Social Security rewrite entrenches war on the poor – AAAP

6
3

Screen-Shot-2015-02-03-at-6.16.33-am-300x210-300x210
Last night Parliament voted by a vast majority to support new legislation which entrenches New Zealand’s vindictive and pauperising welfare system.

“While we have always supported a rewrite of the hopelessly fragmented 1964 Social Security Act, AAAP completely opposes the new bill,” says spokesperson Sue Bradford.

“It embeds decades of National and Labour policies aimed at changing welfare from its original 1930s purpose as a safety net for those in need to a system geared to a culture of punishment and disentitlement.

‘Minister Anne Tolley calls the bill ‘policy-neutral’. This couldn’t be further from the truth, either in its technical detail or its overall intentions.

“Right at the start the Principles section stresses the paramountcy of paid work as the goal of welfare, rather than the earlier and more humane principle of ensuring that those in need have the means for dignified survival.

“This focus on paid work ignores both the value our society should place on work such as caring for children and elders in the home, and entrenches the assumption that even people who are sick, injured, disabled and/or caring for young children on their own should be forced into paid work.

“The latest Labour Market Statistics released last week show there are now around 280,000 jobless in New Zealand, and over 100,000 people underemployed.

“AAAP believes that unemployed and underemployed people should be given every assistance possible to access quality education and training and decent work.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

“Work & Income should focus on this rather than on pressuring the sick and sole parents into paid work, where all too often they end up competing for the same casualised, temporary, low waged and part time jobs.

“The new bill’s Principles also embed the investment approach in the heart of welfare law. This is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of all.

“The investment model treats unemployed people, beneficiaries and their children as financial risk factors rather than humans deserving of the same consideration as any other person in our society.

“We congratulate the Greens on being the only party to oppose the bill, and call on Labour, the Māori Party and New Zealand First to reconsider their position in future.

“We are disappointed that the submission process has been shortened to four months, but call on individuals and groups around the country to join us in making submissions in the time available before the bill is reported back to the House in September.”

6 COMMENTS

  1. Well done Sue,

    Yes they NatZ want to cull the weak and disabled who are defenceless and force them into dead end jobs that will surely kill them in servitude as they did sending children down the coal mines in the 1800’s so we are returning to that era through the Natz.

    Canada and Australia have a more compassionate social system now than NZ.

  2. hmmm I might be voting Greens for the first time ever.
    It is very disappointing to see where Labour and NZ First
    stand on poverty and welfare.

  3. Ohhh dear Cleangreen, what rubbish you post “Yes they NatZ want to cull the weak and disabled who are defenceless and force them into dead end jobs that will surely kill them in servitude as they did sending children down the coal mines in the 1800’s so we are returning to that era through the Natz”, really? no welfare system in 1800’s, no child welfare laws, no guarantee of a home paid by the taxpayer then either…but by all means froth at the mouth and post your nonsense, unfortunately it is at home on this blog and so many will agree, which is more sad than surprising.

    • So insecure about your rightness and wrongness that you have to use the name — ” IM RIGHT. ”
      So wrong you are about Cleangreen and TDB.
      You defend your serial lying PM and his out of touch govt. that has contributed towards and NOT SOLVED CHILD POVERTY ISSUES ; RAISING HOMELESSNESS AND SUICIDES : inequality and suffering but they have surely served their criminal corporate filthy rich buddies.

      How in the world you same Natz loving and Natz defending babies still think that John Key is great and doing good for NZ is unbelievable.
      Find another blog with the brain washed and semi brain dead and peddle your nonsense there.

      Keep up the great work Cleangreen, you are appreciated and a valuable writer.

    • piss off back to the whaleoil site you Mr I’m Right bullshit go and talk your rightwing fanatical bs on the John Key page there alot of testicle rubbing on behalf of your venerated leader

    • I’M RIGHT – I bet you’re sitting pretty because no one in need would or could be as vitriolic as you

Comments are closed.