When it comes to those who could be working, Māori are massively over-represented. Whilst colonisation continues to be blamed for Māori ‘disadvantage’, every year thousands of immigrants come to New Zealand and make a contribution.
I don’t think I am ever going to behold this ‘monument’ with any sense of sympathy or warmth.
Childish and churlish: that’s the calibre of the man who wants to resume the prime ministership come November.
What really matters is the year-on-year comparison.
Let’s hope if the coalition survives the 2026 election, ACT gets to exercise far more influence in this area. Two forgotten words desperately in need of rehabilitation – Personal Responsibility.
Get rid of the sole parent benefit. Lift aspirations for those mothers and better outcomes for their children will follow.
While it’s true that they provide much-needed emergency services, they also fight against reforms that try to place at least some responsibility back on the shoulders of people receiving benefits.
Don is reluctant to “kill what we have built up over the last few years” and has suggested that we continue the blog under the title of Brash & Mitchell.
In the face of this report, the best response the government could make is to defund the Salvation Army for being part of the problem.
No, the benefit itself isn’t causal. It’s the lifestyle the benefit enables that does the damage. When will a future government recognise and act on this reality?
We mere mortals can picture the adult histories and households that bring newborns into precarious environments BUT officials have the confirming data. Is it acted on? No.
If being born onto welfare and staying there long-term is a risky business for children, why would any government want to encourage this?
The reality is this: it is cruel and callous to incentivise the birth of otherwise unwanted children. And it is a cruel and callous person who produces a child purely for their own monetary gain.
At 411,012 in October 2025, New Zealand has the highest absolute number of beneficiaries ever.
If you thought the public service was going to look or behave any differently under a National government, you will be disappointed. Indications are that the propagandist public service is just marking time till a left-wing administration is restored.
The welfare system has evolved from providing a safety net for those genuinely unable to provide for themselves to offering an alternative lifestyle to paid employment.
