Aotearoa Tomorrow

Exploring the gap between reality and political decision-making in Aotearoa, New Zealand. We are a nation of social innovators with our own culture and a potentially bright future that is ours to define. But if we want to prosper, we have to break from old ways of thinking and forge a new path that looks very different from the past 40 years.

S02E05 - The Front Lines of Homelessness 07/09/2024

S02E05 - The Front Lines of Homelessness Summary Natalia Cleland of Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) discusses the organization's work with marginalized and homeless individuals in Wellington. DCM has been providing support for 54 years and focuses on ending homelessness and advocating for the most vulnerable. They have government contracts for housing first and outreach services, but also rely on donations. The conversation explores the increase in homelessness in New Zealand, the challenges faced by those seeking housing, and the need for more affordable housing. The conversation explores the factors contributing to the homelessness crisis in New Zealand and the role of the Human Rights Commission in addressing the issue. It emphasizes the need for affordable and decent housing as a human right and calls for action from the government. The discussion also highlights the importance of social support services, such as the Sustaining Tenancies program, and the need for rehabilitation and counseling for individuals in the justice system. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the role of community groups and the importance of unity in addressing homelessness. Keywords Downtown Community Ministry, DCM, marginalized, homeless, Wellington, housing first, outreach services, government contracts, donations, homelessness, affordable housing, homelessness, housing crisis, social housing, human rights, government action, social support, rehabilitation, community groups Takeaways Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) has been working with marginalized and homeless individuals in Wellington for 54 years. DCM focuses on ending homelessness and advocating for the most vulnerable. They have government contracts for housing first and outreach services, but also rely on donations. The conversation explores the increase in homelessness in New Zealand, the challenges faced by those seeking housing, and the need for more affordable housing. Housing is a human right and should be treated as such, not as a commodity. Government action and investment in affordable and decent housing is crucial to address the homelessness crisis. Social support services, such as the Sustaining Tenancies program, play a vital role in helping vulnerable tenants maintain their housing. Rehabilitation and counseling should be accessible to individuals in the justice system to address the underlying causes of their actions. Community groups and unity are important in addressing homelessness and providing support to those in need. Titles Ending Homelessness: The Work of DCM The Need for More Affordable Housing The Role of Social Support Services in Maintaining Tenancies Addressing the Underlying Causes of Crime in the Justice System Sound Bites "DCM, Downtown Community Ministry, is a small organization based in Wellington, like you said, working with the most marginalized, with the people who are rough sleeping and doing it pretty hard on the streets and couch surfing." "We went from about 15 staff to 50 in a couple of years and now around 60. So that contract with Housing and Urban Development, with HUD, for the Housing First Service is one of our bigger contracts." "It feels like there is something that has changed in New Zealand's economy or society that has caused an increase in people who are homeless or especially rough sleeping." "There was a real increase in the number of people on the social housing waitlist in December 2022." "We seem to be running our housing construction industry to serve a market rather than to serve the needs of the people." "Housing is a human right. It's not earned, it's not deserved, it's a human right." /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/31922327

