Mike Butler: $105,400 for propaganda

NZ on Air obviously has regretted paying Bryan Bruce $105,400 to create his propaganda piece “Inside Child Poverty”, that screened on TV3 a few days before the November election. Pity they did not think it through before they gave him the money.

Since I have spent 21 years of managing rental properties, including former Housing NZ flats with concrete block firewalls like those shown in the Bruce doco, I was astounded at the ignorance he displayed in the 15 minutes devoted to damp, mouldy flats. Therefore, I argued the issue through the letters section of the Dominion Post at the time.

A number of other letter writers pointed out the fallacy of Bruce’s treatment of damp and mould. On his claims about inadequacy of healthcare in the area, one blogger did a quick search to reveal six medical centers nearby, most of the heavily subsidized type.

Regarding mould, everybody knows that condensation forms on the windows when it is warm inside and cold outside. Cooking and showering increases the condensation. If not wiped away, and if the home is not ventilated, mould will grow.

In our flats, one family caused a dreadful mould problem when next-door another family at the same time in an identical tenancy, kept the interior dry and mould free by wiping away condensation and ventilating the home.

The debate NZ on Air is having is whether they should control the broadcast of material they fund. A debate they should be having is on the quality of the material they are funding. Minimum standards of research and balance should be adhered to at least.

One other point. The term "child poverty" was created to pressure governments to squeeze out policy gains for those who make a career out of welfare. "Child poverty" actually refers to child neglect.