Lindsay Mitchell: Labour welfare policy a sham, 18 November, 2011
This is precisely why he should get nowhere near the levers of power again. He demonstrates that he has no intention of fixing what is a huge social problem for New Zealand by refusing to tell the whole truth about it.
National to tackle welfare fraud, 15 November, 2011
National will tighten up on those New Zealanders who abuse the social welfare system at the expense of hard-working taxpayers, Prime Minister and National Party Leader John Key announced today.
Welfare cheats focus of new National policy, 15 November, 2011
A crackdown on benefit fraud, and cancelling benefits for drug users and wanted persons, have been unveiled as part of National's sweeping welfare reform proposals.
National's welfare plans popular, 9 November, 2011
National's plans to overhaul the welfare system appear to have struck a chord with voters, with a new poll showing even some Labour and Greens voters support the changes.
Welfare reforms help Nats support, 9 November, 2011
The government's promise of sweeping welfare reforms is proving popular with voters, with more than half saying they're now more likely to vote National.
Labour's child policy a 'welfare trap' - Key, 8 November, 2011
Mr Key calls the plan a step in the wrong direction which will "trap people on welfare". "I think the single biggest thing we can do [to tackle poverty] is actually try and get people off welfare and into work," he told Radio New Zealand.
Unemployment Benefit numbers drop in October, 8 November, 2011
The number of New Zealanders on Unemployment Benefits dropped by 791 last month says Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett.
Greens, Labour, Maori Party sign child welfare pledge, 7 November, 2011
New Zealand is not often a country associated with child poverty and it would come as a surprise to many New Zealanders that hundreds of thousands of children are growing up in this country in conditions of relative poverty.
Mixed reactions to Labour's welfare policy, 7 November, 2011
Labour's child welfare announcement was quickly welcomed by its closest ally, the Greens, but National was just as quick to zero in on where the money would be coming from.
Cut in welfare equals a cut in crime, 3 November, 2011
The Sensible Sentencing Trust is applauding Nationals proposed welfare reforms saying the existing welfare system has become a launching pad for criminals.
National Reveals Welfare Reforms, 3 November, 2011
The National party is looking to make significant changes to the country's welfare system, with new rules to require benefit recipients to look for work.
Welfare Reform - Ministry of Social Development, 2 November, 2011
Over the next three years New Zealand's welfare system will be reformed with new benefits that recognise that most beneficiaries can and do want to work.
National's welfare shake-up a 'nasty approach' - opponents, 2 November, 2011
"Fiddling with the welfare system and punishing parents won't create them. A long-term economic plan will. As Business NZ said, National obviously doesn't have one," Goff said.
Big reform of benefits proposed, 2 November, 2011
By Dene Mackenzie on Wed, 2 Nov 2011 National plans to reform welfare in the style it wanted to back in 2005, when it was led by former leader Don Brash, who now leads Act New Zealand.
Opposition parties slam welfare changes, 1 November, 2011
Labour and the Greens are attacking the government's overhauled welfare system, saying beneficiaries can't be forced to work if jobs don't exist.
National to target 'welfare dependency', 1 November, 2011
Speaking at the policy launch in Hamilton, National Party leader John Key said that the reforms would target welfare dependency. "The stand-out feature of New Zealand's benefit system is how passive it is," he said.
National to unveil social welfare changes, 1 November, 2011
The changes are expected to target the long-term unemployed, including those on sickness and invalids benefits, and will revamp the way that New Zealand's unemployed are categorised.
Key ensures support to move off welfare, 1 November, 2011
The National Party will release some of its promised welfare reform programme today, and Prime Minister John Key says it will ensure people can move off welfare with the necessary support.
Poverty's grim reality, 31 October, 2011
In a welfare system like New Zealand, no-one should be on the poverty line, Dr Dale says.
Full employment still cornerstone of our welfare state, 31 October, 2011
First, it was always appreciated that the cornerstone of New Zealand's welfare state must be a policy commitment to full employment.
Creating full employment is complicated, 31 October, 2011
First it was always appreciated that the cornerstone of New Zealand's welfare state must be a policy commitment to full employment.
Youth court judge slams CYF care, 29 October, 2011
New Zealand's principal Youth Court judge, Andrew Becroft, has accused Child, Youth and Family staff in Invercargill of dumping their welfare responsibilities on to the youth justice system.
Goff not as brave as he seems over super, 29 October, 2011
Labour's plan to tackle yet another of the sacred cows that bedevil New Zealand politics has wedged John Key into a corner and made him look like the spoiled brat of New Zealand politics.
Don't put baby on the family payroll, 29 October, 2011
However, the fund's stated objective is to "provide investors with low-risk returns consistent with short-term wholesale New Zealand bank deposits," says Smith.
Labour moves to right of National on super, 28 October, 2011
That the last few decades have seen the opposite for most workers is not news, especially to those currently occupying city streets and parks around the world at the moment.
Our super Super, 28 October, 2011
Considering we are from the most wealthy country in the world, it is no surprise that many consider our current New Zealand superannuation scheme as unsustainable.
