Ukraine---back from the edge----I hope so!

The news that Russia, the EU, Ukraine and the USA have met and possibly de-escalated the Ukrainian crisis is a good sign but can we believe that Putin will play his part and call off his 'wolves' who have illegally occupied the Government buildings in Eastern and Southern Ukraine? If he does not, then he is supporting the chaotic situation. No 'State' can allow such 'occupations of government buildings.
At the same time, there obviously needs to be some sort of 'believable and legal' referendum to decide the position of some of the border areas of Ukraine. If this took place in a manner that is above the corruption and unfair practices we have witnessed so far, as in the Crimea, then all parties must accept the result.
Ukraine is edging towards that position but there is doubt about the legality of that regime too. The mess that is Ukraine cannot continue in its present pathway. Putin will play the chaos for his own aims and unless the EU, USA and NATO make it very clear that the consequences of Putin's actions will outweigh any perceived gain on his part, then the future of Ukraine as a sovereign nation is still in doubt. Lets hope that these latest moves towards a solution are carried through to a calmer and peaceful region. The people deserve that at least.

Finally, Labour concentrates on policy rather than side-issues in the house!

David Cunliffe’s  announcement today that Labour would be ‘unashamedly pro Kiwi’ when it came to Government services and programmes, comes at a time when I was beginning to think that all Labour was interested in doing was to play silly games in the ‘House.’ Take for example the fiasco around Judith Collins and her ‘possibly corrupt’ practices around her partner’s business interests in China. This issue was never going to ‘bring down a Government,’ and even if Collins left Cabinet, so what! It is hardly what the voters and prospective Labour voters in particular even give a moments thought. Labour and other parties play these posturing games, intent on scoring minimal pints while the rest of us are more worried about the big issues and getting New Zealanders jobs, is by far the bigger picture.

 So, David---good on you. It is about time we started to hear real policies; ones that will contribute to more jobs and a higher Government tax take so that there is more money in the kitty for ’Research and Development grants; the area where national made cuts, just another example of short term policies that cut into our future. Let’s see more of what you plan, Labour. Give us reason to vote for you rather than against the present clique in Wellington.

This election must be about 'housing.

The election in September, 2014 must be about housing, health and education. Sure there are other issues and one in particular that is not worth giving much credence; that is the part the Mana and their bedfellow, the Internet Party will play. For the moment, forget about that wasted space on the political spectrum because the above issues affect the lives of a great many more New Zealanders.

Take housing: If you live in Auckland, Christchurch and parts of Wellington, the chance of buying your first home is becoming a pipe dream; for those seeking to purchase in the ‘queen city,’ even more so. As of April, 2014 the cost of an average house is just under NZ$700,000. If one settled for less desirable areas (and people are finally getting the message that this is what they need to do in order to get onto the property ladder) $400,000 doesn’t buy much.

If you are able to raise the mortgage, you face massive repayment, leaving very little to enjoy the fruits of your labour. This situation must be spawning a whole new class in New Zealand; that of the disenchanted and hopeless. Knowing that you cannot achieve what most of us have taken as a ‘birth right,’ in NZ over the years, must be putting a pressure on society that will have major ramifications further down the track. The frustration levels will build as the goal post to home ownership gradually become a distant haze on the horizon.

What will young people do, if they cannot realize their dreams? Do they give up and gradually transform Aucklander into a ‘renting’ city or do we come up with a solution n that involves long term leasing as they do I n countries like Switzerland? That would require a massive mind change on the part of Kiwis. Do we look at Auckland differently and finally come to the conclusion that perhaps allowing this city to keep growing at the expense of the ‘regions,’ is not a desirable attribute. How do we channel resources and people back into the regions?

Politicians in the past have minced words around the issue but never succeeded in delivering meaningful policy. The National Party and its more ‘hands off’ policies is hardly going to alter its base policies; ones that its supporters actually benefit from the impossible housing situation in Auckland. The Labour Party in turn, has so far only played around with the idea, knowing that leaning too hard on those who have gained from past policies, will turn on them, taking voters who normally have a ‘spot for the Labour Party, but who would also like to be part of the ‘haves’ in society. It is this dream, the one where by homeownership is equated with ‘freedom of choice’ that Labour voters get a little nixed up, and thus nothing ever changes.

It is going to take a brave government, who would tackle this ‘Auckland problem and I doubt that nay party at the present has policies that are anything more than ‘platitudes. It has been mooted that  capital gains tax, if implemented, ‘could make a difference,’ and various incentives by local council in the regions, combined with Government policies could play their part too,  but I can see nothing on the horizon re this 2014 election that leans far in this direction.

New Zealand is at a cross road. We cannot let the lack of access to affordable housing stay on the back-burner.’ It is going to increasingly be part of contribution to a New Zealand that most of us want no part of: namely, an unfair and divided society. We need our politicians to make some hard calls and not let factional divisions rule; usually those who have and have always had the power in New Zealand. Attacking immigrants is not the answer, but fine-tuning who can own and buy New Zealand real estate, is not such a radical move; it exists in many other countries around the world, but it is not the magic bullet, needed to inspire the dream that New Zealanders are losing sight of.

So let this year be one in which the hard question are asked about what type of society do we wish for. Then, bring about a ‘stage’ upon which it can function. Do our politicians have it in them to have this important debate?

A 'nice' couple came 'a-visiting' It cost NZ$1.2 million---BARGAIN!

