It appears that significant policy changes, ones which affect some of New Zealand’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens, have been released without consultation with agencies and advocacy groups which will have to manage them practically on a daily basis.
The pre-Budget reveal by Housing Minister Chris Bishop outlined a multi-year programme which he said would be more even-handed, better targeted at those most in need and more focused on lifting social housing tenants’ independence.
The package involves hiking that supplement by about $15 a week for 111,000 renters. But that is being paid for by increasing social housing rent for 84,000 tenants from 25% to 30% of their income. That is expected to leave them worse off by $30 each week.
On top of that, the government is signalling it will get harder to secure a social house and there may also be time limits on tenancies.
Opposition parties have, not unreasonably, slated the shake-up for targeting some of the lowest-income Kiwis during a cost-of-living crisis.
Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins called it ‘‘cruel and mean’’ and said it showed without any doubt that the government did not care about people on low incomes, and that only private-sector landlords would benefit from a rise in the accommodation supplement.
By Labour’s calculations, those unable to pay the extra would include about 34,000 families with children, 30,000 pensioners and 27,000 people with disabilities. Mr Hipkins used this against NZ First leader Winston Peters, saying he would have thought the claimed ‘‘champion for superannuitants’’ might have wanted to put a stop to them being kicked out of social housing, but Mr Peters batted that criticism away.
Green Party spokeswoman Tamatha Paul echoed Mr Hipkins’ ‘‘cruel’’ comment, saying the government’s plans showed it was ‘‘totally out of touch with reality’’ when it comes to those struggling or on the social housing waiting list.
Mr Bishop acknowledges the changes are going to be difficult for many to cope with, saying it could be done less painfully if ‘‘money was limitless’’.
We accept the system is not perfect and needs to have fairness at its core. Making sure those most in need have a home is always going to require priorities being drawn up, and is a reasonable and just goal.
However, at such a difficult time for many, nothing should be done to exacerbate the already dreadful number of people who are homeless.
What we certainly didn’t need is Finance Minister Nicola Willis glibly remarking that social-housing tenants had ‘‘effectively won the Lotto’’. That provides a fascinating and unintended insight into the thinking some in the government apparently have about people whose luck has definitely not come up.
Ms Willis later said she regretted that comment, though stopped short of actually apologising.
Unfortunately, the damage has been done. It has tainted the government’s rationale for the changes and, for many struggling to make ends meet, will not be forgiven or forgotten easily.
With ‘friends’ like these ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters is to be commended for taking such a strong stance against the latest appalling behaviour by the Israeli government.
Many reasonable-minded Israelis are aghast at the way far-right leaders continue to wreck the country’s reputation among former friends and allies.
Three New Zealanders were among the activists on a flotilla in international waters, bound for Gaza with aid, who were captured and zip-tied by Israeli forces.
National security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was filmed taunting them as they were forced to kneel and then shared the video online, in which he shouted ‘‘see how they look now ... not heroes, nothing, terror supporters’’.
Mr Peters joined other world leaders in condemning Israel’s approach. He called in the Israeli ambassador to pass on our government’s ‘‘grave concerns’’ — and rightly so too.
