Posts by George Darroch
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I find being unable to even broach reality, after receiving quite a lengthy rag session about how hard life it, to be taking accommodating to extremes.
Of course, you'll find no disagreement from me. I was talking about the Government and its agencies, rather than yourself.
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It made sense for a while. But after 15-odd years, it’s wearing thin. I’m not about to suggest their benefits get cut, or the constant stream of support from the family be severed, but I do tire of hearing about the horrors of how hard their life is, when any suggestion about how to change the situation is angrily rebuffed.
That's an awfully long time to be holding out against reality. After a while, if you can't find work in your chosen field, you look for something related in which you can.
Unfortunately reality isn't kind. That doesn't mean it can't have some tact, or be at least slightly accomodating.
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I feel Minister Bennett thinks that people are being too picky
Not picky enough! There's a migrant worker scheme to bring in Pacific labourers to pick fruit in places like Waikati. It is being touted as a particularly effective form of direct aid, which it could be, if not for the 19th century actions of employers.
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If Paula Benefit (and more likely, her advisers, and people in the relevant ministries) knew anything they’d know that capacity underutilization is a real idea, and serious object of concern. Having a physics PhD stack supermarket shelves is in nobody’s interest (unless they’re an immigrant, in which case they “lack local experience”, because NZ photons behave differently). The economy (to speak nothing of the person themselves) is losing a huge amount of potential productive work. To have the state sanction this, as is essentially the case, is ridiculous. While trained people are given somewhat more leeway to find something at least tangentially utilizing some of their skill, it isn't much. And since the system remained under Labour geared to the assumption that unemployed were just units to be shifted, that's remained the case. It is of course likely to intensify in the next few years.
Not incidentally, laws that make losing a job more risky tend to make people take less opportunities to seek better employment, increasing underutilization. The countries in the world with the highest labour productivity also tend to have comfortable short/medium-term unemployment packages (and economies designed to train, and then pick up people’s skills)
I had the misfortune of having to go onto the dole in 2005. Misfortune, because my experience was entirely similar to the first part of this story. Rather than endure Work and Income try and shoehorn me into the very first job that required a warmed-up corpse, I went back into education, and then to Australia. I will very likely face similar circumstances again in a couple of weeks.
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Yes but airports these days are massive money-making corporate entities. Surely they ought to EMPLOY competent and friendly adults.
Misguided altruism is everywhere.
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Hi Rex, take care mate. I don't know what you're going through, I don't - I've never lost anyone dear to me yet - but I know a bit about pain (and medicating with alcohol and other drugs). If you've got the chance so far, reach out and share the burden, always a fraction lighter shared. But you knew that... ;)
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andin, I don't know what you said, but on PAS I've seen a few things that make me uncomfortable. I hope it wasn't along those lines.
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Sorry, I know I'm sounding like a cross between a hippy and a Matron. Eat your fucking vegetables, man.
Ha.
Anyway, I think I've decided to return to NZ for a bit, so I plan on catching some of you in person. It would be nice to put some corporeality into this virtual community I've engaged in from a foreign land over the last 4 years.
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True, and when the discussion touches on subjects like abuse, we really do need to look after one another better.
Word.
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Well, I have no idea what happened, or until now that anything had happened, but I'm bummed out about it no matter the circumstances.