Yoof and the Warburton Effect

Lindsay Mitchell reports that Mr Key is about to announce something big tomorrow for our troubled yoof. And asks that he does a proper job.

Lindsay has been tirelessly and thanklessly banging on about our yoof being locked into the vicious welfare cycle. She references a British Columbia report on such matters which notes the Warburton Effect.

I concluded that the sort of change needed could only happen when there was a consensus that individuals are first and foremost responsible for themselves and their children.

We as parents try to do the best for our children and we know giving them welfare is a massive disincentive. I thank my now departed father-in-law for having those harsh words all those years along the lines of 'No, we are not giving you a handout or a loan'. That caused us a newly-weds to take a turn for the better. Hard yards, but a much better outcome.

When we try to help some people by providing them with financial support, we can unintentionally hurt others by inducing them to drop out of school.

Yes, Mr Key, please tomorrow as Lindsay asks, do a proper job and help turn around our troubled yoof. Yes, the usual suspects will scream "Won't someone please think of the children?" but New Zealand parents will thank you in the end.

Bludgers Anon

I have refrained from reading too much into Liarbour's latest foray into half-arsed stories designed to jerry lefty support but finally thought I'd have a squiz at the intial article.

I nearly choked on my Weetbix.

The DPB is a living...

The sense of entitlement never stops. Like criminals, bludgers such as these forgo any perceived rights when they are sponging off my taxes.

Underlying WINZ policy is correct

There. I never thought I'd say that about the department of bludgers.

Why am I classed as a single earner paying ACC and income tax when employed but classed as a couple when out of work?

Why not? I fully agree that the family is the correct unit for a household in NZ. A family based on a husband and a wife, not something based on the latest metro-sexual whim of the day.

"outmoded social concepts" such as assuming that everyone lives in single-income families where dad goes out to work and mum stays home with the children

Nothing outmoded about that. Pity there aren't more families based on those concepts.

Update: WINZ Staffer to get gong?

The request.

Please Sir / Madam,

I am in hock up to my eyeballs with this and that on drip feed. I cannot afford to live after I have paid for my smokes and booze. The repo guys are after my need to have 50" plasma and the Beemer. I have fines to pay or else I am going to be locked up. My current welfare benefits are just are not covering my so necessary expenses, I might have to stop the Sky sub. God knows how I am going to feed all the rugrats and find some dollars for the pokies.

Can you help?

Ms A. Bludger

The reply.

Dear Ms Bludger,

I am sorry we are are not able to help at this time. A recent change in government has seen a crackdown on these supplementary benefits. You are no longer entitled to feed off the taxpayer teat.

Can I suggest you consider sex and travel before visiting a loan shark after pawning any possessions to cover your debts. I have noticed that is what most working stiffs are doing to survive this recession.

Your choices. We are assisting you in making the hard decisions.

A. Socialist
WINZ Staffer

I say, get that WINZ Staffer a gong. But no, the ministry is probing.

Update:
CK suggests a dose of common sense.

But one chance...

Being a MAWM with extremely strong views on welfarism, having witnessed it first hand, I thought I would never see this.

This chance cannot be lost or Maori will remain forever in the welfare ditch of despair.

Roarprawn sums up exactly. So refreshing this new government.

Grab it with both hands.

Record benefit fraud

258000 fellow Kiwis are on some kind of benefit and a large number are fraudulently receiving those benefits. However the spin merchants say the numbers are immaterial.

The ministry said there was no trend in the figures and the prosecution data related to a very small percentage of overall benefit numbers.

Small percentage? Near on 6% suspected / successfully prosecuted annually suggests otherwise. 16,000 fraudulent activities is a damned big number. And the trend is for a similar number to be fraudulently at the trough this year and next year and ...

I wonder what is the dollar value of the fraudulent amounts stopped. Will any Ministry or WINZ staffers be fired for approving those benefits saving even more taxpayer dollars? I thought not.

All the care and nil responsibility of a government department no doubt.

It's not just about the money

But getting back to work, even if it is part time, is not just about the money earned. It’s about the skills gained and becoming more employable for fulltime work when circumstances allow it; it’s about not spending taxpayers money on those who can help themselves; it’s about gaining work ethics and providing role models for children to break the cycle of inter-generational welfare dependency.

Homepaddock clearly sums it all up.

Beneficiary bashing?

As predicted, the hordes have jumped on their soapboxes over National's cruelty and heartlessness of beneficiary bashing.

What National is proposing is a punitive stick a one-size-fits-all approach that is lacking any intellectual grit

Not to say that Liarbour already does the same.

However, Labour already punishes those on the unemployment benefit who refuse to look for work or take jobs offered to them.

