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The Welfare Working Group and benefit cuts by stealth
The Welfare Working Group wants to force beneficiaries to work, but proposes to pay them less if they do so. At page 107 of the Welfare Working Group’s report (PDF) the Group proposes changes to...
View ArticleThe Welfare Working Group and the back to the future work-for-dole fallacy
Here’s some more information to support my argument that the Welfare Working Group’s recommendations (PDF) are driven by far right ideology rather by evidence. At page 23 of its report, the Welfare...
View ArticleThe Welfare Working Group and its distinctly unambitious target
At page 60 of its report (PDF) the Welfare Working Group suggests: From the modelling reported in Chapter 10, we are of the view that the evidence from welfare reform in New Zealand and overseas...
View ArticleMore signs of Green change from Germany
The Green Party’s election victory in the Baden-Wurttemberg state parliament highlights the emergence of the Green movement as a major political force. For the first time in Germany the Greens will...
View ArticleFamily Court review must keep kids in mind
I’m pretty concerned at the announcement of a major review of the Family Court. While I acknowledge that the court is not perfect, I’m sceptical that this review will be about identifying areas where...
View ArticleDunedin bus services: the community needs to be involved
Like most Dunedin residents I too am shocked to see that the DCC is in the final stages of selling Citibus. Is it really that urgent that we the ratepayers of Dunedin find out on Thursday that a sale...
View ArticleStatistics, hyperbole, and hypocrisy on the minimum wage
Prime Minister John Key claims the Greens’ policy, now also supported by Labour, of increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour will “put 6000 people out of work.” Key maintains Department of Labour...
View ArticleHunger is hurting our kids and killing some
The Dominion Post this morning reports on the “hidden shame” of child poverty in New Zealand. To those of us who have been actively working on child poverty, it sadly comes as no surprise to hear that...
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An afternoon at the $8.95 Welfare Forum
Yesterday, I went along to the $8.95 Welfare Forum organised by the Alternative Welfare Working Group. I was pleased to see around 100 people turn out – twice the number I’ve been told were at the...
View ArticleMake Working for Families work for all families
In 2005, the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) was granted access to the Human Rights Review Tribunal for a case in which they claimed the In Work Tax Credit (IWTC) component of Working for Families...
View ArticleChildcare changes typical of Govt’s anti-child approach
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has realised that if you’re going to work-test sole parents and force them into low-paid jobs when their children are six (or younger), someone’s going to have...
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Kaimoana, Motiti, and the oil
Yesterday I was on Motiti Island, where the hapu have borne the brunt of the oil and debris from the grounded Rena. You can clearly see the Rena really from the coast. The hapu are extremely well...
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Make history tomorrow: vote Green
It is election day eve and the Green Party has been polling at record highs over the past few weeks. We need your help to turn those polls into seats in Parliament. You can make history tomorrow and...
View ArticleJohn Key double standard over John Banks
We put out a release today comparing John Key’s demand that Helen Clark stand Winston Peters down over the Owen Glenn donation, to his own failure to take his own advice over John Banks. We said that...
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Congratulations Keith
Congratulations Keith. It is great to see Keith recognised for his passionate hard work standing up for human rights both at home and around the world. Keith was awarded Amnesty International...
View ArticleInsulation programme to reach 230,000 homes
It is great to see the announcement yesterday that the home insulation programme that the Green Party initiated will now reach over 230,000 homes. We’re in Parliament because we want to look after New...
View Article“Groupthink”
Yesterday we saw Work and Income boss, Janet Grossman, quit less than a year after being head-hunted from the UK. This succinctly answers our pending question – how is Minister Bennett’s newly...
View ArticleLet’s get some interaction on crime plan
The Government has an Action Plan to reduce crime and reoffending, and it’s great they are going to have a go. Instead of just promising to lock more people up for longer, or forever, they say they...
View ArticleTOKM risking indigenous rights?
South Korea stunned the international community yesterday by announcing that they intended to exploit the ‘scientific whaling’ exemption in the International Whaling Commission rules and begin hunting...
View ArticleTe Reo in the House
I had a good time last week, Te wiki o Te Reo Maori, Arohatia Te Reo. I have heard a lot of Reo over the years and more as a result of initiatives like this. I have myself studied it at school,...
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