Another unwinnable "war"

The collective war against child poverty is internationally fashionable. Another assault is about to be unleashed in London.

At the root of the London problem is one in three children live in a lone parent family but the ECPC (End Child Poverty Campaign) solution is, "A strong partnership between Central Government, the London Development Agency, the Greater London Authority, the Association of London Government and London boroughs is needed to devote greater resources to tackling poverty and unemployment in London."

Translated; through the vast and coercive machinery of state let's throw a whole lot more money at the problem.

It won't work, it has never worked. What will work is an army of self-deceiving do-gooders will experience salvational euphoria and jobs for life.

More NZers killing themselves

What a depressing headline.

In 2002, a total of 460 people died by suicide, compared with 507 in 2001 and 458 in 2000. The figure for 2003 has just been released. 515 people killed themselves.

Suicide rates for Maori are higher than for non-Maori.

Thirty five years ago the suicide rate for Maori was very low. Out of 237 suicides only 5 were by Maori. What happened?

High internet use explained

Business Analyst Roger Kerr suspects the reason NZers spend so much time on the internet is because it is so slow. New Zealanders are the secong highest users of internet in the world, apparently.

I disagree with his suggestion. Without broadband I would get tired of waiting for information to load, found using the internet a frequently frustrating experience and consequently used it less.

Is she planning any more?

With in vitro assistance, a 62 year-old californian woman has just given birth to a baby boy. When he's three she'll qualify for supplemental security income. Hope she can get by until then. Ooops. She already does qualify. She has been blind since birth.

University website security failure

Canterbury University's online services were shut down last night after a computer glitch made the private records of thousands of students available to anyone with a user code and password.

Looks like the Christchurch Press were tipped off about a Canterbury University computer problem.

"A Press reporter with a current student identification number yesterday logged on to the university's student web system and accessed several other students' details."

Isn't this a bit like admitting to looting. Has the reporter "stolen" information just because he or she could? Does it really matter when any of the other 12,000 students could have done the same?

The Varsity were very slow to shut down the system.

Clinton on Close Up

Well, if he isn't he should be.

If the taxpayer is going to bankroll the security for this week's Auckland engagement then why not a quid pro quo.

Go on State telly and tell us about your greatest achievement as President of the United States. A good shot at killing off lifestyle welfare...or formally, passing the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation (PRWOR) legislation.

Bring on the day when NZ actually embodies the term Personal Responsibility in a legislative Act.

I Walk The Line

Went to see the movie this afternoon. I can't possibly say anything that would do it justice. The movie ends but much of the audience stays seated. Where's the rewind button? Occasionally a movie makes you feel an ache. You are missing the character like you miss a parent that's died.

The music was, if anything, better than the real thing. None of it was foreshortened, leaving you unsure whether you had just been to the best concert or the best movie.

It starts dark. His childhood was tough and tragic. So as his music emerges, literally dragged out of him in the Sam Phillips audition which nearly ends a career that has barely begun, you are lifted up with him.

Apart from the childhood years the entire movie is focussed on the middle years. And that's how you want it. The audience attachment to the youngish Cash character is so strong it would have been a mistake to break it.

I can't wait to see it again.

More on the growth of local government

One of the themes running in this blog is the growth of local government. (I see the Christchurch City Council is warning its rates may rise by ten percent.)

Reading the Listener I came across this, "In Britain, the Blair government last year announced plans to put more onus on local councils to provide childcare..."

It's true. The Telegraph reports, A separate Child Care Bill will place a new duty on councils to offer "affordable and flexible" child care for the under-14s. Local authorities will have to offer a minimum number of places, while Ofsted will have greater powers to inspect those caring for the under-fives.

Good grief. We can now see one of the ways the Local Government Can Do Anything Bill, passed here in 2003, may turn into a licence for much greater localised redistribution of income.

Amazing Dubai snowpark

A friend sent me a slideshow about the amazing Dubai snowpark which opened last December. This report is from the BBC.

The area under snow is the equivalent of three football pitches, with runs built inside a giant, slanting metal tube around 25 floors high.

All clothing and equipment is provided in the entrance price of $35, including black, knee-length padded coats for any Arabs who prefer to wear their traditional kandouras to visit the snow - but skiing in the robes will be banned.

The snow is made by shooting water at high pressure into an atmosphere maintained at around freezing point by coolers both below and above the slopes.

Until now Dubai has been a destination for warm beach holidays.

But the ski slope is likely to be most popular, especially for residents, during Dubai's harsh summer when temperatures reach well above 40C.

Crime comparisons

More British households have been victims of crime than American or Canadian. And North Americans have more confidence that police would protect them from violent crime than Britons.

In the UK, there has been argument about crime statistics for many years. Governments like to talk about reported crime statistics. But then a lot of crime goes unreported. Crime surveys, like these, reveal that the true level of crime is higher.

It will be interesting to see what our own Crime and Safety Survey 2006 produces.

Two completely different wars

If I understand this editorial correctly, the need to share intelligence justifies the Australian Federal Police tipping off the Indonesian authorities to the activities of the Bali Nine.

The international nature of terrorism, and indeed drug smuggling and other criminal activity, means that countries must co-operate with each other. In this region, a strong relationship with Indonesia is vital.

But if the Bali Nine had been allowed to reach Australia would the Indonesians have been any the wiser? What is the author of this piece saying? That the AFP would then have to answer to the Indonesians for thwarting any drug intelligence they might otherwise have gathered from the Nine? But if intelligence was the aim wouldn't the drug smugglers be far more likely to disclose information under the promise of a return to Australian authorities? That wasn't on offer.

So, the Indonesian authorities want a few Aussie heads before they would provide terrorist intelligence that might save many more Aussie lives?

I don't believe it. The AFP shouldn't have shopped those kids to the Indonesians. A genuine war on terrorism cannot be used to justify the false war on drugs.

Spoilt monkey

That's me. My husband decided, as I was spending so much time at the computer, I needed a new chair. Here it is;



The picture doesn't really do it justice. It's "Buffalo leather" , height adjustable, swivel, with arm rests and being quite small, I can rest my head back and find it perfectly cushioned. Geez. I feel like I've been upgraded to business class. I'll just swivel around to the bookcase to my glass of wine (experience has taught me never to leave it within cooey of the keyboard). Aaaah.

Two years ago the same husband told me he was giving me a "desk" for Xmas. I sulked. A piece of furniture HE wants for MY xmas present I grizzled to myself.



Well, it took him hours and hours to assemble it but again, it's just wonderful. In a small space it fits into the corner with all sorts of compartments, drawers and cupboards at my fingertips.

Both of these additions to the home came from the Warehouse Stationary. The chair cost $125. The desk unit was around $400. Isn't the free market a fantastic thing?

Oh and my faithful companion by the chair came from the SPCA.
Cost? The price of a spaying operation.

What should WINZ do?

35 people lost their jobs when an Otaki plastics recycling factory burnt down. Initially it looked like WINZ would subsidise a clean-up, which will take about six months and keep staff employed.

Now WINZ have said they can't financially help the employer.

So 27 will now have be made redundant.

Well, they will have to go and find new jobs, like anybody else who gets made redundant. And, if they wish to, return to their old jobs when the factory reopens. There will be plenty of other employers looking for staff in the region.

I just hope WINZ are as staunch in not allowing those made redundant to sit on a benefit for the next six months. Unfortunately I suspect this is exactly what will happen.

And from boycotts to blogs...

A much more uplifting subject, a lengthy but fascinating read just published in the Financial Times;

"At the close of 2002, there were some 15,000 blogs. By 2005, 56 new blogs were starting every minute. As I type this sentence, there are, according to technorati.com, 27.2 million blogs. By the time you read this sentence, there surely will be many more."

