"MSD staff assessing anyone applying for emergency housing will increase their scrutiny of whether they have unreasonably contributed to their immediate emergency housing need ..."
I googled Minister for Social Development Louise Upston's press releases to confirm that's what she actually said. Indeed she had.
If the government means it, this is hugely significant.
It has been clear for decades that NZ's approach to welfare has gone awry. The late Roger Kerr, of the NZ Business Roundtable, once said to me, "The only way forward is to go back to the concept of 'deserving' and 'undeserving'."
To be honest, at the time I thought this was slightly draconian. But the passage of the years has only brought me further around to his view. By protecting people from the consequences of their own foolish actions NZ has only created more 'need'. In other words, the 'undeserving' have been rewarded.
This is a direct offshoot from the philosophy of 'non-judgementalism' which is absolutely rife through the social services and charity sectors, and even health and education. It is formally taught. Every needy individual is a 'victim' of circumstances, never their own poor decision-making.
I am personally a great believer in second chances and the right to redeem oneself, and have certainly had occasion to avail myself of these principles (or lived with the consequences of not being forgiven or excused.) But like many pendulums, the one called 'tolerance' has swung too far.
The welfare system is now the lifeblood of criminals. People who trash other people's property, who threaten and abuse neighbours, who keep aggressive dogs as status symbols, who have not a skerrick of regard for others, turn up at WINZ demanding to be placed in emergency housing. And they are.
(Not to mention the tens of thousands of other people who took no responsibility for their own education, go on to produce children recklessly and, in turn, take no responsibility for theirs.)
Between the passage of the Social Security Act in 1938 and the early 1970s the percentage of working-age people on a benefit never exceeded two. Today it stands at almost twelve, with the time people stay dependent growing every year.
As a society we have created this level of reliance by believing and acting on a bad idea. That we must not judge others. We must not mention their faults and shortcomings. We must bend over backwards to not blame the person responsible for their own troubles. That's the kindness and compassion we are taught to aspire to.
Until Louise Upston said something quite contrary but actually terribly sensible.
In assessing applicants for emergency housing case managers must take into account whether they have "unreasonably contributed" to their need.
One assumes that if the answer is positive, there will be no emergency housing offered.
Quite right too.
My theory is that the emergency housing crisis - putting people into motels, lodges and motor camps - came about because the Labour government created an expectation that anyone who showed up at the newly-generous WINZ department asking for a house would get one (or something akin). If people had been turned away they would have found their own solutions. Living with friends or family usually. If friends and family wouldn't have them - presumably because they were undeserving - why should the taxpayer fork out to put them into place where they can wreak anti-social havoc on nearby neighbours?
It's the individual who should experience the consequences of their own unwise actions - not everybody else.
So let's support Upston and encourage her to take this new approach further. I would vouch that the majority of New Zealanders want to help people who, through no fault of their own, need a benefit and public housing. But that willingness does not extend to people who chronically cause their own misfortune.
Lindsay Mitchell is a welfare commentator who blogs HERE. - where this article was sourced.
5 comments:
Thank you for your good sense Lindsay. I would go so far as to say it is abusive to allow - even encourage - people to behave badly.
Regulations have closed a lot of low price accomodation and rental rules are such that many houses have been bulldozed because not worth the effort an expense of upgarding. (Insulation hugely increases damage from the inevitable rental leak, flood etc and the repair work.) The return of the 90 day notice rule should assist.
I agree absolutely with all you say here Lyndsay.
My parents spent the first year of their marriage at a Turakina MOW construction camp in a tent including in the winter with a baby.
Maybe the deviants could be put in military style camps with strict discipline and controls over noise and behaviour. If they earn enough good behaviour points then they can move up into more congenial accommodation.
We do of course also need to look into getting rid of permissive discipline and implement effective structured teaching methods in our schools. We are failing dreadfully in teaching particularly the basics, in our schools. Many children are dreadful victims of our thoroughly destructive education system. They can be from thoroughly orderly and disciplined homes which are not negligent in ensuring children get to school. I have been involved in tutoring hundreds of children with backgrounds like this.
Thank you for your article .
I've met Louise numerous times. She is a very clued up, driven, astute family person. I'm sure she will make some tough decisions that the vast majority of kiwis know need to be made.
I'm also sure she will be labelled racist by the left loonies. but who cares, we all know the truth and reality. If the left were just honest for once they would see and understand the good that Louise and her team will do.
In effect Louise intends to drag everyone up as opposed to the left who drags everyone down to the lowest common denominator, which after 6 years of labour is pretty low!
Go Louise
The problem is if they have contrived to have nowhere to go a cosy motel unit or one of the flash modern state units is assured. Effectively being bribed to cause some private landlord grief. It astonishes me that so many people survived the Depressin years when living standards were so low.
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