"Our Welfare system is not functioning well"

"I'd strongly disagree that our welfare system is well-functioning.
    "Why are 6 percent of the 18-64 year-olds receiving a jobseeker benefit when so many sectors are crying out for labour? Yesterday the Mayor of Westland District Council was on radio imploring people to go down and fill jobs. Yet there are 1,500 people on a jobseeker benefit in Greymouth and Westport.
    "It is too easy to get on and stay on welfare in New Zealand. Labour have enhanced that ease by reducing the use of sanctions to impose work obligations. They recently shifted thousands of jobseekers onto the sole parent benefit because they no longer had to look for a job. The policy settings changed. It is now OK to keep adding children to a benefit to avoid work. That is not a 'well-functioning' welfare system.
    "So, while I hold no candle for Robertson's proposed unemployment insurance scheme, I'm not going to argue for the status quo either."
          ~ Lindsay Mitchell, from her post 'Our welfare system is not functioning well'