Metiria Turei’s speech at the Green launch
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4:10 pm, August 17th, 2014 - 40 comments
Categories: greens, Metiria Turei -
Tags: campaign
Aroha mai, Aroha atu.
When love is given, love is returned.
Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei
Address at the Green Party Election Campaign Launch 2014
AUT, 17 August 2014
Aroha mai, Aroha atu.
When love is given, love is returned
This is the Aotearoa that I love.
The Aotearoa where thousands of Kiwis worked to save our most treasured wild places, protecting the birthright of our children and grandchildren.
The Aotearoa who fought the asset sales to stop others from stealing from our children the gifts of our grandparents.
The Aotearoa that warmed up the homes of thousands of our children, so they and their families could be warm and dry and above all healthy and well.
That is the Aotearoa that I love.
I am proud to be here today – standing before you as one half of the best leadership team of the best political party in New Zealand.
My friends, there has never been a more important time for the Green Party to be in Government.
Because as much as we love New Zealand, she’s in trouble.
Today as a nation we face twin crises – an environmental crisis and an inequality crisis.
Earlier this year, at our AGM, Russel outlined the Green Party’s plan to tackle what I think we’ll all agree is the biggest environmental crisis of all – climate change.
Our Climate Tax Cut – a charge on pollution, the revenue from which all goes back to families and business – will ensure New Zealand is part of the solution to global climate change, rather than part of the problem.
Today, I am going to outline our solution to New Zealand’s second pressing issue – inequality.
This is a matter very dear to me.
I entered politics because I wanted to ensure that everyone, no matter their ethnicity, class or background – had much better opportunities than I had.
I have learnt, through my experience of poverty, the value of safety nets, what you can achieve if you are not left to fend for yourself.
At the beginning of this year I stood in front of many of you at our annual Picnic for the Planet and declared that inequality will be the defining issue this election.
It was really important for me that my daughter Piupiu was there that day.
Piupiu was born in 1993.
At that time, New Zealand was in the grip of a free market fever that saw our country become more unequal faster than anywhere else in the developed world.
The rate of child poverty swelled from 11 per cent in the late 1980s to nearly 30 per cent of all New Zealand children by the time Piupiu was born in 1993.
Ever since then, throughout Piupiu’s entire life, successive Governments have tolerated shocking levels of deprivation and poverty among our children.
Aside from a bit of tinkering here and there, they’ve done nothing really to solve it.
So now, with just 34 days left to vote, I say it’s time to demand an end to child poverty in New Zealand once and for all.
The Green Party wants to make sure that every child in this country has enough of what they need to thrive.
Child poverty can be eliminated. We have the tools and techniques. It is now, simply a matter of choice.
I know what National will say. We can’t afford to help kids. We need to grow the economy first.
How many times over the last 25 years have we heard this?
If National was right, how come GDP grew by 38 percent between 1988 and 2013, yet child poverty doubled in those same years?
We have had nearly three decades of rock solid proof that wealth doesn’t trickle down, especially not to our kids.
Over the past six years under National, half of all New Zealanders have seen no rise in their incomes at all.
Yet the wealth of the top ten percent doubled in the past ten years.
There are now 35,000 more children in severe poverty in New Zealand than there were before National came to power.
That’s the equivalent of the city of Gisborne populated by these kids living in severe poverty.
A total of 205,000 New Zealand children living in severe poverty.
More often than not those kids are going without the basics, like fresh fruit and veges, raincoats, medicine.
They’re three times as likely to be admitted to hospital, five times as likely to die of cot death, and twenty seven times as likely to have rheumatic fever, be a sick adult and die young.
We’ve got to the point where families work two or more jobs, and still live in poverty, still live in homes that are wet, and cold and their children go without.
It does not have to be this way.
It’s time, today, right now, to demand an economy designed to work for everyone, not just a few.
I am proud to announce today that in Government the Green Party will implement a billion dollar plan to reduce child poverty, paid for by a new top tax rate of 40 percent on the highest incomes.
Our plan will roll the Family Tax Credit and the In-work Tax Credit together to create a more simple child payment that goes to all low and middle income families in New Zealand.
But the difference is our new Children’s Credit will deliver an additional $60 a week, $3000 a year, for these families who currently miss out.
This additional payment will in no way affect those low and middle income families currently receiving Working for Families payments, but it will mean more support for those children who currently miss out.
This money will transform life for these kids. It’ll mean the difference between having warm clothes, school books, lunch, and turning on the heater when they are cold.
This is the quickest, simplest and most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty – and one that has majority public support.
The Children’s Credit will represent a dramatic reversal of 22 years of discrimination against the poorest children that started with the scrapping of the universal family benefit in 1991.
But we won’t stop there. We will also remove another discrimination that denies support to the poorest new-born babies.
