welfare

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Two Tier. Bull. Shit.

Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, May 25th, 2020 - 217 comments

I thought we were “in this together” or some such?

Running for cover

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 pm, April 21st, 2020 - 41 comments

More 1% Americans are heading our way, according to Bloomberg. The Texas company building underground bunkers is getting more enquiries. They’re not running from the virus but fear the aftermath when the breadlines turn.

Are the Vultures Already Circling Above?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 14th, 2020 - 116 comments

We cannot go back to business as usual after the lockdown but can we shape the way things will be for the greater good?

Holding the Government to Account or Concern Trolling?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 31st, 2020 - 35 comments

When Opposition Spokespersons behave like concern trolls, we have a problem.

UBI Now, Please

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, March 25th, 2020 - 75 comments

Universal Basic Income is on the Government’s Covid-19 survival agenda. NZ needs it now, and NZ will need it tomorrow too.

$1000 per person (recurring) NOW!

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, March 20th, 2020 - 71 comments

There’s a world where, apparently, people shake hands with other people all day. I don’t know that world. I couldn’t tell you the last time I shook some-one’s hand. And I suspect those who inhabit a world of hand-shakers have as little insight to my world as I do theirs. But in “one world”…

Covid-19 Gov’t Support; Live updates from 2pm

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, March 17th, 2020 - 156 comments

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the coalition Government will announce a multi-billion dollar economic package at 2pm today. Livestream details are in the post and live updates will be made as the announcement rolls out.

What the Government has done for beneficiaries

Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, March 7th, 2020 - 43 comments

In Parliament this week Carmel Sepuloni outlined action being taken by the Government to implement the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group designed to improve the plight of beneficiaries.

UBI: what is it good for?

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, February 27th, 2020 - 122 comments

Please don’t let economists, lefties, the right, or TOP design a UBI until we start talking about bolting welfare on. Here’s why.

Having us squabble over the welfare pie

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, December 18th, 2019 - 34 comments

When we hear a supposedly progressive economist talking about elderly people as decrepit, or rendering the elderly poor invisible, it’s time to revisit our moral compass.

Common-wealth Government

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, November 18th, 2019 - 16 comments

Advantage is testing an idea out. What will a common accountability framework for the government look like?

Flact Tax

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, June 17th, 2019 - 175 comments

Act has proposed a tax increase for the bottom 64% of all tax payers.

Bene bashing

Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, June 1st, 2019 - 101 comments

National has engaged in the most crass form of beneficiary bashing in opposing Government changes to the benefit system announced in the budget and passed under urgency.

Support Tax Fairness Reform

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, April 9th, 2019 - 16 comments

The Tax Justice Network has started a campaign to gain support for taxing capital as income to support and improve our public services. If you would like to support the campaign, you can sign the petition here or donate here. All funds donated will go to the campaign advertising.

National starts political year beneficiary bashing

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, January 22nd, 2019 - 70 comments

National has kicked off the year by reverting to type and engaging in a classic example of beneficiary bashing based on a distortion of official statistics.

KiwiBuild doesn’t fly.

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, November 2nd, 2018 - 215 comments

More than that, it needs to be torn down before it makes a serious bid at flight.

Bludger Bridges

Written By: - Date published: 6:56 pm, August 13th, 2018 - 63 comments

Simon Bridges has blown over $100k of your money in just three months, tiki touring around the country at the taxpayers expense. Nice work if you can get it!

Update: A Shark Jumps Matthew Hooton. Live on Twitter!

Sanctions for beneficiary bashers

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 25th, 2018 - 76 comments

Simon Bridges, who is clearly struggling for relevance, has decided to try and improve his political position by bashing beneficiaries.

The UN is shocked by NZ’s child poverty rates

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, July 22nd, 2018 - 89 comments

Earlier this year the United Nations expressed shock and concern at New Zealand’s rates of child poverty, homelessness, incarceration and violence.  What is this Government doing to address these issues?

Government with a plan

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 22nd, 2018 - 46 comments

Labour and New Zealand First Ministers under the first term of the sixth Labour government sitting in the Cabinet office.

The polls are great. Top work. But I’m getting worried about the entropy of this government already. Matthew Hooten and Karl Marx agree with me.

Carmel Sepuloni announces much needed changes to improve WINZ

Written By: - Date published: 3:47 pm, June 27th, 2018 - 41 comments

Carmel Sepuloni has announced much needed changes to make WINZ more sensitive to the needs of New Zealanders who need assistance.

Killing Them Softly With…

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 11th, 2018 - 48 comments

In New Zealand there is sufficient evidence to show that poor peoples’ lives are cut short because of poverty related  poor nutrition. While food banks are alleviating the worst impacts of hunger, their kindness may well be contributing to the problem. Food poverty is a systemic issue and requires a systemic response, a response that successive governments are able to avoid while charities continue to provide a buffer for the system.

Who Really is Judging the Poor?

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, June 3rd, 2018 - 89 comments

Some conversations about poverty are harming those in need. Those conversations contribute to the stigma and shame experienced by struggling families, who are barely surviving, but still trying to maintain some dignity.  As a result even those in need are differentiating between the deserving and undeserving poor.

Why does Simon hate pensioners?

Written By: - Date published: 5:31 pm, May 21st, 2018 - 130 comments

In a welcome move by Labour to relieve energy poverty on those with fixed, low incomes, all beneficiaries (including pensioners) are to get up to $700 extra automatically over winter.

National obviously hate this.

Fudget for Austerity

Written By: - Date published: 12:31 pm, May 19th, 2018 - 71 comments

Some proposals on why we just got the budget we did.

Carmel Sepuloni respect

Written By: - Date published: 4:09 pm, May 9th, 2018 - 17 comments

It is great that we have a Minister of Social Development who actually has empathy for poor New Zealanders, as shown by her treatment of dog whistle questions in Parliament today.

Should MPs also be subject to sanctions when they don’t do their job?

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, May 8th, 2018 - 59 comments

National MPs have without notice refused to turn up to the House Committee of Parliament.  Should they have their pay docked?

Thank you Metiria.

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, April 25th, 2018 - 94 comments

Some movement on social security (a thing we all deserve)

The Largesse

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 3rd, 2018 - 51 comments

April the first and second mark the days when those receiving entitlements receive a yearly increase in line with the CPI and the governments increase to Accommodation Supplement also comes into effect. So what does it all mean for those receiving entitlements?

Writehanded: A sea change – or just more weasel words?

Written By: - Date published: 6:26 am, March 28th, 2018 - 69 comments

A few weeks ago Sarah Wilson at Writehanded looked at the promise in Labour’s welfare policy and whether we are going to be disappointed.

Food security in New Zealand

Written By: - Date published: 6:12 am, March 14th, 2018 - 28 comments

The Standard regular commenter Macro takes a look at the state of food security in NZ

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