Posts by Marc C
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And now we have even Bill English (Deputy PM) go around making bizarre claims that long term benefit dependence is like "crack cocaine addiction".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503343&objectid=11326924
Quote: "Getting stuck on a benefit (long-term) is like crack cocaine, it's really hard once you've started to come off it ..."
Also reported:
“Bill English describes beneficiaries as drug addicts”, Yahoo News NZ:
https://nz.news.yahoo.com/election/a/-/25045081/bill-english-describes-beneficiaries-as-drug-addicts/“Bill English describes beneficiaries as drug addicts”, ZB news, 18 Sept. 2014:
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/auckland/news/nbpol/1969869620-bill-english-describes-beneficiaries-as-drug-addicts“Beneficiary bashing unacceptable – BAFNZ”, Voxy, 18.09.14:
http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/beneficiary-bashing-unacceptable-bafnz/5/202598So he must have been told this by WINZ's Principal Health Advisor David Bratt, who has been repeating this nonsense for years, in his selective information using "presentations" to health professionals:
http://www.gpcme.co.nz/pdf/GP%20CME/Friday/C1%201515%20Bratt-Hawker.pdf
(see pages 13, 20, 21 and 35)Dr Bratt has happily taken over the same ideologically influenced "science" from Professor Mansel Aylward, the UK "expert" that British governments relied on, to deliver ideas to declare sick and disabled as likely malingerers, who merely suffer from "illness belief", as in most cases they would not be sick, and would rather be "fit" to work.
See the links in my earlier comment for details, what that is all about. I cannot believe National are leading in the polls, and that nearly half the voting public are willing to give this present lot in government a third term.
I feel very afraid for those on benefits, who will get another round of not only bashing, but yet more draconian measures, to pressure them into total submission and into whatever work. Recently Paula Bennett announced that a National led government would pay incentives to beneficiaries to stay in work, after 6 months and twelve months. She claimed that after such time periods too many would return onto benefits, and she hinted that they may have attitude problems when it came to work. But I fear she is as dim as many say she is, it may rather be so that many have to go onto benefits after such times, because they were only on temporary employment contracts, which ran out, forcing people to claim benefits again.
It is time to throw her out of her job, as Paula has lost touch with the realities her Ministry's clients have to live under. Perhaps she can do with a stint on the benefit for a few years, and let us see how she will "manage".
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Speaker: 1600 beneficiaries moving into…, in reply to Kumara Republic,
We are still waiting for evaluation results and figures, that go beyond of such data that the Nats and Bennett have considered valuable for their election campaigning, see Michael's earlier post:
http://publicaddress.net/speaker/how-is-government-evaluating-its-welfare/
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Quote: "The ‘1,600 per week’ figure has two worrying implications. First, it is evidence that the welfare reforms have done little or nothing to improve Work and Income’s performance at helping people into work. So far we have had scant evidence of the impact of the reforms."
It is true that the figure of 1,600 leaving benefit receipt from WINZ a week is simply a snap shot statistical number that may be valid for the mere "technical' purpose of measuring certain movements. What is not mentioned is the figure for how many people move onto benefits every week, and how many may be kept from doing so, by the new, very stringent "pre benefit activities" that are now expected of social security payment applicants:
http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/pre-benefit/Case managers may turn people away, or tell them to try certain things before they get another appointment, and get a chance to actually apply for a benefit. Also there have been cases where case managers gave clients wrong information, or withheld information, so they were made to believe they first have to use up redundancy or holiday pay, before being allowed to apply for support. Others may fail to fulfill certain requirements and get sanctioned, or threatened with sanctions, and then there are those who have a partner who is working and earning money, so they are told they would not qualify, while in some cases they may actually qualify for some support (for accommodation, disability or so).
WINZ have basically made it very hard to get onto a benefit now, and those who are not well informed, and familiar with WINZ, they easily give up, and do not even bother to seek support, some choosing to live with family, friends, or even an abusive partner, or even live on the street.
We are told a person now alleged of serious crimes at the Ashburton WINZ Office had every help available to him offered to him, but I fear the truth will come out a bit later, that this claim may not be quite the whole truth. We will see.
