The modern precariat and the Unconditional Basic Income
A UBI would allow ordinary people to shift their daily focus from doing paid jobs making money for others, to doing useful work of their own choice, under their own control.
Economy
benefits
Benefit numbers falling – through the cracks
As the Nats celebrate “falling” benefit numbers it turns out that almost half who leave the benefit are not going in to work. So what happens to them?
Doledrums
C’mon people, sing along!
‘The benefit arrives and life goes on, the benefit arrives and life goes on …’
National have failed and they have no idea what to do about it. But I do.
Election now, please.
Social mobility policies do not address poverty
Excellent work by RNZ, following up on previously redacted documents to expose this sham.
Rashbrooke on poverty in NZ and UK
Max Rashbrooke has a major article in The Guardian today looking at poverty in NZ and the UK, and what each country can learn from the other.
Deconstructing the government’s report card
The government has awarded itself a nice report card. Let’s take a closer look.
An open letter to Andrew Little
A respectful open letter to Andrew Little with suggestions for how to win the next election!
Universal Basic Income Experiment
Income in a world of climate change.
Dickensian
Step 1: Make welfare assistance almost impossible to obtain. Step 2: Dismiss the concerns of the poor by telling them they should ask for more help. Done!
Deadly “social bonds”?
The Nats want to turn over social problems to the private sector for profit. This account from the UK should give them pause.
The myth of “Retirement Savings”
Advocates of Kiwisaver and other funded “retirement savings” schemes perpetuate the fundamental misunderstanding that “conventional” in New Zealand’s case “neo-liberal” economists, speculators, finance companies, politicians and those with a lot of share holding wealth in non-productive enterprises like to perpetuate.
Auto Kiwisaver
Nice to see English acknowledging the importance of Kiwisaver – thanks Michael Cullen, thanks Helen Clark! I certainly support default enrollment. But – isn’t this Big Government Nanny State Gone Mad?
Superannuation and Government forecasts
National has again refused to consider doing anything about the future of Superannuation. Yet its policies of increasing Crown debt, stopping contributions to the Cullen Fund and attacking Kiwisaver have made a discussion about the future of superannuation more important than ever.
Budget Blues
Twenty five dollars a week can’t be bad, can it? For families on the breadline, it’s surely better than nothing and every little […]
Budget gives with one hand and takes with the other
An increase to the base rate of benefits is welcome, but it comes with nasty fishhooks. As the Nats are forced to address leftie / progressive issues – a capital gains tax, Auckland housing, poverty – we the people need to keep the pressure on.
Human Synergistics, Richard Prebble, and the end of government
Back in March 1988 David Lange had a clear idea about what lay ahead for New Zealanders as the long-term consequences of Roger Douglas’ psychopathic worshipping of the metaphysical Invisible Hand gradually materialised.
Dear NZ Labour. Listen up.
For the sake of reference – Nye Bevan was a Labour mp and the architect of the British NHS. Michael Sheen’s speech was a defense of that institution, but the underpinning message is, well…
National Ltd™Plays The Race Card
The Auditor General found that no one in National Ltd™, the Māori Party, Te Puni Korkiri, or any other of its apologists can detail exactly what Whānau Ora is supposed to be doing, provide evidence of its outcomes, or explain why up to 33% of the money is being paid in “administration”. In other words, Whānau Ora is a shambles. And dodgy.
Government cuts emergency dental loans for beneficiaries
Over the past few years the amount WINZ has lent to beneficiaries for emergency dental work has been slashed. Update: Seems to have been an error- OIA chaos in the Ministry of Social Development
Then they came for Child Youth and Family
The Government has appointed Paula Restock to head an expert panel tasked to review Child Youth and Family. Even now the intent appears clear, outsource functions and cut costs. But if they were determined to improve matters they should reduce child poverty.
Generous welfare makes people more likely to want to work
Evidence on levels of welfare and willingness to work suggests that yet another nasty right-wing myth is wrong. Reality and its well known liberal bias strikes again.
On poverty, parenting, and Paula
In times of trouble for the National Party, you can always rely on them to raise the rallying cry of “Personal responsibility!!!”
The “Brighter future”.
Labour, in 1984, with Richard Prebble and Roger Douglas, promised that if we adopted their prescription we would have a “Brighter Future”. Ruth Richardson in the 90’s promised a “Brighter Future”. Again in 2014 John Key’s National promises a “Brighter Future”.
A “Brighter Future”. For whom?
Paula Bennett and beneficiaries should be given the benefit of the doubt
A staffer in Paula Bennett’s ministerial office has apparently mistakenly withdrawn cash from the Ministerial credit card. The money has been paid back and no harm caused and no further action should be necessary. If only Bennett extended to beneficiaries the same tolerance of predictable mistakes.
A calculated feeding of the beasts within
The social democracy of my youth has radically collapsed into our current culture of individualism, privatisation and personal greed.
Beneficiaries falling
Falling numbers yes, but falling through the cracks.
inability to access food
people are reporting that they have been unable to access emergency grants for food, simply because that are unable to reach WINZ staff to apply for one.
Save Our State Houses: Labour Party
Kevin Hague says, the government’s plan to replace state housing with “social housing” will make the affordable housing crisis worse & is “economically reckless”. The Labour Party have circulated a petition to save state houses from being sold by the NZ government.
The working poor
The Nats’ line on poverty is that beneficiaries need to get in to work. The rise of the working poor both in NZ and internationally, shows what nonsense that excuse is.
Measuring poverty
The National government has always been selective about what it likes to measure, and so far refused to measure poverty. Under questioning on Morning Report this morning Key finally made a commitment to do so. We must hold him to it.
Hypocrisy and the cost of crime
The Government canned a report on the costs of various kinds of economic crime. RNZ obtained a copy under the OIA, and we can see why the Nats would never have wanted it released…
Hiding the government’s failure on poverty
Thanks to Radio New Zealand, we now know that National got no real plan to address poverty, but also that they really, really don’t want to be honest about it.
Boots Theory: Creepy behaviour from David Farrar
David Farrar continues the Dirty Politics strategy of trying to intimidate critics of the government into silence.
WANTED: new ideas on child poverty
It’s great to see John Key taking a sudden interest in addressing child poverty in New Zealand. But why the change of heart?
The cost of a bowl of Weet-Bix
One of the most dishonest arguments the right ever put forward on the subject of poverty is around one of the simplest things in life: a bowl of Weet-Bix.
For a better way…
The NACT way is Not Our Way. We need a better way of governance and democracy. One that is for all the people. I joined the hardy souls who went to the Not Our Way rally and march in Auckland.