KEY POINTS:
It's a pity National leader John Key did not reach out directly to domestic purposes beneficiaries to persuade them why it was in their best interests to seek work once their youngest reaches six.
The audience mustered at an RSA venue on Monday for Key's policy announcement was stereotypical National Party: prosperous party burghers, local worthies, welfare industry players, all brought together by Key's rather flinty-eyed social welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins.
No wonder the immediate reaction on talkback stations was to unleash another round of beneficiary bashing by the usual rednecks _ some of whom, at least, must have contributed to the social malaise that has resulted in nearly one-third of New Zealand families being brought up in single parent families by not bringing up directly children they have fathered.
Imagine the response if Key had announced that National planned a raft of scholarships particularly tailored to bright young women who currently find themselves immersed in a welfare trap in the same way young Maori are helped.
Or adequate after-school childcare and allowances that recognise single parents are frequently dog-tired and run-down trying to be all things to their children, without receiving enough social help in our disaggregated family structures to reduce the burden.
Or subsidised holiday camps for the children of single parents as well as other working parents, so that they can take on more rewarding full-time work rather than be condemned to part-time jobs that are more likely to be at minimal wage levels.
The situation is not going to improve. Demographer Bernard Salt points out there is a 10 per cent excess of women to men in the prime child-bearing years. Not all young New Zealand women will get a permanent partner. But neither should they allow themselves to be condemned to a child-less future. Opting to "go it alone" before their peak fertility period expires will in fact help New Zealand in the long term, given the major workforce problems this country will face in coming years.
This is not an argument for a "state incubator", although Socialists could probably spruik a compelling advertising campaign for just such an Orwellian prospect.
But it is an argument that recognises that sole parenthood is here to stay and that more focus needs to be put on finding ways for young women, in particular, to fulfil their parenting instincts at the same time as they prepare themselves to play vital roles in the workforce.
If Key had followed his own nose, rather than allowing himself to be played into Collins' more party-aligned agenda, he could have produced a truly compelling and inspirational message. By talking to domestic purposes beneficiaries directly _ in the way former US President Bill Clinton reached across divides to sell his message "you've got to get a job" _ Key's parallels with his own life would have carried more authenticity.
The Key brand is well understood: a politician who was brought up in a State-house by a widowed mother who eked out her benefit through part-time work, thus teaching her son the skills of self-reliance which enabled him to move on to a stellar career in the financial world.
On Monday he "unashamedly" focused on the term "welfare" saying he believed in the welfare state and had a personal commitment to it.
"By having our most basic needs covered as a family (through the widows benefit) we were able to hold on to that most precious human emotion _ hope."
Key relates he can't remember a time when his mother didn't work, at least part-time, although he cannot put a date to when she moved back into full-time work. Welfare analysts have been quick to point out that Mrs Key's situation is not analogous with today's DPB beneficiaries. She was a member of the "deserving poor". Her widow's benefit _ at 65 per cent of the then average wage _ was not abated when she took on extra work as a night porter.
Key has not rebutted the criticisms (he has swiftly moved on to other policy launches) yet he could easily do so. His mother's lesson was surely to seek work for self-pride as much as the money, and that working was an essential element to life.
The parallels Key should be making are with himself. The joy he felt from helping his mother out with a paper run, admiring her determination to put bread on the table and ensure he got a good education, will resonate with children of beneficiaries. Children can be extraordinarily persuasive when it comes to reinforcing the determination of parents to get out of welfare traps.
He has a real opportunity to dig deep into those personal experiences and share them to inspire others. It's not just about hope _ but daring.