S02E04 - It’s Tough to Be an Infrastructure Provider 07/02/2024

S02E04 - It’s Tough to Be an Infrastructure Provider Summary Infrastructure New Zealand is an industry body representing infrastructure building companies and other stakeholders. They advocate for infrastructure projects that are best for the sector and the country. The politicization of infrastructure and the lack of stable funding have led to a significant infrastructure deficit in New Zealand. The government's approach to infrastructure has been inconsistent, leading to uncertainty and inefficiency. There is a need for stable funding and a menu of projects with political consensus. Local government settings and funding arrangements need to be improved to enable better infrastructure delivery. There is a growing interest in involving private capital in infrastructure projects to increase efficiency and reliability. The conversation explores the challenges and potential solutions for infrastructure development in New Zealand. The main themes include the role of public-private partnerships, the need for long-term planning and funding, the importance of coordinated resilience and adaptation planning, and the impact of natural disasters on infrastructure. The conversation also touches on the political challenges and the need for consensus and stability in infrastructure decision-making. The key takeaways include the need for political and local government reform, the urgency of addressing climate change and resilience, and the importance of learning from past disasters. Keywords Infrastructure New Zealand, advocacy, infrastructure deficit, politicization, stable funding, menu of projects, local government, private capital, infrastructure, public-private partnerships, long-term planning, funding, resilience, adaptation, natural disasters, political challenges, consensus, climate change Takeaways Infrastructure New Zealand advocates for infrastructure projects that are best for the sector and the country. The politicization of infrastructure and the lack of stable funding have led to a significant infrastructure deficit in New Zealand. There is a need for stable funding and a menu of projects with political consensus. Improvements are needed in local government settings and funding arrangements to enable better infrastructure delivery. There is a growing interest in involving private capital in infrastructure projects to increase efficiency and reliability. Public-private partnerships can be an effective model for infrastructure development, but the government needs to refine the risk allocation and bidding processes. Long-term planning and funding are crucial for achieving better infrastructure outcomes and intergenerational equity. Coordinated resilience and adaptation planning are necessary to address the challenges of climate change and natural disasters. Political challenges and changes in government can disrupt infrastructure projects, highlighting the need for consensus and stability in decision-making. Reforming local government settings and improving the relationship between central and local government are essential for effective infrastructure delivery. Addressing climate change and building resilience should be top priorities in infrastructure planning and investment. Titles Advocating for Better Infrastructure in New Zealand The Need for a Menu of Projects with Political Consensus Reforming Local Government Settings The Need for Long-Term Planning and Funding Sound Bites "New Zealand for the last 30, 40 years, 30 years has been quite shit at building infrastructure." "The further something is, or at least the funding is from politics, the more reliable the outcome is." "The further you get away from government funding, the more efficient and reliable these projects become." "Deliver the outcomes that all of us as citizens of a first world country expect." "The issue is not the funding itself. It's the privatization." "It incentivizes better asset maintenance. You have that longer term view and can achieve better outcomes." /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/31917012

S02E03 - The War We Forgot We Lost 06/24/2024

S02E03 - The War We Forgot We Lost Summary The conversation explores the topic of income inequality and the declining share of labor in the total income of society. Geoff Bertram, an economist, discusses the historical trends and factors that have contributed to this phenomenon, including neoliberal policies and the erosion of labor bargaining power. He also highlights the concentration of wealth and excessive profits in certain sectors of the economy. The conversation touches on the role of propaganda and persuasion in shaping public opinion and the need for policy changes to address inequality. The conversation explores the close relationship between capital and government, the impact of conspiracy theories and misinformation, the need for organized labor, and the potential for change through movements like Te Pāti Māori. The discussion also touches on the importance of institutions, the role of research in shaping policy, and the challenges faced by the working class. Overall, the conversation highlights the need for systemic change to address wealth inequality and empower marginalized communities. Keywords Income inequality, labor share, neoliberalism, wealth concentration, excessive profits, propaganda, policy changes, capital, government, conspiracy theories, misinformation, organized labor, Te Pāti Māori, institutions, research, policy, wealth inequality Takeaways Income inequality has been increasing over the past few decades, with the share of labor in the total income of society declining. Neoliberal policies and the erosion of labor bargaining power have contributed to this trend. Certain sectors of the economy, including banks, supermarkets, and oil companies, are earning excessive profits. There is a need for policy changes, such as wealth taxes and fair pay agreements, to address inequality and redistribute wealth. Propaganda and persuasion play a role in shaping public opinion and maintaining the status quo. The relationship between capital and government has become so close that governments often prioritize corporate interests over the needs of the general population. Conspiracy theories and misinformation can lead to a disconnect from reality and hinder progress in addressing societal issues. Organized labor plays a crucial role in advocating for the rights and well-being of the working class, but the decline of unions has made it harder for workers to organize and demand better conditions. Movements like Te Pāti Māori have the potential to bring about progressive change and address systemic issues in society. Institutions, such as the state and churches, can provide frameworks for organizing and advocating for social change. Research and data analysis are important tools for understanding and addressing economic and social issues, but they need to be translated into actionable policies and supported by strong leadership. Titles The Declining Share of Labor in Income The Need for Policy Changes to Address Inequality The Importance of Organized Labor The Power of Research in Shaping Policy Sound Bites "Income inequality has been increasing over the past few decades." "Neoliberal policies have led to a steady worsening of inequality." "Corporations are taking a bigger share of the revenue they generate." "The connection between capital and government has become so close that governments often prioritize corporate interests over the needs of the general population." "Government is inhabited largely by good people who believe they're doing the right thing. They are deluded often in my view about what is the right thing, but they're not secretly deluded." "A time is coming when people will organize again. That's what brought us the 20th century." The Employment Contracts Act 1991 and the labour share of income in New Zealand: an analysis of labour market trends 1939–2023: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00779954.2024.2330894 Edward Bernays, Propaganda: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.275553 /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/31870647

