Thursday, 6 July 2006

Turner responds to Collins on beneficiaries

United Future deputy leader Judy Turner said today that she is pleased to hear that National is reconsidering some their more hard-line policy positions regarding beneficiaries.

Mrs Turner believes that there are a small percentage of beneficiary households that would be better off if interventions were possible where serious financial mismanagement issues were apparent.

She applauds the suggestion from National's Judith Collins to give beneficiaries access a system on a voluntary basis that helps manage their budget better.

Mrs Turner describes the proposal as "A great idea, with many similarities to what United Future has proposed.

"The goal for any intervention should always be eventual financial self-management, but to allow a beneficiary to drown in a sea of escalating debt, particularly if that beneficiary has dependent children, is ridiculous and unkind.

ENDS

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