The Child Poverty Action Group has won the right to challenge the government through the Human Rights Tribunal. They want beneficiaries with children to be eligible for the $60 per week In-Work payment. Here is Tariana Turia egging them on. Around 70,000 of these children will be Maori.
I'll briefly reiterate my argument. If the CPAG win, essentially we will see an increase in benefit levels. An increase in benefit levels leads to an increase in the number of people going on or staying on benefits. CPAG want a short term gain and refuse to see the long term cost which cannot be in the best interests of children.
There is no guarantee the money reaches the children anyway.
And, most obviously, the incentive effect of the In-Work payment will be nullified if it is extended to non-working families.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Rugby stadium be damned
According to the NZ Herald, The Government says the stadium will cost about $500 million, although that is considered conservative.
Based on this government's record with large construction projects, prisons for example, the cost could easily escalate to $8-900 million.
That's half of what we spend on Law and Order. Three quarters of what we spend on Defence.
What a stark reminder of how wrong this government's priorities are.
Based on this government's record with large construction projects, prisons for example, the cost could easily escalate to $8-900 million.
That's half of what we spend on Law and Order. Three quarters of what we spend on Defence.
What a stark reminder of how wrong this government's priorities are.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Scientists call 'climate frenzy' a diversion
Since the release of the Stern Report this is the first account I have seen (though I haven't exactly been looking very hard) in the NZ media describing a different viewpoint. Glad to see Tim Barnett has taken an interest. He is one Labour MP I have time for based on personal experience.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Thanks, United Future
As you know I like to keep track of what the Families Commission is spending the taxpayer's $7 million a year on.
"Researchers, funded by the Families Commission Blue Skies Fund, interviewed 40 Chinese, Korean, South African, UK, USA, Indian, Palestinian and Iraqi women about their experience of pregnancy and birth in New Zealand.
Migrant women who become new mothers in New Zealand say their cultural needs are often not met or understood by health professionals."
Looks like 'cultural insensitivity' is contagious. Perhaps it's caught in maternity wards.
"Researchers, funded by the Families Commission Blue Skies Fund, interviewed 40 Chinese, Korean, South African, UK, USA, Indian, Palestinian and Iraqi women about their experience of pregnancy and birth in New Zealand.
Migrant women who become new mothers in New Zealand say their cultural needs are often not met or understood by health professionals."
Looks like 'cultural insensitivity' is contagious. Perhaps it's caught in maternity wards.
Yeah right 4
In 2004 then Minister for Social Development Steve Maharey released the following;
New rules instituted within the Department of Work and Income (DWI) ensure that the benefit fraud is being properly detected and recovered, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today.
Mr Maharey dismissed claims by Act MP Muriel Newman that the Government had gone soft on benefit fraud. In fact the opposite is the case, Mr Maharey said.
New rules instituted within the Department of Work and Income (DWI) ensure that the benefit fraud is being properly detected and recovered, Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today.
Mr Maharey dismissed claims by Act MP Muriel Newman that the Government had gone soft on benefit fraud. In fact the opposite is the case, Mr Maharey said.
It's a dog's life
Monday morning. Everybody off to work or school as the fifth household member prepares for another busy day.
100 million websites and growing - fast
Here's an interesting blog entry from the Adam Smith website detailing stats on the internet;
The big growth has been fueled by blogs and small business sites. The numbers going on line to set out their stall have increased more greatly and more rapidly than many people supposed. The world is becoming connected by invisible links, and those not able to grasp the simple technology of it will soon be like outsiders at the gates, watching the village feast take place within.
The big growth has been fueled by blogs and small business sites. The numbers going on line to set out their stall have increased more greatly and more rapidly than many people supposed. The world is becoming connected by invisible links, and those not able to grasp the simple technology of it will soon be like outsiders at the gates, watching the village feast take place within.
Getting the 'snip' on the social
Shock, horror. WINZ (naughty reporter) pays for vasectomies!
Great. Let's hope this publicity encourages a few more people down to their local office to apply for one.
Great. Let's hope this publicity encourages a few more people down to their local office to apply for one.
Sharing the blame
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Shonky Aussie advice
My BS detector has just gone off. I was reading Muriel Newman's weekly column in which she quotes Helen Hughes from the Australian Centre for Independent Studies;
Professor Helen Hughes, a senior fellow at the Australian based Centre for Independent Studies has looked at the question, “Should Australia and New Zealand open their doors to guest workers from the Pacific” and co-authored a report which is featured as our NZCPD guest commentary this week (click the sidebar link to view). Helen’s conclusion is that such a scheme is not only ill advised for Australia and New Zealand, but for the Pacific Islands as well. With 1.5 million people unemployed and underemployed in the region, a migrant worker scheme for 10,000 to 38,000 would be a ‘cruel deception’, which would shield Pacific governments from need to pursue economic reforms.
In her report she provides an interesting comparison between Australia and New Zealand’s approach to Pacific immigration, noting that while 24 percent of Australian residents were born overseas, only 2.4 percent were born in the Pacific, whereas of the 19 percent of New Zealand residents who were born overseas, 34 percent were born in the Pacific. She states that too great a reliance on immigration from the Pacific has given rise to serious social problems:
“Many Pacific islanders in New Zealand are less well integrated into the economy and society than Pacific islanders in Australia . In New Zealand, they remain geographically segregated into the second and third generations. Most live in highly concentrated communities in Auckland. Welfare dependence contributes to young Pacific Islander gangs, notably in Auckland. Compared with 16% of the total population, 26% of Pacific islanders receive some form of government benefit in New Zealand. The experience of Pacific migrants in New Zealand diverges from that in Australia because Australia has preserved selectivity of its migrant intake”.
The 2006 Census data is not yet available but official estimates for the Pacific people population for NZ in 2006 range from 7.1 to 7.4 percent. Across all main benefits Pacific Islanders make-up 7.5 percent of working-age beneficiaries, being under-represented in SB and IB and over-represented in DPB and dole.(By way of contrast Maori make-up 31.5 percent of working age beneficiaries.)
So in order to claim Pacific people are receiving significantly more government benefits than the general population she must have included children (Pacific families being larger). The creates an unfair impression.
Pacific people make a valuable contribution to the economy and it irks that an Aussie think-tank is trying to discourage New Zealand from allowing willing and able workers to come here.
Professor Helen Hughes, a senior fellow at the Australian based Centre for Independent Studies has looked at the question, “Should Australia and New Zealand open their doors to guest workers from the Pacific” and co-authored a report which is featured as our NZCPD guest commentary this week (click the sidebar link to view). Helen’s conclusion is that such a scheme is not only ill advised for Australia and New Zealand, but for the Pacific Islands as well. With 1.5 million people unemployed and underemployed in the region, a migrant worker scheme for 10,000 to 38,000 would be a ‘cruel deception’, which would shield Pacific governments from need to pursue economic reforms.
In her report she provides an interesting comparison between Australia and New Zealand’s approach to Pacific immigration, noting that while 24 percent of Australian residents were born overseas, only 2.4 percent were born in the Pacific, whereas of the 19 percent of New Zealand residents who were born overseas, 34 percent were born in the Pacific. She states that too great a reliance on immigration from the Pacific has given rise to serious social problems:
“Many Pacific islanders in New Zealand are less well integrated into the economy and society than Pacific islanders in Australia . In New Zealand, they remain geographically segregated into the second and third generations. Most live in highly concentrated communities in Auckland. Welfare dependence contributes to young Pacific Islander gangs, notably in Auckland. Compared with 16% of the total population, 26% of Pacific islanders receive some form of government benefit in New Zealand. The experience of Pacific migrants in New Zealand diverges from that in Australia because Australia has preserved selectivity of its migrant intake”.
The 2006 Census data is not yet available but official estimates for the Pacific people population for NZ in 2006 range from 7.1 to 7.4 percent. Across all main benefits Pacific Islanders make-up 7.5 percent of working-age beneficiaries, being under-represented in SB and IB and over-represented in DPB and dole.(By way of contrast Maori make-up 31.5 percent of working age beneficiaries.)
So in order to claim Pacific people are receiving significantly more government benefits than the general population she must have included children (Pacific families being larger). The creates an unfair impression.
Pacific people make a valuable contribution to the economy and it irks that an Aussie think-tank is trying to discourage New Zealand from allowing willing and able workers to come here.
Long term benefit dependence - the real picture
Yesterday David Farrar linked to a story about a man who has spent 21 years on the dole. Redrag comments that the number of people long term dependent on benefits is not very high. He says, Wow, is that all?
At the moment at least 124,000 working age people have been on a benefit continuously for four or more years. Almost 60,000 have been relying continuously on a benefit for more than ten years.
Note the word continuously. Many people cycle on and off benefits which breaks the continuity. When I took this into account in 2002 I found that the average stay on the DPB was not the publicised 3.7 years but at least 6.5 years. This is because almost half of the recipients had more than one stay on the benefit. There is a significant difference between continuous time spent on benefit and cumulative time.
Also remember that thousands of people who were on a benefit long-term are now on Super. It would be an interesting exercise to add those numbers into the mix.
At the moment at least 124,000 working age people have been on a benefit continuously for four or more years. Almost 60,000 have been relying continuously on a benefit for more than ten years.
Note the word continuously. Many people cycle on and off benefits which breaks the continuity. When I took this into account in 2002 I found that the average stay on the DPB was not the publicised 3.7 years but at least 6.5 years. This is because almost half of the recipients had more than one stay on the benefit. There is a significant difference between continuous time spent on benefit and cumulative time.
Also remember that thousands of people who were on a benefit long-term are now on Super. It would be an interesting exercise to add those numbers into the mix.
Another WINZ whoopsie
An Auckland electrician has perpetrated a massive fraud on WINZ.
According to sums done by Work & Income, which answers to the MSD, there were at least 120 linked false identities that were receiving cash. In total, those identities were receiving $54,000 a fortnight.
Looking on the bright side, I thought, now he is locked up at least the benefit numbers will come down. But alas, we will even be denied that silver lining. His inventions were collecting Super.
(If you are going to comment please feel free to use the contracted form of Work and Income - WINZ - because it saves time. Officially, and I have been given this instruction, they are to be referred to as Work and Income. Note the journalist obliged.)
According to sums done by Work & Income, which answers to the MSD, there were at least 120 linked false identities that were receiving cash. In total, those identities were receiving $54,000 a fortnight.
Looking on the bright side, I thought, now he is locked up at least the benefit numbers will come down. But alas, we will even be denied that silver lining. His inventions were collecting Super.
(If you are going to comment please feel free to use the contracted form of Work and Income - WINZ - because it saves time. Officially, and I have been given this instruction, they are to be referred to as Work and Income. Note the journalist obliged.)
Saturday, November 04, 2006
The right to say 'no'
The Feminist Majority reports, 11/1/2006 - A three-judge panel of the Maryland Special Court of Appeals reinforced the provision of Maryland's rape law that says a woman who gives consent prior to intercourse cannot withdraw her legal consent during the act. The decision came on Monday when the Court overturned a rape conviction. During deliberation in the original trial, the jury had asked, "If a female consents to sex initially and, during the course of the sex act to which she consented, for whatever reason, she changes her mind and the... man continues until climax, does the result constitute rape?" The trial judge said that Maryland’s law was unclear and would not provide a definite answer. The Special Court of Appeals, however, disagreed with the trial judge's interpretation of the law. Current Maryland rape law is "not ambiguous," said the ruling; if a woman consents prior to sex, she may not withdraw her consent during the act and accuse her partner of rape if he continues the act.
Women's rights groups are outraged by the ruling. "You should have the right to say no at anytime and that should mean no and if sexual acts continue after you've withdrawn your consent, they should be considered a crime," said Jennifer Pollitt Hill, a member of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, to WJZ, a local television station. According to WJZ, several decision-makers have already said they wish to address the issue in the upcoming legislative session, though legislation that would have given women the right to withdraw consent at anytime has failed in both 2004 and 2005.
Maryland is one of two states that have ruled that women do not have the right to withdraw consent. Seven other states have ruled that women may withdraw consent at anytime.
Reading this immediately brought to mind a scene from Alan Duff's book, "In Jake's Long Shadow" where a particularly vulnerable young Maori woman spends the evening with a young Pacific Islander who she brings home. She wants to have sex with him but he isn't interested and goes to sleep on the couch. Later in the night he violently, brutally rapes her, the only way, it seems, he can get his kicks. He punishes her for having made a play for him. Girls shouldn't initiate sex. Sure, this is fiction but one can imagine the scenario being real. The guy has committed a horrible crime even if she gave him consent initially.
