The NZ Herald's blitz on hungry children in New Zealand continues today with a further piece about the Waikato. Simon Collins at least has the level of objectivity required to acknowledge that the hunger was persistent through the 'economic boom', something I pointed to last week.
A five-year doctoral study by Waikato University sociologist Dr Kellie McNeill has found that charities served 25,000 free meals, Work and Income gave out 12,000 food grants and foodbanks gave out 4000 food parcels in Hamilton in 2006-07.
That was at a time when the economy was booming.
Specifically, in the Waikato, the number of unemployed beneficiaries dropped from 2,800 to 1,900 over the period. Almost a third. But the other three main benefits were flat or grew. There were around 8,000 on the DPB - half Maori.
It would be interesting to know how many of the families given food parcels or food grants were on the DPB. I am sure the researcher, given her long stint - 12 years dependent on same - would have paid attention to circumstances of hungry individuals.
It is clear that the phenomena of child poverty and child hunger are effects of the DPB. The Herald's blitz, following a series of articles about sole parents triggered by the WWG proposals, may have done society a favour by allowing subscribers to read between the lines. Relatively few signed up for the requested monthly donation to feed a New Zealand child (even though I imagine many are deeply concerned about their general circumstances). At a time when we have been seeing tragic footage streaming in from Somalia it seems almost obscene that chubby kids in South Auckland are being held up as our National tragedy.
There is growing national awareness and unease about the 'new' structure of communities; those previously 'working-class' but today largely made up of single parent families (with or without a hanger-on) whose economic hub is welfare.
The NZ Herald has contributed to this awareness. But I am not sure that they were after what is likely to be the result.
Come November the public will give National the green light to do something meaningful about welfare and the learned helplessness it induces. I just hope the public's faith in the current government is well-placed.
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3 comments:
It might be an interesting exercise to research the gambling figures for the period in question.
Dear old Simon Collins, wringing his hands for 30-plus years now.
I have been following the 'War on Beneficiaries' debate across the blogosphere and it can make for some depressing reading.
Today, i remembered a few interesting things that some beneficiaries were able to do while they were beneficiaries.
A sixteen year old girl comes home and says "dad i'm pregnant".
So he goes out puts a deposit on a house and says to her, pay off this house with the DPB.
So she did.
That is just one story, there are many more.
Wealth is about accumulating assets and money.
There are people who have been able to build their assets with the help of Welfare, and have been able to rise out of the cess pit and accumulate wealth.
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