From Bans to Boycotts

If I am not mistaken this was the lead item on TV3 News last night;

Canterbury Health Board wants staff to boycott Christchurch's city-to-surf run, because of the events sponsor - Powerade.

The health board is "putting its foot down." The idea that sugary drinks are appropriate is not the message we want out there, said a spokeswoman.

At last years City to Surf 12km run around 600 health workers participated. Hundred's of CHB staff have been told to stay away from the event.

You can watch the video (if you can stand to) at TV3's website.

"National Velvet - The coming of John Key"

For goodness sake. What an overblown title for the fairly lightweight North & South article about John Key which I've just finished reading. Mostly it's an advertisement for National's economic prescription. There's a couple of descriptions of tough conversations Key had with prospective employers on his way up. Quite impressive until you picture him telling the story himself (which is how I imagine the writer got the information).

John Key seems to be Mr Nice and he may well be. His wife of 21 years, looks surprisingly yet pleasantly nice and ordinary which (perversely) improves my opinion of him. So why am I not singing his praises in tune with the writer?

My mistrust of National. Gareth Morgan is quoted in the article so I will let him say it for me;

(Morgan says) "Key is better than Cullen," adding he doesn't consider that a particularly high hurdle...... the challenge for National is to demonstrate principles, not simply follow populist policies as he believes they did in the election run-up."Remember the only true reformer of the past 30 years, Roger Douglas, was from Labour, not one of a bunch of conservative also-rans."

There was only one other paragraph that raised my eyebrows and turned the corners of my mouth upward.

John Key is not Parliament's only state house kid made good, although former ACT party leader Richard Prebble was maybe inadvertently perspicacious when he described him as "the candidate from central casting" - in Key's case, a nod to the perennial Hollywood theme of working class hero triumphs over adversity, with a touch of Mr Smith Goes To Washington.

Mr Smith Goes To Washington? Now that is taking things too far.

When Albert Einstein was making the rounds of the speaker's circuit, he usually found himself eagerly longing to get back to his laboratory work. One night as they were driving to yet another lecture, Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur that he was tired of speechmaking.

"I have an idea," his chauffeur said. "I've heard you give this speech so many times. I'll bet I could give it for you." Einstein laughed loudly and said, "Why not? Let's do it!"

When they arrived, Einstein wore the chauffeur's cap and jacket and sat at the back of the room. The chauffeur gave a beautiful rendition of Einstein's speech and even answered a few questions.

Then a pompous professor asked an esoteric question about anti-matter formation, digressing here and there to show off his expertise. Without missing a beat, the chauffeur fixed the professor with a steely stare and said, "Sir, the answer to that question is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is sitting in the back, answer it for me."

Prison sentencing

As prisons have been topical I've dug out some relevant statistics (just what I have to hand).

We hear that “crime is a young man’s game”. If we call young anything up to 30 years-old, fifty three percent of prison sentences imposed in 2003 were on young people.

BUT of all inmates 76 percent had FIRST been imprisoned as a young person. The most common age for first imprisonment is 17.

Of the 8,536 sentences 10 percent went to females. Up from 7 percent in 1999.

Exactly half of the sentences were imposed on Maori.

Going back to 1960;

3,057 sentences were imposed. The percentage of the population under 30 was fifty three; now it is only 43 percent. Despite today's population being considerably older the rate of sentencing per 10,000 of mean population, has increased by around fifty percent.

Bouquet or brickbat?

A caller to a radio programme awarded a bouquet to all those "patriotic" New Zealanders for supporting Kiwibank. Naturally I had to ring in and give the same people a brickbat. Kiwibank continues to grow on the back of NZ Post. People who use it are self-serving opportunists - happy to be subsidised by the taxpayer.

More state intervention on the way

This is from the Maxim newsletter. One of the more concise descriptions of the consequences of repealing section 59.

Supporters of repeal say that their intention is not to criminalise parents for what they call "trivial" smacking. Their intentions however are, to put it bluntly, irrelevant.

What matters is what the law will say.

Currently, section 59 gives parents, or those in the place of parents, a defence to charges that could result from a parent's use of physical force to discipline their child. The defence is a limited one; any force used must be "reasonable in the circumstances" and used "by way of correction". If section 59 is repealed, the law will say that ordinary smacking constitutes an assault to which parents will have no defence. The Police have confirmed that this will be the case. This is because the law defines "assault" very widely. Assault is a criminal offence for which parents could be charged if they do not have the protection of section 59. Other occasions in which parents touch their children for disciplinary reasons, such as putting an unwilling child into a chair for a five minute "time-out", will also constitute assault.

Many of those supporting repeal also say that the defence needs to be removed to prevent child abuse. However, child abuse is already illegal and is not protected by section 59. An analysis of cases involving section 59 shows that in the vast majority of cases, the limits of the defence are applied sensibly.

Hobson's choice

Researchers ask are we medicating away romantic love? Anti-depressents alter brain chemicals which blunt the emotions and interfere with the abiltity to feel romantic love and sustain long-term attachments. But if you are depressed, do you have the capacity anyway?

John Plewes, a medical adviser to Eli Lilly -- which manufactures Prozac -- says, "Patients who suffer from depression aren't in a position to make decisions about partners and life choices." Plewes added that antidepressants "allow the person to experience normal emotions when they get better from depression."

More bad behaviour at select committee

National MP, Nick Smith got rather excited at the Local Government and Environment select committee yesterday, when questioning officials about the costs of the Oceans Policy. Marion Hobbs is complaining about his "aggressive" questioning. Not to the chairperson but to the speaker. Now, will Margaret Wilson take a leaf out of Shane Jones book and rip up the complaint?

Hardly front page news...

...but the DomPost thinks so.

Wellington High School present kids who have a 100 percent attendence record with a $50 prize at the end of the year. Good idea. But some think not.

One parent said she was angry the school was spending money, including parents' $300 donations, on "bribes".

"I will be deducting the $50 that the school seems to think it can afford from my kids' school fees...It is outrageous."

What a whinger.

Sick of state worshippers

That's it. I'm laying a complaint. Hearing about Sweden is definitely bad for my health and I want a ban on the word - NOW.

Here are three references in the last couple of days alone.

1 Some countries, such as Sweden, had put a total ban on all advertising during children's television viewing times, while other countries had placed restrictions on the promotion of unhealthy foods.

2 ....Joan Durrant, a child clinical psychologist from the University of Manitoba, .... cited the example of Sweden, which removed the criminal defence in 1957 - nearly 50 years ago - and followed that up in 1978 with an explicit statement in the Civil Code to say children should not be hit.

So far 17 countries - including the Pitcairn Islands (infamous for a massive historic abuse case, which ended in the conviction of six men last year) - have followed Sweden's lead in explicitly banning physical discipline in their civil codes.

3 Sweden hopes to end its oil dependency within 15 years according to a new government initiative.

With oil prices fluctuating and the resource dwindling, the Scandinavian country plans to develop a range of bio fuels so that, according to government minister Mona Sahlin; 'No driver should need to use only gasoline' by 2020.

So has the Swedish state delivered nirvana?

Newsweek investigates; "An increasing number of Swedes do not recognize the socialist paradise-cum-economic wunderkind of Guardian headlines. The model is showing "visible cracks," says Klas Eklund, the Stockholm-based chief economist of SEB bank. Among them: the lack of incentive to work, resulting in a real unemployment rate roughly three times the official 6.3 percent; the failure to foster entrepreneurship (Swedes are the Europeans least likely to consider starting businesses), and the "total inability to handle the integration of immigrants," who face an unemployment rate one third higher than native Swedes. The disparity is among the widest in Europe."

Counting the hidden unemployed, including those on disability, paid leaves or "perpetual students" at tuition-free universities, more than 20 percent of the working-age population is out of work, according to some estimates.