Does anybody know where New Zealand courts stand on this issue?
Women's rights groups are outraged by the ruling. "You should have the right to say no at anytime and that should mean no and if sexual acts continue after you've withdrawn your consent, they should be considered a crime," said Jennifer Pollitt Hill, a member of the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, to WJZ, a local television station. According to WJZ, several decision-makers have already said they wish to address the issue in the upcoming legislative session, though legislation that would have given women the right to withdraw consent at anytime has failed in both 2004 and 2005.
Maryland is one of two states that have ruled that women do not have the right to withdraw consent. Seven other states have ruled that women may withdraw consent at anytime.
Reading this immediately brought to mind a scene from Alan Duff's book, "In Jake's Long Shadow" where a particularly vulnerable young Maori woman spends the evening with a young Pacific Islander who she brings home. She wants to have sex with him but he isn't interested and goes to sleep on the couch. Later in the night he violently, brutally rapes her, the only way, it seems, he can get his kicks. He punishes her for having made a play for him. Girls shouldn't initiate sex. Sure, this is fiction but one can imagine the scenario being real. The guy has committed a horrible crime even if she gave him consent initially.
Does anybody know where New Zealand courts stand on this issue?
Nice surprises
In a roundabout way blogging can be quite fruitful. Sometimes I turn a post into a letter-to-the-editor and sometimes there are prizes for the best letter. The week before last I won some Paco Rabanne (?) (don't know how to spell it because it hasn't turned up yet) from the Listener and I just arrived home from cricket to find a very nice Cross pen in the letterbox. It's from the Herald on Sunday for last week's best letter based on this post.
I notice that there is a further comment from "anonymous" which I had missed;
Anonymous said...
Lindsay, you are counting the number of maintenance orders made in a single year, and comparing them to a number that is an accumulation of orders made in each of many years. That greatly exaggerates the change over time.
Also, part of the reason for the large number of defaulters today is that the current child support regime is less coercive than the old court-ordered maintenance system, under which a maintenance defaulter's wages could be docked by court order, or he could be imprisoned for not paying. You are so determined to blame everything on the DPB that you are missing the full picture.
Well, not everything. I don't blame global warming on the DPB. Anon's complaint is, I compared the number of maintenance orders made in 1971 (1,233) to the number of liable parents paying child support today (at least 140,000).
I cannot establish how many maintenance orders had accumulated in 1971 so let's go at it a different way. Each year around 15-16,000 NEW applications are lodged for the DPB. Most of these would require the applicant to apply for child support. Given there were more births and marriages in 1971 than today, the contrast in the number of fathers (and sometimes mothers) not living with and directly supporting their children is striking.
I notice that there is a further comment from "anonymous" which I had missed;
Anonymous said...
Lindsay, you are counting the number of maintenance orders made in a single year, and comparing them to a number that is an accumulation of orders made in each of many years. That greatly exaggerates the change over time.
Also, part of the reason for the large number of defaulters today is that the current child support regime is less coercive than the old court-ordered maintenance system, under which a maintenance defaulter's wages could be docked by court order, or he could be imprisoned for not paying. You are so determined to blame everything on the DPB that you are missing the full picture.
Well, not everything. I don't blame global warming on the DPB. Anon's complaint is, I compared the number of maintenance orders made in 1971 (1,233) to the number of liable parents paying child support today (at least 140,000).
I cannot establish how many maintenance orders had accumulated in 1971 so let's go at it a different way. Each year around 15-16,000 NEW applications are lodged for the DPB. Most of these would require the applicant to apply for child support. Given there were more births and marriages in 1971 than today, the contrast in the number of fathers (and sometimes mothers) not living with and directly supporting their children is striking.
Not so private
A study has ranked NZ in the bottom three for work-place privacy. But the veracity of the report is under fire.
Dr Roth last night stood by his report, but acknowledged unease at Privacy International's use of US law students to supplement its information by simply searching for news items through the internet.
Perhaps they read about Don Brash's pinched e-mails and moved on to the next country.
Dr Roth last night stood by his report, but acknowledged unease at Privacy International's use of US law students to supplement its information by simply searching for news items through the internet.
Perhaps they read about Don Brash's pinched e-mails and moved on to the next country.
Another question
What does this group of people have in common?
Annette King
Clayton Cosgrove
Dover Samuels
Winnie Laban
Dianne Yates
Winston Peters
Peter Brown
Brian Donnelly
Ron Mark
Doug Woolerton
Barbara Stewart
Pita Paraone
Gordon Copeland
Jim Anderton
Tony Ryall
John Carter
Craig Foss
John Hayes
Martin Gallagher
Ashraf Choudhary
Annette King
Clayton Cosgrove
Dover Samuels
Winnie Laban
Dianne Yates
Winston Peters
Peter Brown
Brian Donnelly
Ron Mark
Doug Woolerton
Barbara Stewart
Pita Paraone
Gordon Copeland
Jim Anderton
Tony Ryall
John Carter
Craig Foss
John Hayes
Martin Gallagher
Ashraf Choudhary
Friday, November 03, 2006
Yeah right 3
Child abuse...the crime that disgusts. The government in tackling the problem has set up a system to deal with child abusers and has established an advisory committee to provide answers. The advisory committee holds its first meeting in about two months time. There is no deadline for its report but Dr Geddis said the committee will be working as fast as possible to come up with answers.
And they still haven't found what they're looking for. What year was that?
And they still haven't found what they're looking for. What year was that?
Yeah right 2
Mr Rowling repeated Labour's promises that young New Zealanders would be guaranteed either worthwhile employment or supplementary training in work skills for the first five years of their working lives. The dole system would be scrapped. No one would be paid to do nothing or learn nothing.
What year was that?
What year was that?
Yeah right
STATE DOCTORS TO VET BENEFICIARIES
Peter Gresham has announced that from September, beneficiaries will be given regular medical check-ups (paid for by the State), in an effort to reduce the numbers on the long-term benefits and encourage them back to work. Social Welfare says that applicants for the sickness benefit would have their initial test done by their GP. A second check would be required four weeks after the benefit was granted, then after three months the beneficiary would be required to be examined by an accredited doctor. The checks would be carried out yearly from then on. On Budget night, the Government estimated that tougher screening would save 5% of the current cost, or $60m, over the next three years by moving people from the sickness and invalid benefits on to the dole.
Then; 73,000 sickness and invalid beneficiaries
Now; 123,000
What year was it?
Peter Gresham has announced that from September, beneficiaries will be given regular medical check-ups (paid for by the State), in an effort to reduce the numbers on the long-term benefits and encourage them back to work. Social Welfare says that applicants for the sickness benefit would have their initial test done by their GP. A second check would be required four weeks after the benefit was granted, then after three months the beneficiary would be required to be examined by an accredited doctor. The checks would be carried out yearly from then on. On Budget night, the Government estimated that tougher screening would save 5% of the current cost, or $60m, over the next three years by moving people from the sickness and invalid benefits on to the dole.
Then; 73,000 sickness and invalid beneficiaries
Now; 123,000
What year was it?
Salvos say 'no'
This headline made no sense to me, Salvos pull out of Welfare to Work program.
NZ translation, Sallies pull out of Welfare to Work Programme.
Over the years the Salvation Army has become increasingly socialist which I don't understand. It appears they no longer want to do the work they have traditionally undertaken even if the government pays them to. They would rather shunt people back onto state welfare.
Maybe I am being unfair. Any organisation which takes government money has to jump through hoops. Could be they simply do not want to jump. But that doesn't help the individual who needs their assistance.
More likely they are giving up on a group of people who are beyond help and putting the responsibility for them back on government.
NZ translation, Sallies pull out of Welfare to Work Programme.
Over the years the Salvation Army has become increasingly socialist which I don't understand. It appears they no longer want to do the work they have traditionally undertaken even if the government pays them to. They would rather shunt people back onto state welfare.
Maybe I am being unfair. Any organisation which takes government money has to jump through hoops. Could be they simply do not want to jump. But that doesn't help the individual who needs their assistance.
More likely they are giving up on a group of people who are beyond help and putting the responsibility for them back on government.
Pregnant woman screened positive for HIV
Here is the answer to a question which has been lurking in the recesses of my mind for a while. If it's been on mine, chances are you will have wondered about it too. Where are we with testing pregnant women for HIV?
Only expectant females in the Waikato are routinely screened. A positive case has just been discovered sparking calls for urgent nationwide testing. Fortunately the baby can be prevented from contracting the virus.
The woman would not have been identified under the district health board's previous policy of testing only "high-risk" women, he said.
Waikato is the only district health board in the country routinely testing pregnant women for HIV.
Nine district health boards are preparing to screen but only a handful are likely to begin in the next six months.
Dr Mills said New Zealand had the opportunity to act now so it didn't repeat some of the disasters around the world.
A report by Aids charity Avert on South Africa showed that because authorities didn't act fast enough there, percentages of pregnant women with HIV rose from 0.8 per cent to 30.2 per cent in 15 years to 2005.
Only expectant females in the Waikato are routinely screened. A positive case has just been discovered sparking calls for urgent nationwide testing. Fortunately the baby can be prevented from contracting the virus.
The woman would not have been identified under the district health board's previous policy of testing only "high-risk" women, he said.
Waikato is the only district health board in the country routinely testing pregnant women for HIV.
Nine district health boards are preparing to screen but only a handful are likely to begin in the next six months.
Dr Mills said New Zealand had the opportunity to act now so it didn't repeat some of the disasters around the world.
A report by Aids charity Avert on South Africa showed that because authorities didn't act fast enough there, percentages of pregnant women with HIV rose from 0.8 per cent to 30.2 per cent in 15 years to 2005.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Making condoms 'sexy'...
...is not an easy thing to do. But if Hell's Pizza can get more young people using them with its marketing of the Lust Pizza then all power to them. I won't be joining the Family First campaign to inundate them with complaints. In fact I will register my approval. Let's work with human nature instead of against it.
Baby boom in Iraq
According to the Washington Post Iraq is experiencing a baby boom. The birth rate has jumped to 37 per 1,000 people. To put this rate into context the US, at 14 per 1,000, has one of the highest birthrates in the developed world.
It's gonna be a good day
It's my birthday and what better way to kick it off than watch Rodney Hide deal to Mark Burton on the Breakfast show. Everybody knows this rates inquiry is a snow-job and to add insult to injury, it's going to cost us $1.5 million. Rodney had a great line;
It took him 10 weeks to come up with the terms of reference for the rates inquiry and 10 minutes to decide to validate election misspending with legislation.
It took him 10 weeks to come up with the terms of reference for the rates inquiry and 10 minutes to decide to validate election misspending with legislation.
How stupid can TVNZ be?
A couple of weeks back we learned that TVNZ was dropping their head programmer who had decided that less reliance on UK product was required. There are two letters to the DomPost today disagreeing with this approach (and both bemoaning the awful Ellen) .
Today Jane Clifton glowingly reviews the new British sitcom, In The Thick Of It, writing, "at last, a worthy successor to Yes, Minister." Praise indeed. So what does TVNZ do with it?
Puts it on air at a quarter to midnight!
Today Jane Clifton glowingly reviews the new British sitcom, In The Thick Of It, writing, "at last, a worthy successor to Yes, Minister." Praise indeed. So what does TVNZ do with it?
Puts it on air at a quarter to midnight!
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Good for him
Judge Flatley deserves more than just a mention but I can at least give him that, as did the Taranaki Daily News;
Judge Dominic Flatley this week convicted three Wanaka shop owners for trading during last Easter – as this curious law dictated that he must – but levied no fine. He could have demanded $1000 from each on the admitted charges, but Judge Flatley would also have been aware that the fine, which has not been altered since 1980, is slowly fading into insignificance by inflation. One thousand dollars is still enough to give a nettle-sting, but the real significance of his waiver is that the courts – because others will surely follow the judge's precedent – have taken the lead in ridding the statute books of an unfair, complicated and pointless relic.
Judge Dominic Flatley this week convicted three Wanaka shop owners for trading during last Easter – as this curious law dictated that he must – but levied no fine. He could have demanded $1000 from each on the admitted charges, but Judge Flatley would also have been aware that the fine, which has not been altered since 1980, is slowly fading into insignificance by inflation. One thousand dollars is still enough to give a nettle-sting, but the real significance of his waiver is that the courts – because others will surely follow the judge's precedent – have taken the lead in ridding the statute books of an unfair, complicated and pointless relic.
