8 March 2013

Government books highlight growing inequality

A day after the public learned a Government SOE is paying its ex-boss $5,000 a day to sit by the phone, the Crown’s books highlight the growing inequality in New Zealand under National, Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

The Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the seven months to January 2013 state that, despite the falling deficit, “there was a fall in employment concentrated at the lower end of the income scale, for example, parttime workers. Overall, the same amount of income was earned by fewer workers”.

“Under National, the pie isn’t growing, and fewer Kiwis are getting a slice,” said Dr Norman.

“It’s welcome that National is finally getting its prolific borrowing under control but the latest statements are a stark reminder that there’s more to the country than the balance line in the Crown accounts.

“Inequality is getting worse under National.

“While the National Government pays Don Elder $5,000 a day to sit at home as a ‘consultant’ for Solid Energy, New Zealanders are losing their jobs and being thrust into poverty.

“National were quick to give Mr Elder an $80,000 a year tax cut but haves stood idly by while the number of jobless Kiwis as risen by 105,000 under their watch.

“Poverty is rising, the GINI Index measure of inequality has reached a record level under the current National Government, and household incomes have fallen by 7 percent in real terms.

“The National Government needs to stop spending its time cutting deals with its rich mates and, instead, focus on jobs and incomes for everyday New Zealanders,” said Dr Norman.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>