June 16, 2020
The people Jacinda is leaving behind in Election 2020
There are two Jacindas.
There is Crisis Jacinda who leads with kindness, compassion and grace and then there is Cautious Jacinda who stymies truly transformative policy for tinkering around the edges.
The decision to tinker rather than transform is a political decision and those who are left behind are the societal casualties of that political cowardice.
So who are Labour leaving behind?
Prisoners:
Our remand prison population has blown out and no one seems to be noticing because the general prison population is being kept deflated by rehousing prisoners in private home detention. The reforms and rebuild of our prisons simply haven't happened and the toxic culture inside these prisons have not changed in a meaningful manner. Over the pandemic prisoners were locked up for huge stretches of time, expect deep seated frustrations inside our prison to rupture at some point.
Migrant Workers:
They have been left high and dry by being excluded from welfare or wage wage subsidies. It seems incredibly unfair if we are simply going to turn our backs on them.
Beneficiaries:
The Government have refused to implement all the Welfare Reform recommendations while creating a two tier welfare system split between the deserving and undeserving poor.
Workers:
If the pandemic taught us anything, it is that the definition of 'essential worker' usually means working class worker whose risk to personal safety by working gets no respect in terms of living wage and good working conditions. The CTU have put up a very valid proposal for sick pay in NZ which has been ignored alongside any meaningful employment reforms.
If Labour win a second term, those they left behind in their first term deserve extra attention and real reform.
Martyn Bradbury
Editor – TheDailyBlog.nz
twitter.com/CitizenBomber
Copyright © 2020, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com