Pathetic Responses To Poverty Report

A newly released Ministry of Social Development (MSD) report has found that people in work have better living standards than those on benefits, even when their incomes are about the same. Two earlier reports, also from MSD, detailed the same finding.

According to Lindsay Mitchell, petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB, "This critical discovery means that the hand-wringers, the likes of the Child Poverty Action Group, the Greens, The Progressive Coalition, and a multitude of other benefit advocacy groups, have got it wrong. Raising the levels of benefits is not the solution to 'poverty' - working is."

"Despite this, various reactions typically called for the government to spend more. Matt Robson, Progressive MP, wants ,'a Poverty Summit of community and academic experts with government and business....and a ten year plan to eliminate poverty.' I shudder to think how much that will cost and how little it will achieve. "

"NZ First called for the government to slash immigration and start looking after New Zealanders. Immigrants are to blame for Maori being at the bottom of the heap, apparently."

"It struck me when reading these inane responses that parliament is itself like a welfare-created dysfunctional family. Each faction blames another for problems that are of their own making. They are at once accusative and then pious. Not one will shoulder any responsibility for the poor living standards described in this report yet they almost unanimously support the culprit - our current cradle-to-the-grave welfare system."

"And like the children of dysfunctional families, welfare dependents quickly learn to blame as well. As long as they hear politicians saying the government has got to spend more, the government has got to act, they will believe that the only problem with being on a benefit is that they aren't being paid enough. The real problem is they don't have a job."

Lindsay Mitchell

Petitioner for a parliamentary review of the DPB

ph/fx 04 562 7944

e-mail dandl.mitchell@clear.net.nz

© Scoop Media