The Greens have announced their latest bid to achieve government:
"It includes a big overhaul of social welfare, with all benefit payments increasing by 20 percent and all sanctions and obligations for beneficiaries removed.
It means those receiving welfare won't have their benefits cut if they don't search for jobs or fail drug tests, or if mothers don't name the father of their child.
Working for Families also gets beefed up under the policy, with weekly payments increasing by at least $72. However, the threshold of eligibility won't be changed.
Ms Turei has also made the bold move of introducing a new top tax bracket of 40 percent, which kicks in for all income over $150,000.
The tax rate in the lowest bracket, presently 10.5 percent, will reduce to 9 percent.
Minimum wage will also go up immediately by $2, from $15.75 to $17.75."
Turei went on to admit defrauding the welfare system when she was a beneficiary. I wonder if she ever paid it back when able to?
And A Pony Partyt
ReplyDeleteYou have a link to Samizdata quotes. I think the Greens may have read it. But the meanies have short-changed the NZ public in their version
Peter
There must be an election coming. It seems the political parties are bidding for our votes with largess,s to every man and his dog paid for with money stolen from those that get out and work. Take from the workers and give to the shirkers, just par for the course.If Materia has committed a crime of fraud, she needs to be brought to account.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is full of NZ welfare recipients whining about their impoverished state. Hating the National Party.
ReplyDeleteThis bitterness is caused through envy. While they're struggling to make ends meet they see what they perceive as massive wealth in other parts of society. They want some of it. They don't get why it can't be shared.
One of the main reasons it can't be shared is that the wealth they see is actually a giant ponzi scheme, in the main driven by excessive immigration and the naturally resulting real estate speculation. While house prices rise and rise, the only ones who actually make money are those who get out of it while they can, and buy a cheap house somewhere outside Auckland.
There's no real wealth in NZ because the real pie is not being grown. Readers need to ask themselves this- What happens when the real estate boom ends?
What industry is there to provide employment, produce value and generate profit? The answer is very little.
So the wealth that drives the envy of the so called poor is in fact a shimmering mirage. There's really no money to be shared, even if it was a good policy to do so.
Ironic. National have driven a large part of the population to an immense degree of almost irrational and insane envy and hate for them by means of policies that generate artificial wealth. An illusion. A magician's trick.
Almost funny, if it wasn't going to turn out so bad.
Glad I don't have a horse in this race. What a destructive insane mess NZers have made of their democratic process.