On Saturday I blogged about the fundamental difference in views between the Minister and associate Minister of Social Development re the placement of Maori children removed from high risk situations. Another looms. Taken at their word, National has said they are now going to press ahead with work-testing the DPB when the youngest child turns 6.
But the Maori Party is completely opposed to this.
One third of working-age Maori women are on welfare - most, the DPB. Which legislation will actually have more practical impact on Maori? Enshrining customary right to the foreshore and seabed or making Maori mothers get a job?
So what, you may say. ACT will support the legislation allowing the Maori Party to vote against it. But what if ACT sees this as a golden opportunity to push National further and, for example, introduce a cap on the number of children eligible for assistance or a time limit on DPB receipt (note to Sir Roger), then the Maori Party could be pushed into supporting the legislation as it stands. Or they could continue to hold out, leaving ACT having all the influence.
They would be between a rock and a very hard place. This is exactly the sort of stuff that is causing friction amongst Maori Party members. In a way I sympathise with Hone and his philosophical antipathy towards National. I feel a similar antipathy and didn't want ACT to go into government with them. But that is water under the bridge now.
And ACT, (note to Sir Roger), has a chance to actually do something important on the welfare front.
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6 comments:
They do Lindsay.
It will be very interesting to see what happens. I have given up on trying to predict the actions of any of the parties we have at present. They seem to be able to throw off any principles/policies associated with them with absolute ease.
The exception is the Maori party of course. Although they may have lulled some of us into a false sense of security for a while, their pure racism should now be evident to all.
I was just looking over some old papers from the late-80s / early 90s reforms.
Not Roger, but Ruth cut benefit rates by up to 30% overnight! Of course, those benefit levels are far far too high and far far too easy to get these days.
30% cuts aren't 100% cuts but at least is a start. Hopefully Hone will go independent, and ACT can really start putting some steel in to Key's backbone - or better still, start sharpening their axes!
Were it up to me, I'd cancel all benefits tomororw - including super - and if I had 60% of the vote I'd do the best I could to entrench those changes so that any PM or government trying to pay any benefits or health or anything just went straight to jail.
Well those benefit cuts caused mayhem to business in NZ at the time and caused thousands of Kiwi's to leave for Aust. The actually achieved nothing for anyone and it took another 4 years for the economy to start to become better.
Be careful what you wish for because there are thousands of fragile businesses out there again and like it or not they employ a lot of people from that benefit money.
Start by cutting the tax rates and freeing uo the employment laws, allowing youth wages again. We just might see some change without destruction.
ACT has a chance indeed.
Will it be able take advantage of it to advance its ideas? Let us hope the answer is yes.
Well those benefit cuts caused mayhem to business in NZ at the time
Protected businesses deserve no support from my taxes.
and caused thousands of Kiwi's to leave for Aust.
Excellent - especially if they'd otherwise be bludging bennies!
The actually achieved nothing for anyone and it took another 4 years for the economy to start to become better.
In one budget, Ruth achieved more than any other minister of finance in NZ, before or afterwards, Roger and Nordmeyer included!
Be careful what you wish for because there are thousands of fragile businesses out there again and like it or not they employ a lot of people from that benefit money.
I can only hope! When import licensing was removed, "thousands of fragile businesses" were wiped out. OF course they weren't real business because they could not compete in the global market - and therefore they do not deserve to exist. Just like when other socialist countries, like Russia or East Germany came out of socialism, thousands of fragile "businesses" were wiped out, people thrown onto the scrap-heap, hundreds of thousands lost heath cover, etc etc. But all these are excellent results - just what is needed to reform NZ!
Start by cutting the tax rates and freeing uo the employment laws, allowing youth wages again.
Aboslutely we must slash taxes - especially on the productive (those earning over $250K, those with assets over $10M) who really should pay no taxes whatsoever. Absolutely we must eliminate all labour legislation, including youth wages, special provisions for unions, etc etc.
We just might see some change without destruction.
But what you call "destruction" is absolutely they key to the change that NZ needs. Avoiding or minimising the "destruction" will just avoid or minimise the reforms! Rather, we must seek to accelerate and enhance the destruction by any means necessary
ACT has a chance indeed
ACT needs a really simple 10 point plan - not something pretentious and complicated with Roger-style state-endowed insurance for bludgers like last time. Something like the "TEN ZEROS"
1. zero dbp
2. zero dole
3. zero sickness
4. zero super
5. zero state health funding
6. zero state education funding
7. zero state radio & tv
8. zero unions
9. zero harawira
10. zero taxes on productive kiwis
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