What is certain now is, that WINZ are instructed to present expectations to sick, injured and disabled, who are now deemed to "only" have "common mental health issues" or "musculo skeletal conditions", to be able to work, and make themselves available to work on the open market. MSD and WINZ claim they are not putting pressure on such persons, but I have heard other stories. Also has the medical profession now become involved, and is being tied in, to stop declaring people as not fit for work, and rather find every reason to find them rather "fit" for some forms of hypothetical work. Doctors have been instructed to work with WINZ, to "encourage" sick and impaired to go and look for work, following the UK approach, where under draconian measures and with too many wrong assessments for work ability having been made, at least 1,100 took their lives, or died early, while they could not cope.
With all that, it is not surprising that more people get more or less pushed off benefits, or from the start get their claims denied, and so do no longer show up in the total statistics, apart from the 1,600 exiting benefits. And National and John Key make great use of that figure, as I have read in the last election brochures they put into my letter box.
For more info re the new work ability regime see these sources for revealing details:
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/Work and Income’s Principal Health Advisor sets the tone with the disqualifying measures for sick, injured and impaired:
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 with “drug dependence”)Medical professional organisations appear to have fully adopted the UK approach, working in support of WINZ and MSD measures:
http://www.racp.org.nz/page/racp-faculties/australasian-faculty-of-occupational-and-environmental-medicine/realising-the-health-benefits-of-work/may-2010-video-presentation-professor-sir-mansel-aylward/A critical UK report on what happened there, under Professor Aylward:
http://disability-studies.leeds.ac.uk/files/library/THE-HIDDEN-AGENDA-a-research-summary-March-2013.pdfAnother critical UK report by disability advocates there:
http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2013/08/28/unums-unaccepatable-influence-in-the-formulation-of-uk-dwp-atos-disability-assessment-regime-letter-to-president-of-the-faculty-of-occupational-medicine-royal-college-of-physicians/ -
Quote: "Journalists shouldn’t trust PR people, but they have to, to some degree. We have things they want, just as they have things we want. We want stories, column inches, interviews and photographs for our clients. They want access to clients, interesting stories that will appeal to their readers (or viewers or listeners) and a scoop on the competition."
It seems to work so often to offer "stories" for certain people with vested commercial or political interests. On the other hand, I have repeatedly heard stories about people at the bottom of the social pile, like those on benefits, having shocking stories to tell about the way they have been treated by WINZ or Housing NZ, and how frustrated they were, that NO media seemed much interested to report on this.
I suppose the list can go on, where people get hard done by, but apart from a vague chance on getting a brief slot on "Fair Go", "Campbell Live" or any other show, that is for instance on TV, most never get heard and noticed, while we get many stories about the newest gadgets, about who is having a relationship with whom, and and what else there is on celebrity level.
So much for "trust", I'd say, I lost trust in the media a fair time ago, and I never had much trust at all in any PR hacks, lobbyists and whatever else they may call themselves. Society is breaking to pieces and going to the pits in inter human relationship terms, it seems, because it is all about what sells, who can sell it, and how many buy what these days. Even people are more and more "performers" judged in commercial terms, and thus nothing but numbers, as workers, contractors or consumers. Where is the "human" bit in us, that is left? Where is the holistic side of us, and us all, representing "society", which is becoming a vague term nowadays.
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Quote from Paul Brislen's post:
"I went to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, Singapore, Orlando, Stockholm, Hannover and Amsterdam on someone else’s ticket as a journalist. Every time I took great pains to not be swayed, but of course I was to some degree."Thank you for your admission, and there we are at the very core of the challenge, yes the problem, and it is as much one here in "little old" New Zealand, as it is anywhere else in the world. Wake up dear folks, wake up, we have had changes in the media, in PR activities, in networking and marketing, and what else there is, which have created a new communication and media landscape that we never had before.
I was also stunned and flabbergasted by the bizarre "panel" on Q+A this morning, and having read some comments from above, I now totally understand, why that supposed commentator from "the left", Miss Deborah Mahuta Coyle, did speak as she did. I was struggling to find anything really "progressive" or even "left" in anything she said re the comments by John Key in response to the challenge by leading journalist Greenwald. Yes, the whole panel seemed more or less in agreement, that Key "managed" this well, and came across convincing.
Hey, he was going on about the usual "dirty politics", labeling Greenwald a "henchman", Edward Snowden (former senior NSA inside staff member) simply a "hacker", and got away with stating that the GCSB never did "mass surveillance", it was suggested at one stage, but all they now do is apply a mere "Norton type firewall" security system, whatever that means. No word by the "panel" on how so damned defensive Key's comments and actions were, to now "reveal" documents and info that he and the GCSB stubbornly refused to even comment on before, at the last minute before major revelations due tomorrow. What a joke of a "panel".