However, Newsweek concludes, "Right now the Swedish model, for all its shortcomings and no matter how heavily questioned at home, looks about as good as it gets."

Aaaah. Definitely ban the mere mention of this place. It reminds me too much of New Zealand

Is this Maori Party policy?

Hone Harawira wants the manufacture and sale of tobacco made illegal.

That will make all the difference. We will then be able to control tobacco as effectively as we control cannabis.

It's not about Rodney Hide

New Labour MP, Shane Jone's treatment of Rodney Hide's letter of complaint is worthy of more than the flippancy Jane Clifton accords it in today's DomPost. I always read Jane Clifton. She's more astute and talented than most journalists. And given the undeniable antipathy some people feel towards Rodney Hide it's a piece of writing that won't go unappreciated.

But it's not about Rodney. This issue is about not just avoidance of process but a voluble contempt for it. Going before a select committee is tough. Members who don't like the content of your submission make it abundantly clear in a variety of ways. From direct personal attack through to an exaggerated display of boredom or indifference.

But I go knowing what to expect. Nobody can make me go - unlike Mr Fraser.

So there needs to be some constraints on the behaviour of committee members and submitters. If the chairman himself steps beyond the limits, and what Shane Jones said about Ian Fraser was extremely denigrating and highly public, then we have a problem.

Jane Clifton suggests that "ripping up" Rodney's letter of complaint is the way most New Zealanders deal with politics. She is probably right. And the more evidence they see of a process that is presided over by people who are a law unto themselves, the more they will keep well away.

Hone Harawira's challenge to all Maori MPs

"My challenge to you is to recognise that you were Maori before you were a parliamentarian, and that you will be Maori after parliament has no further use for you.

That is what should determine your position. Not the politics of your Party."

This, in a nutshell, is what shackles many Maori. Being Maori is more important than anything, anything, else. Even honesty. Watch Maori, at many levels and in different situations, draw in around a wrong-doer because whatever the misdemeanour, being Maori takes precedence. Loyalty to race is transcendent.

Think of the implications.

"(Being Maori) is what should determine your position. Not the politics of your Party. "

The Maori Party said they were a party for everybody. That's not true. They cannot be because their politics are based on race. No more, no less.

Harawira was bemoaning the poor Maori stats - higher unemployment, half the prison population, 25 percent of the drop-out rate. The quickest way to reduce those numbers is to stop the separatism. Stop the tribalism. Stop the excuses. Stop blaming racism one day and promoting it the next.

If Parliament is to be no more than an arena for fighting over group interests (who can get the most out of the state) then why not an Asian Party, a Muslim Party, a Gay Party, a Feminists Party (which many would say we already have.)

All the law needs to do is protect individuals, all with the same and equal rights. Think how much smaller the government would be. Think how much freer we would all be.

Indian giver

Looks like I won't get to open my packet of chewing gum afterall.




The Government's widely mocked plan to increase tax thresholds might not be implemented at all, Finance Minister Michael Cullen hinted today.

Crime is a growth industry

Astonishing. Some rehab programmes are making inmates more likely to reoffend.

WFF drives WINZ Crisis

Oh those unintended consequences. Government policies always throw them up yet nobody ever seeks to anticipate them. This one is the perfect example of the self-perpetuating welfare state. Where do you think some of those staff will end up? (I had a friend who worked for WINZ. She had a debilitating physical condition which required treatment. Her employer told her to go on a sickness benefit because they couldn't accommodate the treatment she needed to keep her on her feet. Go figure.)

The Government's Working for Families benefit scheme has resulted in heavy workloads for Work and Income staff, who are seeking counselling and resigning in droves, workers claim.

Almost two dozen Canterbury staff have undergone counselling in the space of five months, figures provided by Work and Income show.

"Frustrated and overworked" Canterbury staff have sent a letter to management saying the department is in crisis and staff morale at an all-time low.

Easy-to-understand economics

Good article here explaining the virtues of, indeed the necessity of self-interest.

It is fashionable to decry selfishness as responsible for every societal ill. But without the natural motivation for personal gain our economic system might fall down around us, or at the least produce much less prosperity for all.


This constant effort by everyone to get the best deal they can creates the productivity that fuels the economy. And that explains why people can both dislike Wal-Mart yet shop there.


Remember, those societies that have sought to ban such normal human impulses have been the worse for it. Just ask the billions of Russians, Chinese and Indians who have only relatively recently forsaken various forms of socialism, which sees self-interest as evil.

TV turn off

A group of influential grey power elites want a fully-funded public telly channel. One that would be advertising free and run quality programmes like "Close to Home" and "McPhail and Gadsby."

The group is led by former broadcaster Ian Johnstone.

There was a feeling of regret at the loss of such programmes as Close to Home, McPhail & Gadsby, Gallery and scores of other local programmes.

"I realise we are a bunch of old men and women saying it used to be better. But it was," Mr Johnstone said.

I'd rather watch the ads over that line-up.

Another signatory, Sir Douglas Graham, said the hours might be up, but quality was down.

New Zealand television seemed "designed for the lowest common denominator" and the news was too focused on crime and court stories.

TV designed for the great unwashed, the masses. Horrors!

Author Dame Fiona Kidman said public broadcasting "is an act of service to the viewers in this country" and should fund relevant programmes.

"A lot of the content now is cheap and easy. Quality drama requires quite a commitment of funding, and if everything is a commercial imperative to make money to keep the Crown-owned company afloat, it makes it much more difficult."

Somebody who knows what "quality" is wants to put their hand even deeper into your pocket.

National's state-owned enterprises spokeswoman, Katherine Rich, said New Zealand could not continue to look backwards to the "television experience" of the 1970s when there was first one channel, and then two.

"People are getting their media fix from a wide range of sources, not just Television One. It is unfair to burden a state broadcaster with meeting the needs of everyone."

It is unfair to burden the taxpayer with meeting the needs of a few. Which is exactly what these highbrows want.

Delusions of grandeur

Belusconi compares himself to Jesus
14 February 2006

ROME: First it was Napoleon. Now it is Jesus Christ.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Belusconi has compared himself to both, prompting the open scorn of his political opponents and even the quietly raised eyebrows of his coalition partners.

"I am the Jesus Christ of politics," Italian media quoted him as saying at a dinner with supporters on Saturday night. "I am a patient victim, I put up with everyone, I sacrifice myself for everyone."

Hey. At least he is still talking about himself in the first person.

What business thinks

84 percent of surveyed businesses agree with the statement that New Zealand has too many bureaucrats. The following is a breakdown of the areas considered to be the biggest offenders.


Area | Percentage saying yes |
|----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------|
|Social Policies | 81.0% |
|----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------|
|Welfare | 77.8% |
|----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------|
|Environment | 61.0% |
|----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------|
|Health | 59.5% |
|----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------|
|Education | 52.4% |
|----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------|
|Trade & Enterprise | 31.7% |

"The strong reaction against welfare bureaucracy was probably also indicative of built-up annoyance and perceptions about the number of people given welfare payments of various types."

Notice though that business was less unhappy about corporate welfare bureaucracy. Somewhat self-serving. The principle behind corporate welfare is the same one that's behind social welfare. The government redistributes taxpayers money to suit its own agenda and to buy votes.

Green agendas

Earlier this month Green MP Sue Bradford said, "...we accept the forecasts of rising unemployment over this year and the years ahead."

With that knowledge the Greens, along with UNITE, have chosen to target fast-food industry workers to agitate for higher wages. The outcome of their actions will have one of two results.

1/ A rise in minimum adult and youth rates will be forced by legislation which will lead to either fewer jobs (which they can claim was going to happen anyway); and/or reduced company profitability and/or higher prices to the consumer.

