“If you want to change something by Tuesday, theatre is no good. Journalism is what does that. But, if you want to just alter the chemistry of the moral matrix, then theatre has a longer half-life.” – Tom Stoppard
I love plays. Watching or reading them, I am a fan. Sadly, like most, I’m not able to get to the theatre as much as I’d like; too costly. So I read what I can instead. Being all…
Work and Income has deleted information from its website saying sole parents could be regarded as being in a relationship if they spend a few nights a week at each others' homes. The head researcher of a report on the plight of single parents has accused the Ministry of Social Development of attempting to whitewash practices that have traumatised beneficiaries.
However, the ministry said it deleted the line because it was inconsistent with other guidance on its policies and practices.
Tania Domett of Gender Project - who authored the Mako Mama-Mangopare report - said it was strange for the ministry to quietly delete the information after denying it was the case."It's quite bizarre, I think, as a government agency, their response [should be] to take our feedback on the chin and to respond to it with integrity," Domett said.
The report, which canvassed more than 3500 single parents, found more than half of single mothers said they avoided dating or entering a relationship because of their benefit.
"Single parents are terrified of even having somebody over because it may be construed as them beginning a relationship. Because if WINZ hear about this [they] will immediately cut their benefit," Domett said on Morning Report on Tuesday.
Before: The list of WINZ relationship criteria that might mean people could not receive single parent support, job seeker support or sickness and disability support. After: The list of WINZ relationship criteria that might mean people could not receive single parent support, job seeker support or sickness and disability support - as it is now.
Ministry of Social Development general manager of client service delivery Graham Allpress said Domett was incorrect to say that someone's benefit would be cut if they had someone to stay the night. In an email to RNZ, Allpress cited nine factors taken from the Work and Income website under the banner "Are you in a relationship?". Prior to Allpress's comments the page also included a tenth point "you live separately but stay overnight at each other's place a few nights a week", which was subsequently removed.
When the ministry was approached for comment about the change, Allpress said the amendment was made after Gender Project alerted it to a webpage that was inconsistent with other guidance on "policies and practices". "This particular online services webpage is not an authoritative guide to our policies and practices and is not used by our staff," Allpress said.
Domett said the ministry's attempt to backtrack on their own statements was indicative of the struggles single parents had navigating the system. "One of the key findings of our report was that information was constantly kept from single parents, they're not given the full picture of what they're entitled to. Even now they're trying to cover their backs when there has been some comments made about how this is discriminatory," Domett said.
Nearly two-thirds of low income mothers in the report said they had been treated unfairly or discriminated against because they were raising their children on their own. Work and Income was singled out by a third of those people as where this was most likely to happen. Almost a third of respondents also felt they were not receiving benefits they were entitled to and many said advice was unclear and often contradictory.
Domett said the report's authors made 82 recommendations for change. It called for training and ongoing support for policy makers, front-line staff and government officials to reframe the state's responsibilities to single parents towards protection not investigation. "Regardless of what MSD's official policy actually is, our research with 3500+ single parents provides evidence that the way the relationship status policy is being interpreted and applied by WINZ staff 'in the field' means that many single parents are indeed having their benefits stopped if staff learn that someone is staying overnight a few nights a week," Domett said.
Congratulations to Lizzie Snow of @fortyonehundred on her spectacular and beautiful solo exhibition on now at @allpressstudio 8 Drake St, Auckland until February 9. If you don’t know Lizzie’s work, it’s mostly monochromatic and inspired by mandalas and fractal patterns in nature. The mandala can be understood externally as a representation of the universe, and internally as a guide for self reflection 🖤👏 #lizziesnow #fortyonehundred #mandala #art (at Allpress Studio Auckland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzteocPApZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
WE INTRODUCE TO YOU OUR CONCEPT COFFEE SHOP “KAFENEO BY THE BUSINESS FASHION” OPEN MONDAY TO FRIDAY. WE OFFER A CONSIDERED COLLECTION OF LUXURY FOOD AND DRINKS, FROM MARIAGE FRÈRES A GOURMET FRENCH TEA COMPANY TO HAND MADE GELATO, AND MUCH MORE. WE OFFER A HOUSE BLEND OF ALLPRESS ESPRESSO COFFEE, MADE WITH SPECIALITY GRADE ARABICA BEANS FROM BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, GUATEMALA AND SUMATRA.
Drinks pictured: Flat white ($5) and hot chocolate ($6).
Went to Salta Espresso in Ponsonby once 5 years ago, and went back again recently. They use Allpress Espresso beans, and have plenty of seats indoors (downstairs and upstairs) and some outside as well for you to enjoy the sun!
CORRUPTION // On our March theme of CORRUPTION, artist, performer and choreographer Holly Durant will be discussing her body and body of work as a performance artist, and ways in which she's employed disruption and corruption of the body as a method of making and conceptual framework. An idea artist Yayoi Kusama describes as ‘evolution by obliteration’. Holly will be sharing some of her current PhD research on energetic materials and connections created by performing spaces and bodies and how they can create new worlds for future bodies.
As an artist and feminist, Holly aims to transform pejorative and oppressive limitations into generative actions. While corruption is often viewed solely as a negative force, Holly sees it as an opportunity to create positive change by growing something new from the cracks it creates. In her work, she challenges the traditional notion of beauty and strives to alter how bodies are perceived. By corrupting the established aesthetics and inherent links between appearance and attributes, she hopes to create a soft, embodied, and community-focused experience of looking and being looked at that empowers individuals to define themselves by their actions and relationships rather than by societal norms and stereotypes.
Thanks to our generous local sponsors BrightStar and Shayna Burns for supporting our speakers with presentation and SEO coaching, Shadowhouse for the video producyion, Offline Supply Co for the sweet notebooks, Allpress Espresso for keeping us caffeinated, The Commons for hosting us, and Mark Lobo Photography for continuing to support our events every month.