Key applied more diversion and distraction methods, and he is a master at this, and he does it so casually and cunningly, the gullible majority do not seem to get it: He is a caught out liar and misleader, a manipulator of the highest calibre.
If only New Zealanders would in higher numbers wake up, read and listen, and analyse, and get it, the GCSB is spying on other nations and companies from here, which is what Greenwald claimed, and which Key has not denied. The NSA is tapping cables in and out of NZ to gather massive amounts of data, at places, where the GCSB is not active, but quietly cooperating, simply by not interfering. As most internet traffic here does go via the US and Australia, as so many service providers and websites are situated there, it is absurd to believe, that there is no mass surveillance on meta data.
I am now determined to go to the Auckland Town Hall tomorrow late afternoon or evening, and I will attend the meeting organised by Dotcom and others. I have less faith in one Mr Key than Mr Greenwald and Ed Snowden and the man in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. I have more faith in the latter, and certainly in Nicky Hager.
To stop all the rot, we must review all security agencies, put in more controls, get out of the Five Eyes Arrangement, and cooperate with other agencies at a different level, more independently. Also do we need to re-establish robust, well resourced, independent broadcasting run as a state public service (with oversight) and more community based media, to counteract the increasing corruptness of the private enterprises and corporates now feeding us unbalanced, biased and commercially focused information. Democracy is under threat, more than it has been for a damned long time! This is not just limited to certain blogs and bloggers, what we have as a major challenge and issue!
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Southerly: Sign this Petition, in reply to Jake Starrow,
Jake, I am not surprised, the way you comment resembles exactly the kind of reaction that comes from people who are the exact proof of what I commented on. I hear and see this too often, where the result of the media imbalance, and in some corners even true, blatant manipulation, is showing. Many are not even aware how they are being misled, by polls that are not really all that representative, by reports on supposedly "political" issues, which are though only selected "topics" of the "gotcha type" politics that Hager has written about.
Nicky Hager made one mistake, well perhaps it was intentional, to leave out the MSM in the "Dirty Politics" revelations. I am convinced, and I have read and heard enough information, that tells me, that the network between Cameron Slater and other "shock jock" operators (including David Farrar) and a fair few "journalists", is wider than some think. There are enough happy to do a bit extra, to "pay back" or to "hit" and "expose" politicians, who may have not answered to questions as wanted, or who may simply be personally disliked by the dirt and mud digging brigades. And I am sure there was a little "help" from the Offices of Collins and Key, when it came to discrediting, attacking and embarrassing one Labour leader after another, first Goff, then Shearer and later Cunliffe, while John Key got away with far too much. This is no coincidence.
The "spin" so many journalists have put on certain comments, actions or non actions by opposition politicians this election campaign is at a level NEVER seen before. We have a government exposed by 'Dirty Politics', by new revelations to come on Monday, presenting hardly any policies and little in the way of a program, that gets aways with so much, while most are busy undermining anyone in Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First.
But as the propaganda is working so well, the ones that do not see it as it is, they stubbornly adopt an attitude, claiming it is all their own fault. Yes, indeed, that is how scape goating works, as it has in history, blame someone, present them as losers, repeat the message hundreds of times, and even lies will turn out to be believed by too many. It works, and hence they do it. Sadly it was barely for two weeks, that the media bothered with looking at the many things Hager and that Rawshark hacker revealed to us. They have all moved on, as the paymaster tells them to find new fodder, and stop bothering with what they sniffed on before.
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Quote from the above post:" Political editors of both newspaper chains have gone so far as to declare the election already over (nothing to see here, and don’t even bother voting)."
Yes, have we not seen, heard and read this before?
Democracy in New Zealand has become a total farce. As a matter of fact, if you examine it closely, it is the mainstream media, or at least large parts of it, that sets the agenda, adopts certain positions, pushes opinions and ultimately decides elections now. The media is led by certain senior editors, opinionated radio and TV hosts and presenters, same as various other print "journalists", who follow "trends" and "signals" - sent by their predominantly commercial interest following owners and advertisers.
Most leading and even lower ranking media workers are now predominantly right leaning, or at least "centrist" from a right wing kind of perspective, and claim that they represent what the public want and believe. They do this arrogantly, ignoring the diversity there actually is. They do it partly for their own interest, as it fits their personal view of things and situations.
