Election 2023: National wants harsher penalties for Jobseeker beneficiaries, announces traffic light system

The National Party wants harsher penalties for those on benefits who don’t meet their obligations to look for work.

Party leader Christopher Luxon and social development spokeswoman Louise Upston made the announcement in Auckland today while visiting a strawberry farm in Kumeu on Tuesday morning.

National’s plan includes a traffic light system:

Green - No change to benefit for those who prepare for and look for work

Orange - First or second breach of obligations would require more regular check-ins and/or attendance at job workshops

Red - A third breach would see sanctions including benefit cuts or suspension, money management and mandatory community work experience.

Jobseekers would also be required to reapply for benefits every six months, show documents to prove they’re applying for jobs and attending job interviews, and have a one-month benefit stand-down for those evading arrest warrants.

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25 September, 10:13 pm

Kia ora, everyone! If you're just joining us now, here is a recap of what you might have missed from our election coverage so far today:

• The Herald's Poll of polls gives Labour a 0.2% chance of being in government, the worst result for a main governing party since the Great Depression
• Grant Robertson and Nicola Willis faced off in a finance debate this morning
• Chris Hipkins says he recognises people want to change but asks one question: "a change to what?"
• National announced its plan for Jobseeker beneficiaries
• Labour has pledged a $1 billion boost to Pharmac medicines
• The Green Party want to double the Best Start payment and make it available for every child under three years of age.
• Winston Peters is confident of striking a deal with National and Act should he be in a position to help form the next government
  
• Act’s David Seymour's flying start in the west was dampened by bad weather and empty shops
  

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26 September, 07:50 am

Swarbrick is the final speaker. 

"I will begin by letting you in on a little secret, if you leave politics to the politicians, we will get what we have always got."

Swarbrick says she thinks the bar for politics is far too low, and Kiwis accepting the "politics we think we deserve".

"Watching the debate the other night, I felt incredibly uninspired, but that does represent our future, we can decide to have government to takes meaningful action on climate change and seriously addresses inequality."

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26 September, 07:47 am

Act's Poole claims young people are not thinking about who to vote for at the moment, they are thinking about moving overseas. In a point unrelated to his others tonight, Poole uses his final minute to discuss the 'giant' pay difference between Aussies and Kiwis.

"In many ways, crime, poverty, it comes from a question of productivity."

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26 September, 07:43 am

Labour's Sims began his final words by saying "this is too important for you to stay home". 

"We can't afford a government who will throw renters to the dogs," Sims said. 

Once again, he received the most hecklers by far, at one point his precious minute was cut off by the crowd's noise.

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26 September, 07:41 am

Candidates are now allowed to give their final statements, with National’s Muralidhar first up to bat. 

"This election you have the power to shift power back to people and communities," he said, "Shift and trust decentralisation rather than centralisation."

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26 September, 07:40 am

"If you want to position yourself as someone who is not race-baiting, then you have to be very clear about those who are overt racists come out of the woodwork and say they stand with you, you have to say that they do not stand with you", Swarbrick said.

The moderator did not let the Act candidate reply to these claims.

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26 September, 07:38 am

One of the moderators, Damien Grant, asked Swarbrick about her claims a few days ago when she accused Act of "race-baiting" and asked if she had "finally come up with any examples". 

She did bring attention to Simon Court saying Three Waters reform would lead to iwi "searching for taniwhas" and Chris Baily revoking te reo Māori "in quite a nefarious manner". 

The moderator asked if she believed these accusations were "dangerous" and "if she was really sure" to which, she replied "well I think we just have to look at the sort of people who have aligned themselves with the party", 

This was met with biggest reaction from the crowd thus far, a mixture of cheers, boos and groans loudly echo within the venue.

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26 September, 07:30 am

When asked about the cost of living Sims points to his party's decision to appoint the first-ever Grocery Gommissioner who has legal powers. 

"We have had duopoly in the country for decades," Sims said.

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26 September, 07:29 am

Sims' turn, he said they have built the most amount of public housing than any other government. He also said it is really concerning for people like him who rent that National wants to bring in no-cause evictions, considering the electorate has such a high percentage of renters. This is met with many heckles from the crowd, with one woman growing considerably irate.

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26 September, 07:25 am

Swarbrick asks Muralidhar if he accepts that with the current state of the tax system, people are incentivised to invest money into land speculation. Back and forth ensues, with Muralidhar repeating that we need to "keep building houses" while Swarbrick grows continually frustrated about him not understanding the question. "Speculation is a lot different to building my friend."

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26 September, 07:23 am

Muralidhar deflects questions regarding National's hunt for $20 million to meet their plans for tax cuts, saying not every economist disagrees with their plan, but claims every economist disagrees with the fiscal plan regarding the tax off fruit and veg.

"What we are going to do is make a strategic shift of power away from the government and onto consumers," he said.

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STORY CONTINUES

National has previously pledged to peg benefit levels to inflation.

They are currently pegged to either inflation or wage growth, whichever is higher.

Chris Luxon and Louise Upston in Kumeu. Photo / Michael Craig

“For those who are able to work, employment is the best way out of hardship. It provides individuals and families with greater independence, choice and opportunity, and is also better for taxpayers,” Upston said.

Speaking to media in Kumeu, following the announcement, Luxon and Upston said this is about getting people back into the workforce.

“We’re not talking of those unable to work, but those who can work,” Luxon said.

Upston said this is not a sanction for those who cannot work, but a way to help them into work.

“If there are three or more breaches, that will be a red light and sanctions will step up.

“Most people comply, but when they don’t, they will know that actions will apply,” she added.

“We will require beneficiaries to apply for the jobseeker benefit every six months rather than 12.”

Luxon said it’s about helping those into work, not trapping them in welfare dependency.

“The vast majority of those on Jobseeker benefits are meeting obligations, but there are some who don’t,” he said.

He said “you have an obligation to those taxpayers who are helping fund those benefits.”

Luxon said around 85 per cent of those on an unemployment benefit are complying with those rules.

‘You’ll not get a job if you turn up in your pyjamas’ - Upston

Upston said her preference said her preference is always to have people in work.

She said one of the biggest frustrations she hears is that job seekers don’t turn up for training or work.

“You’ll not get a job if you turn up in your pyjamas and that’s what I heard from an employer last week,” said Upston.

Luxon said there have been more than 60,000 people into a job seeker benefit with low unemployment and job shortages.

“Your fellow taxpayers are paying for you to be on a job seeker benefit while you look for work,” he said.

He said there are a series of cascading responsibilities to try and get people back into work rather than welfare dependency.

“You are deemed capable of working” Luxon said. “Your job is to get a job.”

Luxon said it had reached the point where “more serious interventions were needed” to get people into work.

Luxon said they are not up for people who are serial job seekers.

“We believe that work is a fundamental way to solve poverty.”

“At a time where there are record job shortages, god help us if we can’t get people off welfare into work,” he said.