S02E02 - The Widening Economic Gaps in Aotearoa 06/19/2024

S02E02 - The Widening Economic Gaps in Aotearoa Summary Max Rashbrook discusses the disparities in wealth and income distribution in New Zealand, highlighting the impact of low wages and underemployment. He explores the challenges of increasing the minimum wage and the need for higher value sectors in the economy. Rashbrook also emphasizes the lack of government investment in research and development and the influence of the real estate market on capital allocation. He concludes by discussing the historical factors that have contributed to the current situation. The conversation explores the lack of support and investment in skills and training, wealth inequality and the dominance of the fire economy, the need for a capital gains tax, transitioning to an inclusive economy, policy changes for an inclusive economy, and the power balance in the workplace and the role of unions. Takeaways Wealth and income distribution in New Zealand is highly unequal, leading to a dysfunctional society with different opportunities for different individuals. Low wages and underemployment are significant issues in New Zealand, with many people struggling to make ends meet. Increasing the minimum wage can have positive effects on productivity and worker well-being, but it must be balanced with the viability of businesses. New Zealand needs to invest in higher value sectors and research and development to create high-paying jobs and drive economic growth. The real estate market and capital allocation play a role in the lack of investment in manufacturing and other productive industries. There is a lack of support and investment in skills and training, leading to a mismatch between the skills needed in the job market and the skills possessed by workers. Wealth inequality is a significant issue, with a small percentage of the population owning a large portion of the country's wealth. The dominance of the fire economy (finance, insurance, and real estate) contributes to wealth inequality and the lack of taxation on capital gains. Transitioning to an inclusive economy requires a shift from an extractive economy to one that invests in people's potential and physical infrastructure. Policy changes should focus on maintaining a decent minimum wage, investing in retraining programs for beneficiaries, and increasing investment in research and development. Unions play a crucial role in balancing the power dynamics in the workplace and ensuring fair wages and working conditions for workers. /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/31804527