We have had this phenomenon determine the last two general elections, and having followed the reporting closely, there has been damned little in depth reporting on policy of parties, there was a kind of discrediting effort by many media members towards David Cunliffe, same as there has for years been against the Greens and Labour.
And until the Hager book on Dirty Politics came out, Key was held up high, as "king" and "great leader", so what we got with the revelations did only temporarily "stain" the image, and like blind followers of a sect, most in the media, same as in the wider public, swiftly 'moved on", once Judith Collins was finally forced to resign. They do not want to hear and see the truth, that they may have been and still are being manipulated, it would scratch their own confidence. So it is ahead with determination, blinkers on, to vote Key and his lot in for a third term, no matter what. Only a few have lost faith, but instead of voting progressive, they protest vote Winston First and Colin Craig's Conservatives now. NO wonder, when "political commentators" are narcissistic self promoters, drumming the same dumb messages into people's ears, and when there is damned little information presented and discussed, what parties and candidates actually stand for.
It can make informed, enlightened and forward thinking individuals despair, all this, it is like a spell that has caught this country, and once the rest will wake up from the "dream" on political drug taking, the fall back into reality will be hard and devastating.
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Speaker: Election 2014: Mental Health Policies, in reply to Kyle MacDonald,
National's mental health policy consists of 3 pages of rather aspirational goals and lists only some special focus groups, especially youth, children, cancer sufferers and new mothers. I did also have a look at the 'Rising to the Challenge: The Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan 2012-2017' when it was presented by then Associate Minister Peter Dunne, as far as I can recall.
There is talk of "consultation" they had with mental health and addiction treatment service providers and consumers, but I remember that a number of important submitters were not that convinced by that plan, as it was too vague on funding. There was much criticism about the short time of consultation, and lack of trust in the plan's talk about making other services more "efficient", so savings could be made, so that funds could be put into particular areas the plan mentions. Health sector submitters were worried about the bureaucratic and other tasks they already had to do, and about staffing levels, as without sufficient additional staff the goals could not be achieved.
Online mental health services are in my eyes also not sufficient to address issues youth and others have. They would be better served with face to face counselling and treatment. I know they want to improve work between sectors, like DHBs and PHOs cooperating also with WINZ and ACC, to assist people into work, but how that will work remains to be seen.
The numbers National present can be misleading, as a closer look may show, it has been "saved" in other important areas, where service delivery may be compromised. And 200 million over 6 years will hardly have kept up with population growth and other increased demand.
And yes, no ring-fencing and no clarity on how NGOs and so are supposed to deliver, with very limited funding.
No, National's policy gets the thumbs down from me.
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Speaker: Election 2014: Mental Health Policies, in reply to Kumara Republic,
It will be the Waco siege approach, for sure, and today the government sent such signals, as it will be about more security personnel, more police and more observation and controls. Beneficiaries are due to MSM indoctrination over many years viewed by not only the government, but also most in public, as not only a "burden", but as potential threats and undeserving "bludgers".
What Tolley did did not help this, and what the reaction is, proves that WINZ will only make life a lot harder and more unbearable for the many they are meant to look after.
NZ follows the UK in "reforms", and what is happening in the UK at present, with benefits being capped, and many forced out of their homes, to move to somewhere cheaper, that will come here also. They also force sick and disabled to look for work, and we have got that here now. Thanks to Bennett and National, many are frightened to see their doctor now, as WINZ and MSD even put pressure on GPs and as the same forces behind the UK reforms managed to influence the AFOEM and RACP and RNZCGP to follow medical and work ability assessment methods that are highly controversial, even scientifically not proved.
It is all about cost cutting, and some "difficult" persons like Tully, they are just persons that WINZ has little time for, and will put into place. Sadly with him, he could not cope and went out of control, to cause a disaster.
They (WINZ, government) are not looking at themselves, they lay blame at the clients, that cause problems, so it is an ongoing "warfare" instead of "welfare".
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I wonder, on this very topic, mental health funding, I just come across this, which was broadcast on Nine to Noon on Radio NZ National this very morning. Forgive me if someone else already posted it, because it seems very important to take note of:
This proves exactly what I commented on before, and it is also explaining something re the Ashburton incident, I fear, as we have many people in distress and need, but too few services, to actually step in and avoid breakdowns and harm!