NZ’s top 10% are richer than rest
The richest 10 per cent of New Zealanders are wealthier than the rest of the population combined, according to figures cited by Oxfam NZ.The charity says the numbers illustrate a stark wealth gap in New Zealand, which is deeply worrying – and wants multinational corporate tax avoidance addressed.
However, the Government says its own analysis shows inequality has not worsened in the past decade, and the system already redistributes a significant amount of income.
The Government have to stick to inequality denial because acknowledgement of the problem forces them to do something about it which is why National refuse to measure child poverty. The facts are stark…
-The gap between high and low incomes has widened faster in recent decades in NZ than in most other developed nations
-Across all adults. the top 1% owns three times as much wealth as the poorest 50%.
-NZ now has the widest income gaps since detailed records began in the early 1980s.
-The average household in the top 10% of NZ has nine times the income of one in the bottom 10%
-Between 170 000 – 270 000 children living in poverty (depending on the measures used)
-One of the world’s worst worst records of child health and well-being
-One major report on children’s welfare ranked NZ twenty-eighth out of 30 developed countries.
-There are more Pakeha in poverty then Maori, but poverty impacts Maori & Pacifica more acutely. 1 in every 10 Pakeha households live in poverty, 1 in every 5 Maori and Pacific households live in poverty.
-Maori had 95% of their land appropriated and alienated between 19th Century and 20th Century.
-Women earn 13% less than men and are under represented in senior positions within almost every occupation. Many are forced to take low income part time work.
-Subsidies for Kiwisaver contributions and some Working for Families tax credits, are available only to those in paid work or, sometimes, in full-time paid work. A lower proportion of Women are in full time work so they are more likely to be excluded from these initiatives and more reliant on inadequate state benefits.
-Pacific Islanders are 3 times more likely to be unemployed than the general population’s rate, they also, like recent immigrants, struggle alongside Maori against structural discrimination.
-These groups represent the 800 000 NZers living below the poverty line.
…in a consumer culture where success is worshiped and attributed to personal choices and hard work, poverty is the direct responsibility of the individual, the ‘you choose to be poor’ mantra. That position allows people to shrug away any social obligations to their fellow citizens and rewards invisible privilege.
Our once proudly egalitarian nation has become a gated community and Oxfam’s numbers are a damning reminder of that.
Interesting omission from the daily blog this morning. Decided to have a look there to see how they treated this topic, only to see that some issues they can’t even put spin on so completely ignore.
James do tell what is the interesting omission, please let me know.
I’m ABSOLUTELY NO fan of the right wing and the ‘trickle down theory’, but the decision by too many of NZ’s poor NOT TO VOTE allows this cruel form of ‘democracy’ to occur.
It’s about time we turned the spot light on to our fellow left leaning citizens that CHOOSE don’t vote, and (IF WE HAVE TO) shame them in to voting.
Because of their apathy to not do their ‘civic duty’, results in the MAJOR reason why they’re in the horrible state they are in.
And we the rest of the nation will suffer in years ahead for the split country that will be created when these poor souls become disillusioned adults.
So get off your collective arses and vote !!!!!
All John Key asks you to do, is not vote, so he can get back in power and abuse you more……DO YOU GET IT YET ??!!!!!
I think these are tough comments about the poor not doing their ‘civic duty’. Frankly I don’t blame them, why would anyone who is living in poverty vote for either of the main parties, Clark’s government left huge numbers in poverty after 9 years of great economic times. If that is what Labour has done who else might make a difference, who can you trust. They see themselves stuck I assume, stuck in a never ending cycle of poverty with useless MPs like Ross Robertson – ‘The Invisible Man’. If someone could kindly tell me what Robertson did overall for his constituency in all his years of seat warming please do. His great claim to fame seems to be that he is patron of numerous sports clubs in South Auckland and he has been the deputy speaker whoop de do. He has never campaigned to get rid of pokies or booze shops or loan sharks, when did he campaign against the removal of state houses, he has been a total waste of space and it suited Labour to have him their not raising a ripple all those years with them.
The Greens, Mana and the Internet party are going to have to campaign hard to get these people to see that there are alternatives in the political sphere, who do take their issues seriously and who will work on them once voted in.
I don’t accept that the poor are as no worse off under JK as they were under HC.
Almost, if not all, of the (supposed economic) gains since JK came to power has been for the benefit of the top (say) 10%.
Rules have been changed-created that make the poor way worse off, e.g. dope testing for beneficiaries, single parent families being forced to find work, charity monies being turned off or shrunk, sickness beneficiaries being forced onto unemployment benefits then forced to find work, labour laws etc etc etc.
Could you please show me how you see the poor are better off (or neutral) under JK.
p.s. Have you had to claim a benefit recently (since JK took office)?
So we know where Team New Zealand can take their begging bowl to and forget about tax payer subsidies.
Comments are closed.