Our PM Jacinda Ardern (and the government)

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Forums › Politics › Our PM Jacinda Ardern (and the government)

Rikkitic

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#281419 16-Feb-2021 17:51

Didn't we have a PM/government thread here somewhere? I can't seem to find it.

Anyway, our PM has shown her teeth. I suppose the rednecks who always complain about her being wishy-washy will now complain about her recklessness.

Whatever.

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#2657712 16-Feb-2021 17:55

We have one for the coalition government - not for the new one.

Press release:

The Government is in contact with relevant authorities in Turkey following the arrest of a former Australian and New Zealand dual citizen there, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said.

“Contingency planning for the potential return of any New Zealander who may have been in the conflict zone has been underway for some time, and involves the New Zealand Police and other agencies,” Jacinda Ardern said.

“The woman in this case has held New Zealand and Australian citizenships and has been known to Australian and New Zealand authorities for some time.

“The fair question to ask is whether she should return to New Zealand or Australia. We firmly believe the answer is Australia – and have repeatedly communicated that view to the Australian Government at the highest levels.

“Unfortunately the Australian Government unilaterally cancelled her citizenship.

“It is wrong that New Zealand should shoulder the responsibility for a situation involving a woman who has not lived in New Zealand since she was six, has resided in Australia since that time, has her family in Australia and left for Syria from Australia on her Australian passport.

“Any fair minded person would consider this person an Australian and that is my view too.

“We believe Australia has abdicated its responsibilities in relation to this person and I have personally made that point to Prime Minister Morrison.

“Our international obligations are important to New Zealand. Where dual citizenship is involved, our view has been that it’s for New Zealand and Australia to resolve the most appropriate response and ensure that we do not strip citizenship and render someone stateless, especially when children are involved.

“We continue to urge Australia to cooperate in the management of these cases.

“The welfare of the children also needs to be at the forefront in this situation. These children were born in a conflict zone through no fault of their own.

“Coming to New Zealand, where they have no immediate family, would not be in their best interests. We know that young children thrive best when surrounded by people who love them. We will be raising these points with the Australian Government.

“We will be engaging with the Turkish authorities, and given there are children involved, their welfare will be top of mind in our response,” Jacinda Ardern said.

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networkn

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#2662104 24-Feb-2021 10:25

You and I must have very different definitions of "showing teeth".

Saying stern words that have no effect isn't doing anything other than talking. We have no power over Australia, they simply don't give a toss about our opinions on how they handle their refugees and we have no moral right to be lecturing them anyway after the way we handled immigrants during lockdowns.

Showing teeth would be deporting this silly woman who won't have a COVID test back to Australia.

Fred99

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#2662177 24-Feb-2021 12:45

networkn:

Showing teeth would be deporting this silly woman who won't have a COVID test back to Australia.

A bit off topic, but the woman was reported to have refused C-19 test because she didn't believe that she was being given full information and that as such they couldn't gain "informed consent" for an invasive procedure - in her "expert opinion - because she worked in the medical field". She's a vet nurse. Must be some very special vet practice she works at. Dr Doolittle's perhaps.

Yes I'd have hoped that we could have sent her back, but that would probably not comply with the rules where IIRC the 28 days isolation is all that's required.

networkn

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#2662181 24-Feb-2021 12:50

I know a couple of Anti Vaxx Vets, despite them being happy to sell them to me for my pets. It's a bit of a strange one really. One extremely activist Anti Vaxxer I know had her kid get whooping cough. It changed her mind almost instantly. She is very pro-vaxx now.

Varkk

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#2662185 24-Feb-2021 13:05

Fred99:

networkn:

Showing teeth would be deporting this silly woman who won't have a COVID test back to Australia.

A bit off topic, but the woman was reported to have refused C-19 test because she didn't believe that she was being given full information and that as such they couldn't gain "informed consent" for an invasive procedure - in her "expert opinion - because she worked in the medical field". She's a vet nurse. Must be some very special vet practice she works at. Dr Doolittle's perhaps.

Yes I'd have hoped that we could have sent her back, but that would probably not comply with the rules where IIRC the 28 days isolation is all that's required.

The thing is she would have been told all of the relevant information and presumably agreeing to it prior to boarding the flight to come here.

Fred99

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#2662189 24-Feb-2021 13:20

networkn:

One extremely activist Anti Vaxxer I know had her kid get whooping cough. It changed her mind almost instantly. She is very pro-vaxx now.

I was about to ask if you knew my sister, but a slightly different story, both her kids got very sick with whooping cough in quick succession, and were hospitalised for weeks. Despite that. for years she argued that not having them vaccinated was still "the better option". I guess there's a bit of a self-defence mechanism going on - nobody likes to admit they've been a bad parent, negligently endangering the lives of their own children. She's no longer an anti-vaxxer.

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networkn

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#2662251 24-Feb-2021 16:23

National's housing spokesperson Nicola Willis is in disbelief the Government has helped just 12 families into homes as part of the $400 million Progressive Homeownership Scheme launched in July last year.

"It is embarrassing. It's a total failure that the Government announced a rent-to-buy scheme in 2017 in the Prime Minister's speech from the throne, and yet here we are three-and-a-half years later and only 12 places have been delivered," Willis told Newshub.

Why would anyone be in disbelief at anything this Government fails to do when it comes to housing? Perhaps the 'most transparent government ever' will be telling us soon what Kiwibuild cost the Tax Payer?

