New Zealanders have always been good at looking after the little guy.

We’ve prided ourselves on our charity. Remember Telethons? We’ve reached out to the dispossessed.

Remember it was John Key who first offered to take Manus Island refugees off Australia’s hands, and now we have a refugee from the Papua New Guinea island here.  Berhouz Boochani is revelling in his first week of freedom in six years.

At the UN we’ve stood up to the superpowers on the Security Council who use their veto powers to keep smaller nations in misery.

Around the world our Prime Minister and our country are lauded for the way we reacted to a terrible atrocity against a minority.  And our Government has been studied by other countries as we introduce wellbeing into our budgetary system.

We give goodwill goodwill to the downtrodden and dispossessed and the suffering. Yet we have limited compassion for our own disabled people.

A new report on funding for disability support shows we give limited and rationed help to 60,000 families. It also finds that 15,000 more families need funding and help and yet receive nothing.

The people who receive nothing are predominantly poor or rural, or Maori and Pasifika. The system focuses on rationing demand rather than reaching out to help. The report calculated that the funding shortfall is over half a billion dollars.

The Government’s mantra when it comes to disability is “Enabling Good Lives” yet the report shows when a disabled person’s need rises the funding stays the same and when it stays the same the funding decreases.

Wellbeing, this Government crows. Well, how about the disabled people’s wellbeing. 

Just as the previous government’s funding priorities were benchmarked by the money they blew on the flag debate, this government’s benchmark is their first year free tertiary.

Over 600 million has spent so fat to help 47,000 students.  Over the first year of the scheme, just more than 47,000 students and trainees received free tertiary education.

Among those were 74 students who had their Scuba training funded at a cost of $909,041. all up, 52 students who received their Certificate in DJ and Electronic Music Production, and five students who completed a Diploma of Yoga for $30,000.

The same money would help 75,000 families struggling with disabilities. I know where I’d rather have money go.

It’s an outrage really. The Wellbeing Government needs to match action with their words.