October 24, 2017
What’s in it for the West
What’s in it for the West
JOHN TAMIHERE
Any way you cut the cake, 54% of New Zealanders did not vote for a National led Government. MMP is constructed to crystalise in this type of government and it’s legitmacy is constitutionally clear and transparent. This is a majority government!
So now that the dust has settled and the deals made, what does election 2017 mean for West Auckland?
Strong West Auckland representation is what it means! Kelvin Davis, Phil Twyford, Carmel Sepuloni, Megan Woods within-Cabinet Labour Ministers. Tamaki Makaurau MP – Peeni Henare, a Minister outside cabinet. In addition to the West Auckland mix are senior National MPs Paula Bennett and Alfred Ngaro.
Seven ministers come from West Auckland, so can we expect better resourcing to come to west Auckland?
Can we expect to see better resourcing in the youth area to ensure that our police can concentrate on far more grievous matters?
Can we expect to see Waitakere Hospital upgraded and new ministerial appointments to the Waitemata District Health Board? That board has served the interest of those on the North Shore and resources have been directed there at the expense of better services into the west.
Can we also expect National MPs Bennett and Ngaro to support the uplift in resources to west Auckland in Health, Welfare, Youth- in particularly, Education and Policing.
We know that National withdrew significant dollars in the social space from west Auckland. In a previous article, I indicated Waipareira had lost $1.5 million funding – and not on the basis of ‘malperformance’ – but on the basis of ‘reprioritisation’.
I do not anticipate National to obtain significant traction as the opposition in the first three years, should the Ardern led Government remain disciplined and cohesive.
The reason for this observation is that in nine years of running the country significant log jams have built up.
Do not be surprised if Arden’s government “open the book”’ to show just how poor employment is and just how badly wage growth has been distributed- particularly for those earning under $60k a year.
The government was particularly good at playing with numbers and managing them. For example it was reported crime dropped significantly up and down the country and even in west Auckland. This is not true! National counted it differently by increasing sanctions rather than the arrests and convictions.
Employment outcomes were cooked. If you got a job for three days, you were immediately taken off the unemployment register. If you got part time work, depending on the length and duration, that too could be deemed an employment outcome. It will be interesting to see whether the new government will reveal how actual numbers were massaged.
Another example is that over the course of the last nine years, the average wage increased. On one level that is true but on another level the government cooked the books. Why? Because wage growth for those earning $100k+ has been significant. Those earning under $60k received negligible increase. All wages were amassed into one number, divided by the number of workers and they used the average of the two. It does not represent the income of nearly 50% of our working population.
It is regretful that our union leadership has become so subservient under one form of government when they were born out of fighting the privileged. Nurses, teachers and others will want salary increases and you will see the rise of union collectives. Those that were Lambs under National will emerge as Lions under Labour.
ENDS
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