26 July 2004

Government Invited Benefit Scam

New Zealand First social services spokesperson Bill Gudgeon says he’s not surprised by claims that increasing numbers of unemployed people are signing up for sickness benefits to avoid work testing by Work and Income.

“For some time now New Zealand First has expressed scepticism at Government claims that unemployment figures are at the lowest they have been in 14 years,” said Mr Gudgeon.

“The number of people claiming sickness and invalids benefits have increased by 23 percent since the start of 2000 and no explanation has been given by Mr Maharey for this increase.

“The problem we are now facing as a result of this is the mounting pressure on doctors to certify able-bodied beneficiaries as unfit for work so they can claim the sickness benefit.

“We have repeatedly asked Mr Maharey to identify the new beneficiaries and explain whether they are long-term unemployed or simply a change in classification.

“His failure to answer these questions is resulting in a greater number of people seeking the easy way to claim a benefit when they are really fit to work,” said Mr Gudgeon.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>