Fewer jobs won't really bother the Greens who embrace social security as a lifestyle for whoever wants it. And if Bradford can get the youth rate raised she will then move onto bringing benefit rates for 16 and 17 year-olds in line with adult rates.

Reduced profitability of any multi-national is highly desirable.

And increased prices will mean reduced consumption of fast-food. Kedgley will be delighted about this. Kedgley hates the food and Nandor hates the packaging.

2/ The campaign will fail but not without causing major disruption and agitation. Some consolation.

So ask yourself. Why the fastfood industry?

The extreme left are exploiting these particular workers to promote a number of their own agendas. Those workers need to know that if this campaign succeeds, on balance, they will find themselves no better off. Some will lose jobs, some will lose income support due to a larger pay packet, all will end up paying more as the costs of products and services goes up to meet higher wage bills across the board. They are just the meat in the sandwich - or the burger in the bun .....

Anti-feminist barred

Newly-qualified Wainuiomata father, Peter Zohrab, has been told he is not a fit and proper person to practice law. His role as a radical men's activist has provoked this criticism.

"His website also included a copy of his complaint to the United Nations human rights committee, that the body for training New Zealand judges, the Institute of Judicial Studies, indoctrinated judges against men.

The website quoted him as saying: "The law is not an ass – the law is a sexist bitch!"

Having met Mr Zohrab briefly, a couple of times, I found him extremely quiet and mild-mannered. I will watch this wrangle with interest.

Bradford finds a buddy

Canadian psychologist Joan Durrant will wade into New Zealand's sensitive smacking debate today with a Government-funded speech about the success of Sweden's anti-smacking law. She said Sweden provided education for all new parents on alternative ways of handling stress caused by children.....

When she lived in Sweden with her baby son, now aged 9, the state provided protective rings to put around the stove to stop her child getting burned.

"Parent education is universally accessible and universally accessed. It's not just for at-risk parents. The Swedes recognise that all parents are at risk because of the stresses of life."

The Herald's Simon Collins looks at both sides of the argument.

Another one bites the dust

One of the last pharmaceutical manufacturers in New Zealand has just announced its closure. Two hundred people work for Pacific Pharmaceuticals. Some administration and marketing staff will remain but up to 180 Auckland employees will lose their jobs.

In the last fifteen years thousands of jobs have been lost in NZ due to Pharmac's monopoly on pharmaceutical purchasing. I explain why in this article published in the NBR in 2003.

Sharple's split-personality

This speech, from Pita Sharples, is a real disappointment. It's back to the old "blame somebody else" business.

"The poor are not the creators of poverty, the poor do not have an investment in being poor. If the poor did not create poverty we all need to ask each other, than who did?"

People who literally create poverty are those who keep having children while on a benefit, some 5,000 a year. People who smoke, drink or gamble away their benefit money create poverty. People who won't take a low-paid job to get on the ladder create poverty. Politicians who tell them not to take "dead-end" jobs create poverty. Politicians who tell people they are not the master of their own destiny create poverty, Pita.

"What sort of Government puts in policies which act against the 250,000 poorest children in Aotearoa? We know that more than one in five children live in low-income families - which is nearly twice the level of the late 1980s. What do we currently have - a ‘Working for Families’ policy which discriminates against beneficiary parents....That is why the Maori Party supports the Child Poverty Action Group for their landmark case to bring legal action against the Government over its discriminatory policies."

Why did I know these guys were going to go down this path? Exactly like the Greens and Sue Bradford. While the government is at least attempting to make working pay more than being on a benefit, these guys want to subvert that.

Remind me what Pita Sharples was saying just the other day? Something about vowing to wage war against welfare dependency;

Dr Sharples said there was too much dependency on welfare in Maoridom - something Labour had not addressed.

"It's like a kid - if you keep giving your kids everything, at the end of the day they don't have the skills and knowledge to do it themselves."

This man has a different tune for each audience.

Late last year he told parliament,"I need to remind this House that Maori have always questioned the handout mentality.

I recollect a song of protest by one of my Ngati Porou whanaunga, Tuini Ngawai, who in the 1950s, wrote a song of protest at the introduction of a universal benefit.

She said at the time, 'he patu tikanga, he patu mahara, he patu mauri'; that the benefit would undermine our customs of self-help, our concern for each other, and the very essence of our lifeforce. When I look around to some of our people, I can see the wisdom of the words of Tuini Ngawai. She warned against dependency, and she would turn in her grave if she knew that what she warned against, has now happened."

Sharples, sharpen up. One day you tell Maori they are "benefit-mad" and the next you demand more money for them. Decide what it is you really believe because at the moment you aren't helping anybody.

A woman was walking down the street to work and she saw a parrot on a perch in front of a pet store. The parrot said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." The woman was furious. She stormed past the store to her work. On the way home she saw the same parrot and it said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." She was incredibly angry.
When next day the same parrot again said, "Hey lady, you are really ugly," the woman was so ticked off that she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and kill the bird unless it stopped. The store manager apologized profusely and promised he would make sure the parrot didn't say it again.
When she walked past the store that day after work, the parrot called to her, "Hey lady."
She paused and said menacingly, "Yes?"
The bird said, "You know."

Put your money where your mouth is, Dr Cullen

Standing in for the PM this morning, Michael Cullen was asked by Paul Holmes what he thought about the Soulan Pownceby affair. Cullen said if people have done their time, as Pownceby has, they deserve a second chance. He also said that he deplores the "growing" attitude of New Zealanders that once you have committed an offence, you are marked for life and cannot be rehabilitated.

So what are you going to do about the public transport drivers who recently lost their livelihood over historic sexual or violent offences they'd already been punished for? A number of people who heard the interview were quick to put the question. One says he is going to e-mail Dr Cullen. I think I will join him.

Training teachers to spot child abuse

The merits of this sort of suggestion are questionable. It worries me that a paranoia about abuse might be encouraged and over-zealous or imaginative types may raise false alarms. (I won't mention the case which is still the subject of much controversy today.)

Abuse meeting wants teachers' help

"Police, teachers and academics are meeting in Wellington for an Australasian conference on preventing child abuse.

The conference is particularly aimed at showing teachers ways of recognising signs that children are being abused.

Australian-based child abuse expert Professor Freda Briggs says teachers are an untapped resource when it comes to dealing with abuse. Ms Briggs says children will often give off subtle indicators of abuse and teachers need to be trained to look out for them."

Bad news masquerading as good

Wellington's economy is outgrowing others. Rah, rah.

We all know why.

"Jobs growth came from the construction, government, property and business services and retail trades - together creating an additional 8885 jobs in the year to February 2005.

Growth in the government sector has helped fuel a commercial construction boom as developers have moved to build and refurbish offices to house more workers."

More bureaucrats, administrators, policy analysts, consultants. Just what we need.

Keith Locke does it again

Keith Locke makes a habit of defending almost indefensible people. While he is justified in upholding Soulan Pownceby's right to get on with his life, having served out his sentence for the manslaughter of his 5 month-old daughter, he needn't be glowing in his support for the man.

"Soulan was very brave in carrying through his Olympic campaign two years ago, in the face of considerable hostility in New Zealand....I wish Soulan well in his efforts to bring home a gold medal from Melbourne."

Personally I have my doubts about this character. I've read the reports from his trial. But he has been punished and the chances of him staying out of trouble (not posing a danger to anybody he shouldn't) will be better if he is rehabilitated.

Residents advised to be doubly- panicked

A row has blown up in Whitby, a middle-class suburb, just north of Wellington. Unbeknownst to neighbours, a group of mental health patients have been moved into a home in a "quiet" street. Apparently similar community homes have been established in the region over the past three years without problem. But certain residents in the street are very unhappy. Here is what the Mental Health Commissioner, Mary O'Hagan, had to say to them;

"If the residents of Whitby are so concerned about their safety, why aren't they in a panic about the drunk young men, violent husbands, drug dealers and burglars who undoubtedly live in their suburb? They are far more of a threat."

