"Only yesterday I questioned Steve Maharey's competency in handling the huge problem that welfare has become for this country," says Lindsay Mitchell, petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB.

"When questioned about WINZ's ability to resource his new DPB case management scheme, given the number of staff had plummeted since 1999, he suggested that with unemployment at an all time low they would have enough case managers to cope."

"However, newly released Census information puts a rather large question mark over whether the official unemployment rate is accurate. The Census provides a full picture whereas the Household Labour Force Survey is merely a sample."

"In March 2001 the HLFS put the number of unemployed at 103,000. We now know from the Census results that the number of unemployed was in fact 179,634."

"Policy is being made in the absence of accurate information and it must stop. My only hope is that there will be a change of government before August the 26th and this new legislation does not get passed."

Lindsay Mitchell
Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB
ph/fx 04 562 7944
e-mail dandl.mitchell@clear.net.nz

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