Race-based healthcare in Northland

According to the NZ Herald, the Government’s controversial health tool that prioritises Māori and Pasifika patients for surgeries has been used in Northland since May, despite Te Whatu Ora Tai telling the Northern Advocate on the 21st of June that it is not.

What’s referred to as the “equity adjuster waitlist policy” gives priority to Māori and Pasifika ahead of European New Zealanders and other ethnicities in urology and orthopaedic healthcare in Northland since May 2023.

Crime: The good news and the bad news

GOOD NEWS & BAD NEWS

It's good news from Labour – we have reduced the prison population by 21%! 

And it's bad news from National - violent crime is up 33%!

Garrick Tremain cartoon - The newspaper is half the size it used to be!

 

Reality Check Radio: Paul Brennan interviews Dr Matt Shelton

Paul Brennan interviews Dr Matt Shelton about New Zealand’s ’Died Suddenly’ Cases

Click here to listen >>>

Your letters: Tale of the two Chris’s

Over the long weekend, I read a lot of political blurb and thought about how shallow this period has been as far as the current government is concerned. If I compare the two main teams, the brains come out really in favour of the opposition. Compare the two Chris’s: one has never done a real day’s work, and the other has run several huge multinational companies. 

Prime Minister Chris left school, went to university and studied for a BA in political science. He was also heavily into the internal left politics of the student movement. In fact, he was arrested at this time for taking part in a protest against a bill going through Parliament and found guilty at that time. He also had time advising Trevor Mallard - I rest my case on that position.  I think he was part of the team that shut down the exploration and oil industry in Taranaki. He held portfolios of Education, now down the drain, and Police, now in such a poor state most people fear for their safety after dark in most towns in New Zealand. He has been Minister of the Public Service which now has more FTEs and contractors than at any time in our history. Our inflation and price-crazy items of everyday necessity have all occurred during his time in power.

Chris Luxon went to university after leaving school and gained a Master's Degree in Commerce and Business Studies. He then worked for Unilever, in senior positions in five countries before rising to President of their Canadian Operations. He succeeded Rob Fyfe as Chief Executive of Air New Zealand. Under his watch, Air NZ rose to become exceptionally profitable and the most trusted airline in Australia as well. He was asked to be on the board of Virgin and Tourism NZ at this time and was considered to have a substantial influence on their success too. 

Luxon is known to be a likeable, honest man, who has strong qualities in leadership and has a history of leading from the front with great expectations from his chosen fellow senior managers. I have heard him say he expects his people to report regularly on all progress of their portfolios both internally, and into the public arena. He is the man I think, given the chance, will pull New Zealand out of the financial disaster we are in more efficiently. And leave the country better for our future generations than the debt the current government is now at $129,000,000,000 (that is billions). 

I will vote “Party Vote” National to ensure our grandchildren don’t live in a financially ruined country that pays more interest on the loans they have run up than they spend on Education or Health.   

John Bain

Whangarei

For debt figures see: https://tradingeconomics.com/new-zealand/government-debt

How they voted - WDC: 10.9% rates increase

How they voted:

Motion: "That the Council approves increasing general rates by 10.9% for 2023-24..."

For: Cr's  Nicholas Connop, Ken Couper,  Deborah Harding,  Scott McKenzie and Carol Peters.

Against: His Worship the Mayor, Cr's Gavin Benney, Jayne Golightly, Phil Halse, Patrick Holmes, Marie Olsen, Simon Reid, Phoenix Ruka, Paul Yovich.

The motion was lost 5 to 9.

Motion: "That the Council approves increasing general rates by 7.9% for 2023-24..."

For: His Worship the Mayor, Cr's Gavin Benney, Jayne Golightly, Phil Halse, Patrick Holmes, Marie Olsen, Simon Reid, Phoenix Ruka, Paul Yovich, Nicholas Connop, Carol Peters

Against: Cr's  Ken Couper,  Deborah Harding,  Scott McKenzie.

You're fired!

Democracy Northland is calling for the resignation of five councillors who supported a rate increase of 10.9%, despite near-unanimous opposition from the public.

In a media release, Democracy Northland said, 

“Clearly these councillors don't understand a councillor's role is to represent the communities that elected them. The communities they were elected to represent said “No” to 10.9%. They ignored those they say they represent.” 

The councillors are Ken Couper (Bream Bay Ward), Scott McKenzie (Hikurangi-Coastal), Deborah Harding (Māori Ward), Nicholas Connop and Carol Peters (Urban Ward).

Quotable quote

 

“No one will understand politics until they understand that politicians are not trying to solve our problems. They are trying to solve their own problems - of which getting elected & re-elected are number 1 and number 2. Whatever is number 3 is far behind.” 

– Thomas Sowell

Thomas Sowell is an American economist, writer, and social theorist who currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is known for his old-fashioned assessments of economic theories and has authored over 30 books. He is considered one of the greatest African-American thinkers of his generation.

Auckland 10 minutes closer

The new 18.5km expressway between Puhoi and Warkworth was officially opened last week that will cut at least 10 minutes off the trip between Whangarei and Auckland. The Prime Minister did the ribbon-cutting honours. It must have been a little uncomfortable for him. 

When National announced the motorway extension in 2011, Chris Hipkins mocked the project. He disparagingly called it a "holiday highway" and said the money should be used for projects like Auckland’s city rail link. 

He expressed a different view at the official (photo opportunity) opening. There he described it as a “strategic piece of infrastructure" that will deliver "a safer, more resilient and reliable route"!

Unable to find locals to change a tyre

1News ran a story recently about a tyre company in Kaikohe that had been unable to fill a job vacancy locally. 

The story started: “It's been six weeks since Roger Kopoken shifted to the Northland town of Kaikohe from the Philippines to fill a job that'd been advertised for months.” 

The business owners said, "[Roger] is perfectly ready to pick up the tools and get stuck in."

Why are there no local people ready to pick up the tools and get stuck in? 

To read the 1News item go to https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/06/08/unable-to-find-kiwis-employers-are-hiring-from-overseas/

Hundertwa$$er

The future of the Hundertwasser Art Centre (HAC) is uncertain. A staff report tabled at a recent Council meeting confirmed losses for the current year (to the end of June 2023) are likely to be around $800,000 and between $450,000 and $550,000 next year.  It says. The report said, “Without council intervention and support, the Trust will become insolvent and will be liquidated…”

The council is now drawing on a contingency fund set up to cover operating losses, but most of that funding has been drawn or will be drawn within the next 12 months. In short, the WDC and the Trust will need to turn the losses around. It will be hoping for a recovery in international tourists, but questions are again being asked about its long-term viability and the potential ongoing costs to ratepayers.  

The council report may be found here >>> (agenda item starts on page 118)

What will become of Forum North?

The Whangarei District Council has moved into its new Civic Centre offices, which they say has cost $59 million. But what will happen with the now vacant Forum North building?

Mayor Vince Cocurullo said WDC had been waiting until it moved out of Forum North, to proceed further with any future direction for Forum North.

Talks have been underway with the Forum North Trust. In 2022 the Northern Advocate reported the Trust chairman said Forum North should be a “cultural and education precinct”, that “would revolutionise Northlanders’ theatre experiences”.

Sounds like another ratepayer-subsidised trust in the making.

Garrick Tremain cartoon - free speech