Sunday, November 08, 2020

What the hell is wrong with this country

 Again the effects of welfarism are manifested in waste and frustration.

New Zealand is heading into peak harvest season and there aren't enough workers to get fruit off trees or vegetables from the ground.

"This could be my last crop," says Heap, who grows courgettes near Waipapa in Northland. "I'm at the point where I'm not going through it again."

Northland for God's sake. Highest unemployment in the country. Thousands being paid to do nothing. NOTHING.

Worse than nothing in some cases. Paid to terrorise and steal from people who the govt has already stolen from to pay hush money. The flawed 'benefits reduce crime' theory.

What we are doing is insanity writ large.

10 comments:

Don W said...

This could lead to a shortage of fruit and veg with prices of such skyrocketing. Will Jacinda and her mob care.? There will never be a shortage for her. Socialists leaders don't go without anything. She will only care when her popularity takes a hit.

Mark Wahlberg said...

Lindsay, sixty years ago Dad would load the family into his old Mercury and drive us to the Hawkes Bay where we would live in a tent for the weekend and pick fruit off the trees. At home the cupboards and shelves were laden with bottled preserves. We weren't rich but we were never hungry or cold.

Thirty five years ago my wife and I would take our children to the Manawatu where we would gather a harvest of cheap second grade tomato and strawberries from the fields. At home and in keeping with the times, our freezer was overflowing with our effort. We were not rich and living in a drafty old farmhouse, we were never hungry nor cold.

Those were magical and rewarding times in my life.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

PYO the story of my childhood weekends be it up the Kapiti coast or the Wairarapa. God we loved it. I wonder if some of these growers should throw open the gates to PYO punters as a last resort? Charge them for what they take away.Better than produce rotting on the ground.

The Veteran said...

LM1.39 ... now that's thinking outside the square. Uptick.

Chris Milne said...

Probably can't do PYO due to health & safety regs!

Brendan McNeill said...

Yes Northland.

20 years ago I had a customer who had a small factory up there manufacturing wood-working tools, and exporting them around the world. He was always late paying is bills, but he was a real character and I always enjoyed hearing his excuses. Occasionally he would become serious (following another promise to pay) and tell me how he couldn't hire staff up there, none of them would submit to a drug test. He even had mothers phoning, begging him to give their sons a chance. Drug test? - no chance.

You don't need to submit to a drug test to obtain welfare.

My theory is that we can afford to be stupid just as long as we can afford it.

Don W said...

Many of those unemployed in North land would be be more of a liability rather than an employment asset, they would be more than useless.

Anonymous said...

If an unemployed person takes a job (picking) for a few weeks what happens when that work finishes? Is there a stand down period for the unemployment payment, do the worked weeks affect the tax rate or other benefits for the rest of the unemployed year, is there an effect on housing allowances. I employ people from time to time and its amazing how inventive people are with swapping tax codes/ names etc. Does anyone know the answer to these things? Regards Jeremy

Max Ritchie said...

But just conscious enough to be able/helped to vote Matt King and Shane Reti out. Staggering that the party vote went left but for these two outstanding electorate MPs to lose their seats is unbelievable.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Jeremy re stand-downs. Of relevance, "You won't have a stand-down if your benefit is cancelled because you find a job and then you go back on a benefit within 26 weeks."

https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/online-services/apply/what-is-a-stand-down.html#null

And as far as I am aware the accommodation supplement could be affected if the earned income is higher, as too the IRRs that apply to state housing would increase if the earned income increases.

Some - not all - regard the reduction of income-tested assistance as a reason to stay on a benefit. But no able person is ever worse off working - from either an economic or wellbeing viewpoint.