(23-05-2025, 06:19 PM)Praktica Wrote: Saying that means testing will catch only the well off is all very well, but ignores the difficulties which the Ministry of Social Deveoplment put in the way of almost all beneficiaries (except pensioners). There will be many families whose young people are entitled to a benefit, but who are unable to claim it...quite deliberately, as a way for the government to save money.
Indeed, in fact so many & varied are those obstacles, they might almost be seen as deliberately cruel.
Bernard Hickey in an interview with Bryan Bruce, had some very interesting comments on this latest budget, well worth a listen if anyone has the time - 10mins or so.
(23-05-2025, 04:07 PM)Jan Wrote:(23-05-2025, 03:20 PM)kiwimade64 Wrote: I do like that you can start saving in Kiwisaver at 16 years old now. Seemed silly if a 16 year old has started work, they couldn't start a kiwisaver account. And the rates rebate has been lowered for gold card owners. Nicola Willis refuses to call it an austerity budget. I'll happily disagree with her. Yes, we had to borrow BUT National also knew that and agreed to it. Labour didn't just go out and borrow the money, they knew times were unusual and checked in with National. And yes, we knew there would be belt tightening because of it. But this is ridiculous and mean. But at least we aren't the USA with their massive debt. I read their debt to GDP is something like 128%. And we don't have the orange clown. Mind you, we seem to have our own clowns at times. *looks at Shane Jones* Oh, and National blaming Labour for everything is wearing very thin. They have been in government for 18 months now, time to give that cliche a rest.The borrowing was completely necessary but I absolutely object to still subsidising the greedy bloody banks 5 years later - 9 billion is a lot of money don’t care which govt was responsible-
Speaking of the orange clown - not sure if it’s true but probably is - everytime Trump makes an outrageous statement and the stock market drops way down his kids buy billions of dollars of shares while the price is rock bottom then flick them when the price increases -making an obscene amount of money - probably true and deliberate
(23-05-2025, 03:56 PM)Lilith7 Wrote: When times are tough, crime goes up. And rather than look at other means, they build prisons...It’s only rich kids who aren’t going to get the dole - I don’t mind that at all - they won’t end up in prison Mum and Dad will hire them a lawyer ! Actually I don’t mind income and asset testing at all - I know I am weird
I'm not against it in principle - but it depends on what the conditions are - & sometimes they're deliberately made virtually impossible for most.
Perhaps if all our politicians were to get off their collective derrieres, put aside their differences, take a long term view & work together for the good of us all, we might just have a far better society eventually. We could even go so far as to look at what works well in other countries & adopt/adapt that for our country.
I don't think too many Kiwis actually want homeless people & street beggars...
in order to be old & wise, you must first be young & stupid. (I'm still working on that.)