Greens call to more money for home insulation scheme
 
The Green Party is calling for the National Government to commit funds for the continuation of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart home insulation scheme in this year’s Budget, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.
 
“The National Government must pledge to renew funding for the enormously successful home insulation scheme,” said Mrs Turei.
 
“The Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme was negotiated by the Greens as part of our Memorandum of Understanding with National. For just $330 million it will insulate 230,000 Kiwi homes. It has created $1.3 billion of benefits, mainly in better child health, and created 2,000 homes.
 
“I have met with Simon Bridges to press for the continuation and enhancement of the home insulation scheme. We have worked with National to make this fantastic scheme work and will continue to do so.
 
“NGOs, iwi, and DHBs have seen the success of the programme and added their own money to get more homes insulated.
 
“Getting home insulation into Kiwi homes isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it is a top priority. It is a perfect example of what we mean when we talk about smart, green economics – it creates jobs, it uses resources efficiently and sustainably, and it makes Kiwis’ live better.
 
“Families living in cold, unhealthy, uninsulated homes, and the businesses employing 2,000 Kiwi workers to insulate homes deserve to know that this success story will continue,” said Mrs Turei.
 
ENDS

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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>>