Press Release 19/10/2016

$2.5 Billion on Prisons!

On the news last night it was announced that the Government is going to spend an additional one billion dollars to facilitate the growing number of inmates in our prisons. On top of this, it would take between one and one and a half billion dollars to look after this increased number of inmates.

The question must be asked, with all the poverty and suffering in our community, why are we spending all this taxpayer money creating bigger and better prisons for the dregs of our society. Prisons should be a place where offenders do hard time, not spend it in somewhat luxury with 3 meals a day and all the home comforts.

Ask a pensioner living on a mere $17,000 a year how they manage after paying the rent, power, heating and food, the answer is not very well. Instead of spending money on the law breakers why not spend it on the law abiding citizens who have worked hard all their lives only to find they have to live on the bread line when they retire.

The New Zealand Seniors Party is made up of such people who have worked all their lives, paid their taxes and been law abiding citizens. Pensioners are the forgotten generation that are forced to live in poverty while criminals live in the lap of luxury.

The National Government promised pensioners a ‘living wage’ yet all MPs (covering all parties) take twice this amount paid into their individual superannuation scheme ($31,800 per year).

It is time all the Seniors of New Zealand stood together to send a clear message to Government that enough is enough.

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