Deaf MP

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#582147 16-Feb-2012 06:59

scuwp: Mojo is employed by the Green Party, she is only in Parliament through her place on the party list (i.e. she was not democratically elected to represent the people) Therefore the Green party should pay for whatever equipment their chosen representative needs to work for them in parliament out of the 6.5 million they already get to run their party.

this is funny. i dont think you really understand the system then. those list MPs are voted by the people. what an insult to the voters who voted them in.

we should accommodate those with needs. $30,000 system is a pittance to the government that spends billions of dollars every month.

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#582159 16-Feb-2012 08:10

nakedmolerat:
scuwp: Mojo is employed by the Green Party, she is only in Parliament through her place on the party list (i.e. she was not democratically elected to represent the people) Therefore the Green party should pay for whatever equipment their chosen representative needs to work for them in parliament out of the 6.5 million they already get to run their party.

this is funny. i dont think you really understand the system then. those list MPs are voted by the people. what an insult to the voters who voted them in.

we should accommodate those with needs. $30,000 system is a pittance to the government that spends billions of dollars every month.

I get it just fine, and if you read the rest of my post you would see I qualified this comment.

Yes she will get what she needs to do her job, there was never any question about that, it's only an argument about whose budget it is going to come from. Everyone knew this issue needed addressing since the election, and it should have been sorted well before now as an 'internal employment' matter. The grandstanding on such a 'non-story' by the Greens (and the new style tabloid sensationalist media we now have in this country) has just created more discontent and division which we seem to thrive on in this country.

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

YadaMe

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#582166 16-Feb-2012 08:38

I support her getting the help.
But what should also happen since there is now going to be a transcript of all the parliamentary goings on is that it should become part of the public record and put on the internet. Image what can be done with the analysis of the transcript, both now and in the future. Open government made easier

NonprayingMantis

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#582181 16-Feb-2012 09:15

I support employees getting whatever things they need to do their job - and that includes glasses for people with Myopia, free clothes for people who don't like to walk around naked, and free cars for those who live too far away to walk to work.

nzlemming

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#582201 16-Feb-2012 09:53

scuwp:

Everyone knew this issue needed addressing since the election, and it should have been sorted well before now as an 'internal employment' matter. The grandstanding on such a 'non-story' by the Greens (and the new style tabloid sensationalist media we now have in this country) has just created more discontent and division which we seem to thrive on in this country.

This is correct. However, as you portray it as an "employment matter", it seems you are thinking she is still employed by the Greens. She is not. She is a member of Parliament, therefore it is Parliament (personified by the Speaker) who employs her (or at least pays her - constitutionally, MPS are not employed in the same way that ordinary people are).

Parliamentary Services and Lockwood Smith knew about this from 26 November at least, and arguably before that as the Greens' polling got better and better. They knew enough to buy the equipment, at least. They were made aware that Mojo Mathers would require text translation of the debates by Mathers and the Greens in December, well in advance of the actual need. It could have been paid for out of the Office of the Clerk funding and should.

Of course, the Greens have made political capital out of this situation - that's what politics is all about. However, the capital they are making is for the benefit of the 1 in 5 New Zealanders (or 1 in 6, if you read yesterday's DomPost) that have disabilities and face very real barriers to participation in daily life that some of you might take for granted. Take a moment to stop and think how you would do everything you do in a day if, say, you could not hear, or the left side of your body was paralysed by a stroke.

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#582204 16-Feb-2012 09:55

NonprayingMantis: I support employees getting whatever things they need to do their job - and that includes glasses for people with Myopia, free clothes for people who don't like to walk around naked, and free cars for those who live too far away to walk to work.

Lol I can only pray you are being sarcastic. Ever employed anyone?

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#582217 16-Feb-2012 10:08

jeffnz: Frankly I don't see this as any sort of barrier or thinking against disabled at all, its just being portrayed that way.

This is getting like the racial card that continually gets pulled out and I for one get sick of it.

I was wondering when this sentiment would come up. It will be uncomfortable for many to realize that the road for the disabled is tough
due to their disabilities made even tougher buy attitudes still rife in our community.

A little from my own experience, when I became wheelchair bound I was told by my employer just to use the existing disabled toilet. OK , however
that was four floors down from where I worked. So to go to said toilet, I had to negotiate the maze that was my floor, get through two security doors of
which the Card swipes were located at a height that was difficult to reach in my chair. Wait for a elevator which could take quite some time. Proceed
four floors down then through two more security doors and then be able to use said toilet. Believe when you are in a chair you need to use a toilet
on quite a regular basis. It took a long time and my lawyers to finally sort this out and I was first moved to another office then finally to working
from home, however they insisted that I travel twice a week into the city for meetings that could have easily been done per the phone.

I was finally forced into medical retirement.

Now getting around town where councils make the gutters at pedestrian crossing so strap that wheelchairs get jammed , trust me that scary when Busses don't wait for you to get clear.

Ignorant *********** that park in Disabled car parks.

Building with revolving doors or escalators and no lifts, Again trust me Wheelchairs and escalators don't mix.

Buses that don't stop because they know the extra time and effort they have to put in.

Taxis that suddenly become "not in service" when you approach them.

Or this one really shows the attitude, People that talk to my wife about me as if I am deaf, dumb and intellectually disabled just because I am in a chair. Things like…" does he need a drink?"

Restaurants that say you cannot come in here, yes it happens , it has happened to me.

So yeah, the attitude and prejudices exist widely in our community. They are not playing some "card", the bottom line is the disabled have rights and yes
they do need spacial facilities. These facilities are not luxuries.