Welfare Australian-style

The Australian Centre for Independent Studies has expanded its operations to encompass New Zealand. Muriel Newman's website features an article from them about Australia's latest welfare reforms and what NZ can learn.

The reforms are tame.

But maybe if CIS continues to publicise their welfare reform efforts our national fervour for beating the Aussies may be usefully provoked. Here is an excerpt from the article:

The government’s preferred answer (to single parent dependency) was to require new Parenting Payment claimants to work part-time once their youngest child turned six years of age (as with the DSP changes, the new rules would not apply retrospectively to existing claimants). However, this proposal met with predictable uproar with single parent groups, welfare groups and opposition parties all howling about the unfairness of expecting single parents to work part-time while their children are in school.

Just how unfair is it to expect single parents to work when their children are at school?

NZ and Australia have the lowest employment rates for single mothers, respectively 32 and 30 percent. The employment rates for married mothers are 53 and 48. When did you last hear welfare groups and opposition parties "howling" about the unfairness of married mothers working?

By the way, because of the protests the age of the youngest dependent child was revised to eight. And still no mention of time-limits. If the mother doesn't want to work for a living and the youngest is approaching eight, she'll know what to do.

Why we have big government

"One reason why government grows is that its programs often impose small costs on a wide population while granting substantial benefits to relatively small interest groups. This gives the beneficiaries a powerful motive to support the program, and the cost-bearers little motive to oppose it...... (but imagine that) everyone's taxes will go up by a dime. Now multiply this process by the number of potential interest groups and the capacity of members of Congress to propose laws, and you'll start to understand why we have such a large government today."

Well put by R.W.Bradford who discusses how best to get rid of big government here. His closing comment is interesting.

"The libertarian movement is too decentralized, and libertarians themselves too ornery, for all of us to choose one path. But if we let a hundred flowers bloom, some of those blossoms may well to bring us closer to liberty."

Ornery!! libertarians??

Ashraf Choudhary

OK. I've amended the previous post because the blog linked to is a spoof. But it was provoked by Ashraf Choudhary's comments on 60 Minutes last year when he refused to denounce the practise of stoning homosexuals. My point is that while Ashraf talks about setting up an agency "capable of punishing the media for attacks on minorities" (see Rodney Hide) he was prepared to peddle his own anti-gay views on TV.

Win with Willie!

Yes. That's the slogan that won the Lib Dems Scottish seat, Dunfermline - their first triumph in a Scottish by-election for nearly a century. This is a huge embarrassment to Labour and Gordon Brown in particular, who has a home in the electorate. As far as I can ascertain the Liberal Democrats are further to the left of Labour. They opposed joining the war in Iraq.

New MP Willie Rennie said the result showed the Lib Dems could challenge Labour anywhere in Scotland. "People are fed up with Labour," he said. "They've taken our country for granted for too long - there is too much spin, not enough delivery."

Sounds familiar.

Tragic event

This is an awful story that will grow legs. Yesterday morning, a 40 year-old man, walking with his 16 year-old son, was killed in a hit-and-run incident. They were earlier passengers in a vehicle driven by a young woman whose car keys were confiscated at a drink-drive checkpoint. The man and his son then proceeded to walk 7km home on a state highway in torrential rain. Lots of unanswered questions here.

Update; Relatives say the pair were refused a lift home by police. And the police put their side of the story.

Unemployment rate

People are understandably skeptical about the reported unemployment rate. The rate is produced by the Household Labour Survey which interviews 15,000 households. Each quarter, an eighth of the total sample is replaced by new households. A couple of years ago our household was required to be part of the survey, so I have experienced the questioning firsthand.

The following is the official definition of an employed person;

Employed: All persons in the working-age population who during the reference week worked for one hour or more for pay or profit in the context of an employee/employer relationship or self-employment; or worked without pay for one hour or more in work which contributed directly to the operation of a farm, business or professional practice owned or operated by a relative; or had a job but were not at work due to: own illness or injury, personal or family responsibilities, bad weather or mechanical breakdown, direct involvement in an industrial dispute, or leave or holiday.

An unemployed person;
Unemployed: All persons in the working-age population who during the reference week were without a paid job, available for work and had either actively sought work in the past four weeks ending with the reference week, or had a new job to start within the next four weeks.

These two groups combined make up the Labour Force. The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed persons expressed as a percentage of the labour force.

Note then, people not actively seeking work are not counted as unemployed; people with family responsibilities doing unpaid housework and childcare, people attending educational institutions, retired, permanently unable to work due to physical or mental disabilities are not counted as unemployed.

So, we have this seeming conundrum between twelve percent of the working-age population being on a benefit when the unemployment rate is only 3.7 percent.

But it can be seen from the above that in countries with less generous benefit systems there will be fewer people in the group that is not counted eg without the DPB there would be fewer people not counted because they have family responsibilities.

So, although the HLFS is used in other countries we compare ourselves to, because social security systems vary so much, we are still comparing apples with oranges. Claiming to have the lowest unemployment rate in the OECD begs qualification.

Satellite spies

The British government has instructed council- tax inspectors to use satellite photography to find out if people have added extensions or developments to their properties, thereby adding value which should be taxed at a higher rate.

How low will they go......or high, as the case may be.

Water on the brain

Is there a better example of irrationality than the craze for bottled water?

The Earth Policy Institute of Washington says;

The global consumption of bottled water reached 154 billion liters (41 billion gallons) in 2004, up 57 percent from the 98 billion liters consumed five years earlier. Even in areas where tap water is safe to drink, demand for bottled water is increasing—producing unnecessary garbage and consuming vast quantities of energy. Although in the industrial world bottled water is often no healthier than tap water, it can cost up to 10,000 times more. At as much as $2.50 per liter ($10 per gallon), bottled water costs more than gasoline.

Can you teach an old horse new tricks?

No, like this.

Heading in the wrong direction

Roger Kerr, NZBR, assesses economic growth, freedom and outlook in this article;

"New Zealand greatly improved its rankings for economic freedom as a result of reforms that were implemented 10-15 years ago. Since then governments have lost their way. The 2006 rankings, just published by the Heritage Foundation in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal, saw New Zealand fall from 5th equal position in 2005 to 9th equal with Australia. Both government spending and taxation are continuing to surge. By 2010 government taxes and levies are projected to be $14,400 per capita, nearly 70 percent higher than the 2000 level of $8,500. A very large proportion – around 60% – of the ‘growth dividend’ is being appropriated by the government."

...and Super sanity

By contrast, here is what the Scotsman is saying about old-age pensions. Unfortunately the full article is premium content but you get the gist.

What is the truth about your pension?

THE vast majority of the population will find it virtually impossible to save enough money to maintain an average standard of living in retirement, The Scotsman can reveal.

Millions of people face old age on the breadline because plugging the pensions "black hole" is simply unaffordable - a fact that will have a hugely detrimental, direct...

Brash back to welfare

Good on Don Brash for putting the focus back on welfare.

National are pledging to "put some flesh" on the bones of welfare policy by 2008. Does that mean their 2005 policy was a bit thin? To be honest I wasn't paying that much attention. Once they dropped the idea of time-limits I lost interest.

Super silliness

A survey shows 88 percent of Kiwis believe the state should provide for their retirement. The capacity of the human mind to fly in the face of fact never ceases to surprise. But politics is about exploiting such shortcomings. Population projections show our 65+ group growing by 73 percent by 2051 - that's an extra 1,325,000. The workforce on the other hand will increase by a mere 7 percent. And 0-14 year-olds will decrease. Do the maths. State super is unsustainable, with or without the Cullen fund.

