Letter to the Editor - Thursday July 26, 2012

Name and blame

The paper was open on the staffroom table. I scanned the page and my eye was caught by the headline 'If you can work you should work': Sabin.

Well that is fairly self-explanatory. I don't think too many people would question that statement. However it pre-supposes that there is work out there for the many unemployed in the Far North.

The fact is that there is very little work anywhere, and I would respectfully suggest to Mr Sabin that his job as the elected MP is to speak for us - not dump on a particularly vulnerable group in our society, the teenage mum.

The quote accompanying Mr Sabin's photo read as follows - 'The sad reality is that many 15-year-old girls now see having a child and taxpayer-funded benefit as a legitimate career option.' I was totally incensed after reading this quote, and more of the same in the accompanying article.

Many 15 year-old girls ... really? I wonder how many 15-year-old girls Mr Sabin actually knows. I know a lot, and none of them fit this stereotype, or anywhere near it.

The fact of the matter is we need to be celebrating our children's successes.

Life in the Far North, for many, is anything but easy. Unemployment, social problems and a plethora of other issues face many of our young people and their families as they grow through the teenage years.

Sure some slip through the cracks, and yes, we have a high rate of teenage pregnancies. The name and blame attitude doesn't serve any useful purpose except to further stigmatise a very vulnerable group of young people.

I would like to think as a society that we support and help those teenagers that are treading that path, as they are surely going to need it.

There is a certain amount of 'There but for the grace of God go I' with issues such as this. How would you like your daughter referred to in this way, should she find herself a teen mum?

Personally I am very happy my daughter charted those difficult years and has come out the other side. She is in her first year at university. The future looks bright for her.

However she has friends who are teenage mums. Those friends are no less worthy of respect than any of us and our families.

Perhaps Mr Sabin was perfect when he was 15. I wasn't, and I don't know anyone who was.

We all do the best we can, and often don't realise our errors of judgement until time has lent another perspective.

Considering the abysmal state of our economy - dramatically worsened by the actions of Mr Sabin's party and our current Prime Minister (tax cuts for the well-off that we are all paying for) and forthcoming asset sales (no mandate there buddy) - I think Mr Sabin would be far better off doing what we, the taxpayer, pay him to do.

Yes Mr Sabin, you were voted in to represent us - all of us - and to do the best job as an MP for all of us in the Far North. Your job is to put in place policies that will grow our economy, and produce more jobs. But that is not happening, in fact the opposite is.

If that negative and judgmental attitude displayed in the recent article displays your mind-set then I am very glad that I did not vote for you. Oh, and please tell Mr Key that our country is not for sale. I think someone forgot to tell him.

MARGIE DONALD

Teacher and Solo Parent Ahipara