Saturday, January 22, 2011

Labour dives in latest poll

Just a couple of links to things that caught my eye this morning.

Labour takes big dive in the latest Roy Morgan Poll. They must be becoming resigned to sitting out another term.

And expect more of these stories in the near future as the welfare 'industry' gears up to fight the WWG recommendations.

There is no reason why provision can't be made for unusual cases. But they should not be used to prevent changing the welfare system for the majority.

5 comments:

Oswald Bastable said...

labor have not so much been beaten by national, as REPLACED.

Still a shit sandwich- just with a bit of sugar in it.

Oswald Bastable said...

Regarding the case linked, it save the taxpayer a LOT of money not having that child in full-time care.

And shame on the 'man' who left her with a disabled child!

As you rightly say, there are always exceptions (except when libertarians get involved ;-)

Anonymous said...

I doubt Labour politicians would really care about not being back in charge of the levers.

With the money paid to the opposition party members, who needs a job? Money for jam.

Hollyfield said...

I've just checked the WINZ website. There's a "Domestic Purposes Benefit Sole Parent" and a separately listed "Domestic Purposes Benefit - Care of Sick or Infirm" which includes "to provide full-time care and attention at home for your high needs dependant child". It seems to me that it should be easy to give people on this particular benefit an exemption from working requirements.

I don't see any reason why the vast majority of sole parents can't work. I've worked part time since my daughter was 7 months old (with nana helping out) and when I became a sole parent when my daughter was 3 years old I got a full time job. It wasn't what I wanted to do, but it was what I had to do to support us.

By the way, beneficary groups often mention the high cost of after school care - but they don't bother to tell the public that WINZ pays for after school care and holiday care when parents work.

Anonymous said...

Anon at 6.28 pm. Of course Labour will be besides themselves about not being in control of the levers. They are so about control, and the money would be a weak consolation. It's hard to be bosssy and arrogant and powerful when in charge only of the Opposition benches. I couldn't imagine Goff and Cunliffe and King being very happy at all. Spitting chips, more like. Jam is not so sweet when one has it in abundance.