DPB Current policy:
The recent policy changes have introduced that on the DPB, mothers will be required to start looking for part time jobs when the child turns 3 and full time jobs once the child turns 6. This would enable the mother to gain financial support for her child without the help of the father of her child. But this policy was highly criticized. The Ministry of social development contested that by working for 20 hours the mother could go off the benefit. Now, assuming that they were going for a job at the current minimum wage, what the MSD is effectively saying is that you can raise a child on $260 a week. The base rate for the DBP isn’t much better at $288.47 per week so for performing the full time job of a mother you will get paid only slightly over what you would get paid for part time work. This analysis has been taken into account without taking into account the increasing cost of childcare. In an age when you struggle to make ends meet with a $200 student allowance, then it is not hard to imagine how hard it would be for the mother to give her child the basic necessities like education, clothing and food with just an extra $60 per week.
Background DPB policy:
The domestic Purposes Benefit (DPB) was formed by Social Security Amendment Act in 1973. Before the introduction of DPB, women were entirely financially dependent on a partner for raising their children. If in any case, such as that of abusive relationships, women would want to leave their husband, she was forced to leave their children as well. The DPB was originally set at a level which enabled solo mothers to take care of their children without being dragged into the work-force. However it is not the same any more.
The recent policy changes have introduced that on the DPB, mothers will be required to start looking for part time jobs when the child turns 3 and full time jobs once the child turns 6. This would enable the mother to gain the financial support for her child without the help of the father of her child. But this policy was highly criticized. The Ministry of social development contested that working for 20 hours the mother could go off the benefit. Now assuming they were going into a job at the current minimum wage, what the MSD is effectively saying is that you can raise a child on $260 a week. The base rate for the DBP isn’t much better at $288.47 per week so for performing the full time job of a mother you will get paid only slightly over what you would get paid for part time work. This analysis has been taken into account without taking into account the increasing cost of childcare. In an age when you struggle to make ends meet with a $200 student allowance, then it is not hard
Political actor Biography and the past activities:
Catherine Delahunt
The Destitute Person act 1910 and Domestic proceedings act 1968 created the statutory means by which a woman could seek maintenance order against the father for her child. Under this statue, the father was to pat maintenance till the child was of sixteen years of age and/or over the age of 16 if the child was enrolled in full time education programme. But under these statues, the women face many problems. The problems being resorting to the court to enforce the maintenance agreement or for an unmarried mother to obtain an acknowledgement of paternity from the father or a declaration of paternity from the court in order to be entitled to seek maintenance. To combat the hindrances of the two statutes, DPB was introduced in 1973. The DPB allowed financial to single mothers, irrespective of whether the father was contributing to the maintenance payment or not.
Catherine Delahunt a major Political figure supports the DPB but opposes the recent policy changes. She is against the recent changes in the DPB because it forces the mother to work a lot many hours with a minimum wage.
Time period selected for analysis:
Recent policy changes have introduced that on the DPB, mothers will be required to start looking for part time jobs when the child turns 3 and full time jobs once the child turns 6. This would enable the mother to gain the financial support for her child without the help of the father of her child. But this policy was highly criticised. The Ministry of social development contested that working for 20 hours the mother could go off the benefit. Now assuming they were going into a job at the current minimum wage, what the MSD is effectively saying is that you can raise a child on $260 a week. The base rate for the DBP isn’t much better at $288.47 per week so for performing the full time job of a mother you will get paid only slightly over what you would get paid for part time work. This analysis has been taken into account without taking into account the increasing cost of childcare. In an age when you struggle to make ends meet with a $200 student allowance, then it’s not hard to imagine how hard it would be for the mother to give her child the basic necessities like education, clothing and food with just an extra $60 per week.
