pippalonghorn

The definition of poverty to me is living in poor conditions, not being fed regularly or properly, lack of suitable clothing, no shoes, suffering from illnesses and diseases brought on by these living conditions, the list goes on.

I'm not talking about owning an xbox or not. I am also not wanting this to turn into another completion against England. I just stated a fact. This country needs to help these kids and families out more.

BEVS

I know. It always seems to happen though. Instead of focusing on the issue in one's country of choice, it is deflected to another country. The home country for some reason. Almost like a defence rather than facing there is an issue.
I find that a bit pointless TBH. Maybe that's because I've been in NZ for nearly 10 years now. How the UK sorts it's problems is for the UK and maybe for the UK board to discuss. I'm interested of course, as the UK is my home country but bottom line is this.......

Yes.

jmh

The problem is that a lot of these issues are global. That doesn't give NZ a get out of jail free card, it means that the problem needs a different focus. I read the online press in the UK and the US and these arguments are familiar. According to Bryan Bruce, who I referred to earlier, this is a direct result of decades of liberal free market economics and the failed 'trickle down' effect which has led to a widening of the gap between rich and poor around the world. I would like NZ to part company with this economic structure and focus on serving its citizens. Sadly we seem condemned to follow the UK which follows the US, it seems to me.

Does this feed poor children? Well no, but if our government says that it's not their problem then we need to vote for a government who thinks differently.

I was always proud of the fact that us Kiwi's stood up to the US over the nuclear issue - now we just seem to tow along behind them and bow to their demands (read about TPP if you don't believe me). We need to devise a solution that suits the differences in New Zealand, not just adopt US or UK ideas and practices. There are unique aspects of NZ such as its role as a Pacific neighbour and the Treaty of Waitangi to give just two examples, which mean that we need to focus on what meets our needs.

I'd like to see innovative ideas and I'm not that interested in a NZ vs UK argument (although it's not my place to say who can talk about what!). To me the problem is bigger than that.

Of course, we still need to donate and help to feed the kids who are there now. At my mum's school (decile 1) several local companies sponsor their breakfast programme and they get free fruit donated. They are getting the Fonterra milk too. Those of you who work in companies could perhaps lobby for them to support local schools in poorer areas. It's a start.

barnsleymat

It would make a massive difference if the supermarkets didn't completely take the piss with their prices, I've been here 2 and a half years and I'm still shocked at how much they charge for pretty basic stuff. It very difficult to find places cheaper than the supermarket here, they're normally the cheapest place to shop, if I wasn't happy with the price of stuff in the supermarkets back home I always had the opportunity to go to the budget supermarkets, discount shops or the local market. Here that's not an option, so people with a lower household budget really suffer and Countdown & Pak n Save etc have us by the balls.

jmh

This is Bryn Bruce's latest post on Facebook (my bolding):


https://www.facebook.com/www.redsky.tv

Tom1983

That's a good point

Actually that's a very good point!

Definitely whack the prices up on sugary drinks and unhealthy shite etc. It's amazing that a 2.25 bottle of pop is cheaper than one pack of tomatoes. Tomatoes, Oranges/Mandarins and Grapes etc are a special treat due to the ridiculous charge they put. I find it baffling that supermarkets can get away with these sort of prices and people seem to accept it. Supermarket shopping is a necessity, people have to purchase food and water to survive. Bring the costs down and their waste would certainly go down. I know someone who works in Countdown and the amount of waste they have on their fresh fruit and veg is alarming according to him. Perhaps if you ask yourself $5.99 for tomatoes - that could be why there's a lot of waste. A cost to companies as well, did they go to the Gordon Brown/George Osborne school of economics???

I agree with you about property ownership and I'm surprised that my car radio hasn't broken since everytime I hear a house/mortgage advert. I've made my poitns crystal clear about my opinion on what they've done with the housing market - for crying out loud they're not doing the US and offering 100% LTVs . By all means, make the acceptance criteria for the 90-95% LTVs very strict but not banish them completely.

If they think 20% is bad now, it'll rise. If there is anyone with Mighty River Power or Meridian Energy. get out whilst you can! Once the shareholders start demanding higher dividends, enjoy the rates going up. It's a friggin joke about Air New Zealand as well - forget the expensive costs now, once the shareholders start demanding - it'll be around the $5,000 mark for a single flight to Europe if they get their way. We should all know the disadvantages that Thatchers privatisation did to Blighty and it'll happen here.

I see a lot of poverty around the East of Christchurch, people living in awful housing etc. But hey ho, the city centre is far more important than a mans castle according to the retards managing the rebuild. I have a friend who lives in Avondale, my goodness nearly 3 years and still no decision due to her land. Yet New Brighton Road can be repaired, far more importatnt to sort that out than her place.