At least Key is being open about it and extending it to cover the ever expanding unemployment benefit class, the sickness beneficiary.

Punishing beneficiaries would mean their children would suffer the most.

But being on a benefit does children no harm at all? Yeah, bloody right!

What National are proposing is just going to put more strain on beneficiaries, as if it's not stressful enough," Jackson said. "Trying to juggle work and childcare and even just something as simple as transport can be really tough.

Welcome to the real world a non-beneficiary lives in. They have exactly the same issues with raising rugrats, getting them to school, going to work daily and still manage. Get off your arse and find a job.


Meanwhile, Granny Herald looks at every reason why the renewed attack is not worth the effort in its editorial, but fails to see the wood for the trees. That, even though there may be little short term financial gain, the long term social gain of instilling a work ethic for a benefit might be worth reaping.

An unrelenting focus on work

• Paid work is the route to independence and
well-being for most people.
• Paid work is the best way to reduce child
poverty.
• The welfare system should be focused on
helping people get back to work as soon as
possible.
• The state does harm to people, and writes off
their potential, by allowing them to stay on a
benefit for a long period of time.

Welfare only exists to cover those who cannot work. 15-64 year olds period. At last a shift in focus back to real employment.

• Focus on what people can do, not what they
can’t do.
• Challenge people, not treat them as passive
recipients of benefits.
• Provide support, training, and opportunities for
people to return to the workforce.

Positive reinforcement and assistance.

Not there to provide Personal Development, but totally focussed on the core aim. Return to the workforce. So it is called an 'Employment Plan', not some piece of waffly creativity.

Beneficiary categories will be retained, reflecting true makeup of who is bludging on welfare, not using the much touted single 'income support' benefit that has been coming for years.

Work is the best way out of poverty.

Our principle is that those who can work will be obliged to
actively look for work.

GP's dining off the medical certificate business are on notice. Your pool of clients will be on a strict diet.

Those who are in need such as carers, widows and those who have worked such as those on Super will not have a required to work component. The aim is to hit the younger set who see welfare as a right.

At last, if you want welfare, you will work for it. And you will have it for the shortest possible time.

Now, wait for the naysayers. Let's see, unions, loony Sue, Liarbour, Families Commission, HR losers. I expect them all to be propping up the sky with their reasons.

Work for dole

Predictably, the usual suspects have jumped on their soapbox saying that making beneficiaries work for the dole is bad.

Sue from Tree Huggers Inc is typical of the responses.

* The financial benefits of being pushed into part time employment were limited, with part time workers on lower average rates of pay than those in full time jobs, as well as facing the additional costs of going out to work.

* Sole parents found it hard to access childcare that was accessible, affordable and high quality. They often had to take on night work.

* MSD had concerns about possible negative effects on children, including children under 14 being left home alone while their parent is out at work

"I would like to know why National doesn't understand that looking after children on your own - especially if there are a number of them, and/or if one's children suffer from sickness or impairment - isn't actually a more than full time job in itself.

Nothing about that having to front to paid employment for the entitlement might instill a work ethic.

Nothing that might stop further breeding if a gravy train was not available.

Nothing to stop them producing another generation of beneficiaries.

Nothing about working toward stopping the benefit any time soon.


The non-benefit populace seems to make rational lifestyle decisions, not even factoring in WINZ financial support and they survive in the real world. Sure at times their kids may be latch-key kids, but so what? Parents soon learn what works for them.

Maybe some solos would not take the divorce step if it were not so easy to get a benefit. Sure some may be in abusive relationships and that is where the benefit safety net should be used, with strict long term entitlement criteria. As for the breeding Jane Doe dole bludger, their total time on the dole should preclude any long term benefit.

Unfortunately the arbitary limit of six years old coupled with a 25% increase in abatement levels will only serve to build a whole new generation every 6 years.

At least the Nats are facing the issue, once this soft work for the dole is law and the sky doesn't fall in, they can move to more rigourous criteria. Training is not a viable option to gain the entitlement, this engenders professional students. Make work schemes are just as bad. We already have those such as PD for those who actually turn up.

The sooner all benefits incur a work for the dole component, the better in my book. If a beneficiary can spend the money, they can work.

Not PC is of a similar view, asking why bother with the proposed offering?

Too long?

"It was only a tad over $3 mil and it was a victimless crime, Yer Honour!"

did not get enough credit for co-operating with authorities, or for his early guilty plea and the sentence was excessive

Repentant only when caught the third time, in Massey of all places, living the high life on the taxpayer.

Sentence too long? Like hell, 3 times the sentence, without parole, is too short for this, the ultimate welfare bludger.