Given this government’s track record of cuts to the public service (where so-called “back office” functions will indubitably affect the “front line”) and the PM’s comments describing the arts as a ‘nice to have’ in our schools, Luxon’s comments to councils are terrifying. What does he and his ilk regard as not-basic for councils? Playgrounds? Libraries? Local climate action? As a father of 4, I’m genuinely concerned about this current Government’s total disregard for people who aren’t wealthy.
I totally agree, and their push for polluting gold mining, climate-denying oil, coal & gas, tobacco, guns and speed are not at all reassuring re their morals, principles & wise decision-making abilities.
Pushing anti-democracy laws like Fast Track, using urgency & Seymours ability to change & rewrite new & existing laws & regulations through his new ministry are also terrifying.
Then there is the corruption that seems to be going on, with McKee (cancelling SmokefreeNZ potentially costing $70b), Willis (cancelling ferries -costing $1b for nothing), Shane Jones with his secret meetings (costing our environment, Luxon’s 12 houses & trusts (with more), undeclared donations & more.
And the worrying ties with known Atlas Network orgs & identical agendas from racism & climate denial to sacking public servants, & preferring landlords over renters.
As Monbiot describes here:
Massive cuts; demolishing public services; privatising public assets; sacking civil servants; sweeping away constraints on corporations; destroying regs that protect workers, vulnerable people & the living world; supporting landlords against tenants
Spinoff's endless quoting of his/her fellow journalists adds a new but unwelcome dimension to reportage. Journalists are hardly the most respected workpersons this side of the black stump.
Given this government’s track record of cuts to the public service (where so-called “back office” functions will indubitably affect the “front line”) and the PM’s comments describing the arts as a ‘nice to have’ in our schools, Luxon’s comments to councils are terrifying. What does he and his ilk regard as not-basic for councils? Playgrounds? Libraries? Local climate action? As a father of 4, I’m genuinely concerned about this current Government’s total disregard for people who aren’t wealthy.
I totally agree, and their push for polluting gold mining, climate-denying oil, coal & gas, tobacco, guns and speed are not at all reassuring re their morals, principles & wise decision-making abilities.
Pushing anti-democracy laws like Fast Track, using urgency & Seymours ability to change & rewrite new & existing laws & regulations through his new ministry are also terrifying.
Then there is the corruption that seems to be going on, with McKee (cancelling SmokefreeNZ potentially costing $70b), Willis (cancelling ferries -costing $1b for nothing), Shane Jones with his secret meetings (costing our environment, Luxon’s 12 houses & trusts (with more), undeclared donations & more.
And the worrying ties with known Atlas Network orgs & identical agendas from racism & climate denial to sacking public servants, & preferring landlords over renters.
As Monbiot describes here:
Massive cuts; demolishing public services; privatising public assets; sacking civil servants; sweeping away constraints on corporations; destroying regs that protect workers, vulnerable people & the living world; supporting landlords against tenants
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/06/rishi-sunak-javier-milei-donald-trump-atlas-network
Spinoff's endless quoting of his/her fellow journalists adds a new but unwelcome dimension to reportage. Journalists are hardly the most respected workpersons this side of the black stump.
You seem a reliable source, especially the way that you refer to “Spinoff” as a person
Sorry. I just assumed there was a person involved somewhere along the line. Are you a person, Pearce?
It’s a news website, so even if you’re one of those people allergic to the singular they, “their” is more appropriate than “his/her.”