I asked her if she thought we should ever change a flag or confirm our current flag. Or if so, should the process be by referendum? If so, how much is about right to spend?
I asked her if she thought poverty could be eradicated by spending money, or would there always be poverty because of the decisions made by the people given the money to spend?
I asked if she believed that a government spending money on non-essentials is like telling a person short of money that they can't ever have any disposable income to buy something unnecessary (a trip to the movies, an icecream, a beer, a holiday, etc) because they must spend it only on essentials.
I think we do far more than many countries for our poorest people, given our income.
I have been on low incomes at various stages of my life and traded my way out by being careful and saving while always donating to the poor and giving of my time and money to charities.
I would rather be poor in this country than any other. And I reckon that both rich people and poor people spend their money imprudently - it's just that rich people have more money to waste.
What makes me laugh is that of the 50 or so people sending this email to me, only one or two have bothered to add any comments of their own. This shows they are either too lazy to write their own one-line email or they don't care enough.
I have also found that it gets an immediate response when I point this out to them.
We know that benefits and other welfare, such as Working for Families, accommodation grants, income-based rents in state houses, emergency benefits and such, are all about making low incomes go further. The prime reason is to feed, clothe and keep little kids, who don't have any choices.
We need to acknowledge that not all kids benefit from a comprehensive welfare system. Every school, regardless of decile, can have free breakfasts in schools and all principals have the ability to provide lunches for kids who need it by taking money from their operational grant on a case-by-case basis.
They move money in and out of this fund to make ends meet, but also to further the interests of the school by, for example, running buses into other school's areas to "poach" students to beef up their rolls.
I accept that welfare payments are not generous. They cover costs, though only marginally, but it requires a level of active frugality which many people do not have.
Most young adults in receipt of these payments wouldn't be bothered growing veges and fruit, killing their own meat, baking from raw ingredients and economising on every purchase. It is just too hard.
Kids should not suffer for these decisions made by parents and I believe that education is the key to almost every social ill - yet kids don't learn on an empty stomach in New Zealand.
We batted ideas back and forth for an hour or so, and reflected that it's not a bad little country when an MP can converse so easily with constituents on an Easter Monday. I appreciate it - thanks.
