Did we just have a budget?

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#1560444 27-May-2016 08:58

DaveB:

Was it such a small event I missed something? Or did I just imagine the budget was on its way? Business as usual by the looks of things, so National must be doing something right.

Depends on your opinion regarding "business as usual".

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#1560468 27-May-2016 09:27

The budget announcement seems like a bit of a let down because it is the same Key/English policy we have all grown accustomed to for most of a decade. No major surprises, just an effort to get the country managed efficiently which is never glamorous.

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#1560490 27-May-2016 09:45

Strange operations funding was frozen in schools (which pays for pretty much everything aside from teacher's pay?) but 'targeted' funding for students was given with no provisions for how it is to be spent. Guess it will be spent on operations. Wonder how it is decided which students get targeted funding?

Edit: spelling

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#1560510 27-May-2016 10:19

I'll just leave this here as I just can't fathom a comment.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/80435800/best--worst-dressed-the-budget-2016

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#1560515 27-May-2016 10:23

geekiegeek:

I'll just leave this here as I just can't fathom a comment.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/80435800/best--worst-dressed-the-budget-2016

What the? really? its, hmmmm really?

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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#1560542 27-May-2016 10:57

JayADee: Strange operations funding was frozen in schools (which pays for pretty much everything aside from teacher's pay?) but 'targeted' funding for students was given with no provisions for how it is to be spent. Guess it will be spent on operations. Wonder how it is decided which students get targeted funding?

Edit: spelling

Children of long-term beneficiaries for one, apparently.

The decile model for funding is (hopefully IMO) on it's way out - or serious reform.

It was or is an utterly disastrous way to implement differential funding. Post a question on any forum asking "what suburb shall we move to with our young family" and you'll be deluged with opinion about schools, the direct correlation between perceived quality of education that "everybody knows" - and don't hesitate to express openly - with decile ranking is extremely harmful. If someone wanted to create a self-fulfilling prophesy for failure, the devil himself couldn't have devised a more perfect plan.

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#1560554 27-May-2016 11:00

geekiegeek:

I'll just leave this here as I just can't fathom a comment.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/80435800/best--worst-dressed-the-budget-2016

Their photographers are s#!T!!

Fred99

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#1560559 27-May-2016 11:10

MikeB4:

geekiegeek:

I'll just leave this here as I just can't fathom a comment.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/fashion/80435800/best--worst-dressed-the-budget-2016

What the? really? its, hmmmm really?

It is in the "Life and Style" section.

I'll actually give Stuff a B- for that short article.

Any woman in a senior position gets judged mercilessly on how they look, what they wear.

JayADee

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#1560562 27-May-2016 11:13

Fred99:
JayADee: Strange operations funding was frozen in schools (which pays for pretty much everything aside from teacher's pay?) but 'targeted' funding for students was given with no provisions for how it is to be spent. Guess it will be spent on operations. Wonder how it is decided which students get targeted funding?

Edit: spelling

Children of long-term beneficiaries for one, apparently.

The decile model for funding is (hopefully IMO) on it's way out - or serious reform.

It was or is an utterly disastrous way to implement differential funding. Post a question on any forum asking "what suburb shall we move to with our young family" and you'll be deluged with opinion about schools, the direct correlation between perceived quality of education that "everybody knows" - and don't hesitate to express openly - with decile ranking is extremely harmful. If someone wanted to create a self-fulfilling prophesy for failure, the devil himself couldn't have devised a more perfect plan.

No argument from me that perceptions about deciles are wrong, but this could play havoc with school budgets- kids at risk move a lot more so the funding is going to have to move around with them and keeping track of which kids get it and which schools get how much when sounds logistically difficult.

Also since the operations grant is frozen it means an at risk kid's funding is also going to go into expense hikes (inflation) for building maintenance, electricity etc. and since the school can spend it how they like, an at risk kid might not necessarily see any changes in how programs are delivered to them unless the parent makes enough noise and at risk kids are less likely to have that kind of parent.

Sounds pretty problematical.

Also health has been very underfunded the last couple budgets and the boost for it in this one does not catch it up but at least it got some.

In my opinion, charter schools are still a mistake. I'd have rather that money went into state schools or state housing.

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#1560611 27-May-2016 12:05

Fred99:

It is in the "Life and Style" section.

I'll actually give Stuff a B- for that short article.

Any woman in a senior position gets judged mercilessly on how they look, what they wear.

Agree. I have no problem with that. The site name is stuff. This is stuff.

Fred99

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#1560626 27-May-2016 12:20

JayADee:
Fred99:

JayADee: Strange operations funding was frozen in schools (which pays for pretty much everything aside from teacher's pay?) but 'targeted' funding for students was given with no provisions for how it is to be spent. Guess it will be spent on operations. Wonder how it is decided which students get targeted funding?

