Mike's Minute: We have never given more to people who can't be bothered

There was a headline, my despair and a crime committed all in one story. So what was the headline? "Want free tickets to the Warriors in Napier? Fill out your uncompleted census forms." It's a nice ad for the Government's $150,000 giveaway to dead beats, the lazy, the unengaged and general freeloaders. The first crime is it's yet another sign of how the Government panders to people who can't be bothered, and use our money to do it. You know the story so far. The census is clearly a bust and Stats NZ are having to work overtime to get everyone ticked off. Like with the Covid jab, free stuff is apparently the weapon of choice. It is, of course, a legal requirement to fill in the census, but that appears to be irrelevant. Which does lead to the question - why have a law when freebies will do? And then we get to the second crime. It's yet another example of the media not distancing themselves enough from Government policy and essentially providing a free press release. The fact so much money is spent, essentially to cajole the recalcitrants, is an insult to each and every one of us that did our duty and have to pay to go see the Warriors. Salt in the wound is the fact the tickets in Napier are to the biggest game of the season. A game that is almost sold out because it’s the Broncos. And a game that the Napier paper very helpfully points out will be the biggest crowd since the All Blacks played Argentina in 2014. So, a hot ticket then, to a big game and a great night out at a critical stage of the season. And all you have to do, is do what the rest of us did because we wanted to do the right thing. Except, because you didn’t, because you can't be bothered, we bribe you with tickets that are hard to come by because clearly the Government's gone and bought them. Oh, and that’s not all. You can get your tickets by going to the open training of the Warriors, where there will be a signing session and a barbeque. So tickets, autographs and sausages. Never has being a no-hoper and non-participant paid off so handsomely. It’s the Labour way.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.