Politics 🗳️ NZ Politics

[wizard of Tauranga]

A speed camera operator was seriously injured when a car deliberately crashed into them a while ago.

I’m actually surprised under the current H&S legislation that they are allowed to work at the side of a road at all without several hundred traffic cones.

If my business wanted to work beside the highways like that without protection and something happened I would be closed down!

Ban road side speed cameras!

'Plain lucky to be alive': Injured speed camera operator speaks on crash that nearly killed him

The incident prompted an investigation that found police had inadequate safety procedures.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[MaybeTop8]

I thought you were all for more taxes to fund infrastructure?

Through central govt or local govt taxes, either way your paying for it…

Three waters would have sorted our infrastructure - this lot are about bullying and greed.

 

[Rizzah]

Was this the long-term plan when the Nats changed the benefit structure in 2013 to what it is now with Jobseeker? The big change was the split of the sickness benefit. The Sickness benefit became - either a 2 year 'Supported Living' payment, if you could prove your sickness or disability will impact you for at least 2 years. If you didn't meet that criteria you entered general 'Jobseeker' with a disability allowance added. With some sickness beneficiaries categorised under jobseeker the 'time on benefit' numbers obviously get skewed and those same numbers are now used as a cudgel for benefit bashing.

If it's welfare savings they are looking for, then an honest conversation has to include super.

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Was this the long-term plan when the Nats changed the benefit structure in 2013 to what it is now with Jobseeker? The big change was the split of the sickness benefit. The Sickness benefit became - either a 2 year 'Supported Living' payment, if you could prove your sickness or disability will impact you for at least 2 years. If you didn't meet that criteria you entered general 'Jobseeker' with a disability allowance added. With some sickness beneficiaries categorised under jobseeker the 'time on benefit' numbers obviously get skewed and those same numbers are now used as a cudgel for benefit bashing.

If it's welfare savings they are looking for, then an honest conversation has to include super.

View attachment 5207

A focus on jobseekers is not about the cost.

It condemns the recipients to a lower quality of life and the children to poverty if they spend 13 years on it.

They suffer the non financial costs of not working - miss out on gaining skills, contacts, experience, current skills lose relevance, motivation, etc

Society and employers lose out on the contribution these people could offer.

It’s a win/ win if people that are able do work.

 

[Rizzah]

A focus on jobseekers is not about the cost.

It condemns the recipients to a lower quality of life and the children to poverty if they spend 13 years on it.

They suffer the non financial costs of not working - miss out on gaining skills, contacts, experience, current skills lose relevance, motivation, etc

Granted, but how many of those people are wrongly being asked to 'find work' when they are unable?
There seems to be a categorisation failure here, that may be skewing the time on the benefit numbers. Meaning the wider issue is our health/mental health system, unable to quickly/correctly help these folk get back on their feet. But now we are going to punish those same people by reducing or cancelling their benefits. It's fucked up.

 

[Rizzah]

If we actually wanted to get more people back into work, we would be working with them to get the help they needed. Not punishing them.
We are simply going to drive more people on to the street, which helps no one apart from the Jobseeker numbers.

 

[Juno]

Rail best at long distance regular bulk loading - part or full train loads
Wairoa to Napier Port - talking to my mate in Hastings couple days ago does not think it will reopen - a new storm will wipe it out again and I think there was only two or three trains of logs a week sadly it doesn’t stack up

A storm will also wipe out roads again too.
If they used their brains (maybe its already an option discussed) they would look to ship logs & other goods by boat/ship from Gizzy to Napier or elsewhere (Tauranga maybe) or any port where processing is closer or transport links get them where they need to be. There was a goods and people shipping route set up and working after Gabrielle because the roads were closed for so long.
Even deal direct with a country of import to arrange their on shipping from source.
We were a shipping nation before anything else once - although I have no idea how cost-effective it is these days.
The ferries are a vital link to the south no matter who owns, runs, or pays for them so if govt subsidises all other traffic links in anyway they should for that connection.
Air fares south are a rort if you aren't flying to chch or queenstown from wellington or auckland so a cheaper strait link is essential for many, not to mention tourism.
Miss the days of overnight ferries from WN to CHCH...party central

 

[kos]

A storm will also wipe out roads again too.
If they used their brains (maybe its already an option discussed) they would look to ship logs & other goods by boat/ship from Gizzy to Napier or elsewhere (Tauranga maybe) or any port where processing is closer or transport links get them where they need to be. There was a goods and people shipping route set up and working after Gabrielle because the roads were closed for so long.
Even deal direct with a country of import to arrange their on shipping from source.
We were a shipping nation before anything else once - although I have no idea how cost-effective it is these days.
The ferries are a vital link to the south no matter who owns, runs, or pays for them so if govt subsidises all other traffic links in anyway they should for that connection.
Air fares south are a rort if you aren't flying to chch or queenstown from wellington or auckland so a cheaper strait link is essential for many, not to mention tourism.
Miss the days of overnight ferries from WN to CHCH...party central

Ships load export logs out of Gisborne Port and I think the odd horticulture load

That shipping service that serviced Gisborne after the storm had v high gov subsidy - too many costs and low volume of freight.
Shipping costs
Truck to port
Lift off at port
Port to ship handling
Ship point a to b
Lift off at port
Move to
Port storage
Lift onto truck or train

Each step has a cost
Makes it expensive unless it’s a big bulk load going say interisland

 

[Juno]

Ships load export logs out of Gisborne Port and I think the odd horticulture load

That shipping service that serviced Gisborne after the storm had v high gov subsidy - too many costs and low volume of freight.
Shipping costs
Truck to port
Lift off at port
Port to ship handling
Ship point a to b
Lift off at port
Move to
Port storage
Lift onto truck or train

Each step has a cost
Makes it expensive unless it’s a big bulk load going say interisland

Yeah, thought it would be high cost.
Rail would have been good for travel, tourism etc too. But as you say, easily wiped out. Be interesting to see a comparison of shipping logs from up there against trucks and roading over time all the same.