Guilty until proven innocent and even then.....
I had been vaguely listening to a news report about a woman who falsely accused a man of rape because she was too embarrassed to admit to her boyfriend the sex had been consensual. So he was accused but not convicted. I wonder what will now happen to someone in that position in Ohio?
Unfair workload
I don't know what's so difficult about the question this article poses. Obviously, some women are doing more than their fair share.
Knives out for Brash
What do you make out this two-pronged attack? Not that I am saying it was premeditated but two ex (yet still influential) MPs have both stuck knives in Don Brash this week.
First Richard Prebble in his Letter, National MPs have decided that they can't fight another election with Don Brash. Don is in trouble not because of the recent publicity about his private life but rather his judgment or his lack of it. Putting out a press statement saying he was returning to Auckland because his wife was sick and then withdrawing it and admitting he was going to save his marriage, showed a leader panicking under pressure.
The professional way to handle the Independent front page story would have been to ignore it. To have stayed in parliament and fronted up instead of legitimising the story by issuing a press statement and then bringing all the media to your home by going there.
Back bench MPs are asking if this is how he handles his own crisis, how will he handle a crisis that affects them? Even if they win with Don, how would they survive as a government? The new MPs, who the media say are all grateful to Don, are the most shocked with his performance. Jonathan Coleman, MP for Birkenhead, is said to be gathering the votes for John Key.
Well, maybe not a knife, just a firm boot up the backside (I would have thought advice on how to politically handle marriage problems from Prebble best avoided - I guess it depends which you put first - party or partner).
This is a knife, from Mike Moore, who's becoming a touch sanctimonious of late; Don Brash, whose "Aw shucks, I'm not a politician' - his James Stewart act - will no longer wash. He looks suspiciously like an Invercargill barber from the 1950s, who you discover later sold condoms under the table. Still, I'm told, he inspired another thumb-sucking caucus meeting saying,"Not to worry, we will weather this storm of approval and get back to being hated well before election day."
Talking about 'being hated', it seems those who have been in and around the Labour Party a long time can't let go of their understandable but dated National-loathing, regardless of the personalities involved. Not something I relate to having presently little regard for either bunch, (although I had fleetingly held out faint but now forlorn hope National might make something of themselves under Brash.)
First Richard Prebble in his Letter, National MPs have decided that they can't fight another election with Don Brash. Don is in trouble not because of the recent publicity about his private life but rather his judgment or his lack of it. Putting out a press statement saying he was returning to Auckland because his wife was sick and then withdrawing it and admitting he was going to save his marriage, showed a leader panicking under pressure.
The professional way to handle the Independent front page story would have been to ignore it. To have stayed in parliament and fronted up instead of legitimising the story by issuing a press statement and then bringing all the media to your home by going there.
Back bench MPs are asking if this is how he handles his own crisis, how will he handle a crisis that affects them? Even if they win with Don, how would they survive as a government? The new MPs, who the media say are all grateful to Don, are the most shocked with his performance. Jonathan Coleman, MP for Birkenhead, is said to be gathering the votes for John Key.
Well, maybe not a knife, just a firm boot up the backside (I would have thought advice on how to politically handle marriage problems from Prebble best avoided - I guess it depends which you put first - party or partner).
This is a knife, from Mike Moore, who's becoming a touch sanctimonious of late; Don Brash, whose "Aw shucks, I'm not a politician' - his James Stewart act - will no longer wash. He looks suspiciously like an Invercargill barber from the 1950s, who you discover later sold condoms under the table. Still, I'm told, he inspired another thumb-sucking caucus meeting saying,"Not to worry, we will weather this storm of approval and get back to being hated well before election day."
Talking about 'being hated', it seems those who have been in and around the Labour Party a long time can't let go of their understandable but dated National-loathing, regardless of the personalities involved. Not something I relate to having presently little regard for either bunch, (although I had fleetingly held out faint but now forlorn hope National might make something of themselves under Brash.)
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Greens in cahoots with 'big business'
Classically Liberal explains how big corporations have the Greens doing their bidding.
Enforced inactivity not the solution
Cutting the working week to 35 hours did not improve French unemployment. It still sits at 9 percent. The NCPA summarises the Investor's Business Daily suggestions as to what the French government might do, including cutting unemployment benefits.
As I understand it the 35 hour week is being phased out.
As I understand it the 35 hour week is being phased out.
High Maori prison population
Fresh US research about the cost of teenage births shows;
Most of the costs in 2004 — $8.6 billion — were incurred by mothers 17 and younger. Compared with women who have a first child at 20 or 21, those girls are more than twice as likely to have a child placed in foster care, to be reported for child abuse or neglect, and to have a son sent to prison. Their kids are far more likely to drop out of high school and their daughters to become teen mothers themselves, the report states.
Just looking at one aspect of that, the greater likelihood of a son going to prison, consider the Maori rate of teenage births for under-eighteens in 2000 (the last year I have to hand);
There were 670 births to Maori compared to 505 to non-Maori giving a birthrate per 1,000 of 22.7 to Maori and 4.9 to non-Maori.
This goes some way to explaining why Maori make up around half of our prison population.
Most of the costs in 2004 — $8.6 billion — were incurred by mothers 17 and younger. Compared with women who have a first child at 20 or 21, those girls are more than twice as likely to have a child placed in foster care, to be reported for child abuse or neglect, and to have a son sent to prison. Their kids are far more likely to drop out of high school and their daughters to become teen mothers themselves, the report states.
Just looking at one aspect of that, the greater likelihood of a son going to prison, consider the Maori rate of teenage births for under-eighteens in 2000 (the last year I have to hand);
There were 670 births to Maori compared to 505 to non-Maori giving a birthrate per 1,000 of 22.7 to Maori and 4.9 to non-Maori.
This goes some way to explaining why Maori make up around half of our prison population.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Methadone programme assessment
The Scotsman reports, A key government drugs policy has been exposed as a shocking failure after it emerged that giving methadone to heroin addicts has a 97% failure rate
Here they are assessing the success of the programme in respect of getting people off, which isn't the major objective.
In NZ the methadone programme was established in 1977 to, "reduce the destructive side effects of opioid use - such as crime and spread of infectious disease - rather than get addicts off drugs all together."
So does the Scottish research, comparing those who went cold turkey through rehab with the methadone patients, look at this aspect. You bet;
The biggest difference, however, was on crime. Only 13% of those who were drug-free admitted to committing any crime. The figure for those who were on drugs was a staggering 91%.
But let's not forget this is Scotland.
A decent appraisal of the NZ scheme would be more than useful. Anything I can find usually says something like "the literature shows benefits" meaning overseas literature. Not all.
Here they are assessing the success of the programme in respect of getting people off, which isn't the major objective.
In NZ the methadone programme was established in 1977 to, "reduce the destructive side effects of opioid use - such as crime and spread of infectious disease - rather than get addicts off drugs all together."
So does the Scottish research, comparing those who went cold turkey through rehab with the methadone patients, look at this aspect. You bet;
The biggest difference, however, was on crime. Only 13% of those who were drug-free admitted to committing any crime. The figure for those who were on drugs was a staggering 91%.
But let's not forget this is Scotland.
A decent appraisal of the NZ scheme would be more than useful. Anything I can find usually says something like "the literature shows benefits" meaning overseas literature. Not all.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Nine to Noon
On tomorrow after 9am talking about the growth in the sickness and invalid's benefts.
Update; Here's the link. Also joining the discussion was Masterton GP, Richard McGrath.
Update; Here's the link. Also joining the discussion was Masterton GP, Richard McGrath.
Adoption - good or bad?
Much has been said about Madonna's adoption of a boy from Malawi. Deborah Coddington has written a column in today's Herald on Sunday entitled, Celebrity adoptions are acts of vain peacocks. Having no access to the column I will have to assume she is at least partially negative towards this event.
But here is a defence from James Bartholomew. Obviously the arguments about inter-country adoptions may differ from domestic adoptions but I agree with most of what he says except I was under the impression adopted children, based on social outcomes and achievement, generally form an intermediate group ie they fall between those raised by single parents and those raised by two biological parents.
Bartholomew says adopted children do even better than children from 2 biological parent families. My reading tells me they form an intermediate group between those raised in two biological parent families and those raised in single parent families because they tend to experience a more difficult adolescence. But there is research to back his claim and there is research, produced in NZ, to back mine. There is no research that says, in general, children from single parents homes do best.
Throw in extreme poverty, risk of disease and an orphanage-upbringing, in the case of David Banda I would have thought it abundantly apparent that his interests would be better served by this adoption. Watching TV yesterday it appears his father also believes that.
But here is a defence from James Bartholomew. Obviously the arguments about inter-country adoptions may differ from domestic adoptions but I agree with most of what he says except I was under the impression adopted children, based on social outcomes and achievement, generally form an intermediate group ie they fall between those raised by single parents and those raised by two biological parents.
Bartholomew says adopted children do even better than children from 2 biological parent families. My reading tells me they form an intermediate group between those raised in two biological parent families and those raised in single parent families because they tend to experience a more difficult adolescence. But there is research to back his claim and there is research, produced in NZ, to back mine. There is no research that says, in general, children from single parents homes do best.
Throw in extreme poverty, risk of disease and an orphanage-upbringing, in the case of David Banda I would have thought it abundantly apparent that his interests would be better served by this adoption. Watching TV yesterday it appears his father also believes that.
Couldn't resist pinching this photo from Rodney's blog. Clearly one of these MPs hasn't just swum over a kilometre in freezing ocean water.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Benson-Pope "made a mistake" says press secretary
Yesterday I was criticised for putting out a "hasty" press release responding to David Benson Pope's claim the DPB had dropped 10,000 last month. It wsn't hasty. It sat in the queue overnight. If I hadn't put out that release it wouldn't have been picked up in this story.
It was a significant mistake indicating David Benson Pope is out of his depth. I had to take his claim at face value because he wasn't releasing the official statistics.
Anonymous, I'm not infallible by any means, but putting my name to my words means I am at least prepared to carry the can. Even David Benson Pope is prepared to risk his credibility. Unlike some.
It was a significant mistake indicating David Benson Pope is out of his depth. I had to take his claim at face value because he wasn't releasing the official statistics.
Anonymous, I'm not infallible by any means, but putting my name to my words means I am at least prepared to carry the can. Even David Benson Pope is prepared to risk his credibility. Unlike some.
At the Maori Party Conference
Newsroom reports, Maori party co-leader Tariana Turia has delivered a message that Maori must be responsible for their own destiny.
Just wanted to get that on record.
Just wanted to get that on record.
Real welfare reform
Noel Pearson, aboriginal Australian and "visionary", is about to attempt a revolution in welfare delivery. He believes if this approach doesn't work then "there is not much hope."Pearson's vision, 20 years in the making, underpins a radical experiment that began last week in Coen, Hope Vale and two other Cape York communities — Aurukun and Mossman Gorge — turning 30 years of welfare orthodoxy on its head. The pilot project, run by the Cape York Institute, will redefine access to welfare, paying incentives for behaviour that improves education, health and the prospects of the next generation finding work. But with money will come obligation. Under the project template, a families commission in each community — a panel of perhaps two elders and a retired magistrate — will be empowered to make orders that dictate and direct payments, using sticks and carrots to require, for example, that children not only get to school, but are rested and fed and capable of learning. If a parent is drinking the family income, payments could be redirected to another relative. If they're not caring for the kids, they might be sent for counselling.
Pearson rests his reform agenda on the rebuilding of social norms — the invisible conventions that guide and moderate individual behaviour. Manners and grooming, standards and expectations, rules of behaviour. The challenge, and the controversy, is in leveraging such behaviours against the welfare stream. Such coercion under existing law would be illegal. Over the next year, Pearson will head to Canberra to argue that such discrimination is not only desirable but crucial. In the meantime, work proceeds on the ground — talking to communities, determining what the problems are and what mechanisms might fix them — with a plan to roll out the changes from March.
Many of the households on the cape are kept running by grandparents raising children. The generation in between is too disabled to do the job, bequeathing only inertia and hopelessness, says Pearson.
His welfare reform pilot aims to spring the poverty trap of "perverse incentives" that he says causes people to lose ambition for themselves and their children. He says countering this will require a revolution in attitudes within the communities — towards education, aspiration and mobility — and beyond in the mind-set of the "well-intended progressives" who shape welfare policy. It's a line that delights conservative politicians and commentators and discomfits the softer elements of the left.
