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As far as I can see - nothing!
I’m really putting this out there to see if anyone within the disability sector, with more expertise in such things than I, can explain if the budget, released yesterday by Finance Minister Michael Cullen, should have included any provisions for the movement towards a wholly inclusive New Zealand? Looking at the Budget’s breakdown, there doesn’t seem to be anything explicitly laid out to address the social and economic divide facing the average disabled Kiwis.
Or am I barking up the wrong tree here? Is the Budget not really the place for such things? Does anyone really care?! Hahaha, put me out of my naivety-related misery, please!
8 responses so far ↓
1 Rachel // May 23, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Red as I see it (and I’m equally niave about these budget things) I make a whole $12.00 a week from this! WOOhoo! As far as I can tell if you are on a benefit you get nothing. Doesn’t entice me to vote Labour AT ALL But please anyone, feel free to correct me if my assumptions are wrong
2 Red // May 23, 2008 at 2:14 pm
Argh please do vote Labour, John Key is such a tool ><
3 Matt // May 23, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Rachel, Rachel, Rachel, if you are my friend, live in CHCH and went to a Catholic girls school if you vote for BLOODY National I will never let you in my house again!! I thought you were a disability activist.
On a serious note, the new tax rate of 12.5% that cuts in at 14000 and under will capture the benefits. Also, disability in the budget is really hard to find as it sexy for the main stream media
4 Matt // May 23, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Sorry, what I meant to say in the comment above was: Disability in the budget is really hard to find as it is NOT sexy for the main stream media
5 Huhana // May 25, 2008 at 10:48 am
The reality is Red that for people on invalid benefits, they are discriminated more than those who have accident related impairments and even without the tax free benefits of the blind community. But instead of bringing everyone up into equality, the proposal over the years has been to reduce the ACC and blind tax benefits. That is not the solution and of course ACC and Visual impairment groups will not let go of the difference and why should they? The disparities are numerous, are great and Labour or National are never going to address it to our satisfaction as long as we dont collectively advocate for change. I can tell you now the National disability representative has no idea what it means to identify with disabilities so no he wont be able to come in and fix all the wrongs. He is a medical doctor who thinks in terms of medical frameworks not disability or human rights frameworks. Who to vote for? its each persons choice, and that is democracy but the two major parties will make no significant difference to our needs for financial change that reflects the costs and the ever growing needs of persons with disabilities. If anyone can prove that things will change under the current status quo then please do. We have had an office for Disabilities Issues and a Ministry for a number of years now, and yet? where are the changes?
We need to push to get into parliament a representative with direct experience of disability who is also an active member of the disability community and not a puppet of any major or minor party. Someone who is OUR representative.
In some of the new African democracies, they have a parliamentary seat for MPs with disabilities to be elected into and now with that seat, the MPs are standing and being elected into mainstream parliamentary seats. I have a couple of friends who won recent elections in Africa and they are certainly making a difference despite their own hardships.
Hu
6 Nicola // May 26, 2008 at 4:27 pm
There is an articles in the Herald today regarding plans to look into (’relatively modest’ and targeted) increases to benefits. Leaving aside all of the economic diffiulties facing people on fixed incomes when dealing with rising costs of basic items, I was struck by this comment about Michael Cullen’s intentions:
“He referred to special needs assistance around food as an example of what he was considering.”
I particularly like the way it’s phrased so it makes asking for money for food sound like a ’special need’. What an enlighted place we live in…
7 Ray // May 26, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Apart from Nicola’s coment above the tax thing is all we may benefit from.
As for the coments relating those getting extras while on blind benefit, this only applies to about 500 or over and above the invalids benefit. Those of us working and being excempt from benefit abatements pay secondary taxs also. We also have to meet a certain critera within WINZ and ther is not to many of us in paid employment either.
8 Binny // May 26, 2008 at 10:04 pm
The Labour government have allocated $350 million dollars to support the innovation in technology and living style to improve NZ. This funding can be used for various projects that will help to improve NZ’s current living style. The country needs an organisation who can take responsibility to help our disabled citizens of NZ to a better living style. Maybe, Red could be leader of this organisation? You are doing a excellent job mate!
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