MPs to live on NZ $2.25 a day

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qwerty7

434 posts

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#109371 18-Sep-2012 19:10

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/14880737/labour-mps-to-live-on-2-25-a-day/

Not that hard

Oak baked beans 420g = 99c each
http://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/ProductDetails?Stockcode=266024&name=oak-baked-beans-in-tomato-sce&search=baked%20beans

600g Home brand bread loaf = $1.47 each
http://shop.countdown.co.nz/Shop/ProductDetails?Stockcode=275719&name=home-brand-toast-bread-wheatmeal&search=bread

Monday to Friday is the challenge. So you have a total of $11.25 to spend.
$7.43 gives you 1.5 tins of bake beans per day.

(half a tin for breakfast on one piece of toast, half a tin for lunch on one piece of toast, half a tin for dinner on one piece of toast).

Need total of 15 slices of bread, should be more than that in two loafs (two loafs = $2.94)

Total = $ 10.37 ($0.88 left)

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BDFL - Memuneh
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#687862 18-Sep-2012 19:36

Sure, this is for food. What about housing? Transport? Education for kids?

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tardtasticx

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#687869 18-Sep-2012 19:58

I think its a good thing, it'll atleast give them a look into the life of being on the poverty line (or living as a student) which can only make them better MP's having experienced this first hand. Sure its not the same as living exactly as they would (no/bad house, no transport etc.) but that would probably stop most of them from doing it, so atleast they're doing something. I know I probably wouldn't be able to do it.

helis

96 posts

Master Geek

#687877 18-Sep-2012 20:26

Well since they don't have to consider things like electricity or transport in this stunt why don't they throw the $11.25 away and just live off the land. With a 22 rifle or fishing rod you could quiet easily live off the land on a high protein diet. :)

minimoke

749 posts

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#688133 19-Sep-2012 12:32

What a stupid stunt. No-one in NZ lives on $2.25 a day for food. If these MP;s really wanted the experience send them off to some poverty struck nation and get them to live a life for a week on $2.25 a day. They can then come back home and give thanks that we don’t have anyone nearing the poverty line let alone the extreme one. And why do we have this dollar value poverty line – they would be better to focus on a povertline based on spirit, self responsibility and care for others. That’s where we have people in NZ hovering

gzt

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#688154 19-Sep-2012 13:26

It appears to be a sponsorship thing like 40hr famine. Kids trying to meet the target gain knowledge of the relationship between money and food purchasing and maybe food preparation and cooking as well and will get to compare with other kids. Looks like a good thing all round for the kids.

Baked beans on toast querty7?? By itself not a good solution for so many reasons...

As for the politicians - I can't see them learning much from it lol..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Below_the_Line
http://www.facebook.com/LBLNZ
http://www.youtube.com/user/LBLNZ?feature=watch

[Edit: It is unclear exactly where the money goes from the nz efforts. The wikipedia article names several organisations]

qwerty7

434 posts

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#688155 19-Sep-2012 13:26

minimoke: What a stupid stunt. No-one in NZ lives on $2.25 a day for food. If these MP;s really wanted the experience send them off to some poverty struck nation and get them to live a life for a week on $2.25 a day. They can then come back home and give thanks that we don’t have anyone nearing the poverty line let alone the extreme one. And why do we have this dollar value poverty line – they would be better to focus on a povertline based on spirit, self responsibility and care for others. That’s where we have people in NZ hovering

The main point of my post was living on $2.25 food a day in NZ is doable. Considering how many poor people in NZ claim they do not have the money for food. 'How can I afford food? I went to kfc last night and it cost me $20 just for dinner'. It is simple many poor people in NZ just complain slagging of the 'rich people' and lack the intelligence to live anyway different. Money does not grow on trees, it takes hard work and sacrifice.

Maybe I am biased in that I believe too much in self responsibility. I feel it is not the rest of societies fault these people lack the intelligence or that people are stupid enough to huff butane out of paint cans. But I also realize from a government perspective of controlling the country sometimes you have to step in. Although in relation to money management I believe some of them can simply never be taught, so why should we care?

Living on $2.25 per day for food in New Zealand, is in no way related poverty throughout the rest of the world. It would be far more beneficial to join oxfam or something on one of their aid missions. Even sleeping with the homeless for a night would be better. I do not call 1.5 tins of baked beans and 3 pieces of toast per day 'extreme poverty'. Extreme poverty is the images you see on the ads for oxfam/world vision etc.

Kyanar

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#688158 19-Sep-2012 13:29

minimoke: What a stupid stunt. No-one in NZ lives on $2.25 a day for food. If these MP;s really wanted the experience send them off to some poverty struck nation and get them to live a life for a week on $2.25 a day. They can then come back home and give thanks that we don’t have anyone nearing the poverty line let alone the extreme one. And why do we have this dollar value poverty line – they would be better to focus on a povertline based on spirit, self responsibility and care for others. That’s where we have people in NZ hovering

Except that under National, very soon we may have people at this line. We already have them declaring that if you have children 3 and over, if you don't have them in pre-school, then the government will slice your benefit in half - despite the fact that we have beneficiaries taking their children out of pre-school because it's a choice between pre-school and food. We have them declaring that if you refuse even one job they consider suitable, they will cut off your benefit entirely - despite the fact that WINZ is well known for setting up inappropriate job matches (in the Herald today was one fellow who would have been cut off because WINZ decided to put him forward for a role as a bouncer at a club, a role which carries significant dangers for someone not well versed in defense and in top shape).