Personally I am not big on the conservative approach but it is better than what we do now. The crucial aspect of this reform is the 'disabled' generation will be sacrificed (if they don't respond) to create opportunity for the next. That is what we currently cannot accept in this country. But we will come to it
Friday, October 27, 2006
DPB Sleight-of-hand
Media Release
DPB SLEIGHT-OF-HAND
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ministry of Social Development, David Benson-Pope, yesterday told National Radio host Mary Wilson, that 10,000 people moved off the DPB last month.
Welfare commentator Lindsay Mitchell says, "This has been expected for some time due to the In-Work payment becoming available to single parents who work a minimum of 20 hours per week from April 1."
"Unfortunately the Ministry of Social Development does not record whether the person leaving the DPB went on to receive an In-Work payment, which is administered by Inland Revenue. Neither does Inland Revenue record whether a person applying for an In-Work payment has just left benefit."
"Which begs the question, how does the government track the effect of its policies?"
"In essence people leaving DPB have moved from one form of welfare to another. Instead of being on a partial DPB they are on an In-Work payment. Both are funded by the taxpayer."
"The advantages are the 'former' beneficiary is better off financially and David Benson-Pope can claim a substantial drop in DPB numbers."
"This is no more than political sleight-of-hand."
DPB SLEIGHT-OF-HAND
Friday, October 27, 2006
Ministry of Social Development, David Benson-Pope, yesterday told National Radio host Mary Wilson, that 10,000 people moved off the DPB last month.
Welfare commentator Lindsay Mitchell says, "This has been expected for some time due to the In-Work payment becoming available to single parents who work a minimum of 20 hours per week from April 1."
"Unfortunately the Ministry of Social Development does not record whether the person leaving the DPB went on to receive an In-Work payment, which is administered by Inland Revenue. Neither does Inland Revenue record whether a person applying for an In-Work payment has just left benefit."
"Which begs the question, how does the government track the effect of its policies?"
"In essence people leaving DPB have moved from one form of welfare to another. Instead of being on a partial DPB they are on an In-Work payment. Both are funded by the taxpayer."
"The advantages are the 'former' beneficiary is better off financially and David Benson-Pope can claim a substantial drop in DPB numbers."
"This is no more than political sleight-of-hand."
Weaving Pathways to Wellbeing
Children's Commissioner, Cindy Kiro and Barnardo's CE Murray Edridge were once again hand-in-hand yesterday over the matter of state-monitoring of all children from birth, now referred to as Te Ara Tukutuku Nga Whanaungatanga o Nga Tamariki or Weaving Pathways to Wellbeing.
Here is their economic reasoning; Economic modelling shows that the optimum return to investment in human capital occurs in the first years of life. Estimates of the benefit to cost ratio of early childhood intervention for disadvantaged children in the United States are as high 17:1 as by age 40 (i.e. US$17 net benefit to society for every dollar spent.)
Let's see. Take a typically 'disadvantaged' child. They will be raised on welfare. Even if they only spent the average time on the DPB (which includes paying their caregiver) they will have consumed $151,060 in cash assistance alone. Add in the cost of early childhood intervention (pulling a figure out of the air - $10,000 per annum?) by age forty they can be expected to have returned $3,758,020 worth of net benefit to society.
May as well put your dollar on a horse paying 17 to 1. The chance of it coming in are better than the above proposition.
Update; Sue Bradford wants a cross-party accord to get this thing up and running. She says, "I realise some parents will be horrified by the idea that their children will have regular checkups at key stages of their lives - just after birth, before starting school, starting adolescence and leaving school - but I think it is even more horrifying that so many children in New Zealand today are enduring violence, abuse, neglect, ill health and despair because either no one knows or no one thinks it is their role to take responsibility for what is going on." To use somebody else's analogy we will be checking every piece of hay to find the needle. Actually, it is generally known where the needles are anyway. Madness.
Here is their economic reasoning; Economic modelling shows that the optimum return to investment in human capital occurs in the first years of life. Estimates of the benefit to cost ratio of early childhood intervention for disadvantaged children in the United States are as high 17:1 as by age 40 (i.e. US$17 net benefit to society for every dollar spent.)
Let's see. Take a typically 'disadvantaged' child. They will be raised on welfare. Even if they only spent the average time on the DPB (which includes paying their caregiver) they will have consumed $151,060 in cash assistance alone. Add in the cost of early childhood intervention (pulling a figure out of the air - $10,000 per annum?) by age forty they can be expected to have returned $3,758,020 worth of net benefit to society.
May as well put your dollar on a horse paying 17 to 1. The chance of it coming in are better than the above proposition.
Update; Sue Bradford wants a cross-party accord to get this thing up and running. She says, "I realise some parents will be horrified by the idea that their children will have regular checkups at key stages of their lives - just after birth, before starting school, starting adolescence and leaving school - but I think it is even more horrifying that so many children in New Zealand today are enduring violence, abuse, neglect, ill health and despair because either no one knows or no one thinks it is their role to take responsibility for what is going on." To use somebody else's analogy we will be checking every piece of hay to find the needle. Actually, it is generally known where the needles are anyway. Madness.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Disturbing
This website is recommended by the Ministry of Social Development funded Family Violence Clearing House
It is a site for pro-feminist men and features many articles such as "Degendering Daddy";
Ours is a society in which males are still encouraged to think less of females than they do themselves. From entertainment and ads to much relationship counseling and clothing fads, women are constantly paraded and parodied as sexy but shallow at best or outstanding but out-of-place at worst. Though it is not politically correct to claim one's allegiance to this attitude, the thinking yet prevails among males that females are not any more fit to lead men, families, institutions, and societies than an infant attempting to steer the Titanic.
or “I am a woman. My screams are silent,” by some really creepy guy writing about how he has changed (it's so creepy I won't quote from it),
or "Are men evil? Reflections on the tactics and motivation of men’s rights advocates" and "Starting your own group for men against sexism".
Not feeling inclined to read any more, I get the idea this is a site for men who have had a bad attitude to women and are now 'reformed'. What bothers me is they think their former views are representative of most men. And what bothers me even more is that I got to this "useful" site through a recommendation from a govt-funded newsletter, NZ Family Violence Clearing house, June 2006.
Think about it. Imagine an equivalent site where women confess to their previously appalling attitudes to men while intimating that they left the majority behind. Would the Clearing House link to that? Of course not. No such site could ever exist as there are no such women.
It is a site for pro-feminist men and features many articles such as "Degendering Daddy";
Ours is a society in which males are still encouraged to think less of females than they do themselves. From entertainment and ads to much relationship counseling and clothing fads, women are constantly paraded and parodied as sexy but shallow at best or outstanding but out-of-place at worst. Though it is not politically correct to claim one's allegiance to this attitude, the thinking yet prevails among males that females are not any more fit to lead men, families, institutions, and societies than an infant attempting to steer the Titanic.
or “I am a woman. My screams are silent,” by some really creepy guy writing about how he has changed (it's so creepy I won't quote from it),
or "Are men evil? Reflections on the tactics and motivation of men’s rights advocates" and "Starting your own group for men against sexism".
Not feeling inclined to read any more, I get the idea this is a site for men who have had a bad attitude to women and are now 'reformed'. What bothers me is they think their former views are representative of most men. And what bothers me even more is that I got to this "useful" site through a recommendation from a govt-funded newsletter, NZ Family Violence Clearing house, June 2006.
Think about it. Imagine an equivalent site where women confess to their previously appalling attitudes to men while intimating that they left the majority behind. Would the Clearing House link to that? Of course not. No such site could ever exist as there are no such women.
Sue has it back to front
About the welfare system Sue Bradford said yesterday,"Those in need deserve the dignity of having enough to live on so they can participate fully in society without being treated as second class citizens by the department whose job it is to serve them....The Green Party would ...start again with a much simpler system operating on principles of sufficiency and universality."
I would reword that opening phrase to say those who are deserving need dignity.
Some beneficiaries are absolutely deserving and none of us would deny them help (not even diehard libertarians who believe in supporting genuine cases, just under a private system).
But many are in need due to their own relentlessly stupid actions and they give beneficiaries in general a bad name, thus robbing the others of dignity.
I may have used this analogy before but it's one I expressed when speaking to people at the Laura Fergusson Community (for people with disabilities) last year. People who misuse the welfare system are like people who park in disabled carparks. They park themselves on benefits making it that much harder for those who really need them.
Universality is the cause of the problem - not the solution. Any welfare system, state-run or private, needs to be able to handle people as the individuals they are.
I would reword that opening phrase to say those who are deserving need dignity.
Some beneficiaries are absolutely deserving and none of us would deny them help (not even diehard libertarians who believe in supporting genuine cases, just under a private system).
But many are in need due to their own relentlessly stupid actions and they give beneficiaries in general a bad name, thus robbing the others of dignity.
I may have used this analogy before but it's one I expressed when speaking to people at the Laura Fergusson Community (for people with disabilities) last year. People who misuse the welfare system are like people who park in disabled carparks. They park themselves on benefits making it that much harder for those who really need them.
Universality is the cause of the problem - not the solution. Any welfare system, state-run or private, needs to be able to handle people as the individuals they are.
Who should pay for costs of crime?
Victim Support groups want the state to compensate victims of crime. Garth McVicar wants a levy on all offenders to fund compensation payments. I prefer the second idea. But if criminals don't have the means to compensate their victims as it is, where are they going to get the levy from?
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Which govt department to believe?
According to the Ministry of Health I must be doing fruit buying for three or four households which makes me extremely skeptical about a report which says the average household spent $5-90 a week on fruit in 2003/04 (presented as though it is current).
According to Statistics New Zealand the average household spending on fruit (first column) in 2003/04 was almost $10. Call it $9-50. Only 61 percent more than the Ministry of Health figure.
Of course the MOH has a vested interest in painting alarming pictures about poor nutrition and obesity. Keeps them in work.
According to Statistics New Zealand the average household spending on fruit (first column) in 2003/04 was almost $10. Call it $9-50. Only 61 percent more than the Ministry of Health figure.
Of course the MOH has a vested interest in painting alarming pictures about poor nutrition and obesity. Keeps them in work.
'Safety' before sanity
BBC News reports health and safety regulations have made it too expensive for a local rugby club to have a Guy Fawkes bonfire in Ilfracombe, Devon. So they are going to have a 'virtual ' bonfire. The obvious question is, why not virtual fireworks too? I'm sure David Benson-Pope could get excited about this idea.
(And we complain about children going from one screen to another...)
(And we complain about children going from one screen to another...)
Things are looking up
The road has re-opened and Firefox is ops OK.
This is an interesting bit of Canadian research which claims that with more generous unemployment benefits more long term unemployment is created.
Still, at least they have a better system than ours. Canada operates a contributory scheme which means workers have to pay something in to get something out. Eminently sensible. Stops youth developing a welfare habit. But Brunswick's (exploited?) scheme is subsidised by Maine's so is still not perfect. What's needed is competing unemployment insurance programmes.
This is an interesting bit of Canadian research which claims that with more generous unemployment benefits more long term unemployment is created.
Still, at least they have a better system than ours. Canada operates a contributory scheme which means workers have to pay something in to get something out. Eminently sensible. Stops youth developing a welfare habit. But Brunswick's (exploited?) scheme is subsidised by Maine's so is still not perfect. What's needed is competing unemployment insurance programmes.
Cut-off
No newspaper this morning which may mean we are cut-off again. Unless one wants to get on the cross harbour ferry. There's always the internet except Firefox doesn't want to talk to blogger. Blogging in Internet explorer is such a pain.
The problem of lazy welfare bludgers continues with a scheme to be approved allowing orchardists to bring in 5,000 mainly Pacific Islanders to pick their fruit. You've got to laugh. The scheme must allow Kiwis first refusal. They aren't exactly queuing.
The problem of lazy welfare bludgers continues with a scheme to be approved allowing orchardists to bring in 5,000 mainly Pacific Islanders to pick their fruit. You've got to laugh. The scheme must allow Kiwis first refusal. They aren't exactly queuing.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Apposite quote
The end of this quote is familiar to me but the rest is worth sharing;
The state -- or, to make matters more concrete, the government -- consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can't get, and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time it is made good by looting 'A' to satisfy 'B'. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advanced auction on stolen goods.
