$50 million promise vague and narrow
Bill English MP
National Party Finance Spokesman
30 October 2008
$50 million promise vague and narrow
Labour’s transitional economic package will only help people in a household where someone else is working and misses those most in need, says National Party Finance spokesman Bill English.
“It’s hard to understand
why Labour has decided to do nothing for households who lose
all their income through redundancy, such as a couple where
one person stays at home to look after children, or a sole
parent who loses their job.”
“If one person in a
household is working and the other is at home with the
children, you get nothing from this package when you lose
your job.
“But where a couple are both working, the
household will get the full couple rate of unemployment
benefit if one of them is made redundant.
“And why
should sole parents miss out on any extra assistance? They
work, they also ‘take on obligations commensurate with
their earnings’, as Labour says.
“So, to those who have another source of income, more will be given.”
The cost estimate of $50 million a year would be plausible if there was any funding for the package, but there is no funding.
"When Labour says funding will have come from existing baselines, that means they plan to cut something.
"So what are they going to cut?
“This is another badly constructed policy on the hoof that they can't pay for.
“Helen Clark should also be up front about what promises she will break if she gets the chance to deliver her December mini-Budget. The money has to come from somewhere.”
ENDS