welfare

Valuing child care: beyond ‘show me the money!’

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:36 am, August 19th, 2014 - 10 comments

Simon Collins has published a very good article comparing various parties policies on social security.  As is the current trend, he doesn’t fully examine the deep and lasting contribution good child care & education make towards society & the economy.  It’s about material and social well-being.

Guest Post: Tracey – Blinglish single handedly reduces teenage pregnancies

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 9:30 am, August 5th, 2014 - 42 comments

Tracey has submitted a series of OIA’s in order to get information about the stats Bill English referred to in relation to the government having reduced the numbers of single mothers. So far…. nothing helpful.

Polity: MSD dumps on National’s “net tax” nonsense

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 3:33 pm, July 10th, 2014 - 47 comments

Rob Salmond has been looking through the newly released  Ministry of Social Development’s Household Incomes Report. It really is invaluable. 

Paula Bennett now believes in education for solo parents

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 9:27 am, June 11th, 2014 - 70 comments

Five years after making cuts to the training incentive allowance for solo parents wanting to educate themselves National is moving to provide some support and now realises that it makes long term sense to invest in education for solo parents. Could it be there is an election around the corner and National realises that it is vulnerable on issues relating to poverty and inequality?

Polity: Inequality trends

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:16 pm, May 27th, 2014 - 7 comments

Rob Salmond at Polity has a series of posts in recent days that have been well worth reposting but alas they missed due to travel. Who gained from National’s tax switch? and May TV polls. But he is on fire since he got back from aussie – perhaps they spiked his drinks? But this one looking at the probable shifts in inequality in NZ in the future is pretty damn sobering to anyone who thinks that we need a more equal society.

And now for the real news…

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:00 am, March 21st, 2014 - 15 comments

“Rockstar economy”?   Let’s hear it for another chorus of,”There is no depression in New Zealand”!  Demographia reports on absolute food and housing poverty for too many Kiwis.  Simon Collins reports on the ethnic inequality gaps & high rates of Maori imprisonment.

Where ‘welfare reform’ ends

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 10:58 am, March 10th, 2014 - 25 comments

Sheila Holt, in the UK, is in a coma for 2 months. She has also just been invited to “intensive job-focused activity” by the Dept of Work & Pensions.

NRT: Treasury, National, and child poverty

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 2:18 pm, February 28th, 2014 - 10 comments

In many ways what is even more irritating about this screwup by treasury is that it isn’t likely to be the children living below the poverty line that has an impact. It is the large numbers of elderly that Treasury has now discovered getting worse off and falling into poverty.  After all they have a vote. Whereas children don’t so the future accumulated costs of their poverty aren’t something that this government will concern itself about.

Opposing the PM’s statement

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:49 pm, January 28th, 2014 - 18 comments

The PMs’ statement todaywas a bit of a fizzer: lacking ideas, a lot of waffle.  Some opposition speeches were more inspiring, & laid out some real alternatives: like the speeches from Cunliffe (on fire), Norman (inspiring), Ardern (animated) & Harawira (real people; real struggles).

AAAP: grass roots action. Well done!

Written By: karol - Date published: 7:41 pm, January 24th, 2014 - 12 comments

A video by Auckland Action Against Poverty is a record of their work and achievements.  Narrated by Sue Bradford, it’s must see viewing for anyone interested in actions against poverty, grassroots campaigning, networking and direct action.  Very impressive!

Welfare profiteers

Written By: karol - Date published: 10:23 am, January 22nd, 2014 - 33 comments

Paula Bennett’s punitive welfare reforms are bad enough (pressuring people into unsuitable work, or off benefits without alternative support); then there’s privatising the scheme by outsourcing enforced work placement to private companies  –  worse still, to overseas corporates. Devaluing & dehumanising people, communities, & nurturing activities. [Update: APM conflicts of interest]

UBI (2) Why should we push for a UBI? (Universal basic income).

Written By: KJT - Date published: 3:37 pm, January 17th, 2014 - 27 comments

Why a UBI?

Firstly. To overturn some paradigms:
That a great many people should lead poor and constricted lives, so a very few can be rich.
That ordinary people are disposable economic production units.

UBI (1). Memes and Paradigms.

Written By: KJT - Date published: 9:34 pm, January 12th, 2014 - 227 comments

Those growing up after the 80’s will find it hard to imagine the paradigm shift, that was the rise of Neo-liberalism, in the 80’s, in New Zealand. The colossal untested experiment, it really was,  and the huge shift of wealth from the lower and middle classes to the richest of us.

Poverty denial

Written By: karol - Date published: 9:58 am, December 30th, 2013 - 230 comments

Here & in the UK: food poverty, increases in queues to foodbanks, in diseases of poverty, a crisis in affordable housing, & struggles & insecurites of the working poor. But poverty denialists blame the poor, smear beneficiaries, & talk of (always-around-the-corner) “brighter futures”.

In the shadow of Savage

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:33 am, December 26th, 2013 - 17 comments

25 December is a good day to visit historic sites.  Yesterday I visited the Savage Memorial in Auckland.  Political heritage in today’s environment.  A memorial for workers? Remember the Savage government!  Remember the Bastion Point protests!  Lessons for today?