Government will now arrest the homeless that they have created!
The criminalising of homelessness in New Zealand marks a profound shift in how poverty is treated. After sweeping changes to emergency housing eligibility and welfare settings, critics argue the Government is now punishing the very crisis its own policies deepened.
Criminalising Homelessness in New Zealand
Isn’t there something sick about a man as rich as the Prime Minister, who has accessed every single subsidy and tax break he can, even personally benefitting from capital gains taxes he changed, criminalising the homeless?
How Policy Changes Increased Homelessness
What’s extra delicious is how the tsunami of homelessness we are seeing IS A DIRECT RESULT of National Party policy.
Every single agency who deal with the dispossessed told this Government that their redefinition of who was eligible for emergency housing would result in the exact situation we are witnessing now.
This is the direct result of cutting public housing, cutting transitional housing, cutting welfare, cutting benefits, cutting mental health services, cutting emergency housing, cutting outreach and cutting food banks.
Arresting the Homeless: The New Enforcement Approach
So what’s the Government’s response to very situation their policies have manufactured?
Why we are going arrest the homeless.
It’s either three months in prison or a $2,000 fine.
The Practical and Moral Contradictions
Firstly, how is a homeless person going to pay a $2,000 fine?
Secondly, wouldn’t the promise of a roof, a bed and three meals a day actually make the homeless want to break this law?
Isn’t things so bad that three months in prison is preferable to being abused on the street?
Why is National (led by such a wealthy and selfish Christian) being allowed to arrest the damaged individuals that their policies have created?
Should you and I as we walk through our cities be confronted by the appalling poverty this Government’s policies have generated?
Shouldn’t we be forced to be confronted for the consequences of the last election?
Why do this Government and their rich boy God Botherer get to abuse those their policies have failed?
How Christian is it to hide your sin?
Expanded Police Powers and Civil Liberties Concerns
This law allows for people to be moved on in public and it’s only a matter of time before cops try it on Protesters because that’s always what happens when the Police are given powers like this.
The Government says this will be like the Gang Patch Ban, but it isn’t.
Why This Is Not Comparable to the Gang Patch Ban
In the Gang Patch Ban, professional criminals made a logical decision to simply acquiesce to the new market reality, which enabled them to camouflage their crime while expanding criminal activity.
In this case desperate people with complex mental health issues will fight in ways that once provoked will require heavy handed arrest tactics by the Police which will inevitably end in injury, extra trauma or God forbid, death.
What Kind of Country Does This Make Us?
I think it’s disgusting that a Right Wing Prick Government, led by an offensively wealthy Christian hypocrite can create more homelessness with their policies and then gloss over the reality of their actions by merely arresting the homeless.
Who have we become for this to be a solution to any of you.
People who agree with this decision are the ones who need to see the poverty the most.
How spiteful and ugly of us.
Luxon is proving again how out of touch he is with normal NZ’ers. His actions say it all – despicable, narcissistic, cruel and oh so privileged. The major problem is he has no idea whatsoever as to how to be a PM. He is simply a vacant face with an empty head. Again whatever did we do to deserve this grasping, greedy sleazebag? To be arresting people, many of whom would have had employment, a home, and who have since lost their jobs with none out there to replace them, is beyond sick, it’s monstorous. And to add insult to injury, he claims to be a Christian!!!!! OMG how bizarre is that? The only reason he is still there is there is no-one any better in this CoC! Luxon has no intention of providing for the homeless – it’s all blah blah blah yet again. Arrest the homeless or fine them $2k DER – they wouldn’t be living on the street if they had $2k you fools.
Easy to condemn thus move but you seem to have no thought for the people who put their all into a business only to have prospectic customers scared off by the bad behavior of these people.
There needs to a better safety net to help but that cannot be without the law to stop bad behavior.
Absolutely Trevor.
Bad behaviour? Please explain.
Begging, swearing, fighting, lewd comments ,growling dogs the list goes on .One case in Chch a couple had sex . There are areas of Chch CBD that many avoid.
These people are effected by drugs alcohol or are mentally unstable and need help but shopkeepers should not be forgotten
Need help not beaten with a stick and move them where? The problem doesn’t go away. Clearly you and Bob are fucking idiots, at least Labour housed these people, no issues then.
You and Bob have zero social conscience and don’t give a fuck.
What I would say to you .. is that people who suffer homelessness or mental illness aren’t showing “bad behaviour” – they’re experiencing real human crises. You’re worried about businesses “putting their all in,” but people struggling just to survive due to complex personal trauma and addiction issues under late stage capitalism policy failures, somehow deserve punishment? Please explain.
And you agree that the solution is to criminalise people for not having a home? This will definitely solve homelessness, not just hide it. Brilliant solution.
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