He continued on…referring to a non-existent country he called Aotearoa NZ, Hunt claimed it’s in breach of a “legally binding international human rights obligation.” What this agreement was he didn’t advise, but probably he was referring to the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That was simply a wish list of perceived desirable aspirations and as such worthy.
My complaint is the word “Rights.” Saying someone has a human right to something implies that someone or something else has an obligation to provide it and therein lies the problem.
For there always has been and doubtless always with be, a sector of society expecting the rest of us to provide these things for them with no effort from themselves. It’s dangerous territory.
Plainly they have no such meaningful right to these things failing which there wouldn’t be complaints about their absence.
On rental housing Hunt called for price controls. Ignoring the well proven reality that rent controls always lead to shortages, Hunt instead quoted Ireland’s favourable statistics re housing.
What he failed to mention and in fairness probably didn’t know, is Ireland is, God only knows why, the leading property developer nation in the world. As an aside, that reality supports a burgeoning bankruptcy business, a standard denouement for all property developers.
For example, with the collapse of communism 3 decades back, Irish developers were first in to Eastern Europe building modern hotels, offices and apartments.
At the time we subscribed to a specialist Eastern European commercial property magazine and I well recall one cover story of a major Irish developer in Eastern Europe. It’s theme being why he was pulling stumps. In his words, he had the choice of living in the west or dying in the east, specifically of alcohol poisoning. As he explained it was culturally impossible to do even the smallest deal without a full day’s vodka consumption with the other party. As his company was huge, deals were being done in vast numbers and he was engaged in full-time drinking.
The one characteristic common to all developers is excess. Thus when the 2008 financial crash occurred, numerous Irish developers went bankrupt, leaving in their wake thousands of unsold homes, unsold because they grossly exceeded the market demand. It’s that reality that explains the country’s current happy housing situation.
The Human Rights Commission should be scrapped, at least in name. There’s certainly a need for bodies to uphold people’s legal rights but I’d have thought that’s pretty well covered already.
Meanwhile with nigh on 100 employees writing nonsense reports and such-like, the cost to the tax-payer is immense. The only positive aspect of this is circa $500,000pa. of this waste goes to me in rental, the Commission being in one of my company’s buildings. Perhaps there’s a justice-dispensing God after all.
Plainly they have no such meaningful right to these things failing which there wouldn’t be complaints about their absence.
On rental housing Hunt called for price controls. Ignoring the well proven reality that rent controls always lead to shortages, Hunt instead quoted Ireland’s favourable statistics re housing.
What he failed to mention and in fairness probably didn’t know, is Ireland is, God only knows why, the leading property developer nation in the world. As an aside, that reality supports a burgeoning bankruptcy business, a standard denouement for all property developers.
For example, with the collapse of communism 3 decades back, Irish developers were first in to Eastern Europe building modern hotels, offices and apartments.
At the time we subscribed to a specialist Eastern European commercial property magazine and I well recall one cover story of a major Irish developer in Eastern Europe. It’s theme being why he was pulling stumps. In his words, he had the choice of living in the west or dying in the east, specifically of alcohol poisoning. As he explained it was culturally impossible to do even the smallest deal without a full day’s vodka consumption with the other party. As his company was huge, deals were being done in vast numbers and he was engaged in full-time drinking.
The one characteristic common to all developers is excess. Thus when the 2008 financial crash occurred, numerous Irish developers went bankrupt, leaving in their wake thousands of unsold homes, unsold because they grossly exceeded the market demand. It’s that reality that explains the country’s current happy housing situation.
The Human Rights Commission should be scrapped, at least in name. There’s certainly a need for bodies to uphold people’s legal rights but I’d have thought that’s pretty well covered already.
Meanwhile with nigh on 100 employees writing nonsense reports and such-like, the cost to the tax-payer is immense. The only positive aspect of this is circa $500,000pa. of this waste goes to me in rental, the Commission being in one of my company’s buildings. Perhaps there’s a justice-dispensing God after all.
Sir Bob Jones is a renowned author, columnist , property investor, and former politician, who blogs at No Punches Pulled HERE.
4 comments:
The 1948 UDHR was a General Assembly resolution and thus not legally binding but 18 years later came the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is binding and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which is a framework convention i.e. it doesn't actually bind anyone to anything specific as there is no mechanism for addressing violations.
The Basic Needs Approach to socioeconomic development regards food, shelter, primary healthcare, basic education etc as human rights. It is the State's responsibility to ensure that these needs are met. Has Mr Jones not heard of the 'duty of care' of the nation-state?
Has Barend Vlaardingerbroek heard of the duty of care to oneself and family??? To get off your arse or out of bed in the morning and work for a living, to throw the packet of ciggies or tobacco away and spend the money on food or rent, to save money and buy a home instead of bludging on hard working taxpayers, to buy shoes for your kids and provide a healthy lunch to eat at school, if you can be bothered to send them. The amount of people relying on the State in this Country is disgusting, living in State housing with big sections but no vege' garden, sitting around stoned all day watching Sky TV instead of out looking for a job...the list of examples is endless. When someone makes an effort to help themselves then they deserve some help, not someone who cries woe is me and feels entitled to be hand fed for the rest of their lives.
I agree with the sentiments expressed by Kiwialan. One way of the State abiding by its duty of care towards its citizens would be to hold people to account when their lifestyles amount to negligence with regard to their dependents. It is foolish to let the State off the hook completely!
Good to see Uncle Bob back in the ring.
As Machiavelli said: Fortuna et labor.
Good luck is hard work.
Decades. No!. Generations now of the State providing "care" to Maori, has in my assessment, progressively striped too many Maori of the realization that to meet the demands of living a comfortable life, one must work.
Now the Labour government compounds the problem by insulting Maori who have not fallen into the welfare trap, by granting Maori rights no other ethic or culture within NZ may enjoy.
This racism is a danger to the race relations we have enjoyed and other countries envied.
Self respect is the key to elevating Maori. Not more gratuitous State aide and false pride.
Bring Back Bob
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