The NZ Business Roundtable today published a paper I penned as part of their Te Oranga o te Iwi Maori project. The media attention has been high and I have gone from one interview to the next and then the official launch. On Breakfast TV tomorrow 6:50.
I will link to the paper when it is on-line. Here's the release.
Report calls for major welfare shake-up
20/07/2009 17:44:35
A report has been released which recommends the Domestic Purposes Benefit be scrapped and replaced by a shorter-term support package.
Researcher Lindsay Mitchell has made the recommendation in her study of welfare policy and social problems among Maori, which was commissioned by the Business Roundtable.
Citing the high rates of Maori women receiving the DPB, she says steps should be taken to discourage them from getting pregnant in the first place.
Ms Mitchell says to that end, the DPB should be abolished and the Government should only provide support for one year. She says beyond that period financial support should be provided by the child's mother, father and extended family.
The report also recommends looking at the introduction of contributory unemployment insurance for workers and a restriction on current universal welfare entitlements.
It advises tighter eligibility criteria for sickness and invalid benefits and suggests panels of doctors be used to approve applications as opposed to individual practitioners.
Mrs Mitchell believes steps will have to be taken by the Government at some stage - not because it wants to, but because it has to. She says there is a lot of public concern about welfare dependency becoming a lifestyle among both Maori and Pakeha.
Mrs Mitchell says the state should provide welfare support only as a last resort safety net.
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29 comments:
Great. A bit of the recognition that you deserve -- but just a bit. Hardly all that was earned.
What a witch you are. Why don't you get you hob nailed boots on and stomp on their faces really put the boot in. The business round table is full of greedy little bastards who want people to work for them for nothing while they wallow in their glory. I suppose your married to such a person or maybe not. Maybe you need to suffer some of the illnesses those on sickness or invalids benefits suffer. I know Christine Rankin was struck by one of those illnesses. You better watch it they strike when you least expect it you bloody witch.
Bravo, Lindsay!
:-)
Ah yes--the usual drivel from the usual 'anonymous' commenter.
Who can't be bothered addressing a single substantive point.
No mention of the people who make welfare a lifestyle choice, anonymous? No mention of the thousands who regard being given the money of hard-working Kiwis as a right, when they're perfectly capable of working themselves? No mention of those who abuse drugs and render themselves incapable of supporting themselves and their families, yet I have to go to work every damn day to feed and clothe them and pay for their treatment?
Get real, you tosser.
Well dne Linday--and I see the usual suspects are getting space in the media to whine and bleat about a rare breath of commonsense...
anonymous - I see people who choose to live on welfare every day. I see women with one kid wailing about how impossible it is to work with kids, when my own mother seemed to manage it in the 60s and 70s when I was at home. I don't normally use language like this on Lindsay's blog but Fuck Off Bludger.
Hey Wankers I am referring to her attack on sickness and invalids beneficiaries through no fault of their own so get stuffed you nasty pieces of shit.
KG Your a hypocrite and a tosser. Your not exactley open to who your really are are you. Just the letter KG is just as good as being anonymous even your profile doesn;t reveal who you are your just the typical asshole who expects others to do a certain thing while you do something else. Just another dictator.
Anon, The report does not attack invalid and sickness beneficiaries. That will be apparent to you if you read it.
Anon you are a fool.
I am on an invalids benefit waiting for a lun g transplant so I can get back to work.
Lindsay knows this and has been supportive. I agree with her.
I was a solo parent and I worked from the time my son was 5 weeks old. I was and able to work and I did so. My son was my responsibility and not the tax payers of NZ.
I believe that anyform of welfare should be a safety net for those in need and not a way of life.
So bugger off and if you are in reasonable health get a job!
Congratulations Lindsay.
I'm looking forward to the release of the full report.
Regards,
Susan Nicholson
Well said Lindsay.
The problem for Maori is they have come to see welfare dependancy, endless unwanted children, drugs, booze, violence and the influence of american negro music as an integral and cheerished part of their culture.
While the "old people" may have had standards of some worth, the younger generations have few of any value and reinvent their culture for their own short term glutinous appetites.
In my opinion maori are doomed and there is nothing anyone can do to stop their decline into oblivion, only slow it.
Dirk
"Ex-nuptial" is not the same as "single". The increase in the ex-nuptial birth rate parallels societal changes with more people choosing not to get married - de facto relationships, in other words. It is an outdated proxy for single parenthood.
I read the 'report' - it came to some surprising conclusions from an evidence-based perspective (though, I guess less surprising given the fact that it was commissioned by the Business Roundtable).
Lindsay, what are your research qualifications?
Looks like you have opened up a can of worms Lindsay. You just have to wait your turn to win a seat in parliament for this type of hardy suggesstions. Theres a thing called Public Referendum, you know but even if it did go that far, the government has a sympathetic ear to those that are lesser fortunate so please don't throw any more stones from your comfy glasshouse as it might backfire on you.
At the very least Maori women have the basic right to have their babies when they want to & likewise for any general women in Aotearoa. That right is a God given right unless you do not believe in Divine Power!!
Anon
No one is denying that women have a right to have babies.
But if you choose to have children then you need to understand that with children comes the responsibility of caring for them and supporting them financially for the next 18 years at least.
It should not be up to the tax payer to fund your children.