But we can't blame WINZ and the government for everything. We really do have people that sleep on bus shelters and live off whatever they can buy with what strangers drop in their bags on the street.

So no, you can't give thanks that we don't have anyone nearing the poverty line because we do. A lot. And to suggest that we don't and that they should just shut up and get over it is irresponsible, insensitive and just plain ludicrous.

oxnsox

1923 posts

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#688160 19-Sep-2012 13:32

Love the qwerty7 politicians diet. It's clearly focused on a day of 3 halves.
2 halves and a halves-not no doubt.

qwerty7

434 posts

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#688162 19-Sep-2012 13:36

oxnsox: Love the qwerty7 politicians diet. It's clearly focused on a day of 3 halves.
2 halves and a halves-not no doubt.

what does that even mean?

floydbloke

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#688176 19-Sep-2012 13:49

Worthy cause with the sponsorship thing going but with them being MPs looks more like a publicity stunt.

Still, spending only $2.25 a day for 5 days, on an MP's salary that should leave them about $1500 each after tax to donate to the charity.

After I was born, I didn't talk to my parents for two years.

hangon

397 posts

Ultimate Geek

#688180 19-Sep-2012 14:04

The main point of my post was living on $2.25 food a day in NZ is doable. Considering how many poor people in NZ claim they do not have the money for food. 'How can I afford food? I went to kfc last night and it cost me $20 just for dinner'. It is simple many poor people in NZ just complain slagging of the 'rich people' and lack the intelligence to live anyway different. Money does not grow on trees, it takes hard work and sacrifice.

Maybe I am biased in that I believe too much in self responsibility. I feel it is not the rest of societies fault these people lack the intelligence or that people are stupid enough to huff butane out of paint cans. But I also realize from a government perspective of controlling the country sometimes you have to step in. Although in relation to money management I believe some of them can simply never be taught, so why should we care?

Living on $2.25 per day for food in New Zealand, is in no way related poverty throughout the rest of the world. It would be far more beneficial to join oxfam or something on one of their aid missions. Even sleeping with the homeless for a night would be better. I do not call 1.5 tins of baked beans and 3 pieces of toast per day 'extreme poverty'. Extreme poverty is the images you see on the ads for oxfam/world vision etc.

I get that.

What I don't get is why the Labour MPs are doing this.

Are they saying that beneficiaries should receive $2.25 for food per adult per day? I could see the government budget surplus in 12 months time.

Surprisingly we've been spending around $6 per adult per day on groceries for the last 12 months, and we got abundant dairy, fruits, vegie and meats (and odd beers) with that. We have a small vegie garden and cook at home, food waste kept to minimum. $2.25 is not all that dramatic, it's all the other costs are really creeping up.

Electricity alone could hit more than $8 per day during winter for an average household.

Councill rate in AKL would cost $6~$7 per day for a median property.

Not to mention the new wastewater volumetric charges... we are paying an additional $1.8 per kL for every drop of tap water we drink ...

Jas777

838 posts

Ultimate Geek

#688183 19-Sep-2012 14:16

The one thing to take into consideration is that people in NZ think in the singular. How much does each individual person get whereas overseas the money would be pooled for communal meals.

Also less regulations overseas means food is cheaper to make and sell. You can get a plate of Pad Thai in Bangkok off a street vendor for 30 baht ($1.2)

vinnieg

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#688190 19-Sep-2012 14:43

hangon:

What I don't get is why the Labour MPs are doing this.

As one of the posts above said, it's a fundraiser. It's nothing to do with wanting to change the benefit.

https://www.livebelowtheline.com/nz

It's also great to see they are using a website for donations. At least this way the money goes to teh causes, and doesn't go through Chuggers aka Street muggers, where most of the money raised goes into paying admin costs, and to their parent company Cornucopia.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/paying-to-collect-the-charity-dollar-20091025-hepx.html
95% in Australia goes to the parent company, 5% to the charity

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapi-mana-news/6302341/The-booming-business-of-charity
80-90% in NZ goes to the parent company, 10-20% to the charity

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

qwerty7

434 posts

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#688238 19-Sep-2012 15:38

vinnieg:
hangon:

What I don't get is why the Labour MPs are doing this.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/paying-to-collect-the-charity-dollar-20091025-hepx.html
95% in Australia goes to the parent company, 5% to the charity

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapi-mana-news/6302341/The-booming-business-of-charity
80-90% in NZ goes to the parent company, 10-20% to the charity

that is f###### disgusting!

vinnieg

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#688251 19-Sep-2012 15:51

qwerty7:
vinnieg:
hangon:

What I don't get is why the Labour MPs are doing this.

http://www.theage.com.au/national/paying-to-collect-the-charity-dollar-20091025-hepx.html
95% in Australia goes to the parent company, 5% to the charity

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-papers/kapi-mana-news/6302341/The-booming-business-of-charity
80-90% in NZ goes to the parent company, 10-20% to the charity

that is f###### disgusting!

I agree, I find it very hard not to say something to the Chuggers. IN fact several times I've asked how much they earn. They always avoid the question!

I have moved across the ditch. Now residing in Melbourne as a VOIP/Video Technical Trainer/Engineer.

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