LINDSAY MITCHELL: Checking out Carmel Sepuloni's campaign claims
- Administrator
- Oct 4, 2023
- 2 min read
Radio NZ reports that Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni was on the campaign trail in Christchurch yesterday defending her government’s performance. She said that:
“Her government had seen higher numbers of beneficiaries moving into jobs …”
Yet the numbers on a Jobseeker benefit continue to climb.
Technically her assertion may be true but it’s like someone claiming they’ve been making higher numbers of credit card repayments while continuing to over-use the same card and grow the debt.
Higher numbers may have been moving into jobs, but even higher numbers have been moving onto benefits. It’s the net difference that matters and when she is back in opposition Sepuloni will be using exactly that measure to mount attacks on the government.
FACT: At September 22, 2023 there were 181,167 people on a Jobseeker benefit. In September 2017, just prior to Sepuloni taking up the reins, the number was 120,726. She has overseen a fifty percent increase.
Back to the RNZ report:
“The majority of people went on a benefit for a short time to get a helping hand, Sepuloni said.”
Again, over a given period, this might technically be true but it’s a claim intended to mask the true and worrying situation.
FACT: Three quarters of beneficiaries have been dependent for more than a year and MSD’s annual report shows that average future expected time on a benefit grew from 10.7 years in 2018 to 12.8 years in 2022.
Today Sepuloni is saying:
"I’m proud of the work Labour has done to lift over 77,000 children out of poverty.”
FACT: At September 2017 there were 172,302 children on benefits. By June 2023 that number had grown by 23 percent to sit at 211,617.
Rest assured that whatever Sepuloni would rather sweep under the carpet right now will miraculously become a problem during the 54th New Zealand parliament odds-on to be led by a National/ACT government.
Lindsay Mitchell blogs here
Have a lovely weekend all
Aaron
”National’s Back Pocket Boost tax relief plan will increase after-tax pay for the squeezed middle, making a family with young kids up to $250 a fortnight better off, and a child-free median income worker up to $50 a fortnight better off”.
“National’s FamilyBoost childcare tax credit will help around 130,000 New Zealand families with young children get a tax rebate of up to $150 per fortnight”.
“How much people get will depend on their circumstances. That’s why we are encouraging New Zealanders to visit National’s tax calculator.“,
National‘s media releases earlier omitted the UP TO. Sloppy and risky. Winnie the poo lurks..
Hmm, if after 14/10/23, the Nats have to consider a telephone call to the Green party, they will have to swallow several dead rats: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300983505/tova-podcast-white-people-are-stupid-labour-minister-ing-useless--the-latest-candidate-in-twitterx-trouble?cid=app-iPhone
It's interesting, and enlightening being able to interact with people who are so different from myself, and it does give one a perspective ( or a headache) especially at smoko time.
I serviced two large sites today, and I love, as a contractor interacting with people and getting to know them.
They know me as " happy feet" because I'm 5 foot 8 and have a buggered neck.
Look.
I've said this so many times on this site.
I listen to these people, the workers, the grafters and they all want less regulation, less interference and less control, and yet when pressed by myself who they may vote for, most of them opted for labour.
I was astounded.
I asked…
A very clever ploy of Hipkins to come down with covid. It thrusts Sepuloni into the spotlight at a crucial time and takes the heat off Hipkins for the week.