A Simple Question

Avoiding the Obvious

The New Zealand government has taken a tentative step (which some are calling radical and revolutionary) towards getting people off welfare rolls. It likely will not make any impact at all, and may make things worse in the long run. (For an initial critical evaluation, see Lindsay Mitchell's piece, here.)

There is only a limited political window opportunity for these kinds of changes. Good intentions by politicians (and one does not doubt the intentions of the Prime Minister, John Key or the Minister of Social Development, Paula Bennett) do not cut the mustard. What is done must be effective or else future politicians and governments will simply scrap the changes as ineffectual--and they are usually right, at least at that point.

The indications are that this "reform" will not work. Nevertheless, the media used the occasion to do the normal interview of people on the welfare rolls who express how hard and difficult it all is to survive, and how harsh the forthcoming changes will be. Not one of the media pieces asked the really important question, the urgent critical question. We believe it is a question which must be asked over and over and over. It is a simple question.

Every such interview should include the following: Why do you think other people should be forced to pay money to support you? No interview or discussion with beneficiaries should proceed without that vital question being asked--every time.

Every time a beneficiary applicant or re-applicant enters a Winz office they should be required to fill out a statement explaining why they believe other people should be forced to pay money to them. Around the walls of every Winz office should be large posters asking the embarrassing "Why?" question. Only when this issue is part of "entitlement discourse" will a government be able to make most, if not all, benefits temporary only and time-limited.