S02E01 - Season 1 Recap: Not Everything is As It Seems 06/10/2024

S02E01 - Season 1 Recap: Not Everything is As It Seems Summary The podcast episode covers a range of topics including social cohesion, trust, government policy, local governance, infrastructure funding, and the emissions trading scheme. The host, Arthur Falls, shares his takeaways from previous episodes and interviews with experts on these topics. The conversation covers a wide range of topics, including the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), manufacturing, housing market, political communication, and the Three Waters policy. It delves into the impact of these topics on climate change, economic prosperity, and social dynamics. The conversation also explores the challenges and opportunities associated with policy implementation and public perception. Keywords social cohesion, trust, government policy, local governance, infrastructure funding, emissions trading scheme, ETS, manufacturing, housing market, political communication, Three Waters policy, climate change, economic prosperity, policy implementation, public perception Takeaways The importance of social cohesion and trust in society Challenges in local governance and infrastructure funding Issues with the emissions trading scheme and climate policy The ETS and its impact on carbon pricing and emissions reduction The potential for local manufacturing to reduce emissions and improve economic resilience The influence of housing market policies on economic dynamics and social equity The role of political communication in shaping public perception and policy discourse The complexities and controversies surrounding the Three Waters policy and its implications for governance and social cohesion Titles The Complexities of Climate Policy Exploring Social Cohesion and Trust The Housing Market: Policies, Equity, and Economic Impact Navigating the Emissions Trading Scheme and Climate Policy Sound Bites "These are very convenient corollaries for someone trying to paint a picture of cause and effect, but unfortunately there is more behind the crime statistics." "After speaking with Paul, I feel like we should assess government policy and statements made by our politicians by asking first, how will this affect the social fabric?" "Everyone benefits from this expenditure, but only real estate owners benefit financially." "The price of a carbon unit has increased significantly and is continuing to rise." "The manufacturing industry or our local manufacturing industry is a different story." "If you buy a house to live in and sell it for more than you bought it for, then that's tax-free money too." Links: Strange crime stats discussion from the NZ Herald https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/what-is-soft-on-crime-and-how-do-labour-and-nationals-political-claims-stack-up-the-herald-takes-a-look-at-the-data/OE2Y4M5WQNC33BV7D3QFHA6YVY/ Cranky Kids: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/490746/adults-are-not-doing-their-job-youth-call-for-climate-action-at-protests Crime Snapshot https://www.police.govt.nz/crime-snapshot Social Cohesion Straining at the Seams https://informedfutures.org/media-release-social-cohesion-straining-at-the-seams/ Police 7 times more likely to employ force/send you to jail https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/police-use-of-force-report-maori-seven-times-more-likely-than-pakeha-to-be-on-receiving-end/F4WELSYC2KGHMPZF35NSCDNLM4/ The LGFA https://www.lgfa.co.nz/about-lgfa Rate Payers Report https://ratepayersreport.nz/council-rates-comparison/ Milk product stats https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/350028252/sizzling-cheese-prices-push-exports-record-high https://www.globaldairytrade.info/en/product-results/whole-milk-powder/ https://figure.nz/chart/JKLzuIDVRXN52MXh-2wpnLtISMlNUVqjY Composition of the labour market https://www.statista.com/statistics/436457/employment-by-economic-sector-in-new-zealand/ Manufacturing sector info sheet https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/manufacturing-factsheet.pdf Manufacturing & Research Spending https://businessnz.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Manufacturing-in-New-Zealand.pdf Property Price go up https://www.globalpropertyguide.com/pacific/new-zealand/home-price-trends Health NZ Amalgamation https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300614631/cheat-sheet-how-new-zealands-health-system-is-changing Te Pūkenga https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2023/03/newshub-nation-national-polytechnic-merger-te-p-kenga-buckling-as-it-asks-for-more-money-and-fails-students-staff.html 3 Waters Maori Committees https://www.dia.govt.nz/Water-services-reform-iwi-maori-interests /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/31601597

S01E05 - Revisiting Election 2023 with Labour's PR Provider 12/21/2023

S01E04 - The ETS: A Struggling Approach to Reducing Emissions 12/14/2023

S01E03 - Local Councils: Lot's to do, No Money to Do It 12/03/2023

S01E02 - Social Cohesion 11/21/2023

S01E02 - Social Cohesion Links: https://informedfutures.org/challenges-to-social-cohesion/ Today we’re joined by Paul Spoonley a researcher focused on social cohesion – the sense of connection that binds together the many cultures that make New Zealand, Aotearoa their home. I contacted him because of his involvement with a university of auckland-led organisation called the center for informed futures. Part of Paul’s work involves understanding how to welcome migrants into this nation without undermining the sense of cultural security of those already here. He’s also focused on type of violent extremism behind the Christchurch shootings and the fracturing of the nation as a result of covid policy. According to Paul, Trust in our nation– both between individual people and between people, companies, and the government – is in decline. He describes being surprised by the public’s lack of engagement with political media last election. And there is likely a connection to be drawn here. The Big question I have for Paul is how do politicians and governments affect social cohesion for better or worse and how should this translate into our expectations of our politician’s behavior. We digress into identifying how the productivity and infrastructure commissions have a 30 year time horizon but this planning is not translated into policy as politicians prefer to focus on what sounds good for voters. Paul says we need to elevate community voices and bring communities together. He also sees the need to bring representative diversity into institutions to rebuild trust. I feel like there is a tie-in to the co-governance discussion here. Paul is very interested in our nation’s declining fertility at the same time as we have rapid population growth due to immigration and how this is leading to changing demographics and the risk this combination of trends poses to social cohesion given that our public infrastructure is already overstrained. Finally we dig into the need for greater media literacy on the part of the New Zealand public, although if I’m honest, I’m not completely satisfies we find a realistic solution but we do break the surface and that lines us up for future episodes. /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/28733278

