… ‘Enough income, adequate housing and adequate food are fundamental human needs. In this regard, neoliberalism has inflicted terrible damage on our society since the 1980s ‘…

And yet we still have these neo liberal apes in charge in the main partys.

Whats more, they care more about maintaining that status quo than our most vulnerable : our children.

Michael Joseph Savage would be turning in his grave…

Louis: “The report due out next year will only cover part of this government’s time in office.”

Unconvinced. Benefit levels are WAY too low. Small wonder that we have the social problems which now afflict this country.

The government ought to have acted on the welfare working group’s advice in respect of raising benefit levels. It has not; and there’s no indication that it has any intention of doing so.

That it is. But it would not have been possible for successive governments, and employers generally, to drive down wages in the way that we’ve seen, were it not for the swingeing benefit cuts – for which Shipley and Richardson share responsibility, along with the pusillanimous PM Bolger for permitting it – of the very early 1990s.

I’m pretty sure that I remember a commentator at that time, pointing out that the likely outcome would be the environment that we now have. And whoever it was turned out to be right. Prophets without honour in their own land, and all that…

Cut all the ridiculous benefits like the Accommodation Supplement and Working-for-Families. Such benefits drive up rents and suppress wages. Reduce taxation for workers instead. The idea that government can spend workers money better than workers is ridiculous – probably sinful.

There is far tooo much padding in the public sector. Just look at local councils and government working groups – cut, cut.

Didn’t the welfare working group recommend a benefit increase closer to 50%? That’s what I remember from its report. Certainly, benefits have slipped seriously in cost of living terms since 1990.

In any event, I agree with you. This country urgently needs a huge increase in the numbers of state houses. Forget Kiwibuild: the very poorest – of whom, and shamefully, there are far too many here – need state housing. And free food in state schools.

Enough income, adequate housing and adequate food are fundamental human needs. In this regard, neoliberalism has inflicted terrible damage on our society since the 1980s.

These are the things that this government should have done, and there is no excuse for it not having at least done some of it already. Raising benefits by the levels recommended, for instance.

I’m not voting Labour at next election. What’s the point, if it cannot look after the most vulnerable?

Kindness schmindness.