So what does National do when its minor support party tries to steal media attention with dog whistling racism?
It reverts to some good old beneficiary bashing.
And it has engaged in some selective interpretation of data in doing so.
From Radio New Zealand:
The Social Development Minister Louise Upston told Morning Report the Government was taking “sensible steps” to get more people off the benefit and into work.
“What we do want to see is more people in work and I make absolutely no excuses for that.”
No one would be sanctioned because they can’t find a job, she said.
But they would be expected to take practical steps to find one.
Under the “reset” Work and Income would also be required to take a more proactive approach to helping those on the Jobseeker benefit, Upston said.
She pointed to recently published research from Taylor Fry about the length of time young people spend on a benefit.
“I’m not willing to not take action and do everything we can to support more New Zealanders into work.”
The Taylor Fry research she was referring to is covered in this Herald Article.
Rather than blame beneficiaries for what is happening the authors said that “[t]he exact reasons for these changes are unclear”.
The article says this:
Taylor Fry’s analysis suggests people on benefits tend to have lower incomes, worse life satisfaction and more contact with police and mental health services than they otherwise would. Many have precarious family, living and financial situations that could be compounded by longer periods out of the workforce and on public assistance.
Cutting their benefits through sanctions will not improve things for them, or for their families.
The Welfare Expert Advisory Group said this about the system and particularly about sanctions:
The current system is based on conditionality including sanctions and is tightly targeted, with inadequate support to meet even basic needs. The experience of using the system is unsatisfactory and damaging for too many of the highest need and poorest people. We heard overwhelmingly during our consultation that the system diminishes trust, causes anger and resentment, and contributes to toxic levels of stress. There is little evidence in support of using obligations and sanctions (as in the current system) to change behaviour; rather, there is research indicating that they compound social harm and disconnectedness. Recent studies recommend moving away from such an approach towards more personalised services. For the welfare system to work effectively to deliver the new purpose, principles and values we conclude that mutual trust between parties is essential.
Given this, we propose a system based on whakamana tāngata – an approach based on mutual expectations and responsibilities governing interactions between the state and welfare recipients. It is a commitment to improving wellbeing by supporting positive long-term outcomes for the individual, including increased skills and labour market capability. This approach must immediately reform the current obligations and sanctions regime.
The WEAG made the following recommendation:
Remove some obligations and sanctions (for example, pre-benefit activities, warrants to arrest sanctions, social obligations, drug-testing sanctions, 52-week reapplication requirements, sanctions for not naming the other parent, the subsequent child work obligation, and the mandatory work ability assessment for people with health conditions or disabilities).
The current Government is having none of this expert based deep dive into what is actually happening in peoples’ lives. It has its own reckons based on its supporters’ expectations of cruelty as well as a couple of dubious anecdotal examples. It is one thing if we have full employment. But we don’t.
The unemployment rate is predicted to increase. This is not through the mass increase of blugerism, it is because of clearly understood economic drivers.
And this Government has shown that it wants there to be greater unemployment. How else can you explain it using urgency to remove full employment as one of the Reserve Bank’s goals? Or its planned cuts to the public which will inevitably increase unemployment.
The Government’s actions are totally predictable, cruel and will do nothing except increase misery for those of us in precarious situations. Shame on them.
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