— H.L. Mencken
The state -- or, to make matters more concrete, the government -- consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can't get, and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time it is made good by looting 'A' to satisfy 'B'. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is a sort of advanced auction on stolen goods.
— H.L. Mencken
Being Pakeha
I was not born here but my children are sixth generation New Zealanders. Many of you will no doubt identify with Michael King's words from Being Pakeha Now;
Deadbeat dads burden for us all...
..is the title of a Hawkes Bay Today editorial inspired by Judith Collin's constant railing at effect rather than the cause. This is my response;
Dear Editor
'Deadbeat dads' today are largely a product of the state. Having made itself a formidable replacement for fathers, via the justice and welfare systems, the state can hardly be surprised that redundant ones resist further financial responsibility.
MP Judith Collins is aggrieved at the increasing levels of child support debt yet National gave us the iniquitous Child Support Act of 1991 and would have given us the DPB (through a private members bill) if Labour hadn't beaten them to it.
Your editorial acknowledges the displacing role of welfare by referring to the fact that we have "made our bed" with "all-embracing state hand-outs."
If fathers are to be held irrevocably responsible then the state must relinquish its destructive interventionist role. We cannot have it both ways.
Dear Editor
'Deadbeat dads' today are largely a product of the state. Having made itself a formidable replacement for fathers, via the justice and welfare systems, the state can hardly be surprised that redundant ones resist further financial responsibility.
MP Judith Collins is aggrieved at the increasing levels of child support debt yet National gave us the iniquitous Child Support Act of 1991 and would have given us the DPB (through a private members bill) if Labour hadn't beaten them to it.
Your editorial acknowledges the displacing role of welfare by referring to the fact that we have "made our bed" with "all-embracing state hand-outs."
If fathers are to be held irrevocably responsible then the state must relinquish its destructive interventionist role. We cannot have it both ways.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Stabbing of an innocent 14 year-old
We are in danger of becoming inured to what is going on in Auckland amongst the youth. The security guard in whose arms the 14 year-old died (after he had told him to go outside for a smoke) called talkback in the early hours and this is a recording of it. It's not hysterical, nor overly dramatic. The man is trying to come to terms with what happened.
Scots to go sexless
Now I am sure I have heard Betty on Coro St calling men 'pet', 'dear' and 'love'. She should have her mouth taped up. If she lived in Glasgow she would know better. The Glasgow City Council has just released guidelines about sexist language to be avoided. Women, and presumeably men although that is not explicit (which is sexist of itself)are not to be addressed using the above terms of endearment. Neither are they to be called 'girls'. The suffix 'ess' must not be added to words like 'conductor' to denote gender. It's all soooooo offensive you see.
What utter twerps local government bureaucrats are.
What utter twerps local government bureaucrats are.
What the?
I find myself in a state of having nothing to say which could last until at least....lunchtime.Oh, I could bitch about the STUPID transit system the LTSA has set up at SH1 Paremata which consists of endless signs (all the same) which are unreadable at 50kmph. I gather one tells you which lane to use on Mon-Fri and the other what to do on Sunday and Public holidys. Um. I'm driving Southbound on Saturday? I thought I registered a makeshift flashing sign saying I could use the left lane if the car carried one or more passengers (do dogs count?) Well that's all well and good until you are suddenly faced with a stationary driverless and passengerless vehicle parked in the left lane. Perhaps that qualifies too.
Tell me, if you came across these signs for the first time (or even second or third) would you have any idea what to do?
Anyway as I am suffering a dearth of ideas I will recommend this very funny piece from Oh Crikey....another "failed" Maori.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Liberal thinking from the Liberal Party
I'm very pleased to see Heather Roy and Rodney Hide are officially against raising the drinking age. For those lobbying for this legislation here are some questions;
Are we going to increase the responsibility of 18 and 19 year-olds by taking it away from them?
How are we going to teach responsible drinking by disallowing it?
Will 18 and 19 year-olds stop drinking or binge-drinking because it is illegal?
Why remove individual freedom from all people simply because they belong to a group which includes some who cannot handle it?
Are we going to increase the responsibility of 18 and 19 year-olds by taking it away from them?
How are we going to teach responsible drinking by disallowing it?
Will 18 and 19 year-olds stop drinking or binge-drinking because it is illegal?
Why remove individual freedom from all people simply because they belong to a group which includes some who cannot handle it?
The wowsers are in ascent
Some days I simply want to scream, what with the prospect of raising the drinking age and now a proposal to nationalise the tobacco industry. As my husband says those promoting this idea are "complete lunatics".
"....there's growing interest in defining a clear end-game to the tobacco problem." People will always drink and people are always going to smoke. Get over it. Christ we've been having these arguments for over one hundred years in NZ alone.
If only the state can produce tobacco and the state is constantly rising the price what will happen? The black market will expand rapidly. The taxpayer will be left footing the cost of its failing tobacco industry and policing the crime it has created. Brilliant. I can hear the Mongrel Mob cheering now.
"....there's growing interest in defining a clear end-game to the tobacco problem." People will always drink and people are always going to smoke. Get over it. Christ we've been having these arguments for over one hundred years in NZ alone.
If only the state can produce tobacco and the state is constantly rising the price what will happen? The black market will expand rapidly. The taxpayer will be left footing the cost of its failing tobacco industry and policing the crime it has created. Brilliant. I can hear the Mongrel Mob cheering now.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Stretching it
The Ministry of Social Development released its Annual Report today. Full of meaningless repetitive waffle it proudly informs us that there are now 9,000 employees in 200 sites, "supporting more than 1 million New Zealanders in living successful lives." What can I say?
The value of individualism
Individualism is a much maligned and misunderstood concept. Too often it is used to describe a 'me first generation'. Individualism is necessarily accompanied by voluntarism whereas collectivism nearly always relies on compulsion.
The following is the conclusion of a column from Peter Saunders of the Australian Centre for Independent Studies. It appeared in the NZBRT's Perpsectives;
The attempt by our politicians to identify ‘Australian values’ is degenerating into a farcical stand-off between those who insist that immigrants should know the rules of cricket and those who want them to understand the history of trade unionism. What neither side in this debate understands is that we do not need a prescribed set of values for everyone to sign up to.
To live peaceably in Australia , it is not necessary to understand cricket, celebrate trade unionism, or even call people your ‘mate.’ Nor does it matter if you are a Catholic or a Protestant, a Muslim or a Christian, a conservative or a socialist. All that matters is that you should respect other people’s right
to be different from you.
Arguing about whether this or that value is essential to an Australian identity is therefore pointless. All that needs to be said (and reaffirmed repeatedly in all our schools) is that in Australia you can believe what you like, but using force to impose your morality on anyone else puts you beyond the limits of tolerance. As a society of modernity, we must tenaciously and unambiguously defend our commitment to the core ethic of individualism, nothing more, nothing less.
The following is the conclusion of a column from Peter Saunders of the Australian Centre for Independent Studies. It appeared in the NZBRT's Perpsectives;
The attempt by our politicians to identify ‘Australian values’ is degenerating into a farcical stand-off between those who insist that immigrants should know the rules of cricket and those who want them to understand the history of trade unionism. What neither side in this debate understands is that we do not need a prescribed set of values for everyone to sign up to.
To live peaceably in Australia , it is not necessary to understand cricket, celebrate trade unionism, or even call people your ‘mate.’ Nor does it matter if you are a Catholic or a Protestant, a Muslim or a Christian, a conservative or a socialist. All that matters is that you should respect other people’s right
to be different from you.
Arguing about whether this or that value is essential to an Australian identity is therefore pointless. All that needs to be said (and reaffirmed repeatedly in all our schools) is that in Australia you can believe what you like, but using force to impose your morality on anyone else puts you beyond the limits of tolerance. As a society of modernity, we must tenaciously and unambiguously defend our commitment to the core ethic of individualism, nothing more, nothing less.
Stealing spare parts
Here's a story to make your hair curl (if you have any). Seven New York undertakers have been arrested for stealing bodyparts and selling them.
The way to get around this risk is offer to give away anything of any use. That's what I've done. My husband says that anything extracted from me will at least be "well-preserved".
The way to get around this risk is offer to give away anything of any use. That's what I've done. My husband says that anything extracted from me will at least be "well-preserved".
What went wrong?
(Left click to enlarge).
Interesting that projections from 1972 predicted our population would reach 5 million by around 2000 and following the same trajectory, near to 6 million by 2006. These predictions were based on medium and low immigration. What happened?
The average number of children per woman was 2.36 which has dropped to around 2.01. That wouldn't account for the 2 million deficit. Immigration was restricted to 5,000 per year for a good number of years but that would still give us the lower line.
They didn't account for the outflow.
More on the state house saga
There is no link to a further piece in today's DomPost that says the family refusing to move from the Panmure state house is also refusing to be interviewed by media unless they get paid. They are negotiating an exclusive with TV3. Smart. Easy money. This is the new gravy train where you get rewarded for breaking the law by dressing it up as being victimised.
And I cannot help but note the tenant is expecting another child. In reality there will be more people living in that house, quite probably a boyfriend, but they cannot 'fess up because they would lose their benefit entitlements. Any sympathy I had for this outfit is fast evaporating.
And I cannot help but note the tenant is expecting another child. In reality there will be more people living in that house, quite probably a boyfriend, but they cannot 'fess up because they would lose their benefit entitlements. Any sympathy I had for this outfit is fast evaporating.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Cullen is pathetic
Is this tittle-tattle-titty-bit worthy of a media statement? Probably the "probably" John Key uttered has been taken out of context. Whatever. I don't care. With everything that has been going on regarding the surplus, the validation legislation, the CIS tax report, Dunne's tax-cut intimations, the deficit, etc., IS THIS THE BEST HE CAN DO?
Gloom and doom predictions
John Tierney, arguing for the need to balance uncertain future events against certain costs today, examines past prophecies of over-population;
* Four decades ago, scientists were so determined to prevent famines that they analyzed the feasibility of putting "fertility control agents" in public drinking water; the physicist William Shockley suggested using sterilization to impose a national limit on the number of births.
* Planned Parenthood's policy of relying on voluntary birth control was called a "tragic ideal" by the ecologist Garrett Hardin, arguing that "freedom to breed will bring ruin to all."
* China's one-child-per-family rule, which, ostensibly was voluntary, but the penalties were so severe that there were reported cases of forced abortions and infanticide.
* Four decades ago, scientists were so determined to prevent famines that they analyzed the feasibility of putting "fertility control agents" in public drinking water; the physicist William Shockley suggested using sterilization to impose a national limit on the number of births.
* Planned Parenthood's policy of relying on voluntary birth control was called a "tragic ideal" by the ecologist Garrett Hardin, arguing that "freedom to breed will bring ruin to all."
* China's one-child-per-family rule, which, ostensibly was voluntary, but the penalties were so severe that there were reported cases of forced abortions and infanticide.
Carter has it right - for a change
Well done Chris Carter, Minister of Housing, who has stated quite clearly and emphatically why this family must move on. There are constantly headlines about families on waiting lists for state houses and now these three only qualify for a two bedroom unit, the rules should be enforced.
Nobody could fail to sympathise with their "emotional connection" to the house but it doesn't belong to them. What beneficiaries fail to grasp is that what they see as security, albeit meagre, can be quite tenuous. More than anyone else beneficiaries (and this family will be on welfare) are at the mercy of the government which is why I always try to help people become more independent.
Nobody could fail to sympathise with their "emotional connection" to the house but it doesn't belong to them. What beneficiaries fail to grasp is that what they see as security, albeit meagre, can be quite tenuous. More than anyone else beneficiaries (and this family will be on welfare) are at the mercy of the government which is why I always try to help people become more independent.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Get Out Of Jail Free Act...
...as Oswald so aptly coins Labour's validating legislation. A petition of protest has been launched by Blair Mulholland asking the Governor General to withold the Royal Assent from such legislation.
Sign the fast growing list of signatures here.
Sign the fast growing list of signatures here.
Dealing to waiting lists UK-style
James Bartholomew blogs on how the British have set up intermediary referral centres - another layer of bureaucracy - to try and shorten waiting lists. It sounds like just the kind of thing Pete Hodgson would be interested in.
When patients in Milton Keynes started complaining of long delays, their GPs investigated. Milton Keynes PCT had set up a referral management centre, which was meant to scrutinise all referrals in order to speed access and ensure patients got the right treatment. But Dr Peter Berkin and colleagues discovered a backlog of more than 2,000 letters locked in a cupboard by the centre's secretaries until just short of the 13-week waiting-time target.
