I always hated the term "benefit". It personifies the idea that it is a handout, not support and protection in hard times. Louise Upston is the most gruesome Minister in a while, including Paula Benefit.
Main benefit = jobseeker? 'cause everyone's a jobseeker even if they are permanently handicapped or fighting a serious illness. Yes, this coalition is tanking the economy, but I note that as of MSD's March 2025 quarterly report, the number of people requiring the Jobseeker Benefit because of a health condition or disability is at a five year high. Some of these poor souls will be sufferers of Long Covid, but MSD isn't tracking how big that particular number is--I know because I sent them an OIA request. And the "Lessons Learned" hearings recently seemed to deliberately exclude that community.
Louise Upston has already made it plain she doesn’t want to spend any money on disability services and support, now she’s not keen on helping people who can’t find a job in an ever shrinking job market. Makes you wonder what she has in mind for solo parents and pensioners?
This coalition must be helping the electricity supply, with their relentless gaslighting. UB40 were named after part of the paperwork for getting an unemployment benefit I recall
Thanks Nick...yes this gas Britain 1981 stamped all over it. I was living there when UB40 brought out 1 in 10. Then saw them at Glastonbury in 1983. Thatcher kicked the living shit out of the working class in Britain, and of course topped it off with eviscerating the miners' unions. It's feeling like Dejā vu all over again! The sun is shining in Te WI Pounamu and hopefully kand is drying out!
🤔 The first lot in history to enact these destructive policies of austerity instead of investment spending (house, roads, hospitals etc) can ALMOST be excused because it was a "theory" in search of proof 🤷 But those insisting on repeating the mistakes of the past with libraries full of proof of failure of the "theory" are wilfully destroying people's lives - it is deliberate because they are ideological morons and totally selfish & self-serving because THEY will be all right 🤬 and their $$ masters will be grateful & see them right if/when they leave politics 💩🤡
They are encouraging the destruction of information in libraries too. It simply will not do to have a broadly educated public with critical thinking skills, the horror! Meanwhile the bulk of our education system will be encouraged to crank out “factory fodder”, even there are no more factories. Honestly the crap policies repeated over and over could sink a ship. The government knows perfectly well what damage they are doing, but they don’t care, it’s not going to have any effect on them.
Nicola only gives us hype, not information, ideas or hope. She's keeping very quiet about the cost of the ferries. It would be nice to know how much we lost by reneging on the signed deal and delaying the whole process
Right on, Nick. OMG it is so depressing. A country like ours and we can't afford butter! Mind you I haven't bought butter for years. But I buy a lot of cheese, and it makes a substantial meal for many people. What excuses do they have for cheese increases.
Same as for butter I guess. Don’t we send huge amounts of milk powder to China as well? It all depletes availability here so depressing local demand by making it too expensive for locals means they can sell more elsewhere and keep profits up. Given the population of China how are we going to keep up with demand I wonder?
The stats don't take into account all those families where one of the bread-winners has lost a job but the other is still working - no benefit available and not in the statistics.
Yes and facing harder times with teenagers in the house. I understand people voting with their feet, of all the outcomes, the left lose more voters that way sad to say.
I have just got to point out that UB40 who I saw live in the 90's, sorry can't remember the year, wax the 2nd best concert I have ever been too. I love me a bit of UB40.
I have to thank you too Nick, I am always learning new things while reading your newsletters. I was only young or youngish and not particularly interested in politics, and although I remember Maggie Thatcher I really didn't know how bad she was and all the harm that her and her government caused in the UK.
Back to here in Aotearoa. I've said this before, so I apologize if I sound like a broken record, but the current COC is in my view, the most culturely insensitive, self-centred and cruel government I have ever seen.
Every decision that they have made and decisions they have not made, have caused significant pain, suffering and trauma to hundreds and thousands of New Zealanders on a daily basis.
Regardless of the bullshit they keep spouting on the daily, they continue to punch down on people who are at their most vulnerable.