(And on the subject of shuffling off this mortal coil, did anyone see the final episode of Six Feet Under last night? What an eerie ending.)

Good News

From the good news files;

From the Adam Smith Institute's We Told You So department comes the news that serious violent crime has fallen by over a fifth since the UK's pub licensing laws were liberalised. Police in cities, seaside resorts and market towns alike are reporting dramatic falls in alcohol-fuelled assaults since the new laws came in.

Of course, the anti-liberalization lobby had claimed that such crime would rise. And that people would drink a lot more, thanks to the later opening hours. That has not happened either – brewers report only a tiny increase in sales.

In fact, a lot of the argument over the liberalization plan was simply uninformed. Scotland dropped its strict 10pm closing regime in the late 1970s, and in some places the pubs were permitted to stay open round the clock. Suddenly, Scotland's pubs changed from being grim male drinking dens into relaxed bar-restaurants where families are welcome. Alcohol-related crime fell – with staggered closing times, the police were no longer stretched too thinly to control the crowds streaming out of the pubs – and alcohol-related disease and accidents fell too.

The benefits were so clear that the Scottish political economist Douglas Mason advocated exactly the same liberalisation for England in his ASI report Time to Call Time. It prompted Mrs Thatcher's government into bringing in a degree of liberalization, and now Tony Blair has taken things a step further. It was always obvious to anyone who had studied Mason's report that more flexible pub opening hours would bring a general improvement. Why did it take the politicians so long?

Think-tank expands its operation to include NZ

The Australian think-tank, the Centre for Independent Studies has announced the establishment of a NZ arm. It will initially focus on tax and welfare reform.

Blinkered bureaucrats

Professor David Fergusson is in the news for reporting findings about the incidence of partner violence. Fergusson should be commended for his work, which has been extremely wide-ranging over the years. But what do we do with it?

Look at this report from a recent select committee hearing. Here is an excerpt;

"Recently we heard evidence from Professor David Fergusson, from the Christchurch School of Medicine, and Associate Professor Richie Poulton, from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, on our inquiry into factors contributing to poor outcomes for children........On the use of their studies by policy makers the two professors commented that there was a need for the rich data to be used effectively by policy makers. Too often they experience difficulty in getting policy makers to listen to their findings. It appeared to them that policy people in the ministries were politically astute gatekeepers, who accepted pieces of work from the studies if they fitted the current policy paradigm and discard the rest."

Sexual differences in moral judgments

Ronald Bailey describes how MRI testing reveals men enjoy retribution more than women.

This kind of information about how men and women tend to differ in their moral judgments (or feelings of righteousness) will certainly be of interest to, say, lawyers when they select jury members.

Welfare American-style (2)

Brief history. In 1996 President Clinton scrapped AFDC, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (think DPB) and replaced it with TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families). The big difference was a moral one. People were now expected to find work or get involved in some activity in return for the assistance they received.

The legislation was passed at a federal level. Federal funding going to states to provide welfare was then controlled or limited according to the application of these new rules. That's how the local bureaucrats were incentivised.

The results were that by the end of the nineties caseloads had dropped nationally by 60 percent. But because the targets has been reached the pressure went off and the TANF caseloads have become static once more.

Now Congress has re-authorised the reforms with its latest budget. States are required to move 45 percent of the new caseload levels into work within the next year. The second wave begins.

What have we done over the same period? Fiddled.

Miraculous

Diver, Robert Hewitt , has been found alive after spending 72 hours in the water. Fantastic. Here's hoping he makes a full recovery.

Welfare reform reduces teenage pregnancy

Unlike Tariana Turia, I do not think teenage pregnancy is a good thing.

This is a link to some research which is back in the US news today. Incidentally, Paul Offner passed away last year, although you wouldn't know it from the news release.

Employment slowing

Just released from Statistics NZ comes the December 2005 quarterly employment survey.

Of note is total paid hours worked has hardly changed in the past year. First time this has happened since 1998.

But the growth in hourly earnings has increased by 5.4 percent. (Not mentioned in the press release is growth in the public sector earnings was higher at 6.7 percent -what's that about inflation Mr Cullen?)

So employers are paying out more for the same amount of production.

And Sue Bradford wants, on top of the extra weeks holiday that kicks in this year, a further rise in the youth and minimum pay rates. (I notice Peter Dunne, the new champion of business is going to vote to send her bill to select committee.)

Add to this Treasury's prediction that thousands of jobs will be lost this year and the Green's campaign looks reckless.

UPDATE The Maori Party have also come out in support of raising the minimum wage. If anyone can understand what Pita Sharples is inferring with his reference to WFF in this release, let me know.

Heard on radio....

useful acronyms;

SINBAD
Single-income, no boyfriend and desperate.

SITCOM
Single-income, two children, oppressive mortgage.

And word meanings according to children:

Benign - that's what you are after you been eight.

Artificial Insemination - when the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow.

Smoking

New research from Finland examines the contribution of lone parenthood and economic difficulties to smoking. 15 percent of married mothers smoked compared to 26 percent of lone mothers.

Smoking really is a catch 22. It causes economic difficulties which then cause one to smoke more which worsens the economic difficulties....

(As an aside, the Janice "don't blame me" Pou case is good money after bad and according to a report I heard yesterday, it's being funded by legal aid.)

Young Nats Notice

The Young Nats have also noticed the new Working for Families ad and issued this press release.

"Most young people will recognise what this policy means for them: the burden of a high tax rate so others can benefit from Labour's election bribes."

They should be talking to the Old Nats whose policy is to retain the WFF programme.

Modern day welfare

My eleven year-old is bent over his guitar working on Joe Walsh's riff from "Life in the Fast Lane". He does this constantly but quietly while the TV is on. A Working for Families ad comes on. Family scene plays out. "If your family is struggling there might be extra money available." Son looks up, and says, in passing, "Don't look like their struggling. She's got an ipod."

He's got a point.

At its birth, government controlled income redistribution was about getting money to the aged with no family to rely; to the most destitute with no prospects of working; and to soldiers maimed by war.

Haven't we come a long way.

Council demands ice lolly

A Palmerston North video store owner who has been selling wrapped icecream for more than 12 years is angry that he has to pay about $200 for a health licence.

"It would be different if it was new legislation," said Graeme Foster of Video Ezy. "It's just a revenue-gathering exercise."

It appears that the licence fee covers the cost of sending around an inspector who checks the temperature of the fridge. Seems to me that if you have a fridge mantaining hundreds of dollars worth of icecream you are going to make sure it is kept in saleable nick.

Charity Hospitals

Remind me what the public health system is for - "free" healthcare for all? Rationing is today's reality and charity hospitals are no longer a thing of the past.

Canterbury Charity Hospital came to my attention when down south during the break. They have just launched a fundraising campaign to raise a dollar for every man, woman and child in Canterbury. They rely on volunteer staff. This year they aim to provide 700 operations to those who can't afford to go private and can't get into the public system.

RMA rort

Received in my letterbox yesterday was a scare-mongering letter. It asked me to picture my local environment, "in 10 years with high density housing, much less bush and fewer native birds."

A couple of Bays away a developer wants to divide a section into two lots which are apparently under the square meterage allowed in the council district plan - by about an eighth.

The owners of a neighbouring property have decided to try and enlist the support of hundreds of homes in the local vicinity by partially completing a standard submission on the application for resource consent, placing it in residential letterboxes and asking the resident to complete the form and send it to the council (or return it to them for forwarding). They have of course filled in the part requesting the council decline the consent.

This sort of thing irks me no end. The complainants are alerting all similar types (environmental zealots with no regard for property rights) for miles around. Using bold headings like, "It's your lifestyle at stake," they will elicit many submissions from people who would otherwise take no interest in this development.

