MEDIA RELEASE
Brendan Boyle needs to front up, not cover up.

28 AUGUST 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ministry of Social Development head Brendan Boyle’s spin that ‘everything is resolved’ in relation to a mistake which saw Winston Peters’ pension overpaid, is a disgrace says the Taxpayers’ Union. Mr Boyle needs to explain to the public what the problem was, how widespread it is, and what his Ministry is doing to stop it happening again.

“Taxpayers need confidence that the Ministry’s cock-up is not widespread,” said Jordan Williams, the Union’s Executive Director. “Was it a staff error, an IT failure, or something else? How widespread are the problems and how many other people, like Mr Peters, are a victim of having to repay money because of stuff ups?”

“Mr Boyle’s refusal to give any explanation is a middle finger to taxpayers who stump up the cost when the MSD’s systems fail and people are overpaid. He might very well feel that the matter has been resolved to the ‘Ministry’s satisfaction’, but the more important question is why is he hiding behind privacy to prevent having to explain a fault which apparently rests within the Ministry?”

Questions for the Ministry of Social Development:

What steps have been taken to find out whether the overpayment to Winston Peters for NZ Super was the result of a staff error, a systems failure, or a deliberate act by someone in the Ministry?
What were the findings?
How many people did/does the error effect?
What has been done to prevent it happening again?
ENDS

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