Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

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

 

The New Write 14 August 2001

THE NEW WRITE

Official Newsletter of the New Zealand Young Nationals

14th August 2001

"It is curious that physical courage should be so common in a world where moral courage is so rare."
-Mark Twain

1. EDITORIAL: YOUTH RADIO IS A DUMB-ARSE IDEA
2. MP WANTS MORE PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
3. ANDERTON BRIBES MULTINATIONALS WITH WELFARE
4. MORE MAHAREY WAFFLE
5. TOP TEN PRIORITIES FOR MICHELLE BOAG
6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

1. EDITORIAL: YOUTH RADIO IS A DUMB-ARSE IDEA

Last week it emerged that once again the Government is considering the idea of a taxpayer funded, nation-wide youth radio station. This would have to rank as one of the stupidest ideas this government has had (and thats saying something.) At a time when student debt is skyrocketing, university fees are going up, police have to share teabags and cancer patients have to go overseas to get operations, the Government has decided that what this country really needs is millions spent on "Rockin’ FM with Laila Harre".

The idea of a single radio station for young people is incredibly patronising and arrogant. No-one ever talks about the need for a station for 'middle-aged people', because it would be impossible to get something everyone liked. The same is even more so for young people. Cabinet Ministers obviously don’t realise that young people are not some homogenous group; they are incredibly diverse, with different tastes and opinions on everything.

What kind of music will this station play? Rock? Rap? Classical? All kinds? Will anyone listen if they try and play a confusing variety? Do they expect all young people to listen to a station just because the government declares it "cool"? Who will decide what gets played – Marian Hobbs and Laila Harre?? The mind boggles.

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.

There are even more serious repercussions. This new station could force existing stations out of business. A 1997 report for then Youth Affairs Minister Deborah Morris found that young people were already well catered for by a huge variety of commercial stations, including the b-net student network. However with advertising at a premium, a state-run station entering the market could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for many smaller stations.

Several private stations have started a campaign against this move, and are calling for support – you can email them at moreradiochoice@hotmail.com. Please contact them and tell them what a stupid idea this plan is.


2. MP WANTS MORE PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

National MP Tony Steel is campaigning to reduce youth offending by making parents financially responsible for the crimes of their children.

"With a quarter of New Zealand's young people committing a criminal offence by the time they reach 19 years of age something must be done. A whopping 45% of burglaries and property abuse offences are committed by young offenders - up to 18,000 every year," Mr Steel said.

"The scary thing is that many of these young offenders go onto bigger things - assault, murder or rape. If we can stop youth offending with responsible, accountable parenting we'll have fewer hard-core criminals down the track.
"Family Group Conferences are a joke. 71% of young offenders dealt with through family group conferences re-offend. FGCs don't work for the offender and they certainly don't work for the victim. Victims have told me that at FGCs they feel like they've been attacked again. There is no justice for the victim.

"Too often the excuse for youth offending is that they can't help it because of their social circumstances. With all of the resources going into helping families, that excuse just doesn't wash anymore."

Mr Steel proposes that courts be empowered to award costs against parents, and to make other orders directed at establishing or improving parental responsibilities and parenting skills. Victims with small claims will have recourse to a Disputes Tribunal to obtain compensation.

"We must start making parents take more responsibility for the actions of their children," Mr Steel said.


3. ANDERTON BRIBES MULTINATIONALS WITH WELFARE

Jim Anderton's proposed donation of $1.6 million to Ericsson Synergy to invest in New Zealand amounts to little more than a bribe, ACT Finance spokesman Rodney Hide says.

"When the Government has to pay large companies millions of dollars to invest in our country, we've got a problem.

"What Alliance supporter thought that their vote would give Mr Anderton the power to dole out taxpayer funds to giant, multinational companies?"

Ericsson has a turnover of $56 billion, over half of New Zealand’s entire GDP.
"If this Government was making New Zealand 'business-friendly' we wouldn't have to hand out a single dollar to attract local investment.

"Rather than squandering scarce taxpayer funds, Mr Anderton should overhaul the RMA, get rid of obstructive labour laws and lower tax rates.

"Because he finds those measures far too difficult, Mr Anderton has provided every multinational and large company with the message: put your hand out, and we'll put you on welfare, along with the rest of the country," Rodney Hide said.


4. MORE MAHAREY WAFFLE

Note: This is not a joke. This seriously is a press release from Steve Maharey's office. A chocolate fish for anyone who can tell me what the hell it means. –Ed

Creating A Policy Context For Social Development

A social development approach to social policy which identifies a 'good society' and encourages sound social investment is outlined in a paper released today, said the Minister of Social Services and Employment Steve Maharey.

The Ministry of Social Policy report, The Social Development Approach, is a companion paper to Treasury papers released last week by Finance Minister Michael Cullen. It provides a high level basis for further strategic social policy work by the Ministry and the new Ministry of Social Development.

Mr Maharey said one of the key tasks he set for the Ministry of Social Policy was to develop a conceptual framework to assess cross-sectoral social policy Government initiatives.

Unfortunately it does not end there - the entire release is nearly 500 words long...


5. TOP TEN PRIORITIES FOR MICHELLE BOAG

1. Fund research to discover a new primary colour and then get 14 new
suits in that colour.

2. Check that Simon Power knows that "Limp Bizkit" is not something
that happens when you slip off the pedals of your mountain bike.

3. Reassure MPs that caucus meetings are being filmed "only for a
home video of all you lovely darlings".

4. Target boy racer voters by marketing Lindsay Tisch as the only MP
whose name sounds like a blow-off valve.

5. Launch an amnesty and buy-back scheme for all tweed jackets worn
by Young Nats.

6. Order a silver fern brooch to match Jenny's, only larger and more
presidential.

7. Remind Marie Hasler that taxpayer-funded parental leave is NOT
meant to be National policy.

8. Get together with Bob Simcock and Nandor Tanczos for a "sesh" to
discuss "heavy youth issues".

9. Ensure Clem Simich finally delivers his message to Wellington.

10. Avoid straying near Murray McCully's office without a chaperone.

Courtesy of St-Molesworth@yahoo.com


6. WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

http://home.earthlink.net/~conserve/conserve.htm

This an American site, very right-wing, but with lots of interesting opinion pieces on issues such as gun control, welfare, and free speech. Can't say I agree with everything on it but still an interesting read.

Thanks to Clint Heine for this website.


Any views expressed here are not necessarily those of New Zealand Young Nationals, or the New Zealand National Party.

Contributions, feedback and articles welcome. Email phil_rennie@hotmail.com

Email the editor if you want to subscribe.

Editor: Phil Rennie

© Scoop Media

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

Gordon Campbell: On How Climate Change Threatens Cricket‘s Future

Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else and complaining that he's inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” - which is how most of us would describe his own coalition agreements, 100-Day Plan, and backdated $3 billion handout to landlords... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. 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.