues.
The government may offer help for some disabled, but those with mental health issues do often have to fight for needed support, even for simply having their conditions being acknowledged and accepted. There is still a lack of accessible, affordable treatments, and instead we get questionable approaches that WINZ now use, all geared to simply get people off benefits, no matter whether sick and disabled or not, as work is now considered “therapeutic”.
“Malingering and Illness Deception“, a book by Peter Halligan, written and published with the cooperation and support of Professor Mansel Aylward and Gordon Waddell:
http://voxpoliticalonline.com/tag/mansel-aylward/
“Found: The book that helps the government smear the sick as ‘malingerers’”http://www.meactionuk.org.uk/Malingering_and_Illness_Deception.pdf
And here in New Zealand, the same “approaches“ recommended by Mansel Aylward have been adopted by MSD and WINZ, following „advice“ Paula Bennett and a hand-picked “Health and Disability Panel” received.
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-medical-professionalsA presentation by Work and Income’s “Principal Health Advisor” Dr David Bratt, using selectively picked “data” from selected, controversial “research”:
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf
(see pages 13, 20, 21 and 35, where he likens benefit dependence to “drug dependence”)More is found via these links:
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/the-health-and-disability-panel-and-its-hand-picked-members/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-controversial-bio-psycho-social-model/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2013/12/28/designated-doctors-used-by-work-and-income-some-also-used-by-acc-the-truth-about-them/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/06/21/work-ability-assessments-done-for-work-and-income-a-revealing-fact-study-part-a/
(some further parts can be found on ‘nzsocialjusticeblog2013’)http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/10/04/advice-to-winz-beneficiaries-facing-medical-examinations-and-work-ability-assessments/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/10/05/work-has-fewer-health-benefits-than-mansel-aylward-and-other-experts-claim-it-can-cause-serious-harm/
http://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2014/10/19/nz-finance-minister-bill-english-insults-beneficiaries-with-mansel-aylwards-work-will-set-you-free-approach/Sorry to distract a bit, I hope others may share more info re the festival and who and what is behind it all.
-
Counter arguments, no matter what, OIA, dishonest revelations and so forth, perhaps re consider:
Abit "heavy", but I stand by it!!!
-
ISIS financed for years by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE and so forth, and we have Jon Key tell us we must fight "terrorism"?? Maybe he and Obama should talk to the governments of countries just mentioned? What a fucking joke this country is, to tow the line and deliver whatever support under such conditions:
Wake the damned sake up, John Key, and liars of this damned rotten government, thanks.
-
Most clearly the west has lost the war against terror, on many basis, it is shocking, but true, but so many live in damned lala land:
-
Hard News: Media Take: The creeping…, in reply to Sacha,
Lower profile she has, getting away with the same, but she has a number of "areas" now, and they all seem to be subordinate, of sorts, so less "profile".
-
I'm not involved with this, think it may be great for some, but as for the rest, I deal with disability, know many disabled and their issues, and while some "festivals" may support and promote their cause, that is not what is the priority in my eyes.
Participation in culture and other social life, and work, is important, I just fear, the government is not doing enough to honour the many claims they make.
So that may be beside of the point re this event, but it must not be forgotten. Take a stand, be firm, demand and challenge, that this government does do more to disabled, that is physical and PSYCHOLOGICALLY AND PSYCHIATRICALLY diagnosed ill, to be supported, and cared for, as for the level of needs they have.
-
Hard News: Media Take: The creeping…, in reply to Matthew Hooton,
So it is neither here nor there, just a kind of interpretation of title and role, but we are non the wiser re what happens, and what happened.