Knowing labour to be anti workingclass bastards I'm fairly certain there's something to protest about here, but have you got any more details filling in the claims of your 5 bullet points?

Don Franks

I totally agree with your Protest Action. Labour is on repair mode as a result of unwanted publicity from the following:

• Increasing Underclass in lower social economic areas
• Denial over election spending wrong-doing.
• The furore over a waterfront stadium.
• The tragedies and corruption associated with the Corrections Department.
• Burton's freedom spree and Liam's fate
• The blow to the public's confidence in the police.
• Fears over the management of health in Auckland.
• NCEA
• The anti-smacking bill.

Labour's goods as announced include:

• A fourth week of annual leave.
• Increase in the minimum wage.
• Boost of $10 a week per child under family tax credits.
• A 9.8 per cent increase in the minimum wage, from $10.25 to $11.25 an hour.
• Boost to NZ Super of $20 a week for a couple ($10 each a week) or $13 a week for singles.

Your claim is right on the head. The goodies and more will come as sweeteners have totally excluded those with special needs, sickness and beneficiaries, low income families, disabled persons, the unemployed, and the single bloke.

This underclass is a target group for political opportunities, highlighting the issues for the government to score points from. This group has also been proliferated to promote such social policies as building more prisons, and the so-called 'anti smacking bill'. It is a strategic investment to sustain this group for political expediency.

The easy targets become easy targets because it is a minority sector without power, and at the bottom of the heap. All those who keep on receiving goodies are in large numbers among the middle class, implying a trading partnership with their votes.

It is a violation of human rights, democratic rights, and political rights to be taken advantaged of because of a disability, sickness or illness, and or fewer in numbers. These folks are easily ignored because not too many people experience their reality. It takes more than guts to voice the realty of the voicless.

I'd say good on you for the initiative and Good Luck!

Location = 111 Wakefield Street
www.wellingtonconventioncentre.com/about-us/location/index.html

More details to follow later today Don.

Don,
this protest is mostly focused against Labour's Social Security Amendment Bill, the biggest attack on beneficiaries and low income workers in more than ten years. The Conference is Labour attempting to use academics and social policy people to justify their neo-liberal anti-welfare policies.

* Low income parents -> child carers and young parents will be no longer exempt from work testing.

* All pre-benefit activities are to be made compulsory and case managers can add whatever they like in addition to the seminars. In Rotorua WINZ case managers already force Maori applicants into a number of dodgy pre-benefit activities.

* Special Needs -> many parts of the Bill discriminate against people with special needs, including Clause 24, which forces people to make written applications for benefits, which are limited to 20 days. The blind and new immigrants are especially discriminated against by this.

* Clause 14 of the bill is essentially Work for the Dole, under another name.

* Job Seeker Agreements are to be extended to a greater number of beneficiaries, the contents will be up to the discretion of the case manager, regardless of their legality.

* There is to be no backdating of benefits, even if WINZ are proven to be at fault (ie not paying out a correct entitlement).

* Work-testing is to be done seven days a week.

* The onus is on the applicant to know which benefit, and or supplement, to apply for, without any assistance from MSD.

Darren.