The best job candidate will often be a bit bruised, beaten and a tad incomplete

As usual, anyone who is trying to harp on about National clamping down on people opting for welfare payments must yet again face reality. More and more people are joining the gravy train of handouts and state assisted housing for not working. 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868816

In this New Zealand herald article, a solo mother says she has applied for a 20 jobs, without any luck. I'm not going to try understand what Steph Grey's circumstances are. Knowing many New Zealand companies, a major problem seems to be image. People don't often want to hire people who are a bit incomplete from that amazing dream worker which the executives and headhunters envision. 

Some advice I could offer Steph Grey is to just apply to every job which has her profile. It almost seems ironic companies are constantly harping about hiring new staff, yet seem so reluctant to take on those willing to work hard. Ms. Grey may or may not be a hard worker but she is certainly concerned about her son's well being  which is commendable. Going hungry for so your son can eat is a lesson to all the pathetic politicians who want to let bad parents off by offering meals in school, paid for with money our country does not have. 

Hopefully soon, some companies will learn to become a bit more realistic in their pursuit of a new candidate. Idealism may work well in some loose button companies like Apple and Microsoft. But in a country of 4.5 million, where many companies employ fewer than 20 people, are stingy bosses really expecting perfection in each potential applicant? This mythical recession ended some time ago. Jobs are available but companies seem reluctant to fill vacant positions with anyone. Some hopefuls even have to take personality tests. What good that does is unclear. Even a argumentative, rude, bullish perfectionist can do well. Just look at Steve Jobs return from the dead to steer Apple back to green figures. 

People lining up to go on the dole wouldn't be anywhere near as bad as current figures if only Government encouraged companies to make the hiring process simpler.

A holiday to remember...and forget, FAST!

The non-existent police force continued to display their inability to protect us from crime. Rather than patrol areas alone on foot to stop crimes as they happen, they've defaulted to sitting roadside sipping coffee and writing tickets or doing paperwork at various stations. 

Rather than patrol areas of popular tourist areas, all trust has been put in the tourists. Isn't it irritating being lectured by police about us being the reason we got burgled? So when Ben Horner and Claire Barham lost absolutely everything except their swimming costumes, something seemed off. Of course, by the time police responded and took accounts from the unfortunate couple, a thief had already steamed off. 

Excuses have run out. There is one policeman to every 400 citizens. With many more people looking to join, surely Anne Tolley can learn from disasters like this and promote individual foot patrol. 

National vs Conservatives. Who's more liberal?

For anyone to hold David Cameron in mighty praise now would get a public flogging. Congratulating himself on making it so far without caring much about anything he's said, Mr. Cameron now believes his party can win the 2015 election. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/international-politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503226&objectid=10868701

They won't. After reading the brilliant columns by Mail on Sunday journalist Peter Hitchens, it seems that Mr. Cameron has made his party even more liberal now than a few years ago. Going on current observations, New Zealand's own prime minister and his cronies have worked hard to achieve a similar image. Political correctness is drilled in, disastrous tax systems are upheld, pathetic interventionism is constantly encouraged, not overturning the ridiculous anti-smacking bill. The Conservative party enjoys being in the European Union, doesn't like punishing criminals, endorses comprehensive schooling and is doing nothing to stop mass immigration. 

None of these parties should have the word "right wing" anywhere near the party titles. Who's more liberal? You be the judge.

Simon Bridges has precious little to celebrate. The minimum wage increased by a meager 25 cents. Petrol prices increased by that amount in the space of 28 days in February. If National wonders why it cannot keep workers in New Zealand, from Doctors to Laborers, maybe pushing for a slightly higher increase wouldn't have been so bad. It cannot be possible companies will be in dire straights by paying their cleaners, packers, manufacturers an extra $0.50 an hour more than last year.