It was one year ago this month that I last spoke to you about the rapid rise in Christchurch poverty. I asked that a Council unit to be created to deal with the matter. Instead a task force was formed. It has met twice in all that time.

When the task force was proposed I went around many community agencies encouraging them to participate. Without a single exemption every one expressed pessimism that it would achieve anything at all. After a year I am forced to admit they were right and I was wrong. I am absolutely despondent.

I know that is no way to make friends around this table. I am not here for that.

I am here to give life to the third of Christchurch that is on standby, waiting for someone in power to remember them. To unchain them from the anchorstone of poverty that has kept them at the bottom of an ever-deepening pool of stagnation. To bring them back up to the surface so that they may breathe again. To live the fullness of life for the remainder of their short years in this world. As the old cliche says, you're a long time dead.

The Poor of Christchurch may as well be dead. For many others believe the Poor are of no consequence. How wrong they are.

A year ago I tried to convince you that the private sector cannot help the Poor be anything but inconsequential Poor, and that they need Council intervention.

Today I hope to convince you that the Poor are of consequence. They are of consequence to you, your children, and generations of your descendants to come. It's a pity that fact is not taught in and out of school.

By your leave, councillors.

Recently you were invited by a Council staff member to an enlightening seminar on how income inequality lowers the level of a nation's physical health. It also lowers the nation's health in other areas as well.

To take just one example; we like to think of ourselves as a nation of sports players - especially as armchair umpires. I believe income inequality is detrimental to sporting excellence. For instance, how well we do in the Olympics follows how well we do economically.

For the first half of the 20th century we were hardly present on the medal palladium. Then in the 1950s we began to experience economic prosperity. We began getting three or four medals per game. In the 1960s we achieved about the third highest standard of living in the world. Our flag appeared more at the victory celebrations. By the 1970s the world was asking in awe how such a small nation was achieving so much. Remember that? Then came the odious year 1984 and Rogernomics. We raced downhill economically, and in the slipstream our medal count plummeted. From 19 medals in 1984, to 13 in 1988, 8 in 1992, and a mere 6 in 1996 despite sending a record-breaking 97 competitors.

If we sent everyone in New Zealand I doubt we could do better because our national pride has vanished, our egalitarian spirit broken, our foundation crumbled away from lack of social maintenance.

Oh, the name of New Zealand is now engraved on the America's Cup - but it remains the property of millionaires. The All Blacks now have corporate sponsorship, but no foundation. Amateur sport - the social side and the training ground of tomorrow's champions - is vanishing along with income equality. The government is setting up a task force, not on poverty but on sport. If it was honest to itself, it would look in the backyards of New Zealand, in the suburban streets and council playgrounds. It would see kids - the achievers of the future - running races, kicking footballs. They are not building expensive yachts.

The solid foundation of a healthy nation is built from the bottom up. Never from the top down.

In early civilisation Hammurabi of Babylon passed laws "that the strong oppress not the weak, that the orphan and widow be protected." Three thousand years later we seem less civilised. The weak, the orphan, and the widow are all told to find their own protection, while deregulation protects the strong.

I ask that you side with the weak and the Poor.

The past 15 years of the trickle down theory proves that you cannot serve two masters. If you serve the captains of industry, those in steerage flounder below the waterline.

It's time to abandon this ship of fools.
It's time for the trickle up theory.
Provide for the weak and strengthen them. The strong are in a better position to provide for themselves. They always have been.

The preachy paternalistic trickle-down "we know what's good for you" theory has been disastrous for New Zealand, just as it has been throughout the history of the world.

I ask you to abandon the trickle-down theory and get the people involved in decision-making.

* I ask that you put into practice your own Community Policy that you have already endorsed around the table.

The "first priority is empowering and enabling those who are deprived of power and resources." To me the greatest Principle - apart from the Treaty of Waitangi - is Respect. I firmly believe that unless you truly respect others you cannot begin to help them.

After a year of the task force I am flabbergasted to read that over 50 council staff are about to loose their jobs to "save money" at a time when the council has made hundreds of millions in profits from investments.

There appears to be some confusion over roles. It is a bank's role to save money. It's a council's role to provide essential services for the city that the private sector cannot provide. When jobs are scarce in the city then the council must provide them, to cater for the dispossessed, and to lead the way.

* I ask that the council adopt a job creation policy. And a job retention policy to give it purpose.

And remember people don't go to work because there's nothing on TV, but to put food on the table. The pay they receive must be a living wage. Let me spell out the lesson of history about across-the-board contribution.

Up to and including the Middle Ages wealth went from bottom to top. From the numerous peasants to the few aristocrats. Yet orders from top down. Very little improvement occurred. It was essentially a dark age.

Sure there were some grand works. Grandiose cathedrals and impressive castles. But it was rather like Prince Charles insisting every building must resemble Windsor Castle. There was a poverty of ideas. The top dog believed he knew it all and knew what was best. He believed he was appointed by God and that the world was flat. Apart from flowery courtly fashions little changed in the land year after year, century by century. Knowledge was based on belief not reality. Average lifespan was a mere 17 years.

