G News - Around the Traps

This is brief commentary on three or four issues going down in the media landscape across the Motu.

1.) Experts say don't do it - so we are doing it - Luxon

Whether it's bringing back prescription charges, wasting money on Charter Schools, or just making people wait for the Budget when they have cancer and could die soon - Christopher Luxon is not listening to the experts cos the former soap salesman and fat cat CE with all the moola - is ball-head-down barrelling to the outcomes he carelessly smacked together in a Coalition Agreement - never mind the impacts. He makes no apology, clearly, that is what he is telling you.

Today multiple media outlets reported accounts about a study from NZ Medical Journal - that has found - facing a cost barrier in collecting a prescription - was associated with a 34% higher rate of hospitalisation.

Researchers analysed health data for more than 71,500 people, and found those who didn’t pick up a prescription because they couldn’t afford the $5 fee had a 34% higher rate of being admitted to hospital.

Who knew? Not Christopher Luxon and the 34% extra costs in hospitalisation won't stop him from charging on with his KPIs and saying - with respect I disagree with the experts, and I am working incredibly hard and doing an exceptional job.

As for Charter Schools - RNZ is reporting that Cabinet Papers show Charter schools will increase government costs and might deliver only marginal benefits.

Of course they will. The failed experiment is all about think tank ideology drummed into Seymour and the "strong PM" won't stop dumb expensive wasteful spending just cos experts call it out to his face.

RNZ reported that "The papers show the $153 million allocated over four years for reviving the schools - which are publicly funded but privately owned - is mostly for the extra cost of opening and administering the schools. Not included in that figure was the money the schools would receive for their students that would otherwise go to the state schools they attended."

Sounds like robbing Peter to pay Paul and hiding it cos this is a big white elephant project - but Luxon won't be listening to the experts and has not done so - in this case.

Meanwhile over at Pharmac - they are saying to the Government that the $1.7Billion was just to keep the lights on - while Luxon tells Neswhub cancer patients - will have to wait for the Budget about those 13 cancer drugs ...despite some people possibly dying during that wait ( OMG ).

2.) The Patch was on the clothesline officer

An interesting issue came up on BHN last night about if a police officer follows up -after seeing a gang patch at a Tangi - what happens next?

Does the officer ask for a name and address? Even if that is successful what next? Well this Government reckons Police have the "Orwellian" power to search that home - to go in and get that patch - but what if the patch was on the clothesline?

Still okay to boot down the door and look under the bed?

The conversation raised a few interesting points like this and if a typical Tangi involves 300 patches - how will this work exactly?

3.) Oliver Sean Plunket is crying victim this morning on the Platform cos he went to an event at the Wellington Club along with the Israeli ambassador to celebrate the establishment of the State of Israel - and - outside there was some protesting about the "ongoing genocide" being carried out by the State of Israel.

Long story short - our hero Oliver Sean Plunket did not like democratic protests like this so he decided to sit down and light a ciggy but to his utter horror - Police told him to move along as part of the old "de-escalate the tension" tactics they do to keep the peace.

Outraged and violated, I will not tell of the tears, Oliver wept for himself and his rights - but he was milking this - on his big microphone this morning as sympathetic callers held his hand and said ...there, there, you did the right thing by walking away.

During the pity-party Oliver suspected any journalist who reported a story he did not like - must be an activist not a journalist.

"An 18-year-old transgender person arrived at an emergency department several hours after attempting a mastectomy, with concerns he had damaged a nerve, according to a case report published by the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday. The young person struggled with gender dysphoria – a clinical term used to describe the dissonance between one’s assigned gender and sense of self – and was on testosterone treatment while waiting for gender-affirmation surgery." - The Post.

He was unable to access surgery in the public healthcare system and could not afford private care. The bigger issue was unmet need - the report highlighted limited access to gender-affirming surgery was an increasing issue - because of resources and funding.

“It is crucial for public services to be more accessible to an under-served population,” it read.

"Why was this story in the news? Why now?" scowled Oliver Sean Plunket...in his culture war mindset.

4.) Luxon is not talking about whether he has a burner phone for his Tik Tok - which may be data harvesting his skin care routines to the Chinese as Luxon promotes himself to young people.

Skin care routines with Lux ...OMG.

Luxon thinks he's the bees knees on camera as we all know - and although there are protocols around the Beehive - the amount of data that Tik Tok picks up ( like where your PM is right now ) and sends off to the Chinese - is way more than Tik Tok say it is - according to those who broke the code.

I need a coffee.

G News - Around the Traps

G