National's Welfare "Reform" : Is that it?

The much talked about "welfare reform" from the National Party has turned into a bit of an underwhelming damp squib for me:

"All of those currently on the unemployment and sickness benefits will be put on a new 'Jobseeker Support Benefit,' and required to look for full time work. Single parents with children aged over 14 would go on the same benefit.

Parents on the domestic purposes benefit would instead get 'Sole Parent Support' until their youngest turned 14.

Solo parents would be required to undergo work testing when their child turned one and would be expected to work at least part time when their youngest was five.

The term 'invalids benefit' would also be scrapped and those with permanent, severe disabilities and terminal illnesses would instead receive a "supported living payment."

They would not face work obligations". NZ Herald

Why wouldn't you make solo parents look for work after 12 weeks? People with jobs regularly go back to work to provide for the family and it seems a tad bizarre that solo parents would have the luxury of 5 years looking after little Johnny or Susie at home while the rest of us wage slaves only see our kids in the morning and evenings.

It seems like a good start but incentives really need to be focused on making it harder for Mums to pop out kids on the DPB and easier if one chooses to be honest with others and themselves and work for a living to support themselves and their family.

I wait in hope.

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C c c Darren Rickard 2011

John Key's knock-out blow

Michael Cullen's fury and condemnation of the National Party's tax cut plan and economic policies was clear yesterday. I doubt very much whether he slept much last night.

He didn't have much to attack Key on so critiqued the tax package politically rather than its practical measures(it ain't that practical to me though) because it is a package he would have liked to pass himself.

It gazumped Labour's own tax cuts in sheer figures but there was more icing on the cake in the form of big vote capturing for National.

It targets Labour's key demographic, the lower middle class and will capture a large number of voters come election day. It also concentrates on the middle class, where alot of swinging voters lay and the vote is going to swing National's way here again.

The Kiwsaver changes make sense, more money in peoples pockets now rather than forced to put too much away for latter, while at the same time keeping a portion of the savings quotient will be important during the coming Cullen managed deep recession.

Even the one trick pony Mary Holmes says the Kiwisaver changes make it much more attractive.

A simple master stroke of politics for Key. He looked very comfortable during his speech to the faithful yesterday and in a grilling by the Gnome on Campbell Live yesterday was very easy going and it was clear he was in his element.

To me it looked like John Key's knock out blow.

Labour isn't in a position to buy their way out of this election as an antidote to National's tax package, but look for them to try some sort of vote buying lunacy by playing around with numbers-a cooking of the books.

c Political Animal 2008

Punch Drunk

These quotes from Helen Clark this morning in response to the National Party's new parole policy that will mean repeat violent offenders who kill will get life in prison, that is, stay there until they die, really says it all:

"A lot of these long-term prisoners, over time start to change their behaviour, some become very religious.

"The National Party's attitude is they don't care about that at all, they just want to be vindictive."

NZ Herald

"...are a waste of money..."

Helen Clark, Newstalk ZB 9.00am news bulletin 5 Oct 2008

She is out of touch, and these comments once again focus the importance back on the perpetrator rather than the victim.

She simply cares more about criminals than victims.

c Political Animal 2008

Labour Party's anti growth stance reckless

"Mr Key is being reckless and gambling with the country's future".

Ms Clark, New Zealand Prime Minister, for 3 more months, is talking about the National Party's plan to borrow, for investing in New Zealand's crumbling infrastructure.

Helen and the Labour Party of course borrow at present. The bulk of it though goes on wasteful spending of the socialist nanny State ilk. State houses, banks, railways, free student money, Working for Families welfare, yadda, yadda, yadda. You get the picture.

Borrowing to build a nation is eminently sensible. We have seen over Winter how a lack of spending on electricity infrastructure has cost the nation NZ 3 billion dollars-in lost production due to power cut backs and billions more due to a lack of faith by prospective companies investing in New Zealand.

Labour has been using cashflow to invest in the wasteful state apparatus that they run and that has led to kiwis paying more and more tax and individuals ending up with high personal debt. A well run country needs to invest in growth rather than socialist dictum's and not to borrow to invest in growth is a highly dangerous agenda.

That is essentialially the socialist way though. According to Cullen himself his government is there to "redistribute wealth" and by default this means that any growth of wealth comes way down any list the Dr of History-not economics-might have on his wall next to the hapless Mickey Savage.

We need to look forward, rather than the backwards way the moronic, dangerous, socialists look at things.

The path to prosperity lies in investing for the future. Borrowing to effect that is eminently sensible and National should be praised for going out on a limb on this.

To continue along the present path, as Helen Clark rightly says, "is being reckless and gambling with the countrys future" and means New Zealand is headed, as we have been over the last 9 years, towards certain financial ruin.

Labour's socialist peril
Labour's State countrol out of control
Pointing fingers in the playground
At least Robin Hood was honest

c Political Animal 2008