Who was it said 'No front line services will be affected'

[king1]

This sounds like a broken promise to me... Here we are short staffed by thousands and they have effectivly put the breaks on all new hires by not fronting up with relocation costs?  

So we can't train enough 
we can't pay them enough to keep them here
and now we effectively have a complete block on any new hires

I guess the decline will continue...
 

Budget cuts are hampering recruitment of frontline health staff, despite promises from Te Whatu Ora's new commissioner to the contrary.
Emails seen by RNZ show Te Whatu Ora recruitment teams are getting mixed messages from its directors on who is covering relocation costs for overseas hires, paying for job ads and hiring through recruitment agencies.
The health sector is struggling with a lack of workers and cuts to the budget from the government, which says it is keen to get spending under control.
...
"Usually we'd pay for flights, hotels, but that's all stopped," they said. "If it costs money, we can't do it.
"[But] we're not allowed to tell [applicants] that. We basically go through the whole recruitment process, interviews, references, etc, until the offer stage."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/5236...an-t-do-it

[Oh_hunnihunni]

The trouble is putting policies like this into place when the country is already under pressure from a boosted population, delayed infrastructure investment, and still recovering from the covid hiatus is bound to have challenges. The costs will outweigh the benefits for most. Instead of saving money to throw at industry lobby groups they should be 'building back better,' to recall the covid mantra, but that is no way to repay the political backers who put them there...

[Lilith7]

That seems to be sheer incompetence fron this govt. They must know by now that the health system is in a mess & badly needs fixing, yet they continue to mess about rather than roll up their over priced sleeves & get stuck into doing exactly that.

You really have to wonder how many people might die as a result of this.

[Oh_hunnihunni]

It's not incompetence. They knew this would happen, they are not stupid people. Well, most of them aren't. They just didn't care, and they knew greed would make voters swing their way.

Thing is, they might just be a one term government. Because you can fool some of the people, some of the time...

[Lilith7]

I hope so, I hate to think of the damage they could do with another term. Why the hell is it so difficult for our idiot politicians of all stripes to take a long term view & set things in palce which benefit everyone; fixing the health system would make an excellent start.
And they could make a start on that by asking the nurses what's needed.

[zqwerty]

Short term profits are where it's at and what counts, they like to go on those overseas trips every year. They are living yolo lives (yolo ---> you only live once), and the devil take the hindmost.

[Agent_24]

Think not what you can do for your country, but what your country can do for you!

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Sometimes paying off debts has consequences, especially in politics. Best not to incur them in the first place.

[Lilith7]

Perhaps every politician, once elected, should be required to also work for say, 2-3 days each month at some totally different work, preferably something which helps others & gives that lot some idea of the reality for people who don't happen to be either wealthy or politicians.
Packing food parcels at a city mission, or cleaning a hospital - anything to give them a dose of the reality for others. Those others who have been affected by & will continue to be affected by,Neo Liberal politics...

[Oh_hunnihunni]

Many politicians do this sort of work during their careers, the good ones certainly do. And the bad ones will see no point in doing so.

Leopards and spots...

[zqwerty]

They don't care about reality, that's what they are trying to stay away from by "working" to gain money, constant activity, spending money on whatever, all to escape a looming reality, they are not interested in the dreary lives of ordinary people, that's what they are trying to avoid LOL.

Looking for deliverance from former business leaders, corporate scum etc become political leaders is a forlorn hope, running the country is their last hope of attaining some sort of Nirvana on Earth in their weird world view, they've already got a heap of money but they must stay busy so onward with austerity economics for the rest of us whilst they enjoy corporate socialism.

[Lilith7]

They don't care about reality, that's what they are trying to stay away from by "working" to gain money, constant activity, spending money on whatever, all to escape a looming reality, they are not interested in the dreary lives of ordinary people, that's what they are trying to avoid LOL.

Looking for deliverance from former business leaders, corporate scum etc become political leaders is a forlorn hope, running the country is their last hope of attaining some sort of Nirvana on Earth in their weird world view, they've already got a heap of money but they must stay busy so onward with austerity economics for the rest of us whilst they enjoy corporate socialism.

"Corporate socialism" has a lovely ring to it...perhaps it should become more commonly used, especially when our glorious govt decides on yet more cuts in everything for the peasants.