"It got really scary," said Dr Berkin. "There were cases that could have been very serious and needed to see a consultant quickly. We were horrified. The decisions were taken by secretarial staff, not doctors."
When patients in Milton Keynes started complaining of long delays, their GPs investigated. Milton Keynes PCT had set up a referral management centre, which was meant to scrutinise all referrals in order to speed access and ensure patients got the right treatment. But Dr Peter Berkin and colleagues discovered a backlog of more than 2,000 letters locked in a cupboard by the centre's secretaries until just short of the 13-week waiting-time target.
"It got really scary," said Dr Berkin. "There were cases that could have been very serious and needed to see a consultant quickly. We were horrified. The decisions were taken by secretarial staff, not doctors."
Taxpayer TV loses money
The DomPost is reporting that TVNZ are dropping their head programmer after ratings fell "dramatically" and advertising rates had to be cut.
Among TVNZ's key demographic of people aged 25 to 54, its share has dropped from 55 percent to about 37 percent. The network slashed TV1's peak viewing (6pm to 10pm) advertising charges last month by 21 percent.
Is this the result of someone deciding that "New Zealanders want to see themselves on the telly", that lauded and lofty aim? Is this our cherished charter?
Just give us some decent entertainment.
(At least one person will be quietly smiling to himself this morning as he presents his superb "World City".)
Among TVNZ's key demographic of people aged 25 to 54, its share has dropped from 55 percent to about 37 percent. The network slashed TV1's peak viewing (6pm to 10pm) advertising charges last month by 21 percent.
Is this the result of someone deciding that "New Zealanders want to see themselves on the telly", that lauded and lofty aim? Is this our cherished charter?
Just give us some decent entertainment.
(At least one person will be quietly smiling to himself this morning as he presents his superb "World City".)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
National Radio
At 1.30pm today I am talking to Jim Mora on National Radio as of part of the Reeling in the years; 1973 programme. We will talk about how the DPB came about and its effect since.
UPDATE; Interesting audience response. Four e-mails came in immediately;
- There is another reason there are no children available for adoption. Abortion.
- Stranger adoption didn't work for either party which is why we largely discontinued it.
- Lindsay Mitchell is obviously of the 'starve them into submission' persuasion.
- Some 16 year-olds make great parents and 35 year-olds don't.
UPDATE; Interesting audience response. Four e-mails came in immediately;
- There is another reason there are no children available for adoption. Abortion.
- Stranger adoption didn't work for either party which is why we largely discontinued it.
- Lindsay Mitchell is obviously of the 'starve them into submission' persuasion.
- Some 16 year-olds make great parents and 35 year-olds don't.
Learning from Maori
Pita Sharples says that Pakeha could learn much from Maori about grieving;
"I recognise we have different, culturally appropriate ways of grieving, but I wonder - if everyone has the capacity to express emotions, should not the occasion of death be the perfect outlet for such emotions?"
Dr Sharples also spoke about the way Pakeha refer to family and extended-family members.
"The emphasis should be on what connects us, rather than what divides us," he said, citing Pakeha use of phrases such as "step-sister".
"I am often puzzled when I hear Pakeha define members of their whanau in ways which seek to create a distance - to put up a barrier between themselves and another.
"A step-sister, a half-brother, a cousin twice removed, my mother's cousin," he said.
"In our world, we welcome our sisters and brothers, our cousins, our aunties and uncles as whanau - whatever degree of separation a genealogy expert might describe it as.
"And in much the same way, when we need to express grief, the strength for us is in numbers, in our connections, while in other world views, the expression of grief may be another opportunity to create distance - 'we'll leave them alone'; 'they wouldn't want to see people at this time'; 'we'll just send flowers and cause them no bother'
I admit this touches a nerve with me. In grief (what little experience I have had of it) I tend to be very private, internalising how I feel and coping until the pain diminishes. Would it be rash to say this is the Pakeha or European way?
Maybe we could benefit from expressing our grief more intensely and collectively but then we have a long tradition of controlling our emotions. Some emotions need to be kept in check and I would venture that there is a downside to giving vent to them without restraint.
So perhaps we could learn a thing or two about how to grieve and Maori could learn a thing or two about how to control their anger.
"I recognise we have different, culturally appropriate ways of grieving, but I wonder - if everyone has the capacity to express emotions, should not the occasion of death be the perfect outlet for such emotions?"
Dr Sharples also spoke about the way Pakeha refer to family and extended-family members.
"The emphasis should be on what connects us, rather than what divides us," he said, citing Pakeha use of phrases such as "step-sister".
"I am often puzzled when I hear Pakeha define members of their whanau in ways which seek to create a distance - to put up a barrier between themselves and another.
"A step-sister, a half-brother, a cousin twice removed, my mother's cousin," he said.
"In our world, we welcome our sisters and brothers, our cousins, our aunties and uncles as whanau - whatever degree of separation a genealogy expert might describe it as.
"And in much the same way, when we need to express grief, the strength for us is in numbers, in our connections, while in other world views, the expression of grief may be another opportunity to create distance - 'we'll leave them alone'; 'they wouldn't want to see people at this time'; 'we'll just send flowers and cause them no bother'
I admit this touches a nerve with me. In grief (what little experience I have had of it) I tend to be very private, internalising how I feel and coping until the pain diminishes. Would it be rash to say this is the Pakeha or European way?
Maybe we could benefit from expressing our grief more intensely and collectively but then we have a long tradition of controlling our emotions. Some emotions need to be kept in check and I would venture that there is a downside to giving vent to them without restraint.
So perhaps we could learn a thing or two about how to grieve and Maori could learn a thing or two about how to control their anger.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Dalziel at Women's Refuge Conference
Lianne Dalziel, as Minister of Women's Affairs has just addressed the Women's Refuge AGM. They apparently challenged her to talk in terms of violence aginst women rather than family violence because they "do not want to lose the gender reality of partner violence."
Ms Dalziel said she had no problem complying. "I have read the assertion that women are equally as violent as men. And, to use an insurance term, on a knock-for-knock basis that is correct. But it is the women who feel the fear, it is the women who are hospitalised and it is the women who die."
That is the first time I have read a Minister acknowledging partner violence runs both ways. It seems to me that we still do not know how much violence against women is provoked by the eventual victim. Just as I am positive there are women who are largely innocent victims, there are others who are not. That is not to absolve a male from physically assaulting a woman who has mercilessly taunted or attacked him but the circumstances need to be treated as mitigating factors.
But perhaps the need for Women's Refuge could be reduced if some women addressed their own behaviour. A case was recently described to me where the man tried repeatedly to walk away. She kept after him hiding the car keys to keep him captive and eventually assaulted him with a broken bottle at which point he thumped her.
Men who beat women because of their own anger, jealousy, drug and alcohol problems should be listed in the DomPost like drink-drivers, scorned by their mates and banged up for a long time.
As with most social problems there is no one-size-fits-all problem or solution but I am pleased to see Dalziel at least describing the problem with more fairness.
Ms Dalziel said she had no problem complying. "I have read the assertion that women are equally as violent as men. And, to use an insurance term, on a knock-for-knock basis that is correct. But it is the women who feel the fear, it is the women who are hospitalised and it is the women who die."
That is the first time I have read a Minister acknowledging partner violence runs both ways. It seems to me that we still do not know how much violence against women is provoked by the eventual victim. Just as I am positive there are women who are largely innocent victims, there are others who are not. That is not to absolve a male from physically assaulting a woman who has mercilessly taunted or attacked him but the circumstances need to be treated as mitigating factors.
But perhaps the need for Women's Refuge could be reduced if some women addressed their own behaviour. A case was recently described to me where the man tried repeatedly to walk away. She kept after him hiding the car keys to keep him captive and eventually assaulted him with a broken bottle at which point he thumped her.
Men who beat women because of their own anger, jealousy, drug and alcohol problems should be listed in the DomPost like drink-drivers, scorned by their mates and banged up for a long time.
As with most social problems there is no one-size-fits-all problem or solution but I am pleased to see Dalziel at least describing the problem with more fairness.
Smoking is child abuse
According to Newstalk ZB;
The Maori Heart Foundation is hitting out at women who smoke during pregnancy, describing their actions as 'child abuse'.
The Foundation says around half of Maori women are smokers and almost all of them continue to smoke while pregnant.
Chief executive Mary McCulloch says even worse, a pregnant woman who quits smoking is often exposed to secondhand smoke by her whanau.
She says research clearly shows smoking results in physical injury to children. Under the legal definition, she says there is no doubt smoking constitutes child abuse.
I have a problem with this. Are we to call CYFS whenever we spot a pregnant woman smoking? Is it a punishable offence? Is it illegal?
By all means try to persuade women away from tobacco but where is the practical use in defining it as child abuse?
The Maori Heart Foundation is hitting out at women who smoke during pregnancy, describing their actions as 'child abuse'.
The Foundation says around half of Maori women are smokers and almost all of them continue to smoke while pregnant.
Chief executive Mary McCulloch says even worse, a pregnant woman who quits smoking is often exposed to secondhand smoke by her whanau.
She says research clearly shows smoking results in physical injury to children. Under the legal definition, she says there is no doubt smoking constitutes child abuse.
I have a problem with this. Are we to call CYFS whenever we spot a pregnant woman smoking? Is it a punishable offence? Is it illegal?
By all means try to persuade women away from tobacco but where is the practical use in defining it as child abuse?
Swedish Ministers scrutinised
The new Swedish government has problems. The Trade Minister has decided to resign due to revelations of tax avoidance practices and the new Culture Minister's position is also under threat because she didn't pay her TV licence for up to 16 years.
But wait.... there's more. The Migration Minister is also being pressured over his consistent ideological opposition and non-payment of the TV licence.
Given these politicians were elected to shrink the size of the state and reduce taxes they seem to have pretty good credentials.
But wait.... there's more. The Migration Minister is also being pressured over his consistent ideological opposition and non-payment of the TV licence.
Given these politicians were elected to shrink the size of the state and reduce taxes they seem to have pretty good credentials.
Baby-killing in North Korea
From The Times, one page of this is all I could stomach. It tells of eye witness accounts describing Kim Jong-il's obsession with Korean racial purity;
The latest desciption of Kim Jong-il’s policy of state eugenics came from a North Korean doctor, Ri Kwang-chol, who escaped last year and told a forum in Seoul that babies with deformities were killed soon after birth.
“There are no people with physical defects in North Korea,” Ri said. Such babies were put to death by medical staff and buried quickly, he claimed. He denied ever committing the act himself.
Exiles in Seoul said Ri was now keeping a low profile, fearing retaliation by North Korean agents, who have assassinated foes in the South Korean capital before. But his account added to the evidence that the Kim family dictatorship is founded on mystical notions of Korean racial superiority rather than Marxism — a reality that explains its deepening estrangement from China.
The latest desciption of Kim Jong-il’s policy of state eugenics came from a North Korean doctor, Ri Kwang-chol, who escaped last year and told a forum in Seoul that babies with deformities were killed soon after birth.
“There are no people with physical defects in North Korea,” Ri said. Such babies were put to death by medical staff and buried quickly, he claimed. He denied ever committing the act himself.
Exiles in Seoul said Ri was now keeping a low profile, fearing retaliation by North Korean agents, who have assassinated foes in the South Korean capital before. But his account added to the evidence that the Kim family dictatorship is founded on mystical notions of Korean racial superiority rather than Marxism — a reality that explains its deepening estrangement from China.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Anti-immigration nonsense
According to Newsroom, Voting Ban - New Zealand First wants to ban new residents from voting until they have lived in New Zealand for at least three to five years.
How patently stupid. People who by and large pay taxes and make other economic contributions can't vote while people who don't can?
NZ First are clearly back on their anti-immigration kick. That's all they have left now they've abandoned the grey vote.
How patently stupid. People who by and large pay taxes and make other economic contributions can't vote while people who don't can?
NZ First are clearly back on their anti-immigration kick. That's all they have left now they've abandoned the grey vote.
Road accidents and ethnicity
During the school holidays we went up to the Bay of Plenty. A greater police presence was obvious on the roads, which prompted me to look at road crashes and ethnicity, given the higher Maori population in that region.
28 percent of crash fatalities were Maori in 2005. So we have another disproportionality due to Maori tending "to be young, rural and of low socio-economic level".
