"Minister of Social Services Steve Maharey's continual attempts to claim that the Government increased CYFS funds by $36m in last year's Budget shows just how committed Labour is to spin over substance," National's Social Services spokesperson Bob Simcock said today.

"I fully accept that CYFS has been under pressure for some time, but let's not forget that Steve Maharey inherited a department that was stable. It was this Minister who created a crisis - no one else.

"Mr Maharey was warned by CYFS that referrals were increasing, but all he gave them was a miserable extra 2.6% ($8.8m) of their budget. That is why the number of unallocated cases has doubled under his leadership," Mr Simcock said.

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