Despite the fact that a June 2007 report prepared by the Ministry of Development revealed that beneficiaries are now financially worse off than they were after the infamous 1991 benefit cuts, beneficiaries got exactly nothing in the 2008 Budget.
Instead the Minister of Finance targeted his tax cuts principally at the mortgaged middle class, now being squeezed by high interest rates and rising prices.
Labour strategists regard 'the mortgage belt' as the party's core constituency but that constituency has been steadily drifting away to new pastures - namely John Key and the National Party.
Labour assumes - and its a mighty big assumption - that it can more or less rely on keeping the beneficiary vote - but that assumption may well blow up in its face.
Beneficiaries are angry that they have been ignored again - and may take their votes elsewhere. Personally, I think benficiaries would be better off voting Alliance later this year. This is a party that does have pro-worker and pro-beneficiary policies (more on this in future blogs).
Reading various pro-Labour blogs all of them have praised this Budget.
And what of beneficiaries? These insipid Labour bloggers have simply decided not to talk about them.
I’m used to intellectual and poltical dishonesty from diehard Labour supporters, but for these bloggers to ( as one Labour blogger did) describe this Budget as ‘socially responsible’ is about as bad as it gets.
2008 BUDGET: LABOUR IGNORES BENEFICIARIES
yeah Labour have f all for us beneficiaries, but i guess they r scared those middle class voters will go to the nats if they give beneficiaries anymore. Labour have made working more possible ... they have made living in new zealand a lot more bearable than it was under national...but its a question of what can be achieved i guess...a lot of working class voters vote for national these days too so when thier job security is undermined my moneybags J.key maybe thay will finally wake up? the alliance have failed to remain a viable credible voter alternative, sadly , as a result of thier failure to align co operate with the Green..thier logical partners in providing a more humane alternative to the monararist policies of both main parties...if the Alliance cant work with the Greens what hope is there of a future of a more co operative future?
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