The Green Party believes all babies deserve to thrive. We will extend payment of the Parental Tax Credit to the 13,000 newborns whose parents are reliant on a benefit or student allowance.
They too will have help with the costs of a new baby.
The Parental Tax Credit will be worth $220 a week for 10 weeks, $2,200 for these families.
This payment provides support to those parents who don’t qualify for Paid Parental Leave.
I was stunned to recently discover that the Minister had rejected her own officials’ advice that babies born to beneficiaries had the most to gain from this financial support. They said in their first weeks of their life such a payment could improve these babies long term wellbeing.
But, Paula Bennett said no, leave the poorest, tiniest babies out.
We won’t leave these babies out in the cold. We will support them.
Raising the incomes of our poorest families through the Children’s Credit and the Parental Tax Credit is at the heart of the Green Party plan to tackle child poverty.
For a quarter of the price of National’s tax cuts to the wealthiest New Zealanders we can reduce poverty and its effects on the poorest children.
We will also invest $500 million per year in new children’s health and education programs to reduce the harm caused by poverty.
It’s clear that as well as reducing poverty at its source, schools need better support to address the impact that hunger, illness and a lack of resources has on children’s ability to learn.
We’ll establish schools in lower income areas as hubs, where the health, social and welfare needs of children and their families can be met, all on the same site.
Kids at these schools will be fed through a national school lunch fund; cared for when sick by dedicated school nurses; and their parents will get the support they need to work, further their own education and be engaged in their kids learning.
We’ll provide free after school and holiday care in decile one to four schools.
We’ll extend free healthcare to all children up to age 18, ensuring over 290,000 teenagers can see their GP without having to worry about the bill.
And we will help struggling parents by providing 20 hours free early childhood education to two year olds, saving families up to ninety five dollars a week.
What a plan!
Make no mistake, this billion dollar investment in the health, education and financial welfare of children and families will reduce poverty in our country and loosen the grip poverty has on the lives of our kids.
Tackling inequality is a moral imperative.
We cannot pause, we cannot wait, we cannot do this by halves.
As I watched Piupiu grow from a child into a young woman, I saw poverty spread like a virus in the 80s and 90s as a direct result of decisions made in the Beehive.
Now is the time for political decisions that end poverty.
National’s inaction over child poverty stands in stark contrast to its decision to find $4 billion to cut the taxes of the wealthiest ten percent of New Zealanders.
Just as we will use the tax system to tackle climate change through our carbon charge, we will also use the tax system to tackle child poverty.
Today I am announcing that in Government the Green Party will bring in a new top tax rate of 40 percent on incomes over $140,000.
Every cent raised will go directly into our plan to alleviate child poverty.
This will affect only 3 percent of all taxpayers, but the revenue raised will make the world of difference to the hundreds of thousands of children who need it.
We’ve set the tax threshold at $140,000 so MPs’ salaries are captured.
I want to make sure that I, and my parliamentary colleagues, old and new, are part of this solution.
We will be proud to be part of it. Because it is a good thing.
My family will still live well – And so will other families.
My daughter will still have security and a good education and a chance at a great future – and so will other kids.
We will also raise the trust tax rate to limit the risk tax avoidance that can arise when you raise the top tax rate.
It is only fair that those who earn more progressively pay more – this is what countries with low rates of child poverty do.
Our tax system is the key to solving poverty. If we want a fairer society we need a fairer tax system.
New Zealand currently has one of the least progressive tax systems in the world.
Our top rate of income tax is the fourth-lowest in the 34-member OECD – it’s much lower than Australia and the UK, which sit at 47%, the USA and Norway at 48% Canada, 50%, Denmark, 56%, and Finland 57%.
Plus we have no inheritance tax, no gift tax, no death duties and no general capital gains tax. That’s why we will introduce a capital gains tax, excluding the family home.
The reality is, we are failing to properly tax wealth and our poorest kids are paying the price.
I want to be clear, the Green Party has no bone to pick with wealth – the problem in New Zealand is not that some people earn more money, it’s that the benefits need to be shared more fairly.
We can earn increasing amounts as a country but still be poorer if our wealth is not shared around. The last 25 years have demonstrated that fact.
I didn’t get into politics to watch the divide between the haves and have-nots grow ever wider.
Hundreds of thousands of kiwi kids will be much better off under the Greens bold plan – and those children need us in Government right now.
We will unleash the potential of thousands of children, and send a message to every child that every single one of you matters.
These are practical, effective solutions ready to go.
It is just a matter of choosing to put children first.
Friends and colleagues, in 34 days time, we can make history, by becoming the first ever Green Party in Government in Aotearoa.
We have lead the opposition for the last three years and we are ready to lead in Government.
We have the experienced leadership needed to take our country forward.
We are the political voice for a strong and growing Green movement in Aotearoa.
