Klipspringer:

KiwiNZ:
If you are caught in a Poverty trap in the middle of the East Cape, you have no employment due to the last employer (probably a meat works) has closed down, you have nothing in the bank, you cannot leave because you cannot afford to leave, you cannot take yourself or kids to the Doctor as he/she is 150KM away and you have 
no transport. You have no food in the fridge/ freezer and the Government is closing the school  as it is no longer economic to retain it. The nearest WINZ office is also 150KM away so you cannot visit there.  This is not an exaggeration it is a scenario I dealt with on a daily basis, in East Cape Northland. And similar in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch Hamilton..... The only difference there were the distances concerned. Absolute poverty in New Zealand is very very rare, but poverty exists. Fundamentally, poverty is the inability of getting choices and opportunities, a violation of human dignity. It means lack of basic capacity to participate effectively in society. It means not having enough to feed and clothe a family, not having a school or clinic to go to, not having the land on which to grow one’s food or a job to earn one’s living, not having access to credit. It means insecurity, powerlessness and exclusion of individuals, households and communities. It means susceptibility to violence, and it often implies living in marginal or fragile environments, without access to clean water or sanitation. Poverty is pronounced deprivation in well-being, and comprises many dimensions. It includes low incomes and the inability to acquire the basic goods and services necessary for survival with dignity. Poverty also encompasses low levels of health and education, poor access to clean water and sanitation, inadequate physical security, lack of voice, and insufficient capacity and opportunity to better one’s life.

It is not just the governments fault or responsibility it is the whole of society, we all have a role in creating it and we can all have a role in eliminating it.  

This is interesting. We have a solution offered here by the government. But you saying that because the solution is too far away its not good enough?

Heck. In Africa people would make a plan to travel hundreds of km's just to carry water. But in the example you have highlighted people wont try and make a plan to go and get "free" money from WINZ.  Sorry I don't buy it. It reminds me of the old saying, where theirs a will, there is a way. But to have a way. One needs a will. It leaves me believing that some choose to live this way.

I will move to whatever town I need to if I have to find work. In fact, thats one of the reasons I live in Wellington. Receiving WINZ payments should be no different. Move closer then, its free money. At the end of the day you can't force people to take it.

You said earlier.

KiwiNZ:
The sweeping and in many cases needed reforms made under the Lange Government resulted in a considerable rise in child poverty and general poverty in New Zealand. So Yes a government can cause poverty and some of the changes made by the current government in the areas of Health, Education, Employment have and will exacerbate poverty.

Inactivity by a Government to address the issue is the Governments fault, not just this one but most Governments since WW2.

Now going back in history. Ie before Pakeha arrived in NZ. Did we have poverty then? If we did, then there is no ways that the government could have caused it.