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John2010

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#582218 16-Feb-2012 10:09

YadaMe:
...But what should also happen since there is now going to be a transcript of all the parliamentary goings on is that it should become part of the public record and put on the internet. Image what can be done with the analysis of the transcript, both now and in the future. Open government made easier

What is there that is not in Hansard that you think is needed?

Regarding Mojo Mathers she aleady gets funding for two full time staffers, Given she is a list MP I find it hard to believe any more are justified.

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#582228 16-Feb-2012 10:26

My thoughts, blatantly ripped off from David Farrar and Cameron Slater:

kiwiblog: Finally i would also point out that there is no question of Mathers personally paying for the note-taking equipment. In fact the taxpayers, through Parliamentary Service, will be paying either way. The Greens receive a total of $5.64m funding over this parliamentary term to support their MPs, so this represents around 0.5% of their funding over the next three years.

and

whaleoil: Why are the Greens not telling anyone that she worked for 5 years as a senior policy advisor for The Greens?She was also a parliamentary advisor at one point.

That means she was well aware of the Parliamentary environment.

I wonder whether she or the Greens have previously paid for her to have an electronic note taker in that environment before?

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#582230 16-Feb-2012 10:28

Regardless of views, a few people here don't seem to understand what is actually being requested.

A transcript exists already, it is called the Hansard. The problem for Mathers is that Hansard is not created in real-time as it happens. Not only that, it is created from a combination of audio recordings and human observation, and it is not a complete record of what is being said. By convention some things are left out - interjections for instance.

At 30K or thereabouts I doubt she is requesting resources to enable to her to get every single verbal communication in the house in real-time. My guess is just on things of intense interest to her, and to understand interjections on these topics, and when she is speaking and needs to respond in real time to interjections and supplementary questions, and committee proceedings where she has an interest or is a participant.

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#582237 16-Feb-2012 10:37

nate: My thoughts, blatantly ripped off from David Farrar and Cameron Slater:

kiwiblog: Finally i would also point out that there is no question of Mathers personally paying for the note-taking equipment. In fact the taxpayers, through Parliamentary Service, will be paying either way. The Greens receive a total of $5.64m funding over this parliamentary term to support their MPs, so this represents around 0.5% of their funding over the next three years.

and

whaleoil: Why are the Greens not telling anyone that she worked for 5 years as a senior policy advisor for The Greens?She was also a parliamentary advisor at one point.

That means she was well aware of the Parliamentary environment.

I wonder whether she or the Greens have previously paid for her to have an electronic note taker in that environment before?

I was actually compiling a question around whether her existing duties required her to have one, and why she can't use that, and if she has been making do without till now, why not continue?

I can't understand why the Greens haven't just written a cheque already.

martyyn

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#582241 16-Feb-2012 10:40

All this over a pathetic 30k ?!?! I cant even believe this is being discussed. That sort of money is dropped every week on travel, lunches, cars etc.

Pay the money and let her get on with the job she has been 'elected' to do.....and yes Im aware she was on the party list.

jeffnz

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#582242 16-Feb-2012 10:40

Kiwinz, I'm glad I gave you a window of opportunity to air your frustration.

There seems to be 2 seperate issues running here with people getting them both confused

first and foremost whether she is entitled to devices to aid her in her job, can't really see any detracters on this.
Secondly, and the one most are getting hung up on being who should pay it, we know it will be paid for by the tax payer so the point is mute.

Sadly even people on this forum are getting a bit carried away based mainly on thier perception of the situation. It is clearly a non event and being pushed as a disabled rights issue which it isn't so why people keep bringing up its disabled bashing is beyond me.

Rant over and won't be commenting again as it is simply twisted to suit the posters view.

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nzlemming

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#582249 16-Feb-2012 10:47

jeffnz:
It is clearly a non event and being pushed as a disabled rights issue which it isn't so why people keep bringing up its disabled bashing is beyond me.

Except that's exactly what it is - the right of a person regarded as disabled to participate in activities alongside other persons who are not regard as disabled (though I have my doubts about some MPS...). In order to participate at the same level, this person needs technology and realtime assistance. The technology has been provided but the assistance has been withheld - one doesn't work properly without the other.

NonprayingMantis

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#582251 16-Feb-2012 10:49

networkn:
nate: My thoughts, blatantly ripped off from David Farrar and Cameron Slater:

kiwiblog: Finally i would also point out that there is no question of Mathers personally paying for the note-taking equipment. In fact the taxpayers, through Parliamentary Service, will be paying either way. The Greens receive a total of $5.64m funding over this parliamentary term to support their MPs, so this represents around 0.5% of their funding over the next three years.

and

whaleoil: Why are the Greens not telling anyone that she worked for 5 years as a senior policy advisor for The Greens?She was also a parliamentary advisor at one point.

That means she was well aware of the Parliamentary environment.

I wonder whether she or the Greens have previously paid for her to have an electronic note taker in that environment before?

I was actually compiling a question around whether her existing duties required her to have one, and why she can't use that, and if she has been making do without till now, why not continue?

I can't understand why the Greens haven't just written a cheque already.

Yeah, it does make me wonder. Say a new MP was elected who needed a wheelchair. There would be approximately a 100% chance that they would already have one, so would the taxpayer be expected to fork out for a new wheelchair? I doubt it.

So if this MP has already been working for several years for the greens, then she should really have any and all technology she needs to function properly. If not, the question should be why not?

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