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Phil Robs Peter To Pay Paul
Justice Minister Phil Goff has robbed the Legal Services Agency to pay Community Law Centres, National's Justice spokesman Wayne Mapp said today.
"Mr Goff promised to sort out funding problems for Community Law Centres within the financial year. He has failed and has had to resort to robbing $700,000 from the Legal Services Agency and $500,000 from reserves to meet the funding shortfall.
"When the Government passed the Legal Services Act it promised to sort out funding on a permanent and sustainable basis.
"Once again Mr Goff has proved to be all talk. This 'funding boost' is nothing but robbing Peter to pay Paul.
"Phil Goff will no doubt be seeking another ad hoc solution next year. He should, however, be thinking more deeply about how the 91 Citizens Advice Bureaux and the 22 Community Law Centres throughout New Zealand could work together to improve 'access to justice and equity'," Dr Mapp said.
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