AUCKLAND ACTION AGAINST POVERTY

Media release Friday 20 July 2012

Welfare changes must be resisted – AAAP to picket Key Sun 22 July

National’s latest vindictive attack on young people and beneficiaries passed into law last night and must be resisted at all costs says Auckland Action Against Poverty spokesperson Sue Bradford.

‘We are deeply saddened by National’s determination to push through measures which will only make life harder for beneficiaries and unemployed people who are already struggling to survive.

‘Instead of doing something serious about creating decent jobs for those who need them, Bennett, Key and co are hellbent on reforms which are all about state – and in some cases contracted NGO – control of every last detail of peoples’ lives.

‘Affected young people will lose all control of their income. At a time in their lives when they should be learning independence and budgeting, they will be treated like children.

‘All women of childbearing age – and their daughters – who are in the welfare system are to be encouraged to take longlasting contraception. They will also be worktested from the time their babies are one year old.

‘Worst of all, these reforms are just the first step. We know the Government has much more in store, including the drug testing of beneficiaries, sweeping changes to benefit categories and further moves towards an increasingly corporatised, insurance model welfare system.

‘We believe National and its allies in Parliament are literally waging war on the unemployed workers, beneficiaries, low wage workers and students of this country.

AAAP calls on all who support us to join us in a picket at the time of John Key’s speech to the National Party conference in Auckland this weekend.

PICKET - STOP THE WAR ON THE POOR

11.30am Sunday 22 July

Sky City, Auckland

ends

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