True Colors

Marie from Waikanae

We have been wondering how long it would be before the National party showed its true colors and this week they emerged. Its the same old cruel, punitive, mean-spirited National party we know so well. They seem to have a sadistic preference for beneficiary bashing. Hell would freeze over before they would go after their rich mates who are not paying their fair share of tax. It will be tax cuts that benefit the rich and benefit cuts to those at the other end of the socioeconomic spectrum. These people are already struggling to survive, without National's proposed punitive measures being imposed on them. The last time National cut benefits, child poverty soared exponentially.

After enduring eight years of it the last time they were in government, how could anyone possibly think they have changed? If anything, it would be worse this time round if they get in. This National-Act lineup is a lot more right wing. Neoliberal theory and individualism are the focus. "I'm all right Jack, screw you", and "there's no need to be kind to anyone". National has always despised people who are poor or disadvantaged. Christopher Luxon refers to them as "bottom feeders", John Key called them "layabouts". Paula Bennett told us it's their fault they were poor, they had a bad attitude. The evidence, in fact, suggests that it is adversity that causes poverty, and it is often due to things outside of the individual's control.

If elected, a National-Act government would be divisive for the country and one can predict that social unrest will result.
It is already evident with Act supporters assaulting people at candidate meetings and Maori candidates being attacked and threatened.

If you are a beneficiary or superannuitant under a National-Act government then watch out. Be warned that things will get a lot tougher. Firstly will be a return to the old toxic WINZ culture that prevailed under the last National government. Suspicion and hostility was the name of the game. Guilty until proven innocent. Benefit recipients referred to as "perpetrators". But worse, if National is elected, a lot of assistance would be farmed out to various charities who will then decide if you are the deserving poor or not. We already know many of these organizations are judgemental, from outreach work we've heard the stories back, and it will be an arbitrary decision whether you get any assistance. This is Hayek's neoliberalism at its worst, with an elite sector calling the shots and welfare distributed by charities. It is also likely to fuel social unrest.

During the last National government we had people trying to ram raid, not shops but WINZ offices, and bollards had to be installed outside WINZ offices in many places. We think there will be more of the same.

Its worth thinking about. If National-Act are elected, how would you cope without the winter energy payment (we're pretty confident that National would revisit this sooner rather than later and it would go. It would be like John Key's promise not to raise GST). If you are a superannuitant with a mortgage and receiving additional WINZ assistance, how would you cope without this? TAS is likely to go. Could you reduce your accommodation costs? Or downsize? Or find another way to meet your mortgage expenses. Annual increases to benefits and superannuation would likely be minimal or non-existent. Meanwhile, economists expect inflation to remain "sticky" and it will be with us for probably another 12-18 months. National's tax cuts, inherently inflationary, will almost guarantee it. We predict a 10 percent reduction in real purchasing power. The economic outlook will not give people on fixed incomes a break.

Is this individualism, beneficiary bashing and pandering to the rich the Kiwi way? I dont think its us.
We showed during the pandemic how we can stick together and help each other and in the Waikanae community at least, I see evidence of this every day. I'm prepared to get out and fight for this and our way of life. How about you?