Tom1983

I agree, I don't class people who say they're poor but have the latest Iphone, sky tv and always find money for their alcohol. To me, they're not poor, they just don't know priorities...

One thing I am sort of proud about New Zealand is that they don't give child benefit here. I do think there should be some sort of help since having our son, i've seen just how expensive it is to provide properly for a young one. But certainly not on the levels that enable beneficaries to take the piss.

Supermarkets take the mick with baby pricing and the budget nappies are exactly that - budget! They may seem cheap but expect to be washing your babys sheets every morning due to the nappy not being able to hold 3 rounds of wee wees. Huggies are very good but we only buy them when they're on offer. Baby formula costs are a joke as well. Not all mums breast feed their kids, some can't - the costs for baby formula, jees! We used to buy Karicare and the new born price was ridiculous. It seemed like they just wanted to punish anyone that wasn't breast feeding their babies.

The 20 hours care charge that they offer should be from 3 months onwards, not 3 years. Some families require both parents to work! I cannot complain about the childcare costs here because the centres are excellent and they're life savers. But why on earth can families with 3 year olds upwards receive 20 hour subsidies, yet ones with new borns can't. If they refuse to do this, then how about increasing the paid maternity leave from 3 months to 6 months to cover this? It was a super idea by the labour minister for this and was shocked but not surprised Bill English would do a veto despite the majroity of ministers agreeing with it.

That was another reason why I mentioned the working tax credit system. If none of the above can be sorted, then increase the $$$ rates for families to receive working tax credits.

dannigirl

It is indeed a global problem. I was surprised by the I guess what you describe as "the working poor" in NZ. Working hard, being paid low wages and scraping by. Life is a real grind. Mind you, it's the same here for some in the UK. Let's face it being poor in any country is shite. No easy answers there.

I agree about food prices. I absolutely don't mind eating seasonally at all, but I can understand how/why people can't/don't eat fresh food. Especially when all the crap food is on sale at the supermarket. No I don't want 3 bags of chips for $5 but I would like milk at a fair price!

No easy answers though.....

Bellasmum

When we bought our first house life was a real grind for us in the early 60's but our education system did a good job of preparing us for our growing family life.

We all had cooking, sewing, knitting, wood work, metal work, home economics, home nursing etc, classes at school so we started our adult hood with good basic skills.

IMHO we now have children trying to be parents with no idea or interest in much other than themselves.

Or we have the opposite. Young people full of drive for academic knowledge with lots of career ambition.

IMHO education should provide a broader education as nothing stays the same.

The reality is the world will always go through changes and we need to vary our priorities, not expect it to change to suit us.

bearskin

It beggars belief that anyone should be poor in NZ. It literally - and I mean, it actually is… a Land of Milk and Honey.

The rich people here - whilst not uber-rich on a global scale - you only have to go over to Waiheke Island and see how many Yanks own most of the property, or Remuera and see all the Asian multi-millionaires… are so well off compared to your average Joe it's jet not funny.

And, actually the NZ-rich haven't done much for their money other than have their parents be born here. Anyone who's family was here, let's say in the 70s.. could very easily be worth millions now. All you to do was sub-divide your property in two, and move, Repeat, say twice more - and hey presto, you are Rich. And keep getting richer. Money makes money.

Take farmers for example. They cry so hard when it doesn't rain for a month. Their average take-home pay can HUNDREDs of THOUSANDS of dollars a year. Boo Hoo. Poor them. Look at that shambolic bunch of dysfunctional minters from Feilding that started burning down each others houses and ended up with one of the lil rich farmy boys shooting the other…

And some people point their fingers at the North Shore. Which is mostly hard-working families.

Bellasmum

You are quite right, but (LOL there is always a but) the vast majority of Kiwi's didn't think like that in my childhood and many still don't now.

Purrball

With all due respect... bullshite. Let's not dwell on how things are in this glowing ideal enclave of yours, but address the reality.



And just published today, more:




This is a problem created by politics and ultimately solvable by politics. When a Government minister actively blocks research into the issue, you know where the real crux of the problem lies.

bearskin

So you would deny that two of NZ's iconic products, and famous exports are Milk and (Manuka) Honey?

Care explain what you mean by my 'glowing ideal enclave'???

Snap Shot

Bearskin - didn't you see the news report a couple of weeks ago that New Zealand seems to be the land of bad milk (Fonterra bacteria scandal) and fake honey (ordinary honey being deliberately labelled as manuka by fraudsters who were made to pulp the unused illegal labels) ?

jmh

We need a government which prioritises feeding the population over export $$$. That's up to us to vote for one.