Winston - "Ugly, wrong, desperate"

[R2x1]

I'm fairly sure that the Chinese know where they can stick their 'May you live in interesting times' curse...

Sadly, it is our politicians, actual or threatening to be, not the Chinese that are going to be doing the sticking , and it is we who will be getting stuck with a capital OUCH.
Just like Lotto, a huge number will be putting money into the pot but unlike Lotto, the Election winners will be the ones who financed the advertising for the party that thinks they've won. 
Hint; if most of your expensive houses are in NZ you are not going to be in the winners list. If your yacht actually uses sails, you're out too.

[Lilith7]

Unbelievably, that bloody idiot Seymour has decided that forcing addicted people to 'get clean enough to work' instead of being on a benefit is a wonderful idea. Every damned time that fool opens his mouth he displays his ignorance.
He seems unaware that addiction is an illness & recognised as such by most health organisations world wide.

And really - 'designated doctors?!' Specifically ACT voting Drs perhaps. That's slightly concerning since it seems to remove any possibility that the person can disagree with a Dr's decision

https://www.odt.co.nz/star-news/star-chr...rk-seymour

"Drug addicts will face the prospect of losing their benefit if they refuse treatment or don't make efforts to find work, the ACT Party leader says.

David Seymour who is visiting Christchurch today has announced the party's policy on welfare which takes a harder line on drug addicts and those on sickness benefits, including those who suffer from long-term stress.

ACT wants to reduce the current number of 4000 people who receive the Supported Living Payment because of stress, 70 percent of them for more than five years.
Stress is a condition that can be treated over time, not a permanent incapacity, the party says.
Under the welfare policy 'designated doctors' will be hired to identify cases of fraud and ineligibility, ensure people are on the correct benefit, and are supported to meet any job seeking obligations.

"It will increase the number of cases that are picked up as fraud, as there will be more active inquiries into cases, and doctors will feel empowered to offer a frank opinion."
The party will also ease pressure on doctors over assessments of whether a beneficiary has the capacity to work.
At present they are required to discuss a work capacity certificate with the patient and ensure they agree to the information being provided.

"They are put in a difficult position if the patient disagrees with their opinion. ACT will allow doctors to complete work capacity certificates privately so they can give a frank opinion," Seymour says.
ACT intends taking "a more proactive approach" with drug-addicted beneficiaries.
"For those on the Jobseeker benefit, this will mean greater enforcement of job-seeking obligations and preparing for work. The most urgent task is ensuring beneficiaries can get clean enough to work."
To this end the party intends cracking down on any people who it says might be responsible for their own "incapacity" so that they can receive a benefit."

[king1]

so i presume he's planning on building a few extra rehab clinics? or will they just end up homeless living on the streets

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Reminds me of ACC. Challenge them and they send you to a designated doctor, or rather, send your records to one, they don't even need to see you to say 'Nope!'

[Lilith7]

so i presume he's planning on building a few extra rehab clinics?  or will they just end up homeless living on the streets

And turning to crime to survive - idiocy, the man's a bloody fool. Fgs why the devil don't we do what Portugal did more than 10 years ago & decriminalise all drugs; they had a huge problem with drugs prior to that change with loads of deaths from OD. These days there are  very few & all addicts are able to access rehab when needed. And there was also the Widnes experimant in the UK which showed clearly that it was possible for heroin addicts to live normal lives & work, when given a specificied dose by a Dr


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world...01780.html

"Portugal decriminalised drugs 14 years ago – and now hardly anyone dies from overdosing
The country has 3 overdose deaths per million citizens, compared to the EU average of 17.3
Portugal decriminalised the use of all drugs in 2001. Weed, cocaine, heroin, you name it — Portugal decided to treat possession and use of small quantities of these drugs as a public health issue, not a criminal one. The drugs were still illegal, of course. But now getting caught with them meant a small fine and maybe a referral to a treatment program — not jail time and a criminal record."







https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/ex-...s-11854487

"A former undercover policeman turned leading drugs law reform campaigner has called a maverick doctor’s experiment to prescribe heroin in Widnes the ‘most significant study’ into addiction to the Class A opiate.



