Government continues to do nothing systemic to address poverty in NZ – AAAP
An article released today about 480 families living in cars, up from 102 in 2017 shows that with all the big talk about addressing housing and poverty in NZ since 2017 from the government, it’s only gotten worse.
“We see people and families coming in every week about emergency accommodation, and Work and Income are only covering this for the first week before telling them they need to either pay for it themselves or get something else sorted” says Auckland Action Against Poverty co-chair Kathleen Paraha. This isn’t good enough.
“What we need is so much at this point” says co-chair Agnes Magele. Because our communities haven’t been looked after properly in so long, now we have some very big issues.
Liveable Incomes and Universal Services such as free public transport, free healthcare, free education and free power – resources and services that invest in our communities so they can look after themselves. Our communities deserve better than having to live in their cars. There is no excuse for poverty in NZ.
What we fail to understand is that the neo libertarian mindset has calculated there is room for a lot more poverty before the plutocrats need fear any threats to their persons or to their wealth from the masses. We can easily be pushed to third world levels of wealth disparity. A long way yet to go.
Boil the frog slowly.
I agree 100% .
Progressive policies will nevermore happen under national or labour.
Free things are not free but paid for by the government that gets their income from the tax payer . The government need to be seen to spend the tax they collect wisely . Free dental , free health, free quality education and free transport is a good idea as it can help produce a useful citizen who will advance to the workforce and return the investment by paying large taxes on their high salery.
Once a person gets into the workforce they should look after themselves . Free power would lead to waste as a lot is wasted even at the price it is. The way to a better life is hard work and planning . The only people the State should help are those with physical or mental problems and the help for them should be enough for a quality lifestyle not an existance level .
Families should be encouraged to not have children until they can afford them that way child poverty could be reduced .