Potential liabilities: Social investment policy as biopolitics in New Zealand – An examination of the National Coalition government’s welfare policies

Abstract

Using Michel Foucault’s theories of biopolitics, about risk and security, I examine the welfare policies of the National Coalition Government in New Zealand (2008–2017). This government attempted to mitigate risk by projecting possible challenges and solutions to ‘vulnerable populations’. Welfare was re-defined in monetarist economic terms, as ways to ensure ‘small government’. Over the three terms of government they brought in changes across the education, and social services, with the intent of implementing new economic facets to reduce the cost to the state of beneficiaries and their dependent children. Using cross-ministry data collection, they planned to identify the ‘job-shy’ parents and children deemed ‘vulnerable’. Social Investment aimed to change the behaviours of such populations, whom the National Coalition government deemed future potential liabilities for the state. Projecting costs over 20 or 30 years and modelling the costs of dysfunction would give the social agencies improved information. Early intervention would save the state welfare budget, and responsibilize the young children at risk of themselves becoming beneficiaries later in life.

Manage and make productive: The New Zealand National Party’s social investment policy

“…Neoliberal economic ideas underpin modern government policy in this country. Social investment in New Zealand under the 2008–2017 National government projected the notion that civil society is a transactional one where tax-paying citizens accept responsibility for navigating the employment market (Stuart, 2018, 2019a, 2019b). Much of the political rhetoric of 2023 National Party members has concerned ‘wasteful spending’.…”