It's completely heart-wrenching to see what they are doing to Aotearoa.
GO THE AB's and the Warriors Men's and Women's tomorrow.
Yeah. McPhail and Gadsby, Roger Hall, Ginette McDonald. John Clarke, Rosemary McLeod, A K Grant. Annie Whittle, Billy T. The satire of these writers and comedians helped keep our politicians in check. We could do with them now. Can't help thinking how Seymour and Luxon would shrivel up.
What was the programme where the family would come in and shove whatever cash they had collected earned traded for under a china chicken on a plate? and say "There Mammy"
I suspect that if Nicola’s employment record at Fonterra was released it could have the same embarrassing effect on her as Donald’s relationship with Jeffrey would have on him. As a Director of the Atlas aligned New Zealand Initiative, I doubt she would be in a position to snitch on her buddies about driving the prices of our dairy industry products to the brink of unaffordability. A rock and a hard place? Maybe a rock and a hard cheese….
I remember thinking at during the last government how I'd never seen so much choice in jobs listed for my area on Trademe jobs, I get a little email with all available on it, and then this lot took over and its gone from a scrollable list down to one or two advertised each day, and they are mostly agencies looking for suckers to weed crops and grade potatoes as temps on minimum wage.
I always hated the term "benefit". It personifies the idea that it is a handout, not support and protection in hard times. Louise Upston is the most gruesome Minister in a while, including Paula Benefit.
You'd think Nicola would be able to contact someone in Fonterra, surely still has a few former work contacts in her phone?
She is so disingenuous. Talks garbage.
Main benefit = jobseeker? 'cause everyone's a jobseeker even if they are permanently handicapped or fighting a serious illness. Yes, this coalition is tanking the economy, but I note that as of MSD's March 2025 quarterly report, the number of people requiring the Jobseeker Benefit because of a health condition or disability is at a five year high. Some of these poor souls will be sufferers of Long Covid, but MSD isn't tracking how big that particular number is--I know because I sent them an OIA request. And the "Lessons Learned" hearings recently seemed to deliberately exclude that community.
Yes, we are doing poorly with long covid. Australia has a programme.
Louise Upston has already made it plain she doesn’t want to spend any money on disability services and support, now she’s not keen on helping people who can’t find a job in an ever shrinking job market. Makes you wonder what she has in mind for solo parents and pensioners?
I hate the term 'jobseeker', it's dehumanising and designed to be so.
This coalition must be helping the electricity supply, with their relentless gaslighting. UB40 were named after part of the paperwork for getting an unemployment benefit I recall
Yes, UB40 was the name of the form. First big international band I ever saw.
Thanks Nick...yes this gas Britain 1981 stamped all over it. I was living there when UB40 brought out 1 in 10. Then saw them at Glastonbury in 1983. Thatcher kicked the living shit out of the working class in Britain, and of course topped it off with eviscerating the miners' unions. It's feeling like Dejā vu all over again! The sun is shining in Te WI Pounamu and hopefully kand is drying out!
Then she Thatcher went to war!! I see our Minister of Defence told recruits to be ready to fight!! (Not help with NZ disasters or any of that.)
🤔 The first lot in history to enact these destructive policies of austerity instead of investment spending (house, roads, hospitals etc) can ALMOST be excused because it was a "theory" in search of proof 🤷 But those insisting on repeating the mistakes of the past with libraries full of proof of failure of the "theory" are wilfully destroying people's lives - it is deliberate because they are ideological morons and totally selfish & self-serving because THEY will be all right 🤬 and their $$ masters will be grateful & see them right if/when they leave politics 💩🤡
They are encouraging the destruction of information in libraries too. It simply will not do to have a broadly educated public with critical thinking skills, the horror! Meanwhile the bulk of our education system will be encouraged to crank out “factory fodder”, even there are no more factories. Honestly the crap policies repeated over and over could sink a ship. The government knows perfectly well what damage they are doing, but they don’t care, it’s not going to have any effect on them.
