Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Vile, despicable comments from National Party leader


Vile, despicable comments from National Party leader Simon Bridges

Simon Bridges’ claim the government is compensating “meth crooks” is vile and despicable.

His comments continue the cruel, abusive derision directed against so many State tenants and beneficiaries under the National government.


Bridges knows the meth testing was bogus. He knows people were thrown out of their homes when there was no evidence when the contamination occurred or who had caused it.

Bridges and his National colleagues gloated as Paula Bennett put the boot in again and again against beneficiaries and state house tenants on the meth issue.

We are inviting New Zealanders to condemn Bridges rather than condemn state house tenants caught up in National’s cruel campaign.

Independent inquiry into the meth-testing industry and Mike Sabin’s role in it

Bridges should be calling for an independent inquiry into the meth-testing industry which drove the hysteria about meth contamination.

Bridges colleague Mike Sabin, former policeman and former National MP, was at the heart of the moral panic over meth.

Before he entered Parliament as an MP in 2011, Sabin was a policeman and founded an anti-methamphetamine company called MethCon.

It was an appropriate name for the company and the campaign Sabin ran in the National Party to drum up hysteria around methamphetamine.

As a result of Sabin’s campaign and National’s joy in attacking state house tenants and beneficiaries Housing New Zealand wasted over $100 million on meth testing and remediation of contaminated homes.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

How much of the $100 million wasted went through MethCon?

It was an industry out of control. I have been told by an industry insider that companies would deliberately test polyurethaned surfaces because they would always give elevated meth results.

There must be an inquiry into this unregulated, cowboy industry. We need to know how we came to waste over $100 million in taxpayer money.


John Minto

Convenor

State Housing Action Network

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.