Now I must admit it was the rise of the middle class - the merchant class - that brought in the era of improvement. The rising merchants and bankers of Italy spread wealth and power a bit further. City states once again rose. And a few more people contributed to human society with their ideas and observations. And there was a bit more enlightenment even though it still wasn't safe to be on the streets.

Europeans stopped hugging the known coastline and leapt out into the unknown waters of the Atlantic, headed not by a prince but a pauper. Christopher Columbus was a mere sailor, the son of a weaver. True, those who followed him cruelly plundered the Americas to fill the royal coffers. I don't defend that. But they also brought back new foods like the potato; good enough to became the staple diet of the populous.

However these merchants and bankers, being competitive people, began setting themselves up as the new aristocrats, warred and conquered. They played their part in history but weren't the only ones.

The inventions that ushered in the Industrial Revolution weren't thought of by the monied merchants and bankers sitting in their gilded counting houses, but those who were closest to the products of industry, the manual workers. The inventor of the spinning jenny was naturally a spinner by trade - James Hargreaves. The first economical steam engine was invented by blacksmith Thomas Newcomen, the first self-driven locomotive by collier boiler attendant George Stephenson.

And new ideas have had their humble birth too. For example, 'The Rights of Women' was penned by Mary Wollstonecraft, the daughter of an impoverished weaver. She spearheaded the modern women's movement.

Elvis Presley's parents were on and off welfare programmes for years, but he wasn't written off. Sure, he was sacked after one performance at the Grand Ole Opry. He was told he wouldn't amount to anything more than a truck driver. Thankfully "Colonel" Parker wasn't such a snob. He saw potential in Elvis, and subsequently rock'n'roll has benefited the world more than we'd probably care to admit.

Norm Kirk was the son of an unemployed cabinetmaker. Mickey Savage spent time as an unemployed swagman. ... And so the list goes on. I suggest you check out the Poor Peoples Embassy website [http://hammer.prohosting.com/~penz] where I've amassed the biographies of over 400 Poor people who have contributed to civilisation as we know it today. Never believe that the Poor are of no consequence.

There may be a Poor person in Christchurch right now who has the potential to improve your life, the lives of your children, and generations of your descendants. All they need is someone in power to see their potential, give them a hand up and the world will become a better place for it. I ask you not to consign the future to the dark ages because you can't see the immediate potential in those less fortunate than yourselves.

Ma pango, ma whero, ka oti te mahi.
By black and by red the work is done. An allegory based on weaving, meaning it takes the lowly as well as the chief to complete the task. The task of weaving a better world. Another fundamental lesson from history is that none of the above ideas saw the light of day because they were good and good always triumphs. But because someone in a position of influence was humble enough to accept and back the innovator, however poor. Snobs do not learn from "lesser" people. The concept of democracy naturally preceded the abolition of slavery and the introduction of universal adult suffrage. The belief that society gains more from the minds of the many than the minds of the few. And with democracy you have greater participation in society and a greater flow of ideas and solutions.

Therefore the lesson of history teaches us ideas that lead to improvements aren't thought of by the occupiers of ivory towers but by those closest to the problems.

The solutions to poverty won't be found by academics unaffected by it, but by those suffering it, who experience the problems and seek solutions to ease their troubles.

The alleviation of poverty won't be found by a task force meeting twice a year for a couple of hours each, squeezed between other matters. It needs fulltime commitment.

* Once again I ask that the Council establish a fully-resourced unit to alleviate poverty in Christchurch - with the mandate to include those experiencing poverty firsthand, not exclude them. The council plans to "revitalise" the inner city by attracting people from outside. Some of that is already happening through private sector initiative. It is called "gentrification". Overseas studies indicate that the existing poor residents will suffer because of it.

"Where the inner-city was once the location of Working-Class employment in factories [since disappeared], it is now the place of middle-class employment in skyscrapers and other office buildings. The growth of inner-city middle-class residents seems partly related to the development of the inner city as a place of middle-class employment."

"... In part, [it] also concern[s] recreational and leisure facilities - theatres, cinemas, art galleries, museums, concert halls, and the intimate restaurants and pubs which are characteristic of the inner city areas."

"... If these low-income workers [and unemployed workers] are in the private-rental sector of the housing market, the tendency is for them to be hit by rising rents as local property values escalate. Retail facilities and other local services also tend to start catering for the demands of the more affluent sections of the local population, which creates difficulties - including rising prices - for the local Working Class and other residents." ['Reshaping Australia; urban problems and policies', Frank Stilwell, 1993]

* I ask that a report be carried out on how the planned "revitalisation" will impact on the existing poor inner-city residents, and the community groups catering for them. Poverty is a financial straitjacket that prevents people of the same species as you, of the same intelligence as you, from enjoying the same amenities as you. This is economic apartheid.

To have a rich-only task force on poverty is like having a male-only one for improving the lot of women. It'd probably conclude that women will be happier with a new broom.