We have a group of united MPs and new candidates ready to serve.
We have the policies to transform our economy and build a stronger New Zealand – one in which we are mindful of others and mindful of our ecological limits.
The Green Party is ready to step up and with at least 15% of the party vote we will have a major influence in a new progressive government.
Voters have a real choice on September 20.
A Government prepared to tackle the two greatest issues of our time, climate change and inequality, or a Government in denial of both.
It is time for cleaner, fairer, smarter New Zealand.
Now is the time to say: Aroha mai. Aroha atu.
We are more than just individuals, little islands of our own.
We are a country of people, a community at the bottom of the world that cares for one another, looks out for one another, and provides for one another.
That returns the love we are so generously given.
Let’s show our love for New Zealand on September 20.
Party vote Green.
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I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...3 days ago - Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...3 days ago
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- Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?David Farrar writes – The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...3 days ago
- PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for electionPRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...3 days ago
- Climate Change: Criminal ecocideWe are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...3 days ago
- Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...4 days ago
- Long Tunnel or Long Con?Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...4 days ago
- Smoke And Mirrors.
You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...4 days ago - What is Mexico doing about climate change?This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...4 days ago
- State of humanity, 2024
2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...4 days ago - Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...4 days ago
- The case for cultural connectednessA recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...4 days ago
- Useful context on public sector job cutsDavid Farrar writes – The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated. While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...4 days ago
- Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racismRemember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...4 days ago
- Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal5 days ago
- True Blue.
True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...5 days ago - Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...5 days ago
- 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...5 days ago
- Fast-track submissions period must be extended
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...6 hours ago - Release: Progress on climate will be undone by Govt
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...6 hours ago - Release: Dark day for Kiwi kids as a third of Govt cuts affect themNews that 1000 jobs at the Ministry of Education and Oranga Tamariki could go is devastating for future generations of New Zealanders. ...2 days ago
- Release: Alarm as Government signals further blow to school lunchesMore essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...2 days ago
- Release: Quick, submit – stop Govt’s dodgy approvals billThe Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...3 days ago
- Government throws coal on the climate crisis fireThe Government’s policy announced today to ease consenting for coal mining will have a lasting impact across generations. ...3 days ago
- Release: Public transport costs to double as National looks at unaffordable roading project insteadCancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...4 days ago
- Release: Cost of living in Auckland still not a priorityA laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...5 days ago
- Greens look to fast-track submissions on harmful lawThe Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt should stop making people’s lives harder and build more homesThe National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...1 week ago
- Release: Melissa Lee missing in action on mediaThe action Melissa Lee promised to protect democracy and the media sector is missing, Media and Communications spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...1 week ago
- Landlord Government leaves little hope for rentersThe Government’s announcement on tenancy rules prove that it does not care about renters. ...1 week ago
- Opportunity to build a more sustainable economyGreen Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...1 week ago
- Significant step forward in fixing cruel and unjust pastA significant milestone has been reached in the fight to strike an anti-Pasifika and unfair law from the country’s books after Teanau Tuiono’s members’ bill passed its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Missed opportunity but NZ will surely one day recognise the right to a sustainable environmentNew Zealand has today missed the opportunity to uphold the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, says James Shaw after his member’s bill was voted down in its first reading. ...1 week ago
- Release: Don’t cut our lunches – clear message sent to GovernmentTens of thousands of people are demanding the Government commits to fully funding free and healthy school lunches. ...1 week ago
- Release: Govt makes U-turn on Suicide Prevention OfficeLabour welcomes the Government’s U-turn on the closure of the Suicide Prevention Office, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...1 week ago
- CCC issues warning over further climate delayToday’s advice from the Climate Change Commission paints a sobering reality of the challenge we face in combating climate change, especially in light of recent Government policy announcements. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets lame and lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Luxon targets are lousy example of leadershipIf talk is cheap, Chris Luxon’s “targets” are bankrupt. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Commitment to disability communities missing from Govt prioritiesMinister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds appears to have delayed a report back to Cabinet on the progress New Zealand is making against international obligations for disabled New Zealanders. ...2 weeks ago
- Methane target review is dangerous duplicationThe Government’s newly announced review of methane emissions reduction targets hints at its desire to delay Aotearoa New Zealand’s urgent transition to a climate safe future, the Green Party said. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Government must commit to school building project for disabled studentsThe Government must commit to the Maitai School building project for students with high and complex needs, to ensure disabled students from the top of the South Island have somewhere to learn. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National must take mental health seriouslyMental Health Minister Matt Doocey and his Government colleagues have made a meal of their mental health commitments, showing how flimsy their efforts to champion the issue truly are, says Labour Mental Health spokesperson Ingrid Leary. ...2 weeks ago
- Referendums for Māori wards a racist step backwardsThe Government's imposed referendum on Māori wards is a racist step backwards for Māori representation, and disregards Te Tiriti o Waitangi. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Job losses at Health not worth it for tax cutsNew Zealand will feel the harm of the National Government’s reckless cuts to jobs at the health ministry for generations, says Ayesha Verrall. ...2 weeks ago