Edit: spelling

Children of long-term beneficiaries for one, apparently.

The decile model for funding is (hopefully IMO) on it's way out - or serious reform.

It was or is an utterly disastrous way to implement differential funding. Post a question on any forum asking "what suburb shall we move to with our young family" and you'll be deluged with opinion about schools, the direct correlation between perceived quality of education that "everybody knows" - and don't hesitate to express openly - with decile ranking is extremely harmful. If someone wanted to create a self-fulfilling prophesy for failure, the devil himself couldn't have devised a more perfect plan.

No argument from me that perceptions about deciles are wrong, but this could play havoc with school budgets- kids at risk move a lot more so the funding is going to have to move around with them and keeping track of which kids get it and which schools get how much when sounds logistically difficult.

Also since the operations grant is frozen it means an at risk kid's funding is also going to go into expense hikes (inflation) for building maintenance, electricity etc. and since the school can spend it how they like, an at risk kid might not necessarily see any changes in how programs are delivered to them unless the parent makes enough noise and at risk kids are less likely to have that kind of parent.

Sounds pretty problematical.

Also health has been very underfunded the last couple budgets and the boost for it in this one does not catch it up but at least it got some.

In my opinion, charter schools are still a mistake. I'd have rather that money went into state schools or state housing.

I agree about the difficulties you point out with alternative (differential) funding models etc. If the solution was easy - it would have been sorted years ago. The school/funding issues are but one part of an overall problem - one that doesn't seem to be being fully solved elsewhere either - at least not where money doesn't grow on trees.

Charter schools (IMO) are a large can of worms, opposed by teacher/unions for obvious reasons of self interest, promoted by other groups, also for reasons of self-interest. My main concern is that zealots need to be kept out of it.

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#1560802 27-May-2016 15:17

A current question I have is: Are these two people going to get hip replacement any faster?

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/medicine/news/article.cfm?c_id=255&objectid=11641485

Both of these people are actively contributing in some level of pain and I think there is really no excuse for inaction.

Working lives are longer and the government is just transparently shooting itself in the foot with other potential costs if they ignore this kind of situation.

Fred99

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#1560821 27-May-2016 15:37

Jaxson:

Fred99:

It is in the "Life and Style" section.

I'll actually give Stuff a B- for that short article.

Any woman in a senior position gets judged mercilessly on how they look, what they wear.

Agree. I have no problem with that. The site name is stuff. This is stuff.

And at least the headline wasn't "You'll be shocked to see what bill was wearing"

DaveB

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#1560924 27-May-2016 19:40

gzt: A current question I have is: Are these two people going to get hip replacement any faster?

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/medicine/news/article.cfm?c_id=255&objectid=11641485

Both of these people are actively contributing in some level of pain and I think there is really no excuse for inaction.

Working lives are longer and the government is just transparently shooting itself in the foot with other potential costs if they ignore this kind of situation.

This has been a problem for years now. The very simple fact is - if you do not have adequate private health insurance, you may be exposed to public service waiting lists for various procedures. It is not just your health (pain) that is exposed it is your earning ability - a "self employed" business consultant really should know this.

It is also not a political party issue as I can recall arriving in this country in 1978 and quickly becoming aware of the various waiting lists for hospital procedures, regardless of which party is in power.

Anybody want to pay more tax in order to provide a fully funded and 100% responsive Public Health system? Nope? I thought not.

clod

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#1561376 28-May-2016 19:10

DaveB:

gzt: A current question I have is: Are these two people going to get hip replacement any faster?

http://m.nzherald.co.nz/medicine/news/article.cfm?c_id=255&objectid=11641485

Both of these people are actively contributing in some level of pain and I think there is really no excuse for inaction.

Working lives are longer and the government is just transparently shooting itself in the foot with other potential costs if they ignore this kind of situation.

This has been a problem for years now. The very simple fact is - if you do not have adequate private health insurance, you may be exposed to public service waiting lists for various procedures. It is not just your health (pain) that is exposed it is your earning ability - a "self employed" business consultant really should know this.

It is also not a political party issue as I can recall arriving in this country in 1978 and quickly becoming aware of the various waiting lists for hospital procedures, regardless of which party is in power.

Anybody want to pay more tax in order to provide a fully funded and 100% responsive Public Health system? Nope? I thought not.

Actually I'd be quite happy to forgo the bribe of tax cuts if the money was put into health. Unfortunately tho it seems that we seem to have a me me attitude. Which is fine until a personal disaster happens and your good life disappears.

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