John and Winston--- an unholy allaince in 2014!

Watch out for an unholy alliance between John and Winston in the 2014 election. We all know how John stakes his political life on ‘not’ entering into any agreement that would raise the age for entitlement to superannuation beyond 65. It is a fiscally stupid stand to take in light of how the age of NZers is ever increasing and the bubble of ‘oldies’ coming through is simply too big for us to expect tax payers to finance them (us).

Whilst I do have some sympathy for groups within our population to receive the payment earlier, I am not in favour of sticking our collective heads in the sand and ignoring this bourgeoning problem. We must enter into a dialogue, devoid of politics and make the changes now and while we are at it, make payments into Kiwi Saver compulsory at a much higher rate than we now contribute.

I hate to say it, but our Aussie friends have bitten the bullet and made these changes. We call them the ‘lucky country,’ but they are showing us the way to not rely on luck in matters pertaining to retirement and allowances.

Get real NZ politicians and take up the challenge.

The Super-rich pay an extra $500- -I cry for them not!

The news today that the IRD (Inland Revenue department) has charged the super-rich in NZ $500 is interesting. ‘Charged---shouldn’t they have paid what they were due to pay? Will we hear them crying out in fiscal pain? Don’t be silly. They and their accountants will already be appealing, moving their funds offshore, accompanied by their protestations of innocence and that ‘yet again we are exhibiting a ‘tall poppy syndrome’ and that we ‘are driving much needed investment funds’ offshore sop that another economy will benefit.’

Oh come on. You already have heaps of schemes and subsidies to help you maintain your position. Yes you pay tax, but if you have that mentality that doesn’t give a stuff for the rest of us then---go. You have choices which the vast bulk of NZers do not have other than moving across the Tasman in  the hope that ‘things will be better.’

I must of course say that there are many wealthy NZers who pay their dues and contribute hugely and mostly senility to the NZ economy and to good causes. Hey--- you can stay! My words are not meant for you.

The level of abuse that some of our super-rich indulge in at the expense of the rest of us are many. They have ways of avoiding tax in spurious ways. Even the present Government is trying to pull back those areas in which they operate. Generally, however, the Government would wish to ‘not ruffle the feathers’ of those who can tribute much to the coffers of the National Party. This latest move would be one in which they can hide their real intent--- to keep their mates happy.

OH--- you better expect an attack on the ‘powers of the unions’ in the next few weeks. After all, we ‘can’t have unions selling their labours’ in order to grind out a living--- one that is oh so different to the ‘fat boys.’

Sign away our independence National---Crazy!

We now have the probability of our Government signing away our powers to make decisions that are in the best interest of NZ. I am talking about the agreement the Government is about to enter into that gives huge corporations the power to sue the NZ Government if our laws transgress these companies’ rights to trade as they wish in NZ, without regard to the overall wellbeing of New Zealanders.

Of course the first case will be the laws that we are proposing about labelling on cigarette packets. It is our right to make SUCH LAWS AS WE TRY TO LESSEN THE RESULTS OF SMOKING ON THE HEALTH OF NZERS. How dare these huge companies try to influence the policies we make. Imagine if they had tried such policies when NZ decided to go nuclear free. We could have folded!

I am appalled that President Obama is going along with this. He has lost my trust and the sad thing is that his opposition is even worse. My faith in him is severely dented. I know that my friends in the USA are also pissed off with him over this. I suspect the same rules will apply to you too.

This law will go through and the implications for other aspects of our ‘independence’ will also be challenged over the coming years.

For NZ to agree to these proposals, all in the name of a ‘Free Trade‘ agreement between NZ and the USA is tantamount to throwing away our sovereign rite to make our own decisions.. I say--- stuff it.

I also suggest that perhaps we will be pressured by other large trading partners with much the same result---e.g. --- China. It seems that being a small player in the world means that we will receive these timely reminders about our ‘real place’ in the world order--- a small nation at the bottom of the Pacific. Sad but true.

Russia--- where have you gone

I have had no readers from Russia all week. Maybe there were just a few and they hit the site multiple times or maybe it is summer there now and they have wonderful things to do other than reading. I don't think I said anything too challenging to put them off! Oh well-- come back when you are ready. One of my friends did suggest that maybe it was lovely Russina women reading and they suddnely relaized that I play for the 'other team.' Oh damn--- that statment may unleash applications from the alternate players.

The ACC debacle

New Zealand used to pride itself on the fact that it had the best Accident Compensation scheme in the world. It allowed people to have a dignified stand down when they were injured, either at work or in other areas of their lives. The scheme even extended (and it still does) to overseas tourists, who if they met with an accident, receive full support and treatment.

Sadly over the years it has become a political football, with various political parties sniping away at one another while the scheme is chopped and changed to suit the vagaries of the politicians.

In the last few months the scheme has come under attack from within. It seems that the managers and leaders are determined to bring the scheme into disrepute. Leaked papers and case notes along with inept management have taken a great deal of gloss from the scheme. It has become a focus of ‘question time’ in parliament, where once again the politicians fire shots at one another, all in the interests of their own agendas.