- Press release: No Māori initiatives in Government’s nothing planMāori are yet to see anything from this Government except cuts, reversals and taking our people backwards, Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Thirty six point PR spinThe Government’s ‘36 point’ plan for the next three months is as pointless as it is hollow. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Social housing off Government’s to-do listThe Coalition Government’s refusal to commit to ongoing funding for social housing is seeing the sector pull back on developments and families watch their dreams of securing a home fade away, says Labour Housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Less money in most people’s pockets this AprilChanges to minimum wage and benefit indexation means many New Zealanders will get less this year, as the Government gives a big tax break to landlords instead. ...3 weeks ago
- $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...6 hours ago - Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder listThe Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...8 hours ago
- Judicial appointments announcedAttorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...9 hours ago
- Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in SingaporeEducation Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa. The summit is co-hosted ...10 hours ago
- Value of stopbank project proven during cycloneA stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...10 hours ago
- Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visitForeign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul. “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...10 hours ago
- Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac DayScience, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...13 hours ago
- Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the PhilippinesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...24 hours ago
- Government commits $20m to Westport flood protectionThe Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...1 day ago
- Taupō takes pole positionThe Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...1 day ago
- Cost of living support for low-income homeownersLocal Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners. “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...1 day ago
- Government backing mussel spat projectThe Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...1 day ago
- Government focused on getting people into workBenefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...2 days ago
- Clean energy key driver to reducing emissionsThe Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...2 days ago
- Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forwardThe Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...2 days ago
- Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic PartnershipPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...2 days ago
- Government consults on extending coastal permits for portsRMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...2 days ago
- Inflation coming down, but more work to doToday’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...2 days ago
- School attendance restored as a priority in health adviceRefreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...2 days ago
- Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sectorOceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...3 days ago
- Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International CongressAssociate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector. "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...3 days ago
- Removing red tape to help early learners thriveThe Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...4 days ago
- RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tapeChanges to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...4 days ago
- McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationshipTrade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...4 days ago
- Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister LeePrime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...4 days ago
- PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ tiesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...4 days ago
- Antarctica New Zealand Board appointmentsForeign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner. The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...4 days ago
- Finance Minister travels to Washington DCFinance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...4 days ago
- Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlordsThe coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...4 days ago
- Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being consideredState Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...5 days ago
- New Zealand condemns Iranian strikesPrime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel. “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says. "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...5 days ago
- Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plansHundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...1 week ago
- Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand ChairHealth Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board. “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti. “I have asked her to ...1 week ago
- Roads of National Significance planning underwayThe NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has signalled their proposed delivery approach for the Government’s 15 Roads of National Significance (RoNS), with the release of the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to ...1 week ago
- Navigating an unstable global environmentNew Zealand is renewing its connections with a world facing urgent challenges by pursuing an active, energetic foreign policy, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “Our country faces the most unstable global environment in decades,” Mr Peters says at the conclusion of two weeks of engagements in Egypt, Europe and the United States. “We cannot afford to sit back in splendid ...1 week ago
- NZ welcomes Australian Governor-GeneralPrime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Australian Governor-General, His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley and his wife Her Excellency Mrs Linda Hurley, will make a State visit to New Zealand from Tuesday 16 April to Thursday 18 April. The visit reciprocates the State visit of former Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy ...1 week ago
- Pseudoephedrine back on shelves for WinterAssociate Health Minister David Seymour has announced that Medsafe has approved 11 cold and flu medicines containing pseudoephedrine. Pharmaceutical suppliers have indicated they may be able to supply the first products in June. “This is much earlier than the original expectation of medicines being available by 2025. The Government recognised ...1 week ago
- NZ and the US: an ever closer partnershipNew Zealand and the United States have recommitted to their strategic partnership in Washington DC today, pledging to work ever more closely together in support of shared values and interests, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The strategic environment that New Zealand and the United States face is considerably more ...1 week ago
- Joint US and NZ declarationApril 11, 2024 Joint Declaration by United States Secretary of State the Honorable Antony J. Blinken and New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs the Right Honourable Winston Peters We met today in Washington, D.C. to recommit to the historic partnership between our two countries and the principles that underpin it—rule ...1 week ago
- NZ and US to undertake further practical Pacific cooperationForeign Minister Winston Peters has announced further New Zealand cooperation with the United States in the Pacific Islands region through $16.4 million in funding for initiatives in digital connectivity and oceans and fisheries research. “New Zealand can achieve more in the Pacific if we work together more urgently and ...1 week ago
- Communities Against The Fast-track Heartened By ‘Overwhelming’ Public Response; Disgusted By ‘...
