Fridge debate goes online

Hamilton households were in the spotlight when Campbell Live reported on poverty in New Zealand this week.

The report has sparked online reaction over how poorer people in New Zealand are spending their money.

Campbell Live reported about a family of seven who spend just $120 a week on groceries, and whose fridge was almost empty two days before their next weekly shop. The programme included similar stories involving Hamilton households.

Hamilton resident Clayton Smith posted an image on the Campbell Live facebook page showing his full fridge two days before his household’s shop.

The Smith family includes seven children, as well as stay at home wife Sariah, he said.

Smith said he is a part time university student, working 15 hours a week as well as receiving assistance from the IRD and a medical benefit from WINZ.

Smith said: “I understand that many children do go to school hungry in this country, but i don’t understand what I am doing differently to some of these people. Our kids go to school with sandwich, fruit and veges, some baking and a drink bottle of water.”

The Smith family have a mortgage, run two vehicles and face bills the same as any other New Zealand family, he said.

Clayton Smith’s post caused a stir, with reactions from every side.

One Facebook user commented: “Parents need to put there children first, if their poor that means them missing out on their packet of bloody smokes so a kid can have what they deserve,the basics of food and warm clothes”

Another Facebook user commented in support of the opposite side: “The difference between you (with a wife, 7 kids, studying, working AND getting money from IRD), vs a single parent with 2 small kids (unable to work, getting a small dpb a week, and nothing from ird) could be monetarily huge. We don’t know how much you get each week in your hand from all your sources, and you don’t know how little some people get in their hand. There is no comparison between your fridge and theirs. For all we know, you could be bringing in 1000 a week – I know of families of 7 getting just that from ACC, whereas some families live on 400 a week.”