Dear John… Oh how I hate to write

Over the last few weeks I have seriously become engaged with the plight of this country. I mean, there is a lot to get concerned about with forecast debt of 14 billion dollars for this fiscal year (let’s hope that it is not held by the EEC)

In light of this I have a few suggestions for you. Assuming that I was PM for a day what conversations would I like the country to be having? Here goes…

Cap the DPB?

Firstly: in reference to Paula Bennett’s latest initiative on contraception choices for those on a benefit…

Maybe it would be better to look to cap the D.P.B. for all new dependents at support for just two children. Just as the Government have limited the student numbers for the universities for fiscal reasons we need to recognize the financial burden unsupported women and their families bring to our economy. Yes, there would be exceptions as there would be in all of the conversations that I would like people to be having.

I applaud Paula Bennett for her contraceptive initiative. Surely there is no benefit nor logic in bringing more children into an environment that is suffering financially and it is ridiculous to class it as eugenics. Beneficiaries certainly, as a recent article in the Herald on Sunday suggested, are not likely to become tax paying citizens going forward given their environment; hence a reliant platform to look after an increasingly aging population.

The contraception, Paula suggests, would definitely be a welcome hand-up for families struggling financially that were not entitled to a handout. Realty check: Kids cost money! And the state cannot afford to pay and it can never be healthy to have children born into an environment of entitlement and handout.

Raise the age for the unemployment benefit?

Next I would raise the age of eligibility for the unemployment benefit to 20 years of age. This may in turn encourage more kids to actively look for work or perhaps consider the less palatable jobs that at present they turn their noses up at. I reflect on those early roles that I had in the workforce. One included the addition of four cherries (and no more) to the large cans of fruit salad at the Wattie's cannery in Hastings it becomes a family’s duty rather than the Governments to look after them. I would also advocate that as a requirement of benefit collection, they are required to do some form of work. This may be a council initiative (parks and gardens) or another Government organization in need of further manpower. Perhaps our public rest homes could be worthy beneficiaries.

National Super: a right or an entitlement?

The debate surrounding the review of the age of eligibility to collect National Super needs to continue. People are living longer and healthier lives and we need to encourage and acknowledge this. My mum still works a full day at 73 years old (because she wants to… not because she has to). To have a purpose and a role has to be better than contemplating the content of each and every day!

The older generation are incredibly valuable in the work force. National Super entitlement ages are now not relevant and possibly need to be reviewed every ten years.

I would suggest that there should also be no entitlement to National Super and it perhaps should be means tested. When I consider that my independently wealthy father receives this payment (and I am sure Ron Brierley does as well) as a right rather than a need, it seems absurd. Sure they have paid into the tax system all their lives but benefits should be for those in need.

User pays insurance?

ACC needs to be privatized again… it just works better for the state and the employer as it simply becomes more about user pays.

There needs to be an insurance levied against those that embark on extreme pursuits or high injury sports. These need to be user pays so the search and rescue that is so often associated with these are not a cost on the taxpayer. Just as we all take out insurance to travel overseas, we need to ensure insurance is mandatory for these types of pursuits.

A wage increase will mean better care for the aged?

The current debate around increasing the minimum wage for public age care workers is challenging. To simply effect a blanket increase will not increase standard of care in our rest homes. Perhaps we look at partial privatization so that the proper process of review and reward are put in place? Increasing the standard of care is about strong leadership, policies and procedures and recognition of excellence just as within the private sector pay equates to outputs, not entitlement.

Have our prisons simply become crime universities?

Let’s start listening to the advocates around reducing prison sentences or looking at other solutions of punishment. We all know that to lock up petty criminals in a crime university only has one outcome. It’s time to think differently. The stats show that only 7% of the people in our prisons are the throw-away-the-key variety. So how much of that $500 a day bill can be reduced?

Migrants the answer to our population growth?

Let’s embrace the migrant population in New Zealand. With the way we are reported on a global stage each day via the media it’s surprising anyone wants to come here. Migrants in business add to our tax take and draw very little in the way of benefits. Sure New Zealanders leave the country but others enter and add to the fabric of who we are. The public health system would have some serious recruitment problems without migrants.

We have created a society of entitlement which is not healthy and even more so, we cannot afford it. Surely increasing the self-worth of every New Zealander has to be a priority as well as a return to the family unit of care and encouraging education at all levels which in turn gives people choice… these have to be a focus to create a pathway to a very needed surplus.

Food for thought…

I am, as always keen to hear your views on the direction of New Zealand and how it can position itself to balance the books and become a progressive and innovative society, not reactionary and entrenched.
Please drop me your thoughts about these points of any others.  

Regards,
Annah