Welfare: Spend now save later

WHAT WE'RE DOING: Bill English says the number of solo parents drawing benefits has dropped 40 per cent in the past three years and 1600 people are joining workforce each week.

Govt taking 'investment approach'

The National Government has set aside $400 million to help with irrigation schemes and so far only $7 million has been taken up, Finance Minister Bill English said on a whistle-stop tour of Wairarapa yesterday.

Speaking to an audience of fewer than 45 people in the Frank Cody Lounge, Masterton, Mr English said the Government was there to help schemes "get over the line" as long as they met environmental requirements and farmers signed up to them.

The Government had also spent four years developing a Freshwater Framework which was not like the policy a Labour/Greens coalition would implement - one which would "throttle" farming.

"They hate livestock almost as much as they hate people," Mr English said of the Labour and Green parties.

He said fresh water was not as important in Wairarapa as in his own home province, saying fresh water environmental requirements in Wairarapa were "a bit less than they are in Southland".

Mr English, who not only holds the finance portfolio but is also Deputy Prime Minister, spoke on a range of issues including welfare, law and order and education.

He said government policy on welfare had shifted to an "investment approach" which involving "spending now to save later".

As part of this strategy, all solo mothers under 20 had another adult supervising them who dealt with issues such as cash management.

"They see that such things as rents are paid, the child gets to the doctor, 'dodgy' boyfriends are kept away and the young woman has the chance to get back into education."

The number of solo parents drawing benefits had dropped 40 per cent in the past three years.

"This saves hundreds of millions of dollars in the long run," Mr English said.

He said the Government's investment approach to welfare meant 1600 people each week were leaving welfare to go to work.

He said the Government had steered a realistic course as far as the economy was concerned and had made consistent gains over time.

The average wage had risen by $3000 in the "last two or three years".

"Looking out another four years will see the average wage rise from $55,000 a year to $62,500 if we stick to the track we are on.

"These are sustainable, realistic gains which was the secret to Australia's success up until six or seven years ago.

"They had been doing sensible things year-after-year for 20 years."

The tide had now turned and whereas three years ago 40,000 people a year were leaving to live in Australia, that had now dropped back to the stage that by the end of this year "the figure will be zero".

Other government planks Mr English touched on included more support for people needing cancer treatment, better pay for teachers and continuing to roll out broadband.

The broadband roll-out was important and would mean by 2019 New Zealanders would be "as well connected as Singapore".