As far as I know the task force has never met with any poor people at all. How can it come up with the solution to a problem when it doesn't know what the problem is?

The closest Poor are representatives from Ngai Tahu. And very appropriate too. The Maori have been impoverished, not because of lack of intelligence or lack of ability, but because they were cheated of their property. Just like the present-day Poor have been cheated of their property during the past 15 years. If you steal enough from someone then you impoverish them. And if you justify your crime by saying your victims are unworthy of holding property and position enough times then eventually they believe you and give up.

Please don't continue this economic apartheid. Please learn from the victims of racial apartheid.

James Baldwin - "Negroes want to be treated like men: a perfectly straightforward statement, containing only seven words. People who have mastered Kant, Hegel, Shakespeare, Marx, Freud, and the Bible find this statement utterly impenetrable."

Likewise the Poor want to be treated like "men".

Steve Biko - "All in all the black man has become a shell, a shadow of a man, completely defeated, drowning in his own misery, a slave, an ox bearing the yoke of oppression with sheepish timidity."

The Poor have been oppressed until they have become slaves to the politician's whim.

Bishop Tutu - "The freedom of the white man is bound up with that of the black man. So long as the black man is dehumanised and unfree, so long too will the white man remain dehumanised and unfree because he will be plagued by fear and anxiety."

And over the past 15 years we have witnessed the rise of walled subdivisions and surveillance cameras in Christchurch. You make a rod for your own back when you create economic apartheid.

* I ask you to have the Poor on the task force and not just their representatives.

* I ask that whatever the future of the task force is, that a council unit be established. Among its brief is to evaluate any impact on the Poor by the policies and work of other units, as well as the decisions made by community boards, committees and council meetings.

The council currently has the money to do this. It may not have that in the future if the trend of increasing impoverishment of Christchurch's residents continues. Thank you.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ REQUESTS:
---------------

* I ask that the council adopt a job creation policy. And a job retention policy to give it purpose.

* I ask that the Council established a fully-resourced unit to alleviate poverty in Christchurch.

(Among its brief is to evaluate any impact on the Poor by the policies and work of other units, as well as the decisions made by community boards, committees and council meetings.)

* I ask that a report be carried out on how the planned "revitalisation" will impact on the existing poor inner-city residents, and the community groups catering for them.

* I ask you to have the Poor on the task force and not just their representatives.

Monday, 9 October 2000

A speech labelling poverty in Christchurch as "economic apartheid" polarised councillors today.

The speech by the Poor Peoples Embassy, How you treat the Poor is of consequence, also outlined some contributions that poor people had made to civilisation and called on the Poor to be directly represented on the council's task force on poverty.

The chair of the Community Services Committee, Cr Carole Anderton, stopped the written speech after about ten minutes, saying the councillors had got the thrust. (Speakers officially have five minutes but there is no strict enforcement.) She then went on to explain that it was central government that made policy and the city council didn't have the money to do much. I replied that I wasn't after a change in budget as such but a change in attitude.

Cr Alister James, a practising lawyer, objected to parts of the speech. He said there were parts that were facts and parts that were not facts. He particularly objected to the statements that members of the task force were rich, and that the Poor may well as be dead. I answered that the raising of State house rents (to market value) had a number of tenants saying they couldn't cope and should be given cyanide pills to finish the job.

Cr Sally Buck said that the Poor should be on the task force. Alister said she should have suggested that when nominations were called. Sally replied that she had done that and she nominated me.

Other councillors agreed with various points in the speech. One point was that the task force evaluate how council policies impacted on the Poor. I think it was Cr Sue Wells who suggested something between the task force and a unit [dept] be set up. It may have been Cr Barry Corbett who suggested council services like swimming pools could have easier access for the Poor.

In my speech I supported the council's Community Policy, and afterwards asked how the policy in practice was monitored. Council policy adviser, Mary Richardson, said there were two ways. One was up and running, while the implementation of the other had been postponed because of restructuring.

In response to another question Mary said some people had pointed out that the poverty task force members were strictly unpaid volunteers while the central city revitalisation project had five fulltime staff working on it ⁽¹⁾. Carole added that she had questioned the council lawyer why members of the revitalisation mayoral forum were paid if they attended meetings while members of the task force were not. The lawyer replied that the two groups were of two differing legal entities.

Eventually Carole asked me, perhaps in desperation, what I wanted. I said I wanted the council to be more democratic, involve the people more. Barry agreed it was something the council should do.

Before my speech Carole, as chairman, introduced me by saying I had attended a lot of the committee meetings and so when I asked for speaking rights they were granted. I said that the meeting would be my last because I was giving up on the council. At the end of my allotted time Cr Carole Anderton said I was still welcome to attend.

NOTE:
⁽¹⁾The approx resourcing of the inner city revitalisation project is:
* 1 full time strategic analyst
* 1 project support person
* 1.5 communications people
* 2 consultants
* plus operational/PR money
* plus dedicated hours from a number of other Council units

• embassy.org.nz
  
• hammer.prohosting.com/~penz/