I do not GET this woman. She is apparently supposed to be supportive of the poor - yet she seems to want to hinder any help that our government wants to give them in order to work towards making a better life for themselves.
Shouldn't people be happy with the thought of receiving more assistance with getting into employment? Doesn't the thought of being independent of the state and being able to provide for oneself - and their family - make for a brighter future?
The government is not saying - if you can't find a job you are on your own - you get nothing. The government is saying we are going to try to help you get out of the rut that you are in. They have actually offered MORE money to young people who are willing to train for employment.
What is Sue's problem with that? She is supposed to be supportive of the poor and people on welfare benefits yet she appears to want to put her foot on their heads and keep them right where they are - in their ruts.
I do not understand Sue Bradford.
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I'm afraid I agree with Sue Bradford. Part of the governments welfare reforms was to take the Training Incentive Allowance off single parents. This was an allowance which allowed single parents to have up to $3000 worth of tertiary education free per year. Paula Bennett herself made use of this allowance to get herself educated enough to become an M.P., yet the first thing she did was take it off single parents - predominantly women. I can totally get Sue Bradford and her opinion on welfare "reforms;" it's Paula Bennett that I don't get.
The TIA allowance changes happened way back in 2009. I don't have a problem with that. New Zealand has a perfectly good student loan scheme. Anyone can afford to study. I don't understand why single parents expect to be able to educate themselves for free just because they are single parents. Is that fair to students who were smart enough to get educations prior to having a family?
I don't think so.
Sue Bradford crying about these latest welfare reforms has nothing to do with the TIA. It has to do with encouraging and helping people to get out of the welfare rut.
Like i said - the government is not saying "if you cannot find work you get nothing" they are just offering assistance in getting off welfare and into employment.
If someone does not want to take advantage of that assistance - is that really such a good thing?
I don't get Paula Bennett either. She is awful - but that doesn't change the fact that Sue Bradford doesn't seem to want to help welfare beneficiaries get out of their welfare dependent situations.
Maybe you have more info on it than I do, but I can't see the current government doing anything to create employment, which is what is needed for people to become independent of the state. All that I can see that they are doing is harrassing beneficiaries to go into work training schemes, with no guarantee of work at the end of it. Just where are all these jobs that people are going to be able to get into? They don't exist.
I agree that there are no jobs out there for a lot of people and that the government needs to do something about that - however how is offering more money while on a benefit if someone is willing to train to do SOMETHING - benefit bashing?
No one is ever guaranteed a job no matter how well skilled or educated they are - but isn't that a start? Beneficiaries can't just be left to sit there forever because there are no guarantees in life.
The problem here are the people that use the welfare system as a lifestyle and take advantage of that system - not the changes that the government are making in an effort to get those people in to work.
I would think that if Sue Bradford was REALLY an advocate for the poor and welfare recipients - she would be glad that the government was offering them an incentive to get out of the rut that they are in and would welcome any change to the system that might improve their current situation - ie getting off a benefit.
Jacqueline, this government is not trying to "help" beneficiaries. There is so much I could say to deconstruct your attitudes about the welfare system that I would end up writing an essay. You seem to have swallowed the National Party's narrative hook, line and sinker. You clearly need to expose yourself to information that will give you a more balanced view. You could start with this article: http://werewolf.co.nz/2011/02/ten-myths-about-welfare/
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