Social Issues

In the comments section of this post on Shearer’s proposal to link the minimum wage to the average wage, Thor 42 noted:

“I’ll be watching bloody closely to see if Shearer pushes to increase our annual intake of refugees. If he pushes for that, that will no doubt be on the orders of his puppetmaster.”

Conveniently, Shearer has been asked this question.  As usual, his answer is less than clear. But it seems the answer is yes, he supports more refugees.  It fits alongside policies to decriminalise and regulate cannabis, change the flag, and link the minimum wage to the average wage.

via Andrew Sullivan

French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand holds a sex toy as he visits the ‘Sex in the City’ fair during the World AIDS Day on December 1, 2011.

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Apparently fat people, in particular women earn less if they are fatties:

First, the obesity wage penalty exists even in countries with national health insurance, so lower wages cannot be solely the result of employers’ reaction to higher costs in the health insurance plans they sponsor. Second, there is a negative relationship between weight and wages for women even at weights that are too low to be associated with worse health. Third, experiments have found that obese individuals are less likely than healthy-weight individuals with identical credentials to receive job interviews and positive performance reviews.

Labour has a maori quota, a gay quota, a women’s quota, perhaps they need a fatties quota too and a policy to stop discrimination against fatties. Nanaia Mahuta and Parekura Horomia can share the portfolio.

It’s official, a study has found that chicks don’t dig blokes with bodies like half sucked throaties:

It’s a few thousand years since most of our ancestors hunted wild animals, but a study suggests New Zealand women still look for mates who are physically big and strong.

The study, based on birth records for the five years to the end of last year, shows European women are far more likely to partner with men of ethnic groups that tend to be bigger and stronger – Pacific, Middle Eastern and African men – than European men are to partner with women from the same groups.

Conversely, European men are far more likely to partner with Asian women, who tend to be smaller, than Asian men are to partner with European women.

It is kind of obvious, someone with the body of a half sucked throatie doesn’t look like they feed themselves let alone a partner and family.

Labour is really going all out in the nasty stakes. Fresh from their bullying of new mothers they are now playing the “State house Evictions” play they used illegally in 2005.

There really are no lengths that Labour will go to in order to scare, bully and frighten voters.

Labour, as predicted have gone nasty.

Labour Party – Eviction Threat Brochure

Bad news for Winston Peters and NZ First:

The number of elderly New Zealanders killing themselves has surged 11 per cent to a 10-year high, fuelled by mounting health and economic worries.

The spate of deaths has pushed the country’s overall suicide numbers to 558, the highest since 1997.

While youth suicide rates continue to decrease, the 65-plus age group is growing, with 54 deaths this year – around 10 per cent of all suicides.

But some nurses are concerned not all suicides are being recorded properly, and the number could be much higher.

Suicide Prevention Information New Zealand figures show an average of 49 deaths a year in the older age group since 2000, compared with an average of only 33 in Australia.

John Key was right!

Andrew Sullivan make a good point on talk about prohibition of tobacco:

Crazy talk. Can you imagine the costs of prohibition? Let alone the power of a government dedicated not to providing liberty but to extending life, regardless of liberty? I hate cigarettes, partly by growing up an asthmatic in a house where cigarette smoke hung always in the air. But I find the attempt to ban them, stigmatize them and ostracize smokers to be creepily authoritarian. Sure, keep them out of the public. But if you want to die young because you love tobacco, who on earth am I to tell you otherwise?

Hone Harawira demands such a prohibition. After the Exclusive Brethren smokers are the most vilified people in New Zealand society. Yet they contribute to this nation far more than non-smokers. I think smokers should have a “Gold Card” instead of pensioners.

Labour has decided to splurge some more taxpayers cash on some of their pet projects, this one being Women’s refuge:

Labour has pledged to increase funding of Women’s Refuge by $700,000 a year, saying funding cuts by National was setting back family violence help.

Labour’s social development spokeswoman Annette King said National talked about increasing the “front line” but had cut $382,000 from the funding for the Women’s Refuge safe houses. It also cut $300,000 in contracts some refuges had to deliver family violence and child advocate work, she said.

“We keep hearing Paula Bennett talking about ‘wrapping’ support around people. If she is so serious about keeping this country’s most vulnerable citizens safe, cutting funding to crisis refuges is hardly the right way to go about it.”

Ms King made the announcement during a visit to the Women’s Refuge headquarters in Wellington.

She said running safe houses cost $30,000 a day.

Social development minister Paula Bennett has previously argued that it gave extra funding to the centres for front line services.

What a bunch of good fellows those Labour folk are for putting up more money to help bashed women.

Phil Goff said this morning about their children’s policy that Labour wants intervention before the child is even born….now correct me if I am mistaken but I though intervention before a child was born was likely to ensure it was never born.

Have a listen…see if you can work it out.

Goff on Child care by whaleoil

Honestly, I sat there today listening to this fool and he just talks in sound bites and strap lines, none of which flow together. The more you listen to him the less sense he makes.

Phil Goff supports dying with dignity. Unfortunately it just isn’t going to happen, Labour have only had one bloodless change over and dignity was afforded only to Saint Helen.

I fear it will be messy and undignified.

Oh wait! …he was talking about euthanasia…silly me.