Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics

[miket12]

Health NZ told to give private hospitals 10-year outsourcing contracts

Hospital outsourcing contracts have tended to be short-term, but Health Minister Simeon Brown has made a new request.

www.rnz.co.nz

I personally don't have a problem with public hospitals supplementing the public PROVIDED it's not at the expense of the public systems through loss of staff to private clinics/hospitals and the money for the contracted procedures is the same budgeted amount whether it's performed publicly or privately if it means that waiting lists come down. Especially considering that a number of richer people will already have health insurance meaning that, for a lot of elective surgeries in the public system, it's those without it who are forced to suffer longer sitting on a public waiting list.

From personal experience. Because we had medical insurance (provided through my wife's work), S was about to have her cancer surgery and start chemo ASAP after she was diagnosed. A few months earlier, a friend of ours was diagnosed with a less aggressive form of breast cancer but she had to go through the public system. Because of delays seeing an oncologist and then with the surgery, it became far more aggressive and unfortunately she passed away within six months of finishing her chemo. The oncologist told her husband that she would have had a far better chance of surviving if he had seen her earlier.

During Helen Clark's time as PM, my mother had both her cataract operations done privately but funded by the public system. The change in her was dramatic as she used to be a piano teacher and wasn't able to play for a few years because of not being able to see the music. That led to depression and drugs to overcome that. The change, after the second eye was operated on, was almost immediate and she was soon off the antidepressants.

It's a pity if we decided not to allow most people to be given the healthcare, either publicly or privately, they need faster because of political ideologies about spreading the health load in both public and private facilities.

 

[miket12]

I've replied continuously your math is shite

If you can’t understand someone working part time with the same 10 day entitlement gets a larger percentage of their time available as sick leave than someone working full time, then you shouldn’t be commenting on this debate.

It’s what it’s all about and why it’s fundamentally unfair on full time workers and disproportionately assists part time workers and severely affects consistency in workplaces.

 

[juju]

So your prejudiced viewpoint. Cool.

Only rich white men are "entitled to their entitlements" as the old adage goes.

Sick leave is a legal entitlement - so its a quite shamelessly preposterous for people to say in this thread some sectors view it as an "entitlement" it literally is.

 

[miket12]

BNZ and Westpac have announced further cuts in some of their mortgage rates.... the second time within three weeks.

Major bank cuts rates for second time in three weeks

BNZ and Westpac now have the lowest six-month and one-year rates on the market.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[MrFrankWhite]

Absolute mystery as to why public sector employees take 30% more sick days than private sectors ones. Weak genes?

 

[juju]

Absolute mystery as to why public sector employees take 30% more sick days than private sectors ones. Weak genes?

How's the recruitment going for the shop?

 

[MrFrankWhite]

How's the recruitment going for the shop?

That was done ages ago and they take 30% less sick days. Its great

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

BNZ and Westpac have announced further cuts in some of their mortgage rates.... the second time within three weeks.

Major bank cuts rates for second time in three weeks

BNZ and Westpac now have the lowest six-month and one-year rates on the market.

www.nzherald.co.nz

Just refixed yesterday for a year at 4.89% with ANZ. Kept repayments the same and took 7 years off loan length.

If everyone does that we pay down debt faster but don’t have the discretionary income to pump into the economy

 

[defensivebomb]

Nobody's arguing whether anyone is entitled to their contractual entitlements. A contract between employee and employer specifies what each party's rights are, and both parties are entitled to exercise those rights.

Just interesting that in some industries, there is a relaxed approach to the employer enforcing its rights when sick leave is taken. When I have said to a nurse "I've run out of annual leave" and they say "you get 10 days sick leave - just take a few of them". And it has been a couple of times I've noticed this attitude towards using 10 days or losing them. To be honest, it has been the older generation rather than the new ones I've met

Not throwing stones at them - just an interesting observation. They are obviously highly worked an underpaid on a salary basis. But also should consider how sick leave is used by some as "free" annual leave

 

[defensivebomb]

Just refixed yesterday for a year at 4.89% with ANZ. Kept repayments the same and took 7 years off loan length.

If everyone does that we pay don’t debt faster but don’t have the discretionary income to pump into the economy

Are you going to buy another rental?

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Are you going to buy another rental?

Just bought a development site 3 months ago and in the process of subdividing.

Moving a relocatable house on next week and looking for another one before the end of the year.

Also bought another subdividable site for a couple of years time recently as well.

Uncertain times with rents dropping and prices bouncing around the bottom of the cycle but it all stacks up based on rental income as a long term investment, not to develop and sell.

Opportunity abounds if you look long term.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Are you going to buy another rental?

But more importantly our tourism business has a big $2m expansion project that’s been on hold the last few years as feasibility doesn’t stack up. Interest rates dropping, tourism rebounding, inflation under control, etc makes it doable again so have the architect onto it with a view to doing next year.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

But more importantly our tourism business has a big $2m expansion project that’s been on hold the last few years as feasibility doesn’t stack up. Interest rates dropping, tourism rebounding, inflation under control, etc makes it doable again so have the architect onto it with a view to doing next year.

Tourism rebounding? It’s slowly creeping higher

 

[MrFrankWhite]

It is 10 weeks full pay if you work 1 day per week.

If you work 1 day per week, you work 52 weeks and days in a year. If you have 10 days off sick leave, you work 42 weeks/ days in a year.

That’s 10 weeks off fully paid at your 1 day per week.

Hmmm are you working in Seymour’s office Wiz? This is EXACTLY what you were talking about right?


View: https://x.com/aniobrien/status/1935137547551916335?s=46&t=N6rrXot3pBpvv2hdvhmStw

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Tourism rebounding? It’s slowly creeping higher

Agreed but a lot more positive than a year or two ago. These sort of things your planning a couple of years into the future.

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Agreed but a lot more positive than a year or two ago. These sort of things your planning a couple of years into the future.

Yeah look I think it will get there but geez the rebound has lagged other countries. Good on you for investing for future growth!

 

[defensivebomb]

Hmmm are you working in Seymour’s office Wiz? This is EXACTLY what you were talking about right?


View: https://x.com/aniobrien/status/1935137547551916335?s=46&t=N6rrXot3pBpvv2hdvhmStw

I love getting productivity explained by a child that has never worked in a proper job! Kids say the darndest things

 

[Mr. Brownstone]

Hmmm are you working in Seymour’s office Wiz? This is EXACTLY what you were talking about right?


View: https://x.com/aniobrien/status/1935137547551916335?s=46&t=N6rrXot3pBpvv2hdvhmStw

How can anyone take her or her party seriously, bunch of losers.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

How can anyone take her or her party seriously, bunch of losers.

Im amazed at the hate Seymour gets from what seem relatively reasonable positions.

 

[MaybeTop8]

Im amazed at the hate Seymour gets from what seem relatively reasonable positions.

Reasonable with your lens is far right to everyone else