Lindsay Mitchell
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com
Lindsay Mitchell has been researching and commenting on welfare since 2001. Many of her articles have been published in mainstream media and she has appeared on radio, tv and before select committees discussing issues relating to welfare. Lindsay is also an artist who works under commission and exhibits at Wellington, New Zealand, galleries.
The Prime Minister is off overseas tomorrow. RNZ reports:
Ardern will be making local media appearances and leveraging off New Zealand’s Covid-19 response. She noted research suggesting those abroad now see the country in a more favourable light.
“They see us as people who look after others, and that’s a really important message to send,” Ardern said.
“Come to New Zealand, we’re kind.”
Kind of what? Kind of authoritarian? Kind of conformist? Kind of pathetic?
Jacinda said there would be no vaccine mandates. Thousands breathed.
Then she said there would. Thousands lost their livelihoods.
With nothing left to lose, they went to parliament to appeal to her.
Not only did she steadfastly ignore them. She sneered and then smeared them.
But let’s shove aside the mental images still raw from the end of the protest.
And all the hardship the government response to Covid wreaked on the economy.
Covid aside, under Ardern, New Zealanders have experienced so much additional stress.
She has actively made life less tolerable for:
Farmers (unworkable regulations, new taxes, SNAs and encouraged division between rural and urban interests)
Landlords (often unnecessary onerous regulations and loss of tax exemption on mortgage interest)
Employers (more sick leave, higher legislated wages, extra public holiday and family violence leave)
The customers of farmers (all of us) are no better off. Farm produce gets more unaffordable.
Tenants are paying higher rents and now the pool of rental properties appears to be shrinking.
Employees are struggling with inflation that has both international and domestic drivers (not least the hyper spending by government on a burgeoning bureaucracy.) In a high inflation environment the poorest – and their children – hurt the most. They have the least disposable dollar.
The ratio of income to house prices – and newly legislated LVR lending restrictions – means many young people believe it is impossible to buy a home here.
The next migration outflow is imminent and unavoidable.
But… back to the PM’s trip. She said, “Now is the time to get out and about, to support our exporters, and so we’re willing to take on board the risks.”
RNZ originally headlined their article PM says “Now is the time to get out”
An editor guarding their funding source has since changed it.
But I say it to my adult children all the time.