This is a typical example of how the RMA is abused.

Neither Left nor Right

This is from the Adam Smith Institute; a further description of American's right-left dilemma.

"Along with Gallup, exit polls suggest that .... there are large numbers of unrepresented Americans who just hate government pushing them around. About 17m of those who voted for John Kerry did not think the government should do more to solve the country's problems. And 28m Bush voters support either gay marriage or civil unions. That's 45m people with broadly libertarian views. But, says Boaz, you'd never know it from watching TV, or listening to elected politicians."

There are New Zealanders who voted Labour but didn't want more economic intervention and redistribution by the government and people who voted National but are supportive of Maori property rights and civil unions. ACT should be their alternative. But being small rules us out in many minds. So they vote for the lesser of two evils.

ACT has to effectively show people that when they vote Labour they get what they don't want and ditto with National. Voters are more motivated by what they don't want than what they do. (The strong upsurge in National's polling was a vote against Helen Clark and Labour.)

It's a big ask but it can't be avoided. That's why it is vital ACT declares itself economically and socially liberal and then conducts itself accordingly. Some people will leave but others will join. The gamble is that the second group will be much bigger. The time is ripe for taking that risk.

Beware the benevolent state

Thanks to Will Wilkinson of the Cato Institute for this review of Happiness Is ... Higher Taxes; Is one man’s productivity another man’s pollution?

It's not a book I wanted to read and now I don't need to.

Richard Layard, a member of the House of Lords, is the author. Here are some excerpts from the review;

The political moral of Layard’s story is that we are duty-bound to contrive a more Swedish America (and Britain), a point the prescient Labour Party economist was pressing years before he chanced upon the exciting “new science” of happiness....

Layard is no isolated crackpot. Like public health activists of the mind, a new wave of paternalists, including a spate of prominent psychologists and economists, draw on the latest research on happiness to argue that the state must “encourage” us to buy smaller houses, travel by train, and get out of the office—for our own good........

Because your gain in position and happiness must be someone else’s loss, Layard lumps upward income mobility together with classic “negative externalities” such as toxic sludge dumped in a stream or the roar of jets taking off from a nearby airport. Economic success is, by Layard’s reckoning, “pollution.” The solution to pollution? In a nutshell: Tax everybody until they spend less time at work and more time on vacation.......

Far more troubling than Layard’s specific bad arguments for astronomical tax rates is the very idea of his book: that the job of the state is to discover what will make us happy and then make sure we do it.

We have any number of "crackpots" in this country who would heartily endorse this prescription for society.

Brash expresses himself

A Herald report says;

This year he will push even harder his well-worn line that New Zealand has to become more prosperous than Australia if it is to survive.

"I had swallowed the Government line that we had been doing relatively well relative to Australia, but that of course is crap."

Now that last word is an unusual choice for Don. Somebody complained when I used it
(as a respresentative of ACT) on a Tax Freedom Day protest banner.

Unfortunately there is no other polite word that conveys the same feeling. It won't hurt Don Brash to throw off some stuffiness.

Census

In a previous post I linked to a tribute to John Cowperthwaite. The following excerpt also got me thinking (no conclusions mind you.)

(Marian Tupy) asked him to name the one reform that he was most proud of. "I abolished the collection of statistics," he replied. Sir John believed that statistics are dangerous, because they enable social engineers of all stripes to justify state intervention in the economy.

Here we are on the eve of another official five-yearly Census, which produces arguably our largest and most reliable collection of statistical information. This is a very tricky area for anybody who relies heavily on statistics to produce social research. Rather than justify more state intervention my research is intended to build a case against it.

But arguing that this end justifies the means, ie forcing people to provide information about themselves and their families, their income, religious beliefs etc under threat of prosecution, doesn't sit easy.

Statistics NZ spends a great deal of our money on TV and radio trying to "educate" us about why the information is needed. If it's any consolation, some people will be using the collated information to remonstrate about the level of government intervention we have to tolerate.

Forgotten truisms

"A man’s liberties are none the less aggressed upon because those who coerce him do so in the belief that he will be benefited." Herbert Spencer - (1820-1903) British author, economist, philosopher



"The greatest tyrannies are always perpetrated in the name of the noblest causes." Thomas Paine, (1737-1809)

Thank goodness for that

Rod Oram, writing in today's Sunday Star Times says, "Brash's prescription of less tax, spending and regulation shows no advance in his economic thinking for 25 years." Thank goodness for that.

As Roger Kerr has said, economics is not a matter of passing fashions.

Ethical dilemma

Here's a tricky one.

"Three women in Massachusetts have sued Wal-Mart over its refusal to stock emergency contraception in its pharmacies, calling it a violation of state law that requires pharmacies carry all "commonly prescribed medications." The women, Katrina McCarty, Julia Battel, and Dr. Rebekah Gee, attempted to purchase emergency contraception (EC) at suburban Wal-Marts, and were told that the store did not sell it and it could not be ordered. The women hope to force an injunction that requires pharmacies to carry EC, similar to the one currently enforced in Illinois.

Massachusetts is one of nine states where emergency contraception can be sold over the counter without a prescription, but pharmacies are not required to stock it."

Emergency contraception is the morning-after pill (which can now be purchased from New Zealand pharmacies without prescription but only one dose at a time). Assuming this is the case in the Massachusetts, it can't be stockpiled. One would think as long as there is profit to be made from selling these products pharmacies would want to sell them but some have an aversion to it, sometimes on religious grounds. Preventing conception is one thing; administering an "abortion" is another.

Walmart has been inclined to "crowd out" independent drugstores in small towns. Which means a woman trying to prevent an unwanted pregnancy by taking the morning-after pill, is prevented from doing so.

Of course there are other ways to insure against unwanted pregnancies. But what about a rape? And what about somebody who, in the sober light of day, thinks they may have done something silly? Can and should the state force pharmacies to provide this product?

Tribute to Sir John Cowperthwaite

Sir John Cowperthwaite, Hong Kong's Financial Secretary from 1961 to 1971 passed away on Jan 21, 2006 aged 90. His name came to my attention when reading James Bartholomew's, The Welfare State We're In. Here is an excerpt from a tribute by Marian L Tupy;

At some point during our first conversation I managed to irk him by suggesting that he was chiefly known "for doing nothing." In fact, he pointed out, keeping the British political busy-bodies from interfering in Hong Kong's economic affairs took up a large portion of his time. Throughout Sir John's tenure in office, the British political elite tried to impose its own ailing socialist economic model on Britain's colonies, including Hong Kong. Sir John managed to quash all such attempts and Hong Kong benefited as a result.

In 1960 Britain's productivity per capita was fives times Hong kong's. Hong Kong has always maintained the low taxes Cowperthwaite championed. Here is the effect;









Now Hong Kong has climbed to eighth and UK is 20th.
John Cowperthwaite's legacy.

In Bartholomew's words; "Cowperthwaite's most important reason for playing Scrooge was to keep taxes down. He thought high taxes slowed economic growth. Low taxes would eventually produce more revenue than higher ones, he argued, because of the growth they would encourage. Fast growth would also benefit the poor by boosting demand for labour and pushing up wages. Fast growth produced a 'rapid and substantial redistribution of income'. Successful capitalism benefited the poor."

He was right.

Collective wisdom moves slowly but surely

The headline reads Kiwis blame poor for being lazy.

A survey has found New Zealanders are more ready than 32 other countries to blame the poor for being lazy.

The survey gave people only two options for the question, "Why are there people in this country who live in need?"

In the last survey in 1998, exactly half picked the option, "They are poor because of laziness and lack of willpower." The other 50 per cent said, "They are poor because society treats them unfairly."

In the latest survey in 2004, the number picking "laziness and lack of willpower" soared to 73 per cent. Those ticking "because society treats them unfairly" plunged to just 27pc.

