The opposition are saying that if they become the government there will be an active programme to force people on benefits into paid work. The government has a scheme titled working for families where people with young families are paying reduced levels of tax. What people need to decide is……. do people respond better to incentive or to threat. The withdrawal of the benefits was advocated by the governments in the 90’s and had limited success and yet the opposition would see this “tried and failed” option as viable in the year 2009. The same opposition is suggesting that the public service needs to be reduced. An “off benefits and into paid work” would seem to be a very people intensive measure, and may in fact mean more public servants need to be employed. Other considerations might be if people have their benefits withdrawn because the fail to move into paid work what do they do?…. Turn to crime… We need to think carefully about our next votes and consider the big picture not just what is best for ourselves. Is that too much to ask?
Incentives. You threaten people, they hate you, they kick your arse as soon as they get a chance (like, three years from now). Give them postive incentives, they’ll work with you because they see how it benefits themselves.
“We need to think carefully about our next votes and consider the big picture not just what is best for ourselves. Is that too much to ask?”
Well, it’s been over five years since I was last in New Zealand, so my view is seriously skewed by what I see of the NZ media online, but what I’ve seen suggests that the answer to your question is ‘yes’. People generally only consider their immediate, short-term self interest.