New Welfare Organisation Eases Teacher Struggles, 27 October, 2011
Out of the debris and devastation of the recent earthquakes in Christchurch has emerged a new organisation aimed at improving the lives of teaching and support staff throughout New Zealand.
Benefit fraudster sentenced, 26 October, 2011
"We have [in New Zealand] a reasonably generous welfare system that relies on the honesty of those who receive it.
Can we afford our welfare system?, 25 October, 2011
In April 2010 the Government created the Welfare Working Group to consider how it may respond to some of the challenges facing New Zealand's welfare system.
100 years ago - New welfare bill introduced, 11 October, 2011
The scheme of State aid to widows with young children has been embodied in a bill introduced in the House of Representatives this afternoon.
Dole money to go to youth employers - Goff, 01 September, 2011
Labour has today unveiled its plan to shift more young people off the dole and into training, by subsidising employers who take on apprentices.
Learning or Earning trumps Benefit Card, 01 September, 2011
The Council of Trade Unions youth wing Stand Up welcomes Labour's youth employment policy package released today.
Govt 'committed to improving child welfare', 30 August, 2011
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English says the Government is committed to improving child welfare.
One in five pre-schoolers raised on DPB, 29 August, 2011
A fifth of all New Zealand children are reliant on a benefit recipient.
Molly coddling won't get youth into work, 25 August, 2011
New Zealand has record youth joblessness, and the highest suicide rate for young women in the OECD. John Key would win a lot of Brownie points if he simply announced a high-powered Prime Minister's taskforce on youth employment.
Not easy finding work for young, 20 August, 2011
Prime Minister John Key last weekend laid down a strong policy challenge to New Zealand in general, but Opposition parties in particular, when he announced welfare reforms. The Government intended to amend the Privacy and Education Acts to require ...
Employing Young People, 19 August, 2011
The generation in New Zealand that matters now, born from 1988 to the mid-1990s, has been dubbed the "baby-blip" generation. Thus, we now have a more numerous generation entering the labour force, during a contractionary global economic environment.
Aliens taking over welfare, 21 August, 2011
Last week, the National-led government announced a change of quite a radical nature to the way in which welfare would be provided to the youth population aged between 16 and 18 years.
Little consensus on youth unemployment, 16 August, 2011
Youth unemployment is clearly the big political issue of the moment, and the larger issue of New Zealand's fragile social cohesion soon will be too.
Govt move to refocus dropouts 'overdue', 15 August 2011
Government proposals to support every at-risk high school dropout into training and restrict the spending habits of teenage beneficiaries are being applauded as long overdue.
Get to work, teen mums told, 15 August 2011
Prime Minister John Key is defending plans to provide young beneficiaries with eftpos-style cards to prevent benefit spending on cigarettes and alcohol, despite the teenagers not being old enough to purchase the R18 products.
Government to recover beneficiary fraud payments, 9 August 2011
The Government is trying to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars made in over-payments to unemployment beneficiaries, including some who have committed identity fraud and long-term relationship fraud.
Annual test catches out thousands on welfare, 9 August 2011
The Government is looking at new ways to monitor beneficiaries who may be conning the system after a simple test found 11 per cent of those on an unemployment benefit last September are now no longer eligible."
Thousands off the dole, Government to save 9.5 million, 8 August 2011
Up to 7400 people are no longer receiving the unemployment benefit as a result of changes in government policy. The changes, implemented last September, required those on the unemployment benefit to reapply after 12 months. As a result 7400 no longer get the benefit, but about 57,000 people still receive the dole.
John Langley: Govt’s sensible response to child abuse, 28 July 2011
For as long as I have been alive we have lamented the dreadful hurt and death we inflict on our children. But nothing has changed. We have had promotions, public relations campaigns and an incessant diet of exposure dished up by the media. We have had successive commissioners for children parading around talking about how appalling the latest case is or the latest set of statistics are, telling us we are amongst the world's most heinous abusers of children.
Child abuse document ‘too little, too late’, 28 July 2011
A controversial government discussion document on child abuse has received a lukewarm response from the South Canterbury community so far.
Yesterday, the Government released the Green Paper on Vulnerable Children, which suggested a numbers of ways to address New Zealand's high rate of child abuse, including mandatory reporting and the possibility of a database of at-risk kids.
Our hungry kids: Food entices children to attend school - parent, 28 July 2011
A parent in a low decile school sums up the impact of school food programmes for children in three words: "They love school."
"They want to go to school each day," the parent told Massey University evaluators of the KidsCan programme, which provides muesli bars, fruit pottles, bread and other food discreetly through teachers to 20,000 children a week in 189 low-income schools.
Our hungry kids: Maths, English and table manners, 28 July 2011
"It would have been hard to [eat together] without KidsCan because you've got to have something else there to provide food for those kids who haven't got it. It would be really bad sitting there with no food."
Our hungry kids: Charity bringing back free milk to schools, 28 July 2011
The days of giving kids milk in school are about to return - but this time it will be cold.
From the start of next week KidsCan will send out 5000 servings of fresh milk into 11 schools for a trial that will hopefully be expanded around the country.