With submissions closing today, Macassey-Pickard says groups around the country have been supporting a huge range of people to make their submissions. ...2 hours ago - Renters Rights To Drastically Reduce Under Landlord GovernmentThe Government’s announced changes around tenancy rules set renters’ rights back by nearly a decade. ...2 hours ago
- NZPI Submission on Fast Track Approvals BillOur response to the new legislation is informed by targeted conversations with practitioners working in the system and through an implementation lens. ...2 hours ago
- Fast Track Invite List Includes Most Destructive Industries In New ZealandThe new ‘Fast-track Approvals Bill’ would give just three Ministers the power to approve or deny development projects. They would avoid the usual checks and balances that are in place to protect rivers, land, the ocean, and communities. ...2 hours ago
- Eugene Doyle: Helen Clark on why AUKUS isn’t in New Zealand’s national interest
COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle Helen Clark, how I miss you. The former New Zealand Prime Minister — the safest pair of hands this country has had in living memory — gave a masterclass on the importance of maintaining an independent foreign policy when she spoke at an AUKUS symposium held ...2 hours ago - Government releases list of organisations shoulder-tapped for fast-track consents
The government's released the list of organisations provided with information on how to apply - just hours before public submissions on the bill close. ...3 hours ago - The Week in Politics: Job cuts surge and Waitangi Tribunal troubleAnalysis - It's been a grim week for public servants, while trouble is also brewing between the government and Waitangi Tribunal. ...4 hours ago
- It never rains but it pours: intense rain and flash floods have increased inland in eastern Australi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milton Speer, Visiting Fellow, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Technology Sydney Before climate change really got going, eastern Australia’s flash floods tended to concentrate on our coastal regions, east of the Great Dividing Range. But that’s changing. Now ...5 hours ago
- Watch: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaThe PM has defended how he's talked up NZ trade on his trip to Southeast Asia, after criticism from his own delegation. ...5 hours ago
- ‘It could be the death of the museum’: why research cuts at a South Australian institution have ...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Finkel, Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow, La Trobe University Sia Duff / South Australian Museum In February, the South Australian Museum “re-imagined” itself. In the face of rising costs and inadequate government funds, CEO David Gaimster, who took the reins last June, declared ...5 hours ago
- Government signs off $41m clean energy deal with Asian Development BankThe government has committed $41 million to clean energy transition at the Asian Development Bank's Energy Transition Mechanism. ...5 hours ago
- Are 2 mid-career AFL retirements a sign Australian athletes are taking brain health more seriously?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alan Pearce, Professor, School of Allied Heath, Human Services & Sport, La Trobe University, La Trobe University This week, Collingwood AFL player Nathan Murphy announced his retirement, brought on by his concussion history and ongoing issues. The 24-year-old’s seemingly sudden retirement, ...7 hours ago
- Luxon: Waitangi Tribunal comments from coalition parties 'ill considered'Comments from ACT and NZ First ministers about the Tribunal were "ill considered" and "that message will be underscored" to them, the PM says. ...7 hours ago
- Mental Health Foundation Facing Staff Cuts From Govt Funding SqueezeThe Mental Health Foundation provides support and resources for those facing the loss of their job, so it’s wrong in the very week the Government adds another 1000 jobs to its tally of cuts, that this is happening. ...8 hours ago
- I wholeheartedly recommend The President: a brilliant revival of a play of decay, terror and revulsi...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney Daniel Boud/Sydney Theatre Company Decay, terror, revulsion. These are three of the central themes of Thomas Bernhard’s rarely performed play The President. The Austrian is one of the greatest ...8 hours ago
- How the coolest little capital is shrinkingIt's not the first time a government has targeted public servants for job cuts, but this time Wellington is really feeling it. ...8 hours ago
- Many prisoners go years without touching a smartphone. It means they struggle to navigate life on th...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ye In (Jane) Hwang, Postdoctoral Research Associate at School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Shutterstock You’d be hard pressed to find any aspect of daily life that doesn’t require some form of digital literacy. We need only to look back ten ...8 hours ago
- Ministers accused of Cabinet Manual breach with threats to Waitangi Tribunal
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says threats by ministers Shane Jones and David Seymour to reform or close down the Waitangi Tribunal were “ill-considered”, as legal experts say the ministers may have breached Cabinet Manual conventions. “I think those comments are ill-considered and we expect all ministers to actually exercise good ...8 hours ago - Good news: midlife health is about more than a waist measurement. Here’s whySource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rob Newton, Professor of Exercise Medicine, Edith Cowan University Pexels/RDNE stock project You’re not in your 20s or 30s anymore and you know regular health checks are important. So you go to your GP. During the appointment they measure your waist. ...8 hours ago
