Judith Collins MP
National Party Welfare Spokeswoman

12 March 2008

What more can a good mum do?

It is astonishing that Inland Revenue is reluctant to use its powers to apply for arrest warrants to nab fleeing child support defaulters, says National's Welfare spokeswoman, Judith Collins.

Ms Collins is commenting on the recent case of a mother of two who gave the IRD the flight details of the father of her children.

"Although this delinquent dad hadn't paid child support for 10 years, despite making numerous holiday trips to New Zealand and earning almost $90,000 (AUS) a year, the best IRD could do was ask him if he'd like to make a voluntary payment.

"It's now almost two months since he left New Zealand and he hasn't made a payment since. Instead, this Labour Government is happy to let responsible parents and children suffer because they can't be bothered directing the IRD to enforce its own laws.

"Core child support debt has more than doubled under Labour who is putting delinquent dads before the well-being of desperate custodial mums and children."

ENDS

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