Nicola only gives us hype, not information, ideas or hope. She's keeping very quiet about the cost of the ferries. It would be nice to know how much we lost by reneging on the signed deal and delaying the whole process
They are admitting to losing $300 million, so you can bet it’s a lot more than that.
Yes indeed Jill,!
Right on, Nick. OMG it is so depressing. A country like ours and we can't afford butter! Mind you I haven't bought butter for years. But I buy a lot of cheese, and it makes a substantial meal for many people. What excuses do they have for cheese increases.
Same as for butter I guess. Don’t we send huge amounts of milk powder to China as well? It all depletes availability here so depressing local demand by making it too expensive for locals means they can sell more elsewhere and keep profits up. Given the population of China how are we going to keep up with demand I wonder?
The stats don't take into account all those families where one of the bread-winners has lost a job but the other is still working - no benefit available and not in the statistics.
Yes and facing harder times with teenagers in the house. I understand people voting with their feet, of all the outcomes, the left lose more voters that way sad to say.
I was wondering when Nicola was going to enlighten us with the outcome of her call to Fonterra… I won’t hold my breath.
Ali Campbell 💕
They were a fantastic band to see live.
“Nicola enlightens”,oxymoron ( moron being the operative context ), for today
😂
Kia ora Nick.
Another on point newsletter.
I have just got to point out that UB40 who I saw live in the 90's, sorry can't remember the year, wax the 2nd best concert I have ever been too. I love me a bit of UB40.
I have to thank you too Nick, I am always learning new things while reading your newsletters. I was only young or youngish and not particularly interested in politics, and although I remember Maggie Thatcher I really didn't know how bad she was and all the harm that her and her government caused in the UK.
Back to here in Aotearoa. I've said this before, so I apologize if I sound like a broken record, but the current COC is in my view, the most culturely insensitive, self-centred and cruel government I have ever seen.
Every decision that they have made and decisions they have not made, have caused significant pain, suffering and trauma to hundreds and thousands of New Zealanders on a daily basis.
Regardless of the bullshit they keep spouting on the daily, they continue to punch down on people who are at their most vulnerable.
It's completely heart-wrenching to see what they are doing to Aotearoa.
GO THE AB's and the Warriors Men's and Women's tomorrow.
Yeah. McPhail and Gadsby, Roger Hall, Ginette McDonald. John Clarke, Rosemary McLeod, A K Grant. Annie Whittle, Billy T. The satire of these writers and comedians helped keep our politicians in check. We could do with them now. Can't help thinking how Seymour and Luxon would shrivel up.
Gis a job
Another brilliant TV programme that that era - Boys from the Blackstuff
I remember Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, from around then.
An excellent show!
Loved that programme.
That was so good, about the same 'Boys from the Blacksuff' was equally good and far more raw.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083689/?ref_=fn_all_ttl_1
Agreed
What was the programme where the family would come in and shove whatever cash they had collected earned traded for under a china chicken on a plate? and say "There Mammy"
Boys from the Black Stuff left a huge impression on me at that time. Brutal times.
I suspect that if Nicola’s employment record at Fonterra was released it could have the same embarrassing effect on her as Donald’s relationship with Jeffrey would have on him. As a Director of the Atlas aligned New Zealand Initiative, I doubt she would be in a position to snitch on her buddies about driving the prices of our dairy industry products to the brink of unaffordability. A rock and a hard place? Maybe a rock and a hard cheese….
Thanks Nick, I’ve had this song in my head all day 😂😂
You’re most welcome. 🙂
I remember thinking at during the last government how I'd never seen so much choice in jobs listed for my area on Trademe jobs, I get a little email with all available on it, and then this lot took over and its gone from a scrollable list down to one or two advertised each day, and they are mostly agencies looking for suckers to weed crops and grade potatoes as temps on minimum wage.