- The Friday Poem: ‘Mitochondrial Problem’ by Evangeline Riddiford Graham
A new poem by Evangeline Riddiford Graham. Mitochondrial Problem I. It was long drive to Kansas for the man and his dog but you have to understand he said She doesn’t fly. Which calls to mind not carsick shitting barking or whining but a dog who chooses not to as ...8 hours ago - The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending April 18The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 Hemingway’s Goblet by Dermot Ross (Mary Egan Publishing, $38) Hot off the press, this debut ...8 hours ago
- Department of Conservation closing Dunedin centre, but no jobs lostVisitor habits are changing and DOC needs to adapt in a financially sustainable way, its operations director says. ...8 hours ago
- Unions Collaborate With Thousands Of Job CutsWith New Zealand officially in recession, a swathe of mass sackings is currently sending shockwaves through the entire working class. ...9 hours ago
- Watch live: Christopher Luxon speaks to media in ManilaPrime Minister Christopher Luxon is speaking to reporters in Manila after pledging greater defence cooperation with the Philippines. Watch live. ...9 hours ago
- Government sent please explain letter to Wellington City Council over transport disagreementThe contents were revealed in correspondence from Simeon Brown and Chris Bishop to Wellington's Mayor. ...9 hours ago
- Some families push back against journalists who mine social media for photos – they have every rig...Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Wajnryb McDonald, PhD candidate in Criminology, University of Sydney Less than 24 hours after Ashlee Good was murdered in Bondi Junction, her family released a statement requesting the media take down photographs they had reproduced of Ashlee and her family without ...9 hours ago
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Good speech Metiria,
“That returns the love we are so generously given.
Let’s show our love for New Zealand on September 20.”
Fix our appalling railway also to help the environment please!!
Then bring us back to a kinder, gentler caring egalitarian society before we destruct please Greens.
As you are bringing us a Minister of Youth how about a Minister of egalitarianism society as well.
+1. And a Minister for the Arts, a proper one.
IF the left gets into Government I would like to see her as
Minister of Justice and Deputy Prime Minister.
Excellent. Bold, and fairly straightforward.
I was stunned to recently discover that the Minister had rejected her own officials’ advice that babies born to beneficiaries had the most to gain from this financial support. They said in their first weeks of their life such a payment could improve these babies long term wellbeing.
But, Paula Bennett said no, leave the poorest, tiniest babies out.
We won’t leave these babies out in the cold. We will support them.
Bennett and her cronies must go!
Much better policies from the left.
Can we get a video of this? I enjoyed Davids speech on the screen but I can’t find this one anywhere.
I’ve been party voting Greens while dear wife pvs Labour over the last decade. This year we decided to go with IMP. This speech has got me thinking though. IMP or Greens…decisions decisions oh hell!
[lprent: I will look for it. I was pretty busy with several things throughout this speech. But it looked pretty damn good to me. So did the standup afterwards.
Couldn’t find anything either. I’ll ask the Greens but it will probably be tomorrow. The Labour one took some time as well. ]
If the Greens were offering something that might conceivably reduce the proportion of children being raised on benefits within the year of their birth (which is the overwhelming factor relating to child poverty, neglect and abuse, I’d be inclined to vote for them. However, their policy seems to be to fund an increase in children being raised on benefits within the year of their birth, which inclines me more towards hoping Metiria doesn’t get anywhere near being able to influence government policy in this area.
The Greens’ whole package includes also focusing on education, health and community support. This ensures children have a good start in life.
Keeping children (and adults) starving, in ill health and poorly housed, costs us all more in the long run.
+100 karol…and they are the advocates for the environment…New Zealand the way it was….where our heart and soul is …..with sparkling clean rivers, lakes , oceans and shorelines …healthy thriving flora and fauna…pristine bush and treasured National Parks…sustainable farming ….and a small manageable population…a New Zealand for all New Zealanders
…a New Zealand that the old Maori revered as the Goddess Earth Mother… Papatuanuku ….treasured Mother Earth…the Gaia Mother Earth who sustains us All .
The Greens’ whole package includes also focusing on education, health and community support. This ensures children have a good start in life.
Well, that’s the theory, anyway. Practice tells us that being raised on benefits long term very strongly militates against children having a good start in life. The Greens’ view is that that’s because beneficiaries are short of cash, but their view comes more under the heading of “wishful thinking” than “evidence-based policy.”
New Zealand the way it was…
…when children were raised by two parents who earned their own living. Yes, it would be great, wouldn’t it?
The reason they don’t get a good start in life is because:
poor education
poor health
poor community networks
And all those are addressed in the Greens’ package.
Actually, back in the day it was one household breadwinner, a woman dependent on a husband being fair in providing her with a reasonable amount of money, and a safe and secure environment – wasn’t always that safe secure or economically fair.