S01EP01 - Introduction - Policy and Reality 11/14/2023

S01EP01 - Introduction - Policy and Reality In this introduction, we look at a few issues and the gap between their representation by politicians and reality. aotearoatomorrow.co.nz Links: https://www.national.org.nz/plan https://www.labour.org.nz/labourplan2023 https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/new-zealand https://www.labour.org.nz/news-labour_manifesto_2023 https://www.act.org.nz/law-and-order https://www.1news.co.nz/2023/07/10/consequences-v-support-act-greens-on-youth-offending/ https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/18613/chapter/7 https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/incarceration-rates-by-country https://www.police.govt.nz/crime-snapshot https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/annual-inflation-6-7-percent/ https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/300896896/gang-numbers-up-by-400-new-members-since-christmas https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/library-research-papers/research-papers/new-zealand-gang-membership-a-snapshot-of-recent-trends/ https://www.redcross.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Files/About-Us/News/Reports-and-publications/RC-Migration-Scoping-Report-2022-v10_final.pdf https://budget.govt.nz/budget/2023/wellbeing/fiscal-strategy/debt-measure.htm https://www.ceicdata.com/en/indicator/australia/government-debt--of-nominal-gdp https://www.budget.govt.nz/budget/2023/bps/living-standards-financial-infrastructure.htm https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/infrastructure-report-finding-a-new-funding-path/OHFKTNWZPBBANCXBARFKIFARGE/ http://webrear.mbie.govt.nz/theme/gdp-per-capita/map/timeseries/2022/ https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/gross-domestic-product-june-2023-quarter/ https://www.ird.govt.nz/about-us/tax-statistics/revenue-refunds/wage-salary-distributions/wage-and-salary-statistics-datasets https://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/living_wage.asp https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nzlivingwage/pages/2735/attachments/original/1683235398/Living_Wage_review_summary_FCSPRU_27_3_23.pdf https://nz.talent.com/tax-calculator/New+Zealand-52000 https://www.aa.co.nz/cars/motoring-blog/vehicle-ownership-costs-more-than-just-the-purchase-price/ https://www.carsguide.com.au/toyota/corolla/2006 https://www.statista.com/statistics/436457/employment-by-economic-sector-in-new-zealand/ https://monitor.icef.com/2023/05/international-student-visa-holders-up-98-in-new-zealand-since-the-border-reopening/ https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/populations/maori-health/ao-mai-te-ra-anti-racism-kaupapa https://www.motu.nz/our-research/environment-and-resources/emission-mitigation/shaping-new-zealands-low-emissions-future/major-milestones-of-the-new-zealand-emissions-trading-scheme/ https://web.archive.org/web/20120609133802/ http:/www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/new-zealand-emissions-trading-scheme https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NZU-NZ-emission-unit-720by540.svg https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/7873918/New-Zealand-may-quit-Kyoto https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2019/0061/latest/LMS183848.html https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/492256/new-additional-ets-scheme-floated-in-review-of-carbon-market https://www.climatecommission.govt.nz/news/insight-ets https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/new-measures-show-happiness-of-new-zealanders/ https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/55933-2022-report-on-the-status-of-New-Zealands-fish-stocks /episode/index/show/b81c0fc9-69b4-436e-a056-9b658f803466/id/28551227

Aotearoa Tomorrow

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