There is an ideological battle going on between the proponents of ‘privatisation’ and state funded options. In the meantime a culture has developed where profits are seen as more important than sound delivery of the programme. That means people suffer as allowances are challenged, all in the name of efficiency.

The public are angry as yet another example of ‘market policy’ agendas affects their lives. It is becoming all too common as the Government extends its policies to more and more sectors of the economy. The easy ride the Government has had so far is coming to an end. They are finally being challenged, not just from within parliamentary circles but in the wider community. Even their allies in parliament have expressed discomfort at some of their moves.

The honeymoon is well and truly over.

John has got the speed wobbles!

We have seen it all before. When Labour was in its third term, they started to come apart. It seems that no matter who is in power that we as voters get fatigued. I don’t know what it is that sets the wobbles off, but that is exactly what happens. Is it an arrogance that sets in? ----a ‘we know best so shut the f--- up’ and let us get on with our job,’ or is it a more kindly ‘trust us; we know what we’re doing?’

Either way--- all parties, stop treating us like idiots. Watching Johnny and his cohort stutter their way through the last week has been a mixture of the ridiculous and the ugly. Johnny looks strained and his ministers have the appearance of a possum caught in the lights of a Land Rover on the Desert Road and the chilled response from the electorate is showing up in the polls.

We have seen Labour, the Greens and New Zealand First attack the Government and some of the speakers are starting to show some real class. However, they need to show us that they are more than just words. Let’s see some ideas. Get out there and tell us what you would do. We don’t want to hear the same old crap we usually hear. We need a vision that we can believe in. This is your chance--- take it!

Young people and gangs---a question of life and death

Youth gangs are an issue for many countries. We have all seen the images in various media ranging from the Hollywood fantasy to the real scenarios played out in the news. In New Zealand the problem has been with us for many years. In some area of our cities, these gangs reach in to the lives of many of our young people and the families they belong to. I see the results of young people joining these gangs on a daily basis through the work I do in a large secondary school.

I have been concerned for many years and as I learn more about why young people join gang s and what the implications are for their future, I have become even more worried. As our youth become more involved with gangs, they have less to do with their families. We have all heard that some young people join gangs because they are looking for something that is missing in their own families. This is not so for all or even most of the recruits into these gangs. The sad fact is that some live in families who are affiliated with gangs--- the adult or more junior form and that only adds to the likelihood that they too will end up in a gang.

Many secondary schools are well aware that some of their students are either on the ‘edge’ of gang activity or are actively involved. The more the students gravitate towards full membership, the less we see of these students. When they are present they often behave in ways that bring them to the notice of ‘student management systems’ in schools and can take up a great deal of time. They can have an insidious effect on the life of a school; they can be involved in a variety of activities in schools, ranging from low level intimidation to outright criminal behaviours. They can take a huge amount of teacher time, which then impacts on the chances of other vulnerable students.

We underestimate the effect these young people have in the schools and in the community. If a family is a ‘gang family,’ there is every chance that the surrounding streets will be part of their territory and even though they may constitute a minority of the area, their influence is huge. For young people not in gangs, the very existence of such ‘houses’ in their neighbourhood constitutes a threat or a draw card. For our vulnerable young people, recruitment into youth gangs is a very real possibility.

There are many ways in which youth gangs recruit their new younger members. It may happen in the playground of the school. A young person desire to be accepted can feed into seeking membership. It may be for protection from others bullying them. It may be that they are not getting acceptance in their own families, or it may simply be a desire to have ‘fun’. The images they see on media/TV may attract them. Let’s face it; movies, TV, and other media forms portray gangs in a light that can and does connect with young people.

Gangs use other means to recruit. They may threaten a young person on the way to school or to the shops. They may also offer benefits. I have heard anecdotal accounts of young men being offered sex in order to lure the ‘prospect’ into gang activity. The issue of the young woman involved is yet another problem.  

There is a gradual pulling away from the family and a time is reached when even if a young person expresses doubts about joining the gang, it can be too late. That disassociation from the family is not always the ‘model’ though. Some young people are able to separate their ‘gang life’ from their family life, but not for too long. The warning sign may be missed. That depends on the strength of parenting and the levels of communication within the family.

There is another worrying aspect to youth gangs. Their connection to ‘living’ is sometimes strained. For those young people on the ‘edge’ but moving towards the gang culture, sometimes there are doubts. They may be involved in alternate educational services and start seeing new possibilities, other than that of the gang. If the hold on them is still strong, a tension is set up, that may well result in huge pressures on them. They are pulled between the two worlds; one that further ensconces them in the gang and the other that leads to a more mainstream scenario.

The stress around this can be fatal. Suicidal ideation increases and sometimes carried out. There have been multiple deaths of young people unable to cope with the competing pressures. Sadly that is a possibility that is increasing in society. There is an unwillingness to talk about this issue. We must face it head on or see more young lives at risk.

Our schools are but the recipients of what society projects, but they are also beacons of hope. If we do not resource them so that they can identity and link in with families and agencies who can help, then we will see many more young people lost to the gangs and to life.