Back in the day, there were stronger community networks in most places.
It takes a village…..
Meh. Growing up with two parents doesn’t imply any particular organisational model for those parents to follow.
And stuff like poor education, poor health and poor social networks are more the result of people who shouldn’t be having kids, having them – dishing out more cash for having kids won’t address that problem.
Hey milt better educated people have less children making sure these children have stable family home reasonably handy to a school .
food in their bellies reasonable standard of clothing!
And not $400 + weekly rental forcing families into sheds and cars !
Itinerantcy is one of the biggest causes of poor education outcomes because children of poor families are having to move on regularly seasonal low wage jobs and having no money after rent for food all add up to failure by this govt !
Unlike john key when he was growing up his mum paid small rent had child allowances etc
PM you are trying to tar all Beneficiaries with thesame brush!
“And stuff like poor education, poor health and poor social networks are more the result of people who shouldn’t be having kids, having them”
How does that connection work, Psych Milt?
Also, why do you start with “people who shouldn’t be having kids, having them” when you could equally (i.e., logically equally) start with “poor education, poor health and poor social networks” lead to “people who shouldn’t be having kids, having them”?
Having children brought up on poverty costs more for taxpayers in the long term that’s why right wing men don’t understand that when that child leaves school their chances of being employed in a good job in good health a very low costing you in your retirement Psyco misogynist only sees the shorterm!
so when you say evidence based policy, do you mean when a Ministry does the research and provides advice to the Minister and from there policy is developed?
PM When labour was last in office the Number of beneficiaries was well down only 83,000 on the DPB for less tan average of only 2years!
Now under National DPB numbers up by 30,000 with longer stays
Same with unemployment down to 70’000 with an average stay of only six months under National over 2 years average stay on UB1
Get some facts before you Bene Bash.
With having initials PM its hard to believe anything you say!
Kiaora Psycho
You must surely be aware that a baby pops out of a vagina and not a vacuum.
Child poverty has a history spanning decades and unraveling its effects will hopefully not take decades more. The Green policy sounds sensible and achievable. By focusing on giving the best care and attention to the babies and mothers united, the change you desire will occur.
How many well educated young women do you know willingly choose to live life on a benefit – by having babies?
Are you for the status quo, or is there a party with a different policy from the status quo, other than greens that you are currently supportive of?
No party seems to be actually doing anything useful about this, but Labour seems the least hopeless.
The Nats seem to focus on making life on a benefit so miserable that no-one will want to take it on – that seems punitive and unlikely to succeed, given that a lot of these people on benefits had a pre-beneficiary life a lot suckier than anything Paula Bennett might come up with.
The Greens appear to want to tax useful parents more so they can dish out cash to wasters with children. That’s a recipe for more wasters with more children and a hefty useful-parent voter backlash, so it really would be better not to go there.
Labour has in the past concentrated on getting people out of poverty by getting them into paid work, and (in theory, if not always in practice) ensuring that paid work actually pays enough to live on. If they’d focus a bit more on extracting cash from the deadbeat sperm donors creating these waster ‘families’ and seeing to it that raising children on a benefit isn’t an available career option, they’d be doing better, but their approach at least isn’t as crap as that of the Nats or Greens.
Thanks psycho
Can you post your basis for thinking that directing money toward the new born babies of beneficiaries will lead to more beneficiaries having babies?
There are two bases: a theoretical one, which posits that what you subsidise, you get more of; and a practical one, which is the rapid increase in beneficiaries having children after we started subsidising it in the 1970s. In layman’s terms: we’re currently getting seeing somewhere around 20% of kids on a benefit in the year of their birth, and it has a lot to do with raising kids on a benefit paying better than unskilled labour. Increase the payments, increase the attractiveness of raising kids on a benefit.
hmmmmm…
How many people do you think see being a beneficiary parent as a job choice, as a percentage of population, and of beneficiaries?
I’m not sure we’re talking about people who are big on conscious-choice decision-making, here. But the fact it’s effectively a career for thousands of unskilled people suggests some level of choice, or perhaps a lack of making a choice for alternatives, is going on.
So psyco misogynist what about john Keys mum and Paula Bennett they didn’t deserve a hand up
You do know that the fact some people actually use these benefits for their intended purpose isn’t an argument for ignoring widespread abuse of the benefits, right? Because your comment suggests you don’t.
We on the left are more interested about ways to create meaningful jobs and making sure kids get a decent start in life so they can function as Adults you on the right are more interested in bullying damaged people who have had lifetimes of abuse and neglect who are not good ta making decisions for themselves!
Unemployment was at 3.5% when this corrupt govt came in to power they handed more over to their National party mates in South Canterbury $1.6 billion than it would take to fix poverty in the Land of milk and honey!