Analysis of Communication channel radio ZB online from the time period been selected:
Catherine Delahunt gave the following examples in the interview conducted by a major TV channel:
“John Key said last week that people on the benefit make a lifestyle choice, and would be fine if they just budgeted properly. I put this to the test, and I challenge the Prime Minister to show how proper budgeting could make life any easier for the people in these two examples,
“The first example is a solo mother living in Porirua with two children aged five and one. With the Domestic Purposes Benefit, Accommodation Supplement, and Family Tax Credit, her weekly income is $495. Using conservative estimates, her weekly food, rent, and power costs are around $380, leaving her just $115 to cover all her other expenses like phone, bus or train fares, school fees, doctor’s visits, and clothing.
“The second example is of a single 18-year-old man living in Auckland on the Unemployment Benefit. With the benefit and Accommodation Supplement his weekly income is just under $200. Using the same conservative estimates, his weekly food, rent, and power costs would be around $175, leaving him just $25 of discretionary income each week. This would be eaten up in a few days on transport costs required to fulfil his jobseeker requirements.”
Catherine Delahunt questioned Hon’ble Puala Bennett, the Minister For social development and Employment, on the grounds that if she does consider bringing up babies to be meaningful, productive work then why is she considering making young mothers on the domestic purposes benefit seek paid employment when their youngest child turns one?
Application of Political communication theory:
Another major question that Ms. Delahunt raised was that if the mother is forced to work inflexible hours how will she take care or breastfeed her child? To this the Minister replied that as I said, there are a number of recommendations that the government is currently looking at.
The government is forcing the mothers to work at a minimum wage and with inflexible hours which will in no way benefit the mother while Ms Delahunt fights for the right of the single mothers who are already suffering from financial problems to bring up their children.
Recommendations to the political actor:
Catherine Delahunt has been pretty effective in defending the true essence of the original Domestic Purposes Benefit policy, which was to help the single parents. She uses media pretty effectively by giving examples of real life situations and by presenting questions in front of the opposition party using effectively put hypothetical situations. We recommend her to add more real life experience to present the circumstances with a strong footing. Surely, the awareness created by different forms of Media has helped a lot and might even one day lead to change the current trend that is being followed.
Role of media as a political actor:
Media is not just one branch. It has several classifications such as advertising and entertainment media. But news media is entirely different and plays an important role in politics. If we talk of Infotainment programs such as talk shows about politicians, it is considered to be a form of entertainment media amalgamated with news. The basic political function of news media is to keep a regular watch on actions of politicians and to put across all problems, local, national and international on the public notification. Reports on concerned individuals and firms as opposed to government actions are the major part of it. News media focuses news reports differently with separate opinions, columns and editorials. It is very important to politicians to gain access to news media in order to seek public attention and support and votes.
A brief discussion comparing the media’s response towards the Green and National Parties
While since its inception, the Green parties have subtly worked in the public interest to work for social justice and environmentalism. These official political rationales have believed in promoting grass root democracy and environmentalism, in a very distinct and ingenious manner. However in comparison to this, the National Political parties, has remained much in the limelight and prime focus through its vigorous and hardcore decisions that ingeniously favour in the best of public interest. These National Parties that tend to run the nations primly grab all the media coverage through its party Manifestos, campaigns and promotions that assure people of their rights and fundamentals.
References:
Frog (2008). More on the domestic purposes benefit. 25 February 2008. Retrieved from http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/02/25/more-on-the-domestic-purposes-benefit/
Why not send the children out work instead? (2008) 11 August 2008. Retrieved from http://blog.greens.org.nz/2008/08/11/why-not-send-the-children-out-work-instead/
Submit on the social assistance (future focus) bill (2010). 13 April 2010. Retrieved from http://blog.greens.org.nz/2010/04/13/submit-on-the-social-assistance-future-focus-bill/
Party G. (2011). Life on a benefit about to get more impossible. 21 February 2011. Retrieved from http://www.infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?l=1&t=0&id=63839
Defending the domestic purposes benefit (2012). 25 October 2012. Retrieved from http://workersparty.org.nz/2012/04/06/defending-the-domestic-purposes-benefit/
