This is their specific income support policy:
• Set benefit amounts at a level sufficient for all basic needs of the individual/family.
• Protect all benefit levels by linking rates to a fixed percentage of the average wage (like superannuation).
• Replace the current Social Security Act 1964 with a simple two-tier benefit system consisting of a universal base rate that is enough to live on, with add-ons for specific circumstances, such as dependants, disability or chronic illness.
• A Universal Child Benefit of $18.40 per week per child for the first child, $13.00 for subsequent children, with the ability to capitalise it towards a home deposit.
• Abolish stand-down periods, treat people aged 18 and over as adults for benefit purposes; no forced work for the dole.
• Support urgent Government action to address the problem of benefit abatement for those moving into employment, and the removal of the poverty trap created by high marginal tax rates that exist for people on low incomes.
• Introduce a tax-free zone at the bottom end of the income scale.
• DPB to be protected; no compulsory work-testing.
• Appropriate training, vocational advice and support for sole parents.
• Remove discrimination from tax credit regimes such as the In Work Payment component of Working for Families.
• Support an allowance to beneficiaries who carry out a minimum number of hours of voluntary work per week.
• Improve the culture of Work and Income so that people are treated with dignity and respect and are enable to access their full entitlements promptly.
Spending billions more on welfare.
One of the reasons NZ has gradually become poorer than other developed-world countries is the loss of productivity through welfare dependence. Voting Green, and getting these policies, would make NZ even poorer - not richer, in any sense of the word. And though I don't think we will get them, a bevy of parties together - Maori, Mana, Green, and Labour - are pretty much in the same ballpark on welfare.
If ACT goes the election result could be much, much tighter than predicted. Just like that game last night.
8 comments:
I drove past one of those signs yesterday and someone in the car piped up: 'Voting Green will make New Zealand richer? That's blatant false advertising!'
:)
No mention of the requirement for an exit visa- for tradesmen and productive people wanting to head to Oz...
Completely agree Lindsay - welfare is the quickest way to a 3rd world status.
If people don't want to be poor then they need to stop having children they cannot afford. They need to treat children as a privilege not a right.
But I know you think this so I wont bother preaching to the converted!
I think we are agreed on how best to address poverty.
But until good policies are in place the reality is many children are not going to be fed, clothed, housed (or kept safe) adequately.
What are your thoughts on KidsCan? We sponsor children through their In Our Own Backyard program. I am not a fan of enabling bad choices but this assistance is administered through the school and goes direct to the child (food throughout the day, shoes, raincoat, suncream, hats, thermals etc).
Would love to know what you think of these kinds of programs.
Unsolicetedious,
Very difficult balancing act between meeting need in the here and now, and creating dependency.
I worked with beneficiary families as a volunteer for 5 years and stopped for two reasons. My changed circumstances meant I didn't have the required time and I was hearing too much about 'getting you your entitlements' rather than practical, enabling help.
Your programmes aren't unnecessary or unworthy but I would hope they are a stop-gap between now and then. 'Then' being when welfare stops making people habitually needy.
'scuse the spelling mistake.
Solicitedious. Clever.
Hi Lindsay - unsolicited + tedious but I think I like Solicitedious too! :)
Yes I see things like KidsCan as a necessary stop-gap for those children in the need of support now - I like the fact that their (often) useless parents don't get a damn thing.
It is a difficult process finding the right balance (clearly as no government has found it!), but I have come up with a few ideas of my own - such as making every single child whose parent is not able to support them on their own merit (which includes WFF) a Ward of the State where the ultimate responsibility is still with their egg/sperm donors, but the clothing, feeding & education (including school fees) is with the State & administered through their schools.
The govt could re-brand jobs such as the WFF childcare co-ordinator (I did this job - honestly the biggest waste of money ever) and get them to administer the assistance.
AND consequently the sperm/egg donors welfare would be reduced. Their remaining assistance could also be put on a payment card or set up in a way that they get vouchers for food, clothing, petrol with direct debits for power etc.
The exception would be those people faced with genuine circumstances beyond their control - illness, accident, death etc.
No doubt there is obvious flaws in my idea/s too, but I think it is better than anything that the government has come up with.
Given that welfare is predominantly paid on the premise of caring for the child then it would better achieve this goal than the current system.
And if people didn't like it they could, well, make better choices - including the novel idea of having children they are capable of looking after.
I sound a little heartless, but I am not. Like you I have see this stuff first hand through work including voluntary so I think I have enough experience to offer an opinion.
What gets me is that those who have all the opinions often have no substance; very few have seen the inside of a 2 bedroom home for 10 people with mattresses on the floor, unbelievable stench & yes a big TV with Sky. I think those people need to do something like volunteer with the ambulance or Victim Support.
"What gets me is that those who have all the opinions often have no substance; very few have seen the inside of a 2 bedroom home for 10 people with mattresses on the floor, unbelievable stench & yes a big TV with Sky. I think those people need to do something like volunteer with the ambulance or Victim Support."
Or in the community.
But when the archaeology starts - cleaning away the top layer of detritus to discover the next, and the next, etc. ending in maggots if you are in the kitchen - they will need a sense of humour too:-).
that they will :)
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