Life isn’t easy and it isn’t fair. We should strive for fairness and can hope for easy but shouldn’t be too disappointed if it ain’t always perfect for everyone.

Yeah, stuff the victims aye Pete.

It is very easy to sit at a computer and type sweeping reforms of welfare and suggesting that all crims be arrested and locked away. In the real world, with real people facing real circumstances that are often bloody difficult, things can be quite different, especially when trying to comply with blanket laws and regulations.

This may be a step in the right direction but I would have thought a time limit on benefits would be more effective.<<<

It is simply idiotic to have a time limit of benefits irrespective becuase if you have no money are you going to starve? No of course not you will take up crime to survive. Measures to ensure the beneficiarys are not wanking well and good.

The Nats have been saying this for many years and have done little. For Key and Bennett, we need action not mere words.

For too long we have treated drug dependency as a criminal issue. If we were to treat it as a medical and societal issue, we might make some progress.”

toad – it’s your lot that has tried to tell our youth that using cannabis and other drugs is a perfectly normal and safe form of recreation. Patently, it’s not. Decriminalisation of cannabis and other drugs will be but the thin end of the wedge. As others have noted, it’s high time that those who CHOOSE to use drugs face up to the consequences of their actions.

If the bludgers could easily be identified and, say, half the beneficiaries were suddenly dropped off the gravy train, where are all the jobs suddenly going to come from? There are already many people genuinely wanting work unable to get it.

And, who is going to want to employ some of these people? There are quite a few that may be physically capable of work, but that doesn’t mean they are employable. Are there any employers here who would be happy to offer the Harris’ of this world a job for the good of the country?

I know they have made noises about it but given that the co leader of the apartheid party has said that she will not hear of the DPB being touched I doubt that the Nat’s have the balls to tell her to piss off.

Still, it is a start, one can only hope that the Nat’s do not back track once the usual low life (Bradford and co) start bleating.

This is just wrong on so many levels.

big bruv said: You are not reading the mood of the nation Toad

I don’t give a shit about the mood of the nation, bruv. What I do care about is the evidence. And the evidence strongly suggests that punitive measures against people with drug dependency problems does not solve their problems, and often worsens it.
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I recall Le Kuan Yew used to throw addicts in prison and make them go through cold turkey. The experience was so bad they stayed of the drugs. ?

Try to do some research before posting comments like that.

You are the one who started making stuff up. Besides, the EFA did apply to blogs originally and the Green’s were supporting it then as well.

More likely they will burgle your house or business Bevan. You don’t seem to get it – people don’t enjoy starving, and will do anything to avoid it.

Perhaps instead of using “punishment/stick” on Bevan as suggested by Toad, he should figure a nice big carrot of a bonus for Bevan, first. After all Bevan ,and I believe many others have put it out there personally to help others, but Toad just wants to give them the stick, via taxes. Where is your lovely big bonus carrot for them Toad?

More likely they will burgle your house or business Bevan. You don’t seem to get it

Well given the chap in question hasn’t worked for decades and he owns a few properties and has a new car and a swimming pool – he’s probably already doing that as well. So – what’s the deal toad – is this what you call fighting for the little guy ?

(that being the little guy that’s earns more than average wage, has a new car and a swimming pool)