 

[MaybeTop8]

A focus on jobseekers is not about the cost.

It condemns the recipients to a lower quality of life and the children to poverty if they spend 13 years on it.

They suffer the non financial costs of not working - miss out on gaining skills, contacts, experience, current skills lose relevance, motivation, etc

Society and employers lose out on the contribution these people could offer.

It’s a win/ win if people that are able do work.

Let's knock the 13 years bullshit on the head.

Able recipients are much shorter - https://t.co/te3jlM9Ehu - so it's an out and out lie.

National are basing all of this on an oecd report from 14 years ago based on many countries. Again, cherry picking lies.

If people are able to do work and not be exploited, and be compensed fairly I'd agree, with wrap around services as needed. But we know that won't happen.

Luxon has already said that someone with cancer can do a 10 hour a week job. Even worse - he deems anyone breathing able to work. Utterly appalling. Oh and corrupt.

View: https://twitter.com/StrayDogNZ/status/1759751627186323458

 

[MaybeTop8]

If we actually wanted to get more people back into work, we would be working with them to get the help they needed. Not punishing them.
We are simply going to drive more people on to the street, which helps no one apart from the Jobseeker numbers.

And crime rises - which falls neatly into private prisons need warm bodies to make a profit for their corporate masters.

 

[kos]

Yeah, thought it would be high cost.
Rail would have been good for travel, tourism etc too. But as you say, easily wiped out. Be interesting to see a comparison of shipping logs from up there against trucks and roading over time all the same.

Most of the logs are export
So right distance from Gis straight on an export ship from Gis
Right distance from Napier straight on export ship from Nap

Domestic logs say to Panpac ( did it reopen?) direct on truck to mill forest to mill

 

[miket12]

Thanks National. Well done for raising my water bill by 25% and not a plan in sight
View attachment 5206

Of course, the Council could have sold more of the shares in Auckland Airport……but then people would get upset at selling assets.

 

[John Nick]

Ships load export logs out of Gisborne Port and I think the odd horticulture load

That shipping service that serviced Gisborne after the storm had v high gov subsidy - too many costs and low volume of freight.
Shipping costs
Truck to port
Lift off at port
Port to ship handling
Ship point a to b
Lift off at port
Move to
Port storage
Lift onto truck or train

Each step has a cost
Makes it expensive unless it’s a big bulk load going say interisland

We also have the problem of relocation of empty boxes with the lack of continuity in freight.
Better to have these on coastal shipping and save our roads/traffic.
No deadlines.win win

 

[MaybeTop8]

Of course, the Council could have sold more of the shares in Auckland Airport……but then people would get upset at selling assets.

Wouldn't need to under 3 waters. That's the thing - like the ferry deal it was well planned and constructed, with cross cultural agreement and protection of natural resources, as well as allowing councils to borrow off the books. And we have a major infrastructure problem that this bunch of crooks have no answer for other than sell, sell sell.

Privatisation is selling the house to pay a power bill and ending up living on the street.

 

[miket12]

Three waters would have sorted our infrastructure - this lot are about bullying and greed.

Really? It was based on the Scottish system which has had less infrastructure delivery to smaller communities while the larger cities are better off. And, with a similar population size, Scotland has more boil water notices than NZ. Unfortunately, it’s another case of the reality not matching the idea.

 

[Rizzah]

Really? It was based on the Scottish system which has had less infrastructure delivery to smaller communities while the larger cities are better off. And, with a similar population size, Scotland has more boil water notices than NZ. Unfortunately, it’s another case of the reality not matching the idea.

Where did you find that data?

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

National are basing all of this on an oecd report from 14 years ago based on many countries. Again, cherry picking lies.

This is based on the actuaries Taylor Fry for the Ministry of Social Development in 2022.

Stop rewriting history.

‘And the upper quartile of this group are expected to spend more than 25 years in the system’

Beneficiaries now likely to spend 13 years on welfare

Govt estimates of the expected time on Jobseeker have jumped 23 per cent in four years.

www.nzherald.co.nz

 

[MaybeTop8]

This is based on the actuaries Taylor Fry for the Ministry of Social Development in 2022.

Stop rewriting history.

‘And the upper quartile of this group are expected to spend more than 25 years in the system’

Beneficiaries now likely to spend 13 years on welfare

Govt estimates of the expected time on Jobseeker have jumped 23 per cent in four years.

www.nzherald.co.nz

And who makes up "beneficiaries" Wiz?

Says you cherry picking again.

You're going full blown tory on us Wiz. You'll have the concentration camps up and running in no time.

 

[MaybeTop8]

It's a war on the poor. Again. This is who they are. We clearly can't afford a tax cut.

Might be good to see that massive payout to landlords revoked and implement a capital gains tax instead eh?