David Farrar: O’Connor vs Hipkins

Stuff reports:

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is distancing himself from his MP’s position that benefit sanctions are a “good idea” for those under the age of 20.

Labour has been vocal about the ramping up of the use of sanctions by the Government, calling it “callous”, that the government was “picking on” beneficiaries, and had a “willingness to kick people while they were down”.

Point of Order: Loan rules rile Sri Lankan law student, who regards them as racist.......

........but why should Greg O’Connor apologise?

National MP Erica Stanford makes a good point, when she says new classrooms will sit empty if Labour keeps on failing to get kids to school and learning the basics.

Only half of the country’s kids are attending school regularly, she says (with disturbing truancy data high in her considerations, presumably).

She has tweeted her comments in a follow-up to the government’s announcement of plans to spend $400 million on new schools and classrooms. And she boldly pledges: