Mike's Minute: Why won't the Govt get tough on those abusing the system?

Author: Mike Hosking,
Publish Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2022, 10:56AM

I assume you saw the story of the poor old 80-year-old woman in New Plymouth who has been put into hotels by her family to give her a break from her Kainga Ora neighbours.

The claim is she has been terrorised.

These stories aren't new. Earlier this year we got the revelation that the agency had not evicted anyone despite behaviour no normal person would even come close to tolerating.

If this Government has one major issue next year in the election, beyond the policy specific issues they already face like lack of delivery, Three Waters, co-governance, and an economy in recession, it is their inexplicable acceptance, if not encouragement, of people who refuse to conform, behave, to be normal, or just be decent human beings.

This is fresh off our encounter with Carmel Sepuloni on Friday where she yet again defended the tens of thousands who are on jobseeker benefits, allegedly ready for work. But they're somehow inexplicably not able to find any, despite a labour market with holes in it the likes of which I have not seen in my lifetime.

We have an inexplicable defence of people who are not only work ready, but somehow remaining jobless for up to 10 years.

We have people work ready, and yet falling drug tests in jobs that require drug tests. And yet the Government is still defending the fact that they are officially job ready when clearly, they aren't.

Rotorua is, of course, a category all of its own. They were stories over the weekend about the city's reputation trashed because of the needles, drugs fights, lawlessness, and the tourism spend that is missing because people are too afraid to stay.

And now a poor old 80-year-old with thugs for neighbours and the fallout is what? Nothing. Once again, nothing.

So, they will have to go to the electorate in Hamilton West shortly, plus the country next year, and explain just what it is about these reprobates, layabouts, and no hopers that makes them so different from the rest of us in terms of accountability.

I can't terrorise my neighbours without consequences. I can't abuse the system year in, year out, without consequences.

What is it the Labour government see in these tens of thousands of people that makes them exempt from the rules, laws, and societal expectations placed on the rest of us.

And why should we put up with it? Why should we pay for it?

Sepuloni tells us its complex. Is it? Or is it soft and lazy government? Is it the layabouts taking the Mickey? Is this a government for the lowest common denominator?

What I know is Labour is more interested in a drug addled thug than they are an 80-year-old taxpayer. Explain that to anyone normal.