Hon Chester Borrows
Associate Minister for Social Development

19 March 2014

Cunliffe voting against himself on welfare fraud

Associate Social Development Minister Chester Borrows says Labour needs to be clear on where they stand on welfare fraud.

“Yesterday morning David Cunliffe said he would scrap our legislation to hold partners complicit in welfare fraud to account, but later in the day Labour supported it,” says Mr Borrows.

“I was pleased to have such broad support from across the Parliament, including the Labour Party, for our bill.

“So to see Mr Cunliffe promising in an online interview just that morning to scrap these changes was disappointing, even though he changed his mind later in the day.”

“National’s position has always been consistent. We make no apologies for wanting to hold to account those who try to rip-off our welfare system, and that includes partners who are complicit in the offending,” says Mr Borrows.

“Mr Cunliffe should give the New Zealand public a straight answer. Do he and his party stand with the more than 300,000 beneficiaries who follow the rules, or with the tiny minority of thieves ripping off the taxpayer?”

ENDS

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