I am not a ‘royalist,’ and I don’t easily get sucked in by the visits of ‘dignitaries.’ Neither do I spit venom at the sight of flag-waving crowds; many of whom are in possession of the Union Jack version of the flag, or the happy faces lining the streets of the cities and towns lucky enough to receive the good-looking family from the extreme North.

I know that Face Book had all the usual comments pertaining to the’ royal leaches’ and many more comments. I was not taken in; indeed it quickly became apparent that a huge numbers of New Zealanders, some of them ‘new arrivals to our increasingly ‘non-British’ makeup were hugely enjoying the visit. Little girls dressed as princesses, throwing away the PC ideals that have plagued us for decades about gender equality and various other twists on the theme. Mothers giggled in anticipation of meeting the handsome ‘one day to be King.’

For ten days, New Zealand almost forget about the other ‘evils,’ besetting the world, as we cast ourselves back to a time gone by. For all of this happy welcoming to our shores of the Royal Couple, we paid a tiny NZ$1.2 million. It is pretty damn clear that this will more than come back to us in the form of huge publicity. There were very few overseas channels that I have access to that did not regularly show stunning pictures of New Zealand landscapes and no amount of money can beat that for publicity. Expect yet another jump in tourist visit.

Now, it’s the turn of our Aussie cousins. I bet they will be just as ‘taken,’ by the ‘we three.’

I am being cruel, am I not? Should I make fun of the 'Dear Leader?'

I am so lucky that I do not live near the North Korean embassy. Hey, do they even have one in New Zealand?  If the answer to both points is yes, then I could be in deep doggie poo! The report on the hair salon in London, which just happens to be very close to the North Korean Embassy, received a visit from two men in dark suits, requesting the said salon to desist from using a picture of the ‘Dear Leader’ to advertise for solutions re ‘a bad hair day.’ It appears that the embassy staff was most put out that such actions could take place. This of course would never happen in the ‘mad fantasyland’ next to South Korea. Anyone contemplating such vial actions would need to be ‘re-educated or possibly put to death with a flame thrower!’

The police were called and decided to take no action as no laws were broken; in other words the message was given to the North Koreans to pull their heads in! What must it be like working for this psychotic regime; having to represent it to the rest of the world, in a nation that actual values freedom of choice, where criticism of the government (OK, I won’t go too far in my praise of one of the world’s oldest democracies, because there are those who will not believe me) is actually ---ah---OK! Indeed UK citizens thrive on having that right.

Can’t you see the officials in the embassy, peering through shrouded windows, aiming their directional mikes at the salon in the hope that they can record people’s conversation about their beloved homeland and ‘Dear Leader?’ They would of course be disappointed; firstly because they wouldn’t understand the Cockney accents (I made that one up out of desperation!) and words would be used that just wouldn’t figure in their appropriately assumed world views, or should I say, that espoused by their Dear Leader.

I suspect that in the next few days, the British secret service will revive a visit from several bedraggled North Korean officials, who will be seeking political asylum, as they fear for their lives. They had not delivered the result desired by tier God-like leader; hence their lives are now in danger.  Extrapolate this extreme situation to the whole of North Korea and you start to get a picture of what life is like for other than those close to the Dear Leader or those in the army. AND—we worry about a few nut-head pro-Russian fanatics; stooges of Putin who would drag us closer to the Cold War of old. Mmm----- maybe Putin is a clone of you know who!

Boko Haram---no other word to desrcibe them other than ---EVIL!

We have witnessed many incidents whereby the Boko Haram group of fundamentalist Islamists have terrorised the people of Northern Nigeria. We have seen them murder, bomb, mutilate and kidnap the citizens of Nigeria. What possible faith-based justification can they give for their evil actions? How can they use the plight of 100 young girls (who they have just kidnapped) to push their cause, which I assume is to establish a Sharia law based nation in Nigeria? Where in their holly book, if indeed they can even read it, does it give them the right to follow such pathways? I feel for moderate Muslims, who bear the brunt of any response for the actions of their extremist relations. The former are no different to any religious group, who have the same wishes for their families, the same desire for peace as the rest of the vast bulk of humanity.

We hear that extremist groups are a response to the injustices of Governments  and the exclusion of minorities (and sometime majorities, when it comes to income sharing within nations) but the violent, criminal and destructive choices Boko Haram follow are an insult to all people, no matter what their religious or otherwise choices. That the Government of Nigeria is corrupt is a fact, but the response from Boko Haram will go down in history as somewhere up there like the Khmer Rouge. They must be stopped now. Dialogue will obviously fail, because they do not ‘listen.’ They just show their intolerance and ignorance through violence and hate.

Romania--wow----someone is reading my blogs there a great deal today!

Fantastic! I love it when I see a country figuring big time as a ‘new’ reader of my blogs. Yes, I know there have a been a few hits on my website and blog from Romania in the past, but 20 in one day is more than just coincidental. I am most pleased and when something like this happens, I always Google that country to increase my knowledge. The links between Romania and NZ are primarily in the sporting field (Rugby, in particular) and a very small number of immigrants. Let them increase and decrease NZ’s dependence on just a few other large economies. Smaller nations, especially those of NZ’s relative ‘smallness’ on the world scene, should stick together more.

OK< keep reading ‘me,’ Romania and hopefully download or buy the hard copies of my books. That can happen once the ‘upload to Amazon is completed in the next week or so. I just signed off the final reviews so that the book, ROSKILL can go to the printers.

www.authorneilcoleman.com