The following graph shows that Pacific people and Maori experience much greater levels of hospitalisation per 100 million km travelled.
The maths is beyond me I am afraid but the chance of Maori being killed or injured on the road is more than double that of other New Zealanders. Pacific people, for the amount of driving they do, are also much more likely to be hospitalised, particularly 0-14 year-olds.
Another road-related reflection; For many years driving was part of my job and I've covered all areas of New Zealand. Today it would drive me nuts, constantly trying to keep to 100km. Last holiday I was pinged on the desert road doing 115km I think. Long downhill stretch necessitating constant braking to keep your speed legal - not another car in sight - perfect driving conditions. It's just a drag. We saw two cars being ticketed and both were in the same situation. Caught at the bottom of a long downhill stretch with good visibility.
The other occasion on which I've been ticketed recently was coming down the Ngauranga Gorge. Again, just as you enter the steep decline the abitrary speed limit flashing overhead invariably shows 80km which means everybody has to brake reasonably hard to bleed off 20 km before passing the camera. It was late at night, fine, very light traffic and I sailed past at over 80km. Shock, horror, danger, danger. $$$ down the drain. It pisses me off.
28 percent of crash fatalities were Maori in 2005. So we have another disproportionality due to Maori tending "to be young, rural and of low socio-economic level".
The following graph shows that Pacific people and Maori experience much greater levels of hospitalisation per 100 million km travelled.
The maths is beyond me I am afraid but the chance of Maori being killed or injured on the road is more than double that of other New Zealanders. Pacific people, for the amount of driving they do, are also much more likely to be hospitalised, particularly 0-14 year-olds.
Another road-related reflection; For many years driving was part of my job and I've covered all areas of New Zealand. Today it would drive me nuts, constantly trying to keep to 100km. Last holiday I was pinged on the desert road doing 115km I think. Long downhill stretch necessitating constant braking to keep your speed legal - not another car in sight - perfect driving conditions. It's just a drag. We saw two cars being ticketed and both were in the same situation. Caught at the bottom of a long downhill stretch with good visibility.
The other occasion on which I've been ticketed recently was coming down the Ngauranga Gorge. Again, just as you enter the steep decline the abitrary speed limit flashing overhead invariably shows 80km which means everybody has to brake reasonably hard to bleed off 20 km before passing the camera. It was late at night, fine, very light traffic and I sailed past at over 80km. Shock, horror, danger, danger. $$$ down the drain. It pisses me off.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Being Maori
This is from Hone Harawira's newsletter;
You know you're a Maori when ... you go to the ball with your cousin; a nice restaurant is an 'all you can eat' place; you visit the cuzzies, and someone's wearing the clothes you left behind last time; you have brothers or sisters with different mothers or fathers; you’re at a party, and your uncle turns the stereo off and starts playing the guitar; and your older brother makes you cry and you’re the one who gets a hiding for crying.
Maori and Pakeha are different IF we live by generalisations. Trouble is most people have become scared of admitting we are different because that seems to imply better or worse. I am quite happy with different, both having our strengths and weaknesses. But I would love to be able to understand the language.
I've long been interested in learning Maori. Started a course once but it wasn't quite what I had in mind being geared towards helping Maori speak Maori and based on quite rough conversational English. Now I have this new book which comprises short lessons and exercises. The trouble again is that I'm not convinced the author has a thorough understanding of English. That means that a given pronounciation, based on an English example, can be difficult to comprehend. I could be wrong.
Is there any interest out there in my posting some of the lessons? Perhaps one every two or three days? Anybody else want to pick up some more of the language?
I was with a Maori friend yesterday and we were watching a wood pigeon and she was grasping for the Maori word, "Ke...ke.." I finished it for her. She too would like to learn te reo and believes it can be picked up to a passable level of comprehension in the space of a year.
There may even be a Maori speaker who reads this blog who could throw some light on any difficulties.
So, is there any interest?
You know you're a Maori when ... you go to the ball with your cousin; a nice restaurant is an 'all you can eat' place; you visit the cuzzies, and someone's wearing the clothes you left behind last time; you have brothers or sisters with different mothers or fathers; you’re at a party, and your uncle turns the stereo off and starts playing the guitar; and your older brother makes you cry and you’re the one who gets a hiding for crying.
Maori and Pakeha are different IF we live by generalisations. Trouble is most people have become scared of admitting we are different because that seems to imply better or worse. I am quite happy with different, both having our strengths and weaknesses. But I would love to be able to understand the language.
I've long been interested in learning Maori. Started a course once but it wasn't quite what I had in mind being geared towards helping Maori speak Maori and based on quite rough conversational English. Now I have this new book which comprises short lessons and exercises. The trouble again is that I'm not convinced the author has a thorough understanding of English. That means that a given pronounciation, based on an English example, can be difficult to comprehend. I could be wrong.
Is there any interest out there in my posting some of the lessons? Perhaps one every two or three days? Anybody else want to pick up some more of the language?
I was with a Maori friend yesterday and we were watching a wood pigeon and she was grasping for the Maori word, "Ke...ke.." I finished it for her. She too would like to learn te reo and believes it can be picked up to a passable level of comprehension in the space of a year.
There may even be a Maori speaker who reads this blog who could throw some light on any difficulties.
So, is there any interest?
Collectivising cock-ups
Labour and the Greens have both launched campaigns asking their members and supporters to help payback their election over-spending debt. As far as I am aware ACT has not.
As I said previously I am not voluntarily paying for other people's mistakes. We get enough of that through taxation.
So it makes me quite sick to see the collective mentality at work with the first two parties. In our 'caring and sharing way' let's all be responsible for this cock-up. Well it wouldn't surprise me if members and supporters don't quite see it that way. At least one commentor on the Frog blog doesn't.
"I personally think that the MP’s wages should pay at least two thirds of the debt, if I even cared about recompense, because if we as individuals over spend to get a job then the money comes from our pocket’s. Or maybe a vote of confidence within the party’s and the for and against vote became the quotient the sitting member’s were liable for. Taking away some of their privilege might get them thinking more about what it’s like to be us… responsible for our action’s."
It must have passed the commentor by that the Greens are not into individual responsibility.
As I said previously I am not voluntarily paying for other people's mistakes. We get enough of that through taxation.
So it makes me quite sick to see the collective mentality at work with the first two parties. In our 'caring and sharing way' let's all be responsible for this cock-up. Well it wouldn't surprise me if members and supporters don't quite see it that way. At least one commentor on the Frog blog doesn't.
"I personally think that the MP’s wages should pay at least two thirds of the debt, if I even cared about recompense, because if we as individuals over spend to get a job then the money comes from our pocket’s. Or maybe a vote of confidence within the party’s and the for and against vote became the quotient the sitting member’s were liable for. Taking away some of their privilege might get them thinking more about what it’s like to be us… responsible for our action’s."
It must have passed the commentor by that the Greens are not into individual responsibility.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Teenage birth rate variability revealed
This is a strange headline; Teen pregnancy linked to wealth
A better summation would be, teenage pregnancy linked to poverty. Also the article is mainly about teenage birth, not pregnancy. However, this is important information that I have been looking for. Other countries have established the link. Now New Zealand joins them.
The numbers
* 65.8 girls per 1000 aged 15-19 gave birth in the most economically deprived areas, classified as decile 10.
* 6.92 per 1000 gave birth in the most affluent areas, or decile one.
That is a massive variation. Yesterday one of Sue Bradford's supporters challenged Dalrymple saying, if girls get pregnant for the DPB why is the teenage birth rate going down? This is a common objection from the left.
Yes, overall the teenage birth rate is going down BUT we do not know that the teenage birthrate amongst the poorest, those most likely to choose or default to a welfare lifestyle, is going down.
Last year the overall teenage (15-19) birth rate was 27 per 1,000, the abortion rate was 25 per 1,000.
The fact that the overall teenage birthrate has dropped in no way disproves a link between the availability of welfare and teenage birth. The main reason for the drop over the past 20 or so years is clearly abortion. Teenage births peaked in 1972 at 69. But that was before legalised abortion and the morning-after pills. Unwanted births were much harder to avoid.
And why is teenage birth a cause for concern? Are you listening Tariana?
I will quote from the Christchurch Health and Development Study;
"Specifically, early parenthood has far reaching physical, social and emotional consequences including an increased risk of antenatal complications and mortality, failure to complete schooling, socio-economic disadvantage, welfare dependence, marital difficulties, maternal depression and less competent parenting. In addition, children born to teenage mothers have higher rates of health problems, physical injury, behavioural difficulties, cognitive problems, and educational under-achievement than children born to older mothers."
A better summation would be, teenage pregnancy linked to poverty. Also the article is mainly about teenage birth, not pregnancy. However, this is important information that I have been looking for. Other countries have established the link. Now New Zealand joins them.
The numbers
* 65.8 girls per 1000 aged 15-19 gave birth in the most economically deprived areas, classified as decile 10.
* 6.92 per 1000 gave birth in the most affluent areas, or decile one.
That is a massive variation. Yesterday one of Sue Bradford's supporters challenged Dalrymple saying, if girls get pregnant for the DPB why is the teenage birth rate going down? This is a common objection from the left.
Yes, overall the teenage birth rate is going down BUT we do not know that the teenage birthrate amongst the poorest, those most likely to choose or default to a welfare lifestyle, is going down.
Last year the overall teenage (15-19) birth rate was 27 per 1,000, the abortion rate was 25 per 1,000.The fact that the overall teenage birthrate has dropped in no way disproves a link between the availability of welfare and teenage birth. The main reason for the drop over the past 20 or so years is clearly abortion. Teenage births peaked in 1972 at 69. But that was before legalised abortion and the morning-after pills. Unwanted births were much harder to avoid.
And why is teenage birth a cause for concern? Are you listening Tariana?
I will quote from the Christchurch Health and Development Study;
"Specifically, early parenthood has far reaching physical, social and emotional consequences including an increased risk of antenatal complications and mortality, failure to complete schooling, socio-economic disadvantage, welfare dependence, marital difficulties, maternal depression and less competent parenting. In addition, children born to teenage mothers have higher rates of health problems, physical injury, behavioural difficulties, cognitive problems, and educational under-achievement than children born to older mothers."
Amazing
This is fascinating. I'll just paste the full press release for your edification.
Maori To Make Treaty Claim For British Pensions
Thursday, 12 October 2006, 9:25 am
Press Release: David Rankin
12 October 2006
Maori To Make Treaty Claim For British Pensions
The leader of Northland's Matarahurahu hapu, David Rankin, has announced that he will be lodging claim with the Waitangi Tribunal for his people to be entitled to British pensions on reaching retirement age.
Mr. Rankin claims that Article Three of the Treaty, which guarantees Maori 'the same rights and privileges as British subjects', entitles the Matarahurahu people the right to this pension.
'I see this extending to other areas as well', says Mr. Rankin. We may expand the claim to include British passports, unemployment benefits, and other entitlements', he says.
The claim will be lodged at the end of October.
Maori To Make Treaty Claim For British Pensions
Thursday, 12 October 2006, 9:25 am
Press Release: David Rankin
12 October 2006
Maori To Make Treaty Claim For British Pensions
The leader of Northland's Matarahurahu hapu, David Rankin, has announced that he will be lodging claim with the Waitangi Tribunal for his people to be entitled to British pensions on reaching retirement age.
Mr. Rankin claims that Article Three of the Treaty, which guarantees Maori 'the same rights and privileges as British subjects', entitles the Matarahurahu people the right to this pension.
'I see this extending to other areas as well', says Mr. Rankin. We may expand the claim to include British passports, unemployment benefits, and other entitlements', he says.
The claim will be lodged at the end of October.
Dominated by libertarians
ACT is now dominated by libertarians, according to a disgruntled board member who has just resigned. Is it?
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
NZ First support EBs
Apparently the Education Minister is accusing National of a "cash for policy" deal for the Exclusive Brethren regarding independent schools. A pleasant surprise - NZ First has gone in to bat for the EBs.
Dalrymple/Bradford debate
Here's the thing. Sue Bradford has a very dim view of the human nature. Every beneficiary is a blameless victim and their capacity to be anything else is limited. People are "forced" into the benefit system.Theodore Dalrymple sees human beings as people with a capacity to make choices, to adapt, to be resourceful. He is not advocating abolishing the welfare state overnight but calling a halt to the future availability of benefits.