Saved me the trouble, Lucy. Thanks. :)
"the government has a sympathetic ear to those that are lesser fortunate.."
Yeah--and they use working Kiwis to fund that "sympathetic ear".
"Less fortunate" is code for lazy bastards who can't be bothered getting out there and working, who can't be bothered feeding their kids properly even when given "free" money,who plead poverty even as they spend $12 for a packet of smokes and buy booze, lottery tickets and junk food becase they're too damn lazy to cook decent (and cheaper) meals.
Middle NZ is about out of patience with a huge pool of welfare leeches. Leeches who whine and complain and are never, ever heard to say "thank you" to those who feed and clothe them.
Um, I think Lindsay IS saying some women shouldnt have babies - teenage Maori unmarried women specifically.
The release looks good (actually some of those figures look a bit scary so good might not be the most appropriate word!) and it certainly got a bit of discussion going round the talkback shows today, looking forward to reading the whole paper.
I just read the report, it is quite artful in its presentation and very selective regarding what it reports, I think some of the conclusions could do with much polishing.
After reading it you can understand why the Government is not taking it seriously, as it falls short of being academically worthy, especially if one is to base policy on it.
One point I agree in the report is the idea of public works programs, but this is an idea the current Government is pursuing with increased spending on infrastructure.
One point I seriously disagree on, is that we should model our system on the USA, if anything they should model their system off us. If your main concern is money and economic output, looking at IMF predictions, NZ GDP is gonna drop by 2%, from 2009 - 2010, USA is gonna drop 2.6.
The Maori and Welfare report is emotive, this does serve a purpose, which is to sir up interest, hopefully now the meaningful dialogue can commence regarding welfare, as benefit subsistence is not a good long term strategy for prosperity.
AMV - c'mon are you seriously suggesting that the US should model their economy on NZ?
Obama reaches for the phone and talks to Key. Obama says, "I'm told by my advisors that NZ is the economic model we should be following. What's the secret sauce - Key?"
Key says, "It's all about investment in housing and cows...lots of cows".
Obama says, "Really, we ain't done so well in housing but you say you guys are still going great guns? And what's this about cows ?"
Key says, "Yep, you see producing lots of cows is the way forward and it creates a high income and high standard of living"
Obama says to his advisor, "Get me the Secretary of Agriculture, we need cows, lots of cows"
As the tui ad states, "Yeah Right". Stick to your knitting AMV.
Simon D, lol... I enjoyed facetiousness commentary. I think the knitting comment was a bit much though, I would love to learn to knit.
The point I was trying to make with the comparison to the USA was that slim social services does not equate to economic prosperity.
Perhaps is is my fault for not being more explicit, in the Maori and Welfare report it is suggested that NZ emulate the USA system with regards to Social Welfare, I was suggesting the USA emulate the NZ system of Social Welfare.
If the USA should not model their economy on NZ, do you think NZ should model their economy on the USA?
I think with regards to Dairy subsidies it would be beneficial to NZ (and the environment) that the USA did take a lesson from little NZ.
I think this is pathetic to say the least. Are they trying to play 'God'. It is obvious that Lindsey Mitchell & the round table are executing the 'Pristine View' as opposed to the ordinary person's view. [Stones & Money Speaks or being thrown from Technocratic Glass Houses & sooner or later those same stones will have a boomerang effect & then what!!!]
Get Real folks....
Lindsay Mitchell - tut tut tut... throwing in an element of Racism are you?
The world need not be seen through your 'rose-tinted' lenses only as there are many many other lenses to view & approach issues that matter.
There is a thing called 'culturally sensitive' & its obvious you have missed the point due to your tunnel/narrow vision. Pity your world!!!
't have a clue why I followed your blog. You have just convinced me thats you 're not worth my while & shutting down this shop so as not to read anymore crap from your draconian postings on this particular blog.
no longer interested....
You've seriously discombobulated the anonymous semi-literate mob Lindsay.
Which is a sign you're on the right track..:-)
There is a thing called 'culturally sensitive' & its obvious you have missed the point due to your tunnel/narrow vision. Pity your world!!!"
Culturally sensitive only exists in your wanky PC world....not the objective reality we actually live in.Its a buzz phrase meaning "Don't tell the truth...it hurts!"
KG & James - bunch of wankers....
AMV is the only one that has thrown in some academic & intelligent sense to this 'racially profiled' issue.
Lindsay, reminds me of 'DB' making a comeback in 'skirts'!!
Who is she to be talking on behalf of the Maori women? Aotearoa has enough Maori academics, professionals & the likes to be giving their views on their issues & certainly not dictated by a pakeha woman like LM.
This blog lacks the finese of a well written & well thought out blog.
"Who is she to be talking on behalf of the Maori women? Aotearoa has enough Maori academics, professionals & the likes to be giving their views on their issues & certainly not dictated by a pakeha woman like LM."
Ohhhh so whos the racist now? Because Lindsay isn't Maori she can't have an opinion on Maori and express it?
From the evidence of history it would seem obvious that the salvation of Maori will indeed come from outside"Maoridom" as they seem helplessly doomed to wallow in tribalism and dependancy...by making poor choices based on wrong ideas and bad values
Lol, James. That is the sort of comment that reflects on a lack of knowledge of such histories.
I doubt even the Linsey Mitchell would support your statement that Maori problems have eventuated as a consequence of Maori choices.
LOL...
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