Mana Otautahi endorses national day of action on welfare reforms

The Mana Otautahi (Christchurch) branch voted at their AGM on Sunday the 16th to endorse the national day of action against welfare reforms taking place on October the fifth.

Pickets are being organised to take place at Work And Income NZ centres across the country. Beneficiaries and supporters are calling the reforms an attack on human rights and a war on the poor. They are asking for people to join them at 1pm on Friday October 5 at their local WINZ centre to take a stand against the reforms which 'target the most vulnerable amongst us, single parents, young children, those with mental health and disabilities issues and youth.

The reforms are punitive and poorly thought out the organisers say as they will only increase poverty and make those who are vulnerable even more so. Details of events so far are being coordinated in Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, Wellington, Hamilton, Auckland and Tauranga.

Mana has a welfare policy that includes working towards implementing a Universal Tax Credit/Universal Basic Income where everyone in Aotearoa aged 18 and over would receive a minimum, liveable, tax free income after which progressive tax would kick in and radically changing the culture of Work & Income so that people coming in for assistance are treated with respect, granted their full entitlements, and so that staff are trained and supported to work sensitively with people from a diverse range of backgrounds. Mana would also implement a social marketing campaign to begin to undo the negative stereotyping of beneficiaries.

ENDS

© Scoop Media