Neil Woods, who spent 14 years infiltrating gangs, said Dr John Marks’s radical step to use a legal loophole to prescribe heroin in Widnes to addicts in the 1980s and 1990s achieved ‘astonishing’ results including cutting acquisitive crime such as burglary by 93%, street prostitutes leaving sex work and thieves and robbers holding down regular jobs.




Dr Marks had launched the programme in 1982 but it was scrapped when the results of his study came to light in 1995 and incurred the wrath of the White House.

Neil, whose undercover experiences are captured in his book Good Cop, Bad War, published in August, said the US Government pulled the plug on the experiment by pressuring John Major’s UK Government to shut it down.
Dr Marks was ‘vilified’ before having to emigrate to New Zealand, he said."

[Olive]

Either Seymour has zero experience of people with addiction problems, or he is cynically trying to appeal to voters who have such limited life experience that they see addiction as a choice.   

Addiction, whether it is to illegal drugs, legal drugs or gambling, is a health issue and those afflicted should be treated with compassion, understanding and forgiveness.   

I am saying this as someone who has been victimised by a family member with multiple addictions (who has now overcome their addictions and will be in recovery for the rest of their life).   I struggle with forgiveness but will defend to the end the rights of addicts to be given a chance to recover and heal.

[Lilith7]

Either Seymour has zero experience of people with addiction problems, or he is cynically trying to appeal to voters who have such limited life experience that they see addiction as a choice.   

Addiction, whether it is to illegal drugs, legal drugs or gambling, is a health issue and those afflicted should be treated with compassion, understanding and forgiveness.   

I am saying this as someone who has been victimised by a family member with multiple addictions (who has now overcome their addictions and will be in recovery for the rest of their life).   I struggle with forgiveness but will defend to the end the rights of addicts to be given a chance to recover and heal.

I'd like to believe that its ignorance ion his part, but given that he's a politician I tend to be more cynical.They tend to not gove a toss about others as long as they can gain power.

We have some family with addictions but now also in recovery, too. Not always easy but you definitely learn a lot along the way.

[C_T_Russell]

Winston is correct, New Zealand doesn't have any Indigenous humans.

[harm_less]

Winston is correct, New Zealand doesn't have any Indigenous humans.

You're obviously using the same erroneous definition as Winnie is to support his inflammatory perspectives.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/indigenous 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.c...indigenous
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-d...enous-mean (You're welcome)

From the perspective of the Europeans who first visited New Zealand the Maori would have been construed as the indigenous population of this country.

[Lilith7]

Winston is correct, New Zealand doesn't have any Indigenous humans.

Winston is full of it. Winston will - & does - say anything at all if its likely to gain him votes.

[harm_less]

Winston is correct, New Zealand doesn't have any Indigenous humans.

Winston is full of it. Winston will - & does - say anything at all if its likely to gain him votes.

And the sort of voter that support his outrageous rhetoric have no shortage of cooker parties to choose between so their commentary just ramps up in an attempt to gain top spot in the whole ugly process.

[C_T_Russell]

Winston is correct, New Zealand doesn't have any Indigenous humans.

You're obviously using the same erroneous definition as Winnie is to support his inflammatory perspectives.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/indigenous 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.c...indigenous
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-d...enous-mean (You're welcome)

From the perspective of the Europeans who first visited New Zealand the Maori would have been construed as the indigenous population of this country.

Native, not indigenous,  there is a clear difference.
Better not talk about the moriori which they wiped out.

[harm_less]

You're obviously using the same erroneous definition as Winnie is to support his inflammatory perspectives.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/indigenous 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.c...indigenous
https://www.healthline.com/health/what-d...enous-mean (You're welcome)

From the perspective of the Europeans who first visited New Zealand the Maori would have been construed as the indigenous population of this country.

Native, not indigenous,  there is a clear difference.
Better not talk about the moriori which they wiped out.

You (and Winston) used the word Indigenous, which all of the links I posted proved erroneous.

It wouls seem that the genocide of the Moriori was as much a result of colonising impacts on the indigenous Taranaki Maori as a soley interracial conflict.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriori_genocide Unfortunately such turmoil occurs when invading forces disrupt the status quo of the existing inhabitants.

[king1]

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discussion on Waipoua Forest area is HERE

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