WELFARE CONDEMNS MORE KIDS THAN IT SAVES. Dalrymple argued for the statement and easily, gently and humourously, carried the day.
I asked a question. There had been a brief discussion of the welfare reforms in the US which Dalrymple admitted he wasn't an expert on but understood that they had been instigated with the weight of public opinion on board. Where, then, is British public opinion, (given NZ is more likely to be influenced by their government's actions?)
Mr Dalrymple responded that they weren't even having the debate. And that NZ shouldn't follow anything the UK does.
Welfare and Social Security spending up again
Given all the self-congratulatory compliments Labour pays itself over having the second lowest unemployment rate in the OECD one begins to wonder when it will start to show.
Year to June 2006 spending has risen to $15.598 billion - a 6.2 percent rise on the previous year at $14.682 billion.
According to Treasury, Social security and welfare expenses increasing by $0.9 billion due to the annual indexation of welfare benefits and the first full year impact of the Working for Families Package.
I suppose we should be thankful it hasn't risen any higher. This is the highest figure ever.
Year to June 2006 spending has risen to $15.598 billion - a 6.2 percent rise on the previous year at $14.682 billion.
According to Treasury, Social security and welfare expenses increasing by $0.9 billion due to the annual indexation of welfare benefits and the first full year impact of the Working for Families Package.
I suppose we should be thankful it hasn't risen any higher. This is the highest figure ever.
"Frivolous Politics"
This is a good column by Thomas Sowell entitled Frivolous Politics. "Frivolous" pertains to politicians and the media blowing up private lives and not-so substantial events, as we have witnessed here over the past months. But it also describes an approach to more serious matters.
Relieved they aren't sex-pots
Here's something to really worry us. Christchurch women have the lowest libido, according to a sexual health doctor speaking at a menopause conference (yikes). But Mayor Gary Moore is unphased. He says, "It's quite nice for it to be known that we're not the sex-pot capital of the world."
Politics first
Hone Harawira is refusing to help any constituent who isn't on the Maori roll. Obviously he can only get a party vote from someone on the general roll so they are no use to him. I can understand his reasoning but in his shoes I would be assessing whether I could help somebody based on what their problem was, not what roll they are on. Maybe I am the fool.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
ARE YOU DEPRESSED?
Pot calling kettle black
Sue Bradford gave a speech last week primarily promoting her section 59 repeal bill which should have its final reading before Parliament rises for the Xmas break. An interesting speech, highly readable, quite thought-provoking and disturbing in parts. I have symapthy for Bradford's opposition to the fundamentalists stance and material but that isn't the main issue. I remain unconvinced that passing her bill will make one iota of difference to the worst offenders and too much power will be conferred on the police and CYFS.She also touches however on the Kahui case.
Fallout from the Kahui tragedy
I’d like to turn now, just briefly, to an associated topic, which is the political fallout from the tragic death of the Kahui twins. There was something about the fact that it was twins who were killed that touched everyone very deeply, no matter our political persuasion, yet of course the responses are highly politicised.
The nadir in the media came with Emerson’s cartoon in the ‘Herald’ depicting a level of overt racism against Maori I can’t remember seeing for decades, and in Parliament, from National using the tragedy as an opportunity for a renewed attack on an already inadequate benefit system.
The ideology of ‘blame the victim, not the system’ is alive and well in Aotearoa today. As usual, Maori and beneficiaries are right up front on the receiving end.
While I’m not for a moment suggesting that whoever killed these babies shouldn’t be held to account for their actions, at the same time it is alarming the way in which this particular case has been used as an opportunity for a new assault by the Right on tangata whenua and the welfare system....
What we shouldn’t be doing is removing benefits and income-related rents, as Rodney Hide suggested in the House when debating the Kahui case. The consequences of that course of action are almost unimaginable in terms of a total descent into crime, violence, neglect and children who run the risk of being literally discarded, as we see in societies where infanticide or the killing of street kids are everyday evils.
After dwelling at length on the hysteria generated against her bill by various Right groups this is pretty rich.
"An artist of idleness tells how to work the system for 24 years"
This is great. French beneficiary writes a book about his years of living contentedly off the welfare system. Begs the question why somebody in this country doesn't produce such a useful manual.
Monday, October 09, 2006
What is going on?
Media Release
MSD CE BLOCKS INFORMATION RELEASE
9 October 2006
The Ministry of Social Development is no longer prepared to supply data unless it forms part of one of its own self-generated reports. According to welfare commentator, Lindsay Mitchell, "Previously I have encountered no difficulty in obtaining quite detailed data from the Ministry. But two recent requests have met with a refusal to provide information."
Ministry of Social Development Chief Executive, Peter Hughes, says, "The information you have requested is not held by the Ministry.... Although the Ministry may collect the data you have requested it is considered 'raw data'." The raw data, "....is not captured by any current reports that are run by the Ministry....the Ministry regularly reports on benefit statistics via its website. The Ministry's view is that this reporting substantially meets the public interest in this matter."
Mitchell says, "This recent use of the Official Information Act's clause 18(g), that a Ministry need not generate new information, is a departure which raises a number of questions, the obvious being, why isn't the Ministry regularly generating reports about the nature and number of children on benefits? "
"In August I asked, 'How many children are attached to the benefits of 18 and 19 year-olds currently on the DPB? How many single parents with dependent children are currently on any form of benefit and how many children are attached to these benefits?' Peter Hughes has refused to answer these questions."
"Previously I have asked similar, if not more specific questions (see below) and answers have been provided. Clearly there has been a change in policy. Does this have anything to do with a change in Minister?"
"The most pressing concern I have, however, is the ability of the Ministry to censor information simply by not generating their own reports. They are defining what is and isn't in the public interest."
"When the Labour government came to power in 1999 the Prime Minister promised transparency and accountability. In this respect the Ministry of Social Development is not delivering."
Previous questions;
'What are the ages of the children dependent on those single parents on a benefit who first received a benefit aged under twenty?'
Answered with a table current at February 2005.
'In respect of those single parents with dependent children who first started on a benefit under twenty, how many children are attached to their current benefit?'
Answered with a table current at February 2005
'How many children are currently supported by benefits and what is the break-down by benefit type?'
Answered with a table current at October 2004.
'What are the numbers of children supported by NZ Superannuation, War Pensions, Orphan's Benefit and non-beneficiaries?'
Answered with a table current at October 2004.
'How many DPB recipients have only one child recorded on their benefit and what are the ages of these children?'
Answered with a table current at May 2004.
MSD CE BLOCKS INFORMATION RELEASE
9 October 2006
The Ministry of Social Development is no longer prepared to supply data unless it forms part of one of its own self-generated reports. According to welfare commentator, Lindsay Mitchell, "Previously I have encountered no difficulty in obtaining quite detailed data from the Ministry. But two recent requests have met with a refusal to provide information."
Ministry of Social Development Chief Executive, Peter Hughes, says, "The information you have requested is not held by the Ministry.... Although the Ministry may collect the data you have requested it is considered 'raw data'." The raw data, "....is not captured by any current reports that are run by the Ministry....the Ministry regularly reports on benefit statistics via its website. The Ministry's view is that this reporting substantially meets the public interest in this matter."
Mitchell says, "This recent use of the Official Information Act's clause 18(g), that a Ministry need not generate new information, is a departure which raises a number of questions, the obvious being, why isn't the Ministry regularly generating reports about the nature and number of children on benefits? "
"In August I asked, 'How many children are attached to the benefits of 18 and 19 year-olds currently on the DPB? How many single parents with dependent children are currently on any form of benefit and how many children are attached to these benefits?' Peter Hughes has refused to answer these questions."
"Previously I have asked similar, if not more specific questions (see below) and answers have been provided. Clearly there has been a change in policy. Does this have anything to do with a change in Minister?"
"The most pressing concern I have, however, is the ability of the Ministry to censor information simply by not generating their own reports. They are defining what is and isn't in the public interest."
"When the Labour government came to power in 1999 the Prime Minister promised transparency and accountability. In this respect the Ministry of Social Development is not delivering."
Previous questions;
'What are the ages of the children dependent on those single parents on a benefit who first received a benefit aged under twenty?'
Answered with a table current at February 2005.
'In respect of those single parents with dependent children who first started on a benefit under twenty, how many children are attached to their current benefit?'
Answered with a table current at February 2005
'How many children are currently supported by benefits and what is the break-down by benefit type?'
Answered with a table current at October 2004.
'What are the numbers of children supported by NZ Superannuation, War Pensions, Orphan's Benefit and non-beneficiaries?'
Answered with a table current at October 2004.
'How many DPB recipients have only one child recorded on their benefit and what are the ages of these children?'
Answered with a table current at May 2004.
Bad idea
It was recently suggested to me that the DPB should only be available for one child. That would not stop the abuse I explained. In 2004 just under half of recipients had only one child but 55 percent of those had a child aged five or older. What do they do all day while living off the taxpayer at a cost of around $600,000,000 a year?
Instead of one child, what about one year?
Instead of one child, what about one year?
Russia's outlook
Russians are a dying population according to this fascinating but grim article.
Russia is rapidly losing population. Its people are succumbing to one of the world's fastest-growing AIDS epidemics, resurgent tuberculosis, rampant cardiovascular disease, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, suicide and the lethal effects of unchecked industrial pollution.
In addition, abortions outpaced births last year by more than 100,000. An estimated 10 million Russians of reproductive age are sterile because of botched abortions or poor health. The public healthcare system is collapsing. And many parents in more prosperous urban areas say they can't afford homes large enough for the number of children they'd like to have.
Russia is rapidly losing population. Its people are succumbing to one of the world's fastest-growing AIDS epidemics, resurgent tuberculosis, rampant cardiovascular disease, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, suicide and the lethal effects of unchecked industrial pollution.
In addition, abortions outpaced births last year by more than 100,000. An estimated 10 million Russians of reproductive age are sterile because of botched abortions or poor health. The public healthcare system is collapsing. And many parents in more prosperous urban areas say they can't afford homes large enough for the number of children they'd like to have.
Truant kids babysit while parents party
This is no surprise. Get the quote from the youth aid officer, "Those parents shouldn't have kids if that's what they're doing," stating the blindingly obvious.
In Te Kauwhata, truancy officer Girlie Iwihora found one set of parents drinking at a party during the morning while their nine-year-old child, who should have been at school, looked after his six-month-old sibling.
Both truancy officers said the cases were not isolated.
"I'm dealing with more situations like this everyday, where children are put in this kind of environment," Ms Te Heuheu said.
In Te Kauwhata, truancy officer Girlie Iwihora found one set of parents drinking at a party during the morning while their nine-year-old child, who should have been at school, looked after his six-month-old sibling.
Both truancy officers said the cases were not isolated.
"I'm dealing with more situations like this everyday, where children are put in this kind of environment," Ms Te Heuheu said.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Mustn't offend the Maori Party
ACT says it could go with Labour if Labour cut taxes. Ho hum. But this is the bit of the article that interests me.
And he (Rodney Hide) said the National Party, which also offended the Maori Party when Brash suggested there were no full blooded Maori left, was "increasingly isolated".
It worries me that ACT are going to spend the next two years trying to stay on side with the Maori Party. Many of their ideas are the antithesis of what a classical liberal party should be promoting.
Ironically, it might offend Tariana Turia that ACT could consider going with her antagonists, the Labour Party.
And he (Rodney Hide) said the National Party, which also offended the Maori Party when Brash suggested there were no full blooded Maori left, was "increasingly isolated".
It worries me that ACT are going to spend the next two years trying to stay on side with the Maori Party. Many of their ideas are the antithesis of what a classical liberal party should be promoting.
Ironically, it might offend Tariana Turia that ACT could consider going with her antagonists, the Labour Party.
Let's hope he passes the "test"
Gresham Marsh killed an elderly couple in 1994. He is serving a life sentence. Marsh's three sisters oppose his release. Apparently he is a time-bomb who will reoffend. Rowene Marsh-Potaka says, "I have dedicated my life to keep my brother inside in order to save another victim's life. Mark my words, if he is released he will kill again."
On September 19 the parole board said it supported supervised home leave to test if his (Marsh's) improved behaviour was genuine or a "manipulation" that could be trusted.
Last week three guards managed to lose a Arohata patient while she was at the local dentist.
On September 19 the parole board said it supported supervised home leave to test if his (Marsh's) improved behaviour was genuine or a "manipulation" that could be trusted.
Last week three guards managed to lose a Arohata patient while she was at the local dentist.
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