Kay
Brereton of the Beneficiary Advocacy Federation of New
Zealand says “ the comment made by Bill English yesterday
comparing beneficiaries to crack addicts is shocking and
incredibly poorly timed.”
“I would have expected the
Minister to have enough political instinct to realise that
such a comment is deeply insensitive and totally
inappropriate at the present moment. It has the potential to
inflame an already angry and on edge group, potentially
putting public servants at risk.”
“Beneficiaries are
already struggling to access assistance under tightened
security, and the Minister still can't control his impulse
to bash them.”
“While MSD is working hard to contain a
volatile situation, the Minister's comment undermines this,
and potentially incites further security
issues.”
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