National MP, Judith Collins, welcomed the news with "great joy". Not words I would have used. It is sad but inevitable that people are beginning to see with their own eyes what the welfare state is delivering. The problem is, the realisation creates resentment. With this resentment comes greater difficulty in in getting people to help others at a voluntary level. Some people will always need help. We don't just cut it off. We have to find a less destructive way of providing it.

Priorities wrong

My only feelings about the Lee Tamahori business are repulsion for the LA police, practicing entrapment of pathetic people trying to sell blowjobs. With 518 murders in 2004 you'd think they'd have better things to do.

Welfare American- style

On Wednesday Feb 1, 2006, the House of Representatives narrowly passed (216 to 214 votes) controversial spending cuts which will further restrict entitlement programmes.

These are the welfare measures;

WELFARE AND CHILD SUPPORT: Saves $1.6 billion in welfare, child-support enforcement and other human services.
• Significantly reshapes 1996 welfare reform by requiring states to get half their welfare recipients working within one year or face penalties.
• Cuts programs that attempt to collect child support from noncustodial or “deadbeat” parents.
• Allows people getting off welfare to keep Medicaid assistance for one year.

Announcing the eighth sin

Senior churchman says it time to declare homosexuality a sin.

So apparently are anger, lust and envy yet I can't actually see how these things are trangressions against morality. And I certainly can't see what is wrong with two people caring for each other; two people doing things they want to, together.

"The Anglican Archbishop of Sydney says it is time to declare homosexuality a sin. Dr Peter Jensen says the church is on a "slippery slope" if it changes the Bible's view on human sexuality".

The "church" has been on a slippery slope for a long time - to oblivion. Is it any wonder.

David Carter predictions

The midday NewstalkZB bulletin featured an excerpt from an interview with Mike Yardley this morning. National MP David Carter, attempting to deflect questions about National leadership, said he would guarantee that NZ First would not go to the 2008 elections under Winston Peters and Labour would not go to the 2008 elections under Helen Clark.

Then again, there is no guarantee there will be a general election in 2008!

Need a job?

Spotted this yesterday smack bang in the middle of News page A7 in the DomPost.

First, I'm surprised they would need to advertise the position. Linda Clarke publicity did that. Then again, given what she said about the place, maybe that's exactly why they do need to advertise.

Otherwise, if it was just a regulatory requirement, why place it in such an expensive position? And if they placed it in the DomPost, it probably went into the Press, ODT and Herald.

I don't listen to government radio but I'm reliably told that Sean Plunkett would be a perfectly good replacement.

A suitable replacement?

Paul Ellis is quitting NZ Idol. I confess. I watch it. Me and the kids lap it up and Paul Ellis provides much of the glee with his cutting comments to people with less talent than a corpse. So who could replace the "grumpy" one? They don't need to know anything about the industry. None of the voters do. Gareth Morgan? Doesn't mince words but isn't very photogenic. Allan Duff? A straight shooter but would unbalance the PC proportionality of the panel. Pam Corkery? She seems to be at a loose end these days. Just who would be "grumpy" enough to make you still want to switch on?

Children stay at primary school

Giving credit where credit's due, the Ministry of Education deserve a mention for reversing a decision which would have forced Year 8 children to go on to a secondary school with a very poor academic record. The solution is temporary but at least the parents (and their children) have been heeded. The long term solution is to do away with the state monopolising education.

Update. You know you are on the right track when trade unionist and PPTA President, Debbie Te Whaiti, comes out condemning the Ministry's decision, saying it is a "myth" secondary schools fail

Gearing up for the Sevens

Wellington City Council is absolutely, positively, pissed-off. It has told Phil Gorman to stop selling tee-shirts which say Absolutely, Positively, Pissed. The tee-shirts are "derogatory" and a misuse of the WCC logo.



But Mayor Prendergast says if the council had been approached about the shirts, they might have been able to reach a compromise.

What would that be? A cut (but they think the tee-shirts are injurious). A change in wording? Perhaps Absolutely, Positively, Pickled? It's a bit late now anyway. The council should just get over it.

Co-habiting does not equate to marriage

Research reveals interesting comparative spending habits of co-habiting parents vs married parents.

Cohabiting parents typically part with so much of their money at tobacco and liquor stores that they have little left to spend on their children, say researchers at the University of Chicago.

Phone a friend??

LONDON -- Pupils in an East London school have been banned from raising their hands to answer questions in class because their teachers fear it leads to feelings of victimization. "Phone a friend?" - read on

A big loss

Rodney Hide has just posted on this article from the Christchurch Press.
Out-going ACT President, Catherine Judd, sees the future party as radical and liberal. ACT will remain the small party with the big ideas. I thoroughly endorse this view. Thanks Catherine. You've stuck to what you believe. I hope your successor will have the same sort of tenacity.

Not the cat's whiskers really

The Scottish Parliament is busy passing legislation enshrining the rights of cats and dogs. They plan to spend a quarter million pounds promoting a code of conduct towards animals. Today's Scotsman reports today;

A draft of the Department of the Environment's "cat code" includes advice to keep them indoors at night and to guarantee that they have "mental stimulation".

Bedtime stories perhaps. How about a little Beatrix Potter? The Tale of Tom Kitten?

Where are the Libertarians?

Here David Boaz asks, Where are the Libertarians in the media and politics? His question is prompted by a gallup poll showing a sizeable chunk of Americans are neither conservative nor (left) liberal. And according to 2004 exit polls, 45 million Americans don't want the government used to promote "traditional values" or do things best "left to individuals and business".
There is no reserach I am aware that has bothered to ask such questions here.

Nasty stuff

Judith Tizard, on Don Brash's speech, speaking to Paul Holmes on NewstalkZB, "The idea of a man who is married to a migrant attacking migrants really does worry me."

What did Don Brash say?

"Looking ahead, we will be devoting particular attention to three more issues.

The first of these is immigration, not least because it is intimately connected to economic policy. Indeed, immigration has been thought of by many people as being relevant only to the economy. How do we fill gaps in the workforce? What level of gross immigration is needed to offset the steady outflow of New Zealanders? How do we ensure there are enough people of working age to ensure that older New Zealanders are cared for in their old age?

But just as importantly, how do we do this while retaining the common values that bind us together as a nation? New Zealand is a liberal, tolerant and secular society, a society that embraces the Western Enlightenment ideals of personal liberty, private property and rationality as the basis of decision-making. These are values so central to our society that we hardly even think about them. Immigration can add greatly to our society, but it also has the potential to undermine the glue that holds our society together.

Our current immigration policies have evolved without serious public discussion or debate, and we will be giving careful consideration to this issue through the coming year."

But so starts the ugly spin and all the people who won't bother to read the speech will believe what they hear from Labour mouth-pieces like Judith Tizard.

Update. Let's not forget the conspiratorial Greens. According to the NZ Herald, Green MP Keith Locke described the immigration comments as a "coded attack on non-white migrants" and with Mr Peters muzzled, Dr Brash was trying to fill his shoes.

State of the Welfare Nation (3)

A commentor on State of the Welfare Nation (2) suggests that the continuing growth in welfare spending since Labour took office in 1999 is due to increased Super spending.

Super spending increased by $938 million or 18 percent.

Invalid/sickness benefit spending rose by $918 million or 83 percent.

Although the sharp growth in the second group is, in part, a reflection of our ageing population, the most common reason for being on one of these benefits is a psychological or psychiatric condition. Since 1999 the number of people on a benefit due to substance abuse problems has doubled and due to stress, tripled. Numbers with an intellectual handicap have risen by 6 percent. The trends here are as important, if not more, than the raw numbers.

There is some good news. The rate of increase in incapacity benefits has slowed slightly over the past year.