AMAT as a 'Not-For Profit' institution

The philosophical basis underlying recent societal and economic changes in New Zealand and several other Western countries has been explained as neoliberal. Neoliberalism represents a major shift in thinking about the role of government and its institutions such as AMAT.

Prior to 1984 New Zealand had a tradition of organic solidarity which found expression in the welfare state where the ethics of ordinary life shaped the economy. On the back of international movements, the policy direction since 1991 has been to devolve responsibility for welfare to local communities, especially the Not-for-Profit organisations, sometimes referred to as the ‘third sector’, or the ‘shadow state’[9].

A previous New Zealand Prime Minister[10] argued that Not-For-Profits in the ‘community’ are essentially part of the government’s targeted funding policy environment. The role of recent New Zealand welfare reforms in supporting the overall economic restructuring emphasises the role of the community, with strategic result areas that help to operationalise Government strategies[11]. In the Not-For-Profit language of the new welfare economics, individuals are to become more ‘self-reliant’ while at the same time being ‘dependent’ on the ‘community’.

This situation is more than just a paradox; it disguises the ways in which charities are increasingly being expected to supplement government funding.