January 26, 2005

Brash Right - Maharey Denies Reality

Minister of Social Development and Employment, Steve Maharey, says Don Brash's claim that people keep adding to their families while on a benefit is wrong because the majority had only recently signed onto the DPB when they gave birth.

"Answers to my questions to the Ministry of Social Development under the Official Information Act showed that in one year alone nearly 5,000 caregivers added a child to a benefit which had been in place for ten or more months, " Lindsay Mitchell, petitioner for a Parliamentary review, responded.

"Extrapolate this out over a number of years and Brash's figure of 23,000 beneficiaries having at least one additional child (in some cases several) makes sense. In fact, if you take into account all benefits, rather than just the DPB, the figure rises to almost 27,000."

"I don't know why but I am still surprised that Maharey would so blatantly ignore facts."

Lindsay Mitchell Petitioner for a Parliamentary review of the DPB forms available from www.liberalvalues.org.nz contact dandl.mitchell@clear.net.nz

ENDS

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