Now their is Questions at the Fraud trial around Bill English’s roll in the biggest welfare Cheque ever written in New Zealands History!
We on the left are more interested about ways to create meaningful jobs and making sure kids get a decent start in life so they can function as Adults…
Correct. That’s exactly what we’d like to see – at issue is only how effective particular policies would be in achieving that.
…you on the right…
Incorrect. You seem to have mistaken me for someone else.
You do know, that abuse of the benefits by some claimants, doesn’t justify keeping the vast majority of honest beneficiaries living below subsistence level?
People have a right to live their lives as they see fit, and not live in a parental supervision surveillance state. It’s that simple.
Give people a dignified life in society on something above poverty level income so they are not scrabbling around to survive, then sure, ask more of them.
You do know, that abuse of the benefits by some claimants, doesn’t justify keeping the vast majority of honest beneficiaries living below subsistence level?
I suspect we’re operating very different definitions of the word ‘abuse’ in this context.
People have a right to live their lives as they see fit…
They don’t have the right to have taxpayers fund whatever life they see fit. Also: indeed I do think it’s a bad thing for people to live with the state in a parental role over them – which is what long-term beneficiaries are doing.
psycho Milt your pushing the dirty trickle down theory ACT policy your just repeating the lies!
practicing propaganda 101 technics of wearing down and baffling with BS.
You are the only RWNJ posting today.
you haven’t answered the question why haven’t the ACT National coalition reduced numbers on benefits !
Your just being cynical and pathetic!
[lprent: PM isn’t a RWNJ, you only have to read his posts at No Minister to understand that.
Personally I’d describe him as a bit of a social conservative (and I suspect he would even agree).
However there are many like him on the wider left. Please don’t be an ideological conservative and label everyone who disagrees with you as being something else. It is usually better to listen to what they actually have to say and then rubbish them on that (if you can). ]
you haven’t answered the question why haven’t the ACT National coalition reduced numbers on benefits !
As a lifelong opponent of National and a somewhat less-long opponent of ACT, I don’t feel in any way accountable for their policies.
Personally I’d describe him as a bit of a social conservative (and I suspect he would even agree).
Yes. In this one respect I am a social conservative: that children are in most cases much better off being raised by both their biological parents who are earning their own living. I just find it depressing that something so mundanely self-evident counts as social conservatism these days.
Hi Psycho Milt,
Overall, the birth rate has dropped markedly over the last fifty years (as it has in many countries).
The number of births by teenage parents is less than half of what it was in the 1970s:
“Professor Natalie Jackson, who heads the National Institute of Demographic and Economic Analysis (NIDEA), says debate on this issue needs to be informed by statistics. Contrary to the message that New Zealand’s teenage fertility and sole parenting rates are skyrocketing:
· In 2011, 2.8% of New Zealand’s teenage women (15-19 years) gave birth. This is higher than Australia (1.7%), similar to the United Kingdom (2.4%), and lower than the USA (3.9%). It is less than half the 1972 level (6.9%).
· At the 2006 Census, the median age of solo parents in New Zealand was 42.9 years.
1.4% were younger than 19
14.6% were 20-29 years
84% were 30 and over“
It’s great that the number of teenage births has dropped. But the drop since the 1970s is mainly due to couples becoming couples older and having children older. We have a pretty consistent level of children being raised on benefits within their first year, somewhere around 20%. It dipped slightly during 5th Labour, but only slightly. That 20% is the most at-risk group for you-name-it when it comes to bad outcomes.
On TV1 Monday morning John Key in answer to Allie Pugh’s question;
“What do you think about the Greens Billion dollar Child poverty scheme”
JK said “Greens are writing the checks we cant afford!!”
NEWSFLASH; Answer, John Key, – we cant afford a bill for a 13 billion dollar roads of National Significance plan of a holiday highway and others that are really just more roads for trucks either!!
Does dumb Key know that a healthy population is a productive population?
A little flowery but the sentiment is a good one and the plan solid. Lets see come September if New Zealanders are really the caring people they claim to be.
By flowery do you mean she expressed her love for the country and its people?
Disturbed Key has had another BrainFade forgotten how the state prevented him from poverty by providing him with cheap housing and his mum a benefit.
Maybe their was some mineral deficiency in his diet that has caused his remarkably convenient flippants on fire forgetfulness!
PM children brought up in poverty causes a $6.5 billion a year drag on our economy
Helping the poorest parents to look after their children is not only morally right and humanitarian, but also good economic sense. Invest early to prevent health and welfare costs in future. I can’t understand how this has been forgotten/pushed out of the conversation, as it was well understood in the 60’s and 70’s, and we are reaping the benefits of it with a healthy productive cohort of adults in the baby boomer generation. Talk about pulling up the ladder behind us…..