NZ DEPUTY PM ON TUREI’S BENEFIT DISHONESTY

Wellington:

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett, who also received a benefit as a sole parent, says she was never in a position of having to lie to Work and Income, as Metiria Turei did.

Ms Turei is a NZ Member of Parliament and Green Party co-leader. There has been a mixed political reaction to Mrs Turei’s admission that she lied to Work and Income in the 1990s so her sole parent benefit would not be cut. Labour Party leader Andrew Little said Mrs Turei was brave and honest to admit to breaking the rules, but National Party MP Steven Joyce said people would be disappointed.

Mrs Bennett said she was often on a sole parent benefit herself, but also said Mrs Turei’s admission was disappointing. She said she had never found herself in a position where she had to lie to Work and Income.

“I think people work really hard in this country and they pay their taxes and they want it to be fair and for that we expect people to be honest and not cheating. “I was often on benefit, I had jobs and I was always trying to get off when I was on, because I wanted to work and didn’t want to be on a benefit.

“But no, I didn’t deliberately lie, I didn’t lie as such about my circumstances. I didn’t lie to them about my circumstances to get more money.

“I remember hard times on the benefit and I’ve never bought into that people choose to be there and that it’s a great lifestyle, because it’s not, it’s actually really hard.” She disagreed with the Green Party policy of removing the practice of cutting benefits to those who failed to comply with particular rules.