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Thursday 25 May, 2017

AUCKLAND ACTION AGAINST POVERTY

Budget 2017: Welfare group says Social Investment approach is about punishment, not investment

Social Investment is about punishing the poor and reducing spending, not investing in social services and improving social outcomes.

“Unemployment is not caused by the unemployed. The Social investment approach blames unemployment and negative social outcomes on individual behaviour,” says AAAP spokesperson Vanessa Cole

“The National party believe that quantitative data will provide them with the necessary information to predict the economic burden individuals will have on government spending in the future.

“While child poverty is linked to adult poverty, it is not transmitted directly. Poverty is a symptom of an economic and political system which benefits the wealthy and oppresses the poor.

“The 2017 Budget has a clear focus on reducing benefit dependency through investing in individuals to move people off benefits and into employment.

“Employment, however, does not guarentee better social outcomes. Work and Income’s investment into work-focussed policies has resulted in people being placed in precarious and insecure work.

“Social Investment is a clear opposition to universal welfare provision which is what is needed to improve life outcomes for unemployed and low-waged workers.

“Both Labour and National have both spoken strongly about fiscal responsibility, surpluses and debt reduction. This is at the expense of spending money on actual solutions.

“The selling and privatising of state housing, and cuts to welfare are clear indication that social investment is about austerity, not about investing in the lives of vulnerable people and whānau.

“Real social investment would involve the mass build of state housing and a livable income for all people. This would start to address poverty on a systemic level.

“AAAP will be outside Clendon Work and Income this Friday from 8:30am, where over 100 people line up to get advocacy for emergency entitlements.”

“We encourage media to come out to Clendon this Friday to witness the reality of poverty in Aotearoa, and the consequences of Government Budget’s on the poor.”

ENDS

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