Dear Editor

Please allow me a response to Labour’s so-called ‘four initiatives supporting kiwi families’.

 

Just how many of our families earn anything up to $100,000 or $70,000 may be few and far in between; and what’s $10 against continuous increase in petrol, housing inflation, gas and electricity?  One also has to be working in order to have four weeks holiday, and $11 minimum wage does not go far enough.  The boost to the NZ superannuation is Winston Peter’s policy.  These benefits is the same as tax cuts for the rich, while low income families whose parents are unemployed receive absolutely nothing.  There is no mention of those suffering from illness or sickness beneficiaries either.  Statistics NZ has also reported the gap between the rich and poor has increased, the bottom half of the population shares 5 percent of the nation’s wealth while 95 per cent is owned by the top 10 per cent.  It does nothing to alleviate poverty and its social consequences upon our families and especially children.  Obviously, a few more lollies is expected to sweeten off the voters as 2008 election nears!   

     

Peter Wilson