Today is the start of a new initiative by the Young Nats to get better service from the Government for students.

The Young Nats have launched a campaign seeking feedback from students on problems they have had with StudyLink.

“We have set up a website for students to tell us about their experiences with StudyLink and how they might improve it. We will be compiling this feedback and presenting it to Tertiary Education Minister, Steven Joyce” says Young Nats President, Sean Topham.

Problems with StudyLink have been extensively talked about by students, and now’s the time to act. The Young Nats are aiming to collate and clarify these concerns in order to lobby for decent solutions.

“Whether it’s the speed, user friendliness, or woes with the application process, this is a chance for students to have a vent, share their views and be listened to” says Topham.

“This is a grassroots opportunity for students to express their concerns about StudyLink, and for those concerns to be acted on.”

So head to the site and make your submission, and we’ll make sure your voice is heard by those in the halls of power.

The Young Nats welcome Parliament’s historic vote to support marriage equality tonight.

“Because Parliament voted with the values of freedom and choice in mind, marriage is now equal in our time” says Young Nats President Sean Topham.

“A generation of New Zealanders will grow up knowing that the law will not cast judgment on their rights simply because of who they love”

From the day this Bill was drawn, the Young Nats have lobbied National MPs to support the cause.

“We are thrilled that so many National MPs voted to write this freedom into the statute books tonight. It wouldn’t have been possible without Shaun Wallis, the Young Nats Vice President, who led our campaign for change through the halls of Parliament, and our thanks to the many Young Nats who got on board”

“Tonight is a significant milestone for the LGBT community both here and around the world as New Zealand becomes one of the few countries to recognise marriage equality. We are proud to celebrate this historic moment” says Topham.

PRESS RELEASE: Young Nats call on National MPs to vote for marriage equality

The Young Nats are calling on the National Party caucus to embrace our Party principles of freedom and choice and vote for marriage equality in the final vote on the Bill.

“We are calling on every National MP to stand on the right side of freedom and support marriage equality” says Young Nats President Sean Topham.

“Our generation overwhelmingly supports marriage equality and has been at the forefront of the campaign to see change. The Young Nats have been lobbying National MPs all over the country from day one and it comes down to the final vote tonight”

“Many of our MPs they have been contacted by thousands of people from all walks of life, but I urge them to consider our values, look to the future and listen to the voices of our generation when they vote”

Today, Parliament will debate a bill that’s part of the National-led government’s plan to reform the welfare system in New Zealand.

These reforms are intended both to help people out of long-term welfare dependency, and save taxpayers’ money. A win-win.

Drug-free and Ready to Work

It’s important to make the welfare system work-focussed, which is why these reforms will require jobseekers to be drug-free for work.

• 40% of the jobs that beneficiaries are referred to by WINZ require the applicant to be drug-free.
• Yet jobseekers can opt to not apply for these jobs (because they might fail the test) and receive no sanction.
• 1 in 5 unemployment beneficiaries use recreational drugs at least once a week – this is a major barrier to employment for those people.

We agree with Paula Bennett when she said, “Recreational drug use is simply not an acceptable excuse for avoiding available work.”

A Better Start for Kids

The bill will also introduce “Social obligations”, which create incentives and give Work & Income case managers the right tools to help ensure that all children in homes that recieve a benefit will:

• Attend 15 hours per week of Early Childhood Education from age 3
• Attend primary school from age 5 or 6
• Enrol with a GP or other health provider
• Complete WellChild check-ups as they’re growing up.

Healthy and educated children get the best start in life. Currently, children whose parents are on benefits are much less likely to attend Early Childhood Education or receive the same level of medical attention early in life.

Kids in being kindy or pre-school also means more time for parents to look for or take up part time work.  All of this helps break the chain of benefit dependence.

Benefit Fraud and Helping the Police

People receiving benefits who have an outstanding warrant for their arrest will be able to have their benefit cut or reduced under the new rules.

• This will save money by reducing wasted court time – as more warrants are resolved sooner.
• It sends a strong message that the government will not fund those who do not comply with the law.

National is also clamping down on benefit fraud. It is totally unfair to kiwi taxpayers to have a small number of people taking more than their fair share from the social security system by fraud. We are pleased that the government is being proactive in this area.

Our View

The Young Nats fully support Paula Bennett and the welfare reforms this government is putting in place. We need them so that New Zealand has a welfare system that works, is fair, and doesn’t trap people and families in a lifetime of dependence on the state.

As John Key said, “Our current welfare system is making too many people vulnerable”; these changes will go some of the way to changing that.

National has provided for an increase in the minimum wage every year since it took office. The Young Nats believe that this government’s increases strike the right balance between protecting low-paid workers’ take-home pay against inflation, and ensuring that job growth isn’t stifled as the economic recovery gains steam.

We support this government’s ambitious plan to make New Zealand a friendlier country for entrepreneurship and investment, so that more jobs will be created here, for New Zealanders.

Click here to view the embedded video.

John Key visited students and the Young Nats at the University of Canterbury for their Clubs Day during O’Week.
Click here to check out more of the photos.