It seems people will no longer be eligible unless they've lived here longer prior to turning 65.


https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligib...-2024.html

I occasionally have  look at a UK forum, IDF50 & came across a thread about this under the heading 'Sadistic bastards.' 

You really have to wonder at the mentality of politicians wanting to do this. I hope our govt doesn't borrow this despicable idea, its diffocult to comprehend that any govt can be so cruel.



https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024...-crackdown

Quote:A major scheme to help disabled people into work has been quietly scrapped ÔÇô just as the prime minister announced a crackdown on disability benefits.
The┬á┬ú100m┬áWork and Health Programme, operating in England and Wales, will end in the autumn, providers have been told, at the same time that┬áRishi Sunak wants to cut benefits┬áfor 420,000 sick and disabled people in an attempt to force them into work ÔÇô a move that charities say would instead leave people destitute.
The blow to disabled people comes after the prime minister unveiled a plan to hand power to officials with no medical training to decide whether an employee is sick, raising the possibility that decisions about workersÔÇÖ health will be taken to hit targets rather than on clinical need.
The prime minister wants to cut the disability welfare budget of £69bn a year, amid rising levels of sickness. The charitable Health Foundation said last week that by 2040 health inequalities meant that 3.7 million adults, many in deprived areas, would be living with a major illness such as type 2 diabetes, chronic pain or depression.
Sunak said that Britain had a ÔÇ£sicknote cultureÔÇØ and blamed the problem of ÔÇ£young people ÔǪ parked on welfareÔÇØ, although the majority of people receiving statutory sick pay are women over 50 working part-time, according to the┬áResolution Foundation.

Fantastic; this govt shows it has the very best interests of children at heart.


Oh, no hang on, that must be some other country, one where the govt actually has the best interests of its children first & foremost.


https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/...d655&ei=16

Quote:Documents obtained by Newshub show key roles at Oranga Tamariki are set to be disestablished.
Roles at the ministry's international child protection team, which helped care for unaccompanied child refugees and investigate complex exploitation cases, face the axe.
Amnesty International and the Chief Children's Commissioner are both concerned such changes could impact New Zealand's ability to uphold United Nations obligations.
Hundreds of Afghanis came to New Zealand on a New Zealand Defence Force plane, including 15 unaccompanied children.
Then in 2022, there was a complex investigation into the exploitation of Chinese child acrobats here as part of the travelling show Zirka Circus.
They were eventually uplifted and flown home to their parents. 
The international child protection unit at Oranga Tamariki was involved with both events, but the unit now faces significant cuts.
"Before implementing any changes, the Government must consider their ability to meet human rights obligations here and overseas," said Lisa Woods, campaign director at Amnesty International.
Consultation documents obtained by Newshub show 17 advisory roles would be slashed to just six.
The role of General Manager for international casework would be disestablished, along with the manager of international child protection. The national management role would also go.
Oranga Tamariki proposed the separate national and international teams be "consolidated" into one team.
"The question should be 'what more could we be doing?' Not taking away," Woods told Newshub.
"I am aware that this unit undertakes specialist, complex, cross-border child protection work. This includes working to support children who are, for example, stateless, trafficked, arrive in our country as unaccompanied minor refugees, and children who are in need of intercountry adoption."
She also said it may affect how we uphold our international obligations to the UN, and the child protection-focused Hague Conventions. 
Children's Minister Karen Chhour would not comment on the documents obtained except to say it's just a proposal.
"It's my expectation that the best interests of our children will be at the forefront of our decision making," Chhour told Newshub.

An ode for King Luxon, Victor Billot

"Performance Review

King Luxon sat behind
His massive polished oak desk.
It is Performance Review time.
There is a knock on the door.
ÔÇ£Enter!ÔÇØ says the King.
In steps Minister of Disabilities and Carer Pedicures, Penny Simmonds.
I can explain everything  she begins.
ÔÇ£Fine,ÔÇØ says King Luxon, pressing the eject button.

Minister Simmonds is blasted through the ceiling

Wouldn't I love to see these two arguing face to face.  The screeching!   The gruff offensiveness!

https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/05/01/nicola...to-say-no/

Don't know much about the brand, but sounds like it's much better than KFC.
Hopefully KFC up the game now that there is some competition, their quality has dropped immensely in recent years.

Any way to prevent windows from auto installing outlook mail?

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024...ss-shelter

I don't like cloud storage. I have plenty of storage on my desktop, and two external HDD for backups.  Is it possible to disable cloud storage, as it seems to be Win10 preferred storage?

The latest poll isn't good news for the govt. but I doubt there's much point in being too thrilled. Polls tend to be dodgy things; the only one which counts is on election day.
Nonetheless the comments fronm various MP's is interesting.

https://thespinoff.co.nz/the-bulletin/30...the-budget

Quote:Winston Peters might not give a ÔÇÿratÔÇÖs derriereÔÇÖ about last nightÔÇÖs poll, but it revealed the unusual absence of a honeymoon period and little payoff for the governmentÔÇÖs action plan approach, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The SpinoffÔÇÖs morning news round-up.┬á
Last nightÔÇÖs 1NewsVerian poll showed┬áLabour could return to power┬áif an election were held now. Support for National and Act has fallen, while NZ First has dropped below the 5% threshold. Labour is back up to 30% for the first time in nine months, and the Greens are on 14%. Te P─üti M─üori is holding steady at 4%. They also hold six electorate seats, a position that would be pretty consequential at the next election should support for NZ First remain where it is (defying PetersÔÇÖ comeback king form), and the partyÔÇÖs streak of not winning any electorate seat continues. The poll would give Labour, the Greens and Te P─üti M─üori 64 seats, while NZ First would be out. National and Act would have a total of 57 seats.

Quote:National's Nicola Willis doesn't want to be "drawn into the silliness" of responding to last night's 1News poll, while Labour's Chris Hipkins says the result shows voters reacting to a "litany of chaos" from the Government.
National deputy leader and Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she was "very relaxed" about the poll result while refusing to comment on her party's internal polling.
Speaking on his way into Parliament, senior minister Chris Bishop said he was "not too fussed about it, to be honest".
"Polls go up and down, we're working hard, we're making tough decisions in the national interest, got to get this country back on track."
ACT leader David Seymour said the Government was working hard to fix the economy and deal with law and order. It wouldn't, he said, be an easy fix.
"What we're doing here is getting back to work so we can start fixing the economy.
"I suspect people are very frustrated with the amount of economic pain out there, but our job is to fix that."
Seymour said he, National's Christopher Luxon and NZ First's Winston Peters were united.