Handle9

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#2662258 24-Feb-2021 16:33

I guess it's hard for Willis to read. The scheme was announced in July.

Rikkitic

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#2662286 24-Feb-2021 18:39

networkn:

National's housing spokesperson Nicola Willis is in disbelief the Government has helped just 12 families into homes as part of the $400 million Progressive Homeownership Scheme launched in July last year.

"It is embarrassing. It's a total failure that the Government announced a rent-to-buy scheme in 2017 in the Prime Minister's speech from the throne, and yet here we are three-and-a-half years later and only 12 places have been delivered," Willis told Newshub.

Why would anyone be in disbelief at anything this Government fails to do when it comes to housing? Perhaps the 'most transparent government ever' will be telling us soon what Kiwibuild cost the Tax Payer?

I was wondering what happened to you.

Your first two paragraphs are okay. Maybe this is another government stuff-up. Maybe it isn't. The problem is your third paragraph, where you start editorialising. You just can't resist putting the knife in, can you?

Again, maybe you are right, but it doesn't add weight to your argument when you start ranting.

From what I am reading, it takes (too much?) time to build momentum, but things are moving in the right direction. RNZ says New Zealand Housing Foundation chief executive Dominic Foote is 'not unhappy' with the result so far, 'given the scheme had to start from scratch'. So is this a legitimate criticism, or just a beat-up from an opposition desperate to find relevance? I don't know. No doubt you do.

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floydbloke

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#2662494 25-Feb-2021 08:22

Rikkitic:

... I suppose the rednecks who always complain about her being wishy-washy will now complain about her recklessness.

Whatever.

Rikkitic:

..., where you start editorialising. You just can't resist putting the knife in, can you?

Again, maybe you are right, but it doesn't add weight to your argument when you start ranting.

...

Hmmm???

Sometimes I use big words I don't always fully understand in an effort to make myself sound more photosynthesis.

Rikkitic

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#2662542 25-Feb-2021 08:45

floydbloke:

Hmmm???

Ah, you got me.

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#2662605 25-Feb-2021 11:36

Handle9: I guess it's hard for Willis to read. The scheme was announced in July.

The scheme was campaigned on by the Greens and IIRC, it was part of the confidence and supply agreement in 2017. The scheme was only set up at the last minute in the final sitting days of the government that had a three year term.

If we're going to say "it was only set up last year!" as some sort of defence for a grand total of 12 families being housed then I might be more open to it, but in the context of all their other failures and walk-backs on housing policy, I don't really see how that's much of an argument.

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#2662647 25-Feb-2021 13:45

networkn: National's housing spokesperson Nicola Willis is in disbelief the Government has helped just 12 families into homes as part of the $400 million Progressive Homeownership Scheme launched in July last year.

I have not looked into this but it could be misleading. I expect like other under-subscribed schemes this is allocated budget and has not actually been spent.

GV27

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#2663316 27-Feb-2021 10:55

gzt:
networkn: National's housing spokesperson Nicola Willis is in disbelief the Government has helped just 12 families into homes as part of the $400 million Progressive Homeownership Scheme launched in July last year.

I have not looked into this but it could be misleading. I expect like other under-subscribed schemes this is allocated budget and has not actually been spent.

https://www.interest.co.nz/property/109215/government-funding-community-housing-providers-sees-only-12-families-benefit

In July 2020, Woods announced the Government was taking its first steps by loaning two community organisations a total of $23 million to upscale up their existing progressive home ownership offerings.

She said the Housing Foundation in Auckland would receive $17 million to deliver 78 homes mainly through its Shared Home Ownership Programme and Rent to Own offering.

And the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust would be lent $6 million to deliver 25 homes through its Secure Home programme, which offers leasehold homes.

In October 2020, Woods announced Manawa Community Housing Trust - the housing arm of Ngā Pōtiki - would receive $7.2 million to construct 30 homes in Papamoa.

Each organisation can use its own criteria to determine eligibly for these homes.

Woods in July said work was underway to establish an initiative within Kāinga Ora for households to receive shared ownership support directly from the government.

She said this was expected to become available in “early 2021”. On Tuesday Woods confirmed the plan was still for this to occur this year, but didn’t say when.

Helps flesh out the timing question. However now we have Woods refusing to specify just how many houses we are short - i.e. how big the housing shortage might be. Can someone clear up with me where this ranks compared to not acknowledging we have a housing crisis at all? Because it feels pretty similar to me.

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#2668670 6-Mar-2021 08:25

Its a pity that housing isn't being run better. Who is to blame? Apparently in 2016 there wasn't a housing crisis. Its fair to blame if measures dont work, but what about the measures that never took place, or is that a free pass? A rent to buy scheme is a great idea, why hasn't everyone jumped on board? Maybe cos houses are out of reach now? Perhaps if Opposition did previously what they are saying now, it would not be so bad. My personal opinion is that no matter who was in Govt then and who is now, NZ does not have a will to play with housing. So, we then ignore the problem and now we seek blame, as Kiwis seem to be happy to do. English people are often tagged with being whinging poms, I feel we need to look at ourselves and stop whining and blaming incessantly. If you wish to say its not blame its accountability, then look at all participants and assess where blame lies on all. I guess if the current Govt ingnored the housing affordability crisis, they would be blamed for that. Hardly an equal assessment would that be?

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