The NZ Herald reports-

Deputy Prime Minister Bill English is clear what the new ministerial committee on poverty he heads won’t be about – it won’t set about throwing money at the problem of what he calls “hand-wringing or writing strategies”.

He believed the public would not tolerate handing more money to low-income families and beneficiaries – or at least not until everything else had been tried.

Yeah sure Bill. You need to read the papers boy, and if you do you might find that you’re being white anted by the likes of Jonathan Coleman and others. Really though Bill, as you’re Finance Minister, I’d find it hard to believe you wouldn’t know about this-

Up to 60,000 disadvantaged television viewers may be provided with digital set-top boxes paid for by the Government so they can continue watching television when analogue transmissions are shut next year and in 2013, an official says. Former Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman committed last year to an assistance package for “those who really need it”.

Even I knew about it Bill, and I blogged on it yesterday.

How about this chart Bill? Its the US, but I’ll bet its just as bad here. You and your commie National Party mates Bill, are making poverty a meaningless word.