For many the idea that New Zealand is not a fair place to live leaves many people concerned and others simply disbelieving. Many New Zealanders are concerned that the people who are poor live in other parts of the globe; in the slums of Africa, Asia and South America not here in New Zealand. What they see replicated in the media in these places is tangible and scary and nothing like this exists in New Zealand. Other New Zealanders believe that everything that Politicians say about poverty which is simply that poverty in New Zealand is not true.
Poverty has many forms and shapes. It means many things to different people and everyone reacts differently to the sounds and smells of poverty and as they say in the Christian Bible many walk past on the other side.
To be in Poverty means a number of clearly understood things are missing in a person or family’s life -
Shelter and Warmth
Clothing and Cleanliness
Food and Water
Paid employment
Respect of colleagues
Friends and family
For many individuals shelter and warmth are lacking in their lives or they live on the street, in the side streets and anywhere they might not be ‘moved on’.
For many individuals and families their shelter only puts a roof over their heads, there is no warmth even using all their clothes and blankets and duvets. They often have broken windows, damaged floors and walls which all add to making respite from the cold difficult. Perhaps the most obvious signs of poverty are exposed in peoples clothing and foot wear. From cleanliness to threadbare quality of clothing to no shoes or sandals, these visual images expose your status in life.
We now have many people who ‘bin dive’ for their daily sustenance – this means skips and rubbish bins outside food sources - restaurants, cafes, takeaways and supermarkets are sources of food for those too poor to pay for shelter and food. To reach the dizzy heights of part time, intermittent or even full time employment means someone is presented with a major struggle before they can even apply for any work.
It should be noted that poverty is often a hidden factor in people lives. A friend said that the wealth of many is shown by the contents of the drawers, pantry and refrigerator and freezer. This friend also pointed out that a lack of soap and detergent, deodorant, shower gel etc are also signs of apparent poverty. Holes in shoes, misshapen jackets and trousers that have not been dry cleaned for a long time, yet they are clean not the expected pristine state.
In New Zealand poverty also takes a different shape amongst children of those called the have nots. They know their parents cannot afford school trips, school extras and more than the bare minimum for school stationary. They know their uniform will probably be hand me down, second hand or no uniform at all. Children may not care much about school clothing whilst at play but to stand out in class is not what they would choose, yet they survive even though often the books they need for their schooling are simply unaffordable.
Some children do not go to school because someone must care for the little children, the elderly nanas, aunties and other family members who may be sick. Some of these young carers are as young as 8 years old. Their parents are both in low paid and often unskilled work and to not to go to work may mean they loose their job.
There have always been streets and specific areas in all towns, cities and villages where ‘poorer people go’.
There have always been property owners who rent out hovels and accommodation that even a dog would not choose to lie down in. Yet people need shelter and it was for these reasons that city councils and governments entered into the property markets to make available accommodation that those in the lower echelons of New Zealand society – these places were seen as starters, a step up and in the following many years of residence people were allowed to buy their homes. Many other people moved o to other property to meet their family requirements and they could afford to move upwards in the property market.
As the years have passed sine the Great Depression of the 20’s & 30’s and World War II the community and social aspects of New Zealand Society generally cared for the have nots in many ways.
I remember in the early 70’s that unemployment was less than 10 people!
In those days many families worked in the ‘moving work force’. There were the shearing gangs, the meat workers, the fishing gangs, farming needs and much more besides, when families moved from Kaitia to the Bluff, following the work available annually across the country. Taking their families with them, they traversed the New Zealand, working hard, having enough to live on and placing their children in schools where they could and their wives helping in those businesses where they could – meat works, woolsheds, fish factories, etc.
Today much of that work has ceased to exist.
Today most of those moving families are part of our history.
Today people with minimal skills and minimal education find it extremely difficult to find regular work, reasonably priced accommodation, find it difficult to pay their children’s school fees and find funds for all general school requirements and find enough money to eat healthily, sleep with warmth cover their bodies with appropriate and clean clothes.
Although Governments past and present ‘ throw money’ at what they perceive to be the problem, the lack of hard evidence proving that what they choose to do and why the do it apparently offers no proof and does not apparently underpin their Parliamentary / Governing Party decision making and the proven success of their ‘largesse’.
Recommendations for the alleviation of poverty by those working at the coalface of poorness and poverty, education deprivation and family financial stress would seem to be ignored or side-lined and so poverty in its many destructive forms continues to exist.
New Zealanders are / were renowned world wide for their fairness in all aspects of community, whether sport or business, education or health. People without were not ignored and were included and cared for generally within their community, whatever their age, familial circumstances, educational skills and work.
As so many aged and older New Zealanders note in discussions about the ‘new poor’, many families in poverty have gardens around them in which to grow their necessary vegetables and fruit, yet many buy unhealthy takeaways because it is cheaper than purchasing, preparing and cooking fresh meals – a myth that has apparently become a modern truism. These families do not have the knowledge, equipment and knowledge to manage a garden, nor do they have the kitchen skills to manage modern and health food for their families.
In general it has been noted that:
Schools no longer teach domestic science skills in their school to their pupils;
Schools no longer have gardens where primary and intermediate school children learn to grow what they eat, though this is changing in recognition of the needs of their poorer pupils;
Schools no longer teach basic home skills like changing and electric plug and light bulb with safety, dealing with a blocked drain, fixing a dripping tap washer, preparing walls and house roofs for painting and decorating and building fences and driveways; universal skills for their future working and living.
These are all useful skills lost to a number of generations of children and young people, yet
These are also confidence booster skills for their future too. The confidence that is gained by being able to complete simply technical tasks, a confidence that it was intended that would flow through to their future learning and personal development.
To be a fairer society we need to a practical return to those days of community, where money did not place you in the ‘upper classes’ or above others, because you had more money than them – it simply made you rich. In previous generations such wealth brought with it some community responsibilities within your community. To support the ‘have nots’, to support the local community generally and where possible provide work for those impoverished by their circumstances and food for those starving, all was done quietly and without the need for public recognition.
To hear people in a variety of communities and amongst all types of politicians, many speak as if poverty is almost the fault of the ‘have nots’ because somehow deserve to be poor.
Years of economic mishandling of the economy by most politicians has resulted in huge losses in the New Zealand productive manufacturing industries, the innovative science and agricultural industries and in tertiary education. The mishandling of change over many decades of Government Department and Government organisations has not resulted in a better life for the majority of New Zealanders. Reduction in numbers does not make a better governance model and it does result in many more unemployed.
A television programme by Dr Bryan Bruce suggested that the richest segment of New Zealanders have become considerably richer, the middle segment of ‘ordinary working’ New Zealanders have become less comfortably off and the bottom segment of our social structures are sinking slowly and steadily down the financial ladder. The top segment pay less tax, the middle segment pay more tax and the lowest segment pay more tax than the top segment and of course should they receive Government funding for their poverty beyond what is considered their right then the poorest people in our community are chased to return this double dipping money it resulting in a better return for lost and regained money form that government depart than the Tax Department.
The poor are not all drug takers, heavy drinkers, souse abusers and uncaring parents with dozens of children living in unclean, unhealthy and inappropriate circumstances. It is difficult to keep up appearances when there is no money beyond he weekly rent coming into the family household.
Fairness means that politicians must look at the whole problem, do the real research to confirm their proffered and preferred solutions will deal with the whole problem not just the interesting and publicity grabbing obvious bits only!