Hunger in land of milk and honey, 27 July 2011
For years, local celebrities have been popping up on our screens in their safari gear, imploring us to sponsor a poverty-stricken child.
A child in some poor, badly governed, Third World country, of course. The Herald's "Our Hungry Kids" series shows the problem is much closer to home.
Govt calls for ideas on how to protect children, 27 July 2011
The first step in the Government's much-publicised promise to tackle the country's appalling rate of child abuse has been launched today.
The Government wants to hear what Kiwis think about its plan to improve the welfare of what it calls New Zealand's most vulnerable children.
Child action plan must address wider causes of poverty, 27 July 2011
Community sector organisations are welcoming the opportunity to hold a robust discussion on how New Zealand cares for its most vulnerable children.
Members of ComVoices, an independent network of community sector organisations, said the green paper presented some difficult choices - and discussion about those choices must go hand-in-hand with addressing the real causes of poverty for children and their families.
Our hungry kids: Whanau helps put kai on table, 27 July 2011
Sharing food across the wider whanau is the only way Papakura's Peawini family keeps food on the table.
Trainee social worker Karaumata Peawini, 41, and her daughter Naire Pahina, 22, have both used all their entitlements to food grants from Work and Income this year.
Our hungry kids: Huge leap in foodbank use, 27 July 2011
The families of more than 50,000 children have received food parcels from two charities in the past year, roughly double pre-recession numbers.
Families seeking food parcels from the Salvation Army's 54 foodbanks jumped from 15,239 in 2007 to 27,612 - with 34,482 children between them - in the year to last month.
Our hungry kids: Food at the bottom of list for some, 27 July 2011
Poorer families are cutting out meat and vegetables to keep up repayments to finance companies, budgeters say.
Rising rents, power bills, petrol and other costs, as well as loan repayments, are forcing families to cut into their food budgets because they don't have enough left over to pay the bills if they buy what Otago University nutritionists recommend for a healthy, "balanced" diet.
‘Tough’ talk needed over child abuse, 27 July 2011
Child welfare advocates have called for "tough conversations" on the contents of a long-awaited paper on reducing New Zealand's shocking child abuse rate.
Our hungry kids: 40,000 NZ kids fed by charities, 25 July 2011
School principals say the number of pupils turning up for breakfast is increasing daily, despite the collapse of one of the two main breakfast programmes, a Red Cross scheme which ended this month after Countdown supermarkets withdrew their sponsorship.
Parents-first bid to halt child abuse, 24 July, 2011
Minister asks how much middle New Zealand is prepared to sacrifice to protect children. Kate Chapman and Marika Hill report.
Mums and dads would get preferential treatment for drug and mental health problems under a radical plan to address the nation's shocking child abuse rate.
Red-flag plan for at risk children, 23 July 2011
A "red flag" identifying at-risk children for schools, doctors and police is expected to be floated by the Government as an option in a long-awaited green paper on child abuse next week.
The discussion paper, to be launched in Auckland's Aotea Square at 1pm on Wednesday, will kick off a year-long consultation aimed at reaching a national consensus on the balance between family privacy and protecting children.
Tory welfare plan comes Downunder, 23 July, 2011
Iain Duncan Smith is a politician with a grand ambition - to repair what he famously labelled "Breakdown Britain".
His Centre for Social Justice thinktank, which he formed after losing the Conservative Party leadership in 2003, analysed "five key paths to poverty - family breakdown, serious personal debt, drug and alcohol addiction, failed education, worklessness".
British MP advocates welfare reform in NZ, 23 July, 2011
A senior British cabinet minister on a visit to New Zealand is preaching the need for tougher conditions for the dole and other benefits.
Iain Duncan-Smith is leading the UK Government's push for major welfare changes.
Number of Kiwis on benefits drop again, 7 July, 2011
The number of New Zealanders on benefits has fallen for five consecutive months.
The number of people on the Unemployment Benefit also decreased in June, the first time that's happened in June for four years.
National vows to move well-off state house tenants, 27 June, 2011
At least 4000 well-off state tenants can expect to be moved out their state houses if National forms the next Government, Housing Minister Phil Heatley suggested yesterday.
"There could be many, many people who end up moving out of state houses," he said.
Bennett: Welfare reform is ‘scary,’ 21 June, 2011
Social welfare minister Paula Bennett is trying to dampen fear about her welfare reforms, saying she knows it is "bloody scary" having a National government in charge of welfare reforms.
Ms Bennett was speaking at the Welfare & Social Sector Policy and Reform about the ministerial panel considering broad-sweeping changes to the system, based on recommendations by the Welfare Working Group.
Where are the jobs? Youth unemployment crisis in the north, 11 June, 2011
Youth unemployment has reached crisis levels in Northland despite signs of a long-awaited economic recovery in some parts of the country.
Northland's unemployment rate rose to 9.8 per cent in the first quarter this year, the highest since 2003 and almost 2 per cent above the next-highest regions, Auckland and Hawkes Bay/Gisborne, both on 7.9 per cent.
