Irony in truth causing biggest scandal ahead of election

How ironic that one of the biggest uproars of the election campaign so far has come as a result of a politician telling what was undoubtedly the unvarnished truth.

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei bravely confessed at the party’s annual conference earlier this month that years ago she had lied to the authorities to receive a higher benefit than she was entitled to.

She admitted she didn’t tell them she had flatmates to help pay the rent.

Turei was making the admission to highlight the struggle to make ends being faced by many beneficiaries today and in doing so she ignited a firestorm of protest on radio talkback and in the social media.

The most common response was ‘‘why didn’t she get a job’’, which ignores the fact she was at the time a law student seeking to educate herself and so get off the benefit and also caring for a young daughter. Indeed, it was to maintain the ability to feed her child that motivated the young student to not admit she had flatmates when filling in her benefit declaration form.

I’m not suggesting for a minute we should condone benefit fraud but rather than kneejerk condemnation perhaps we should take account of the circumstances, of both the actual offence and also of the belated confession.

Turei was making the frank admission in a speech launching the Green Party’s plans to dramatically reform the nation’s welfare system. In doing so she struck a chord with many beneficiaries faced by similar straitened circumstances.

But she predictably raised the hackles of many people who clearly see all beneficiaries as bludgers on the hard-working taxpayer.

Turei’s one mistake in my opinion was in only offering to pay back the money if she is investigated. Her Parliamentary salary is surely high enough for her to calculate herself how much she was overpaid and refund the money without coercion.

However, what is particularly interesting about the situation is that many people seem to be far more motivated to complain about Turei’s lying to be able to feed her daughter than they are about the fact that disgraced National MP Todd Barclay is quite happy to rack up $80,000 in his remaining salary while hanging on to his CluthaSouthland seat.

He’s making a minimal contribution to the political scene until the general election when his resignation takes effect but is quite happy to continue taking his MP’s salary.

I would wager Turei’s windfall benefits wouldn’t add up to anywhere near that amount and to the best of my knowledge Barclay hasn’t any young dependents to support.

Admittedly Barclay hasn’t broken the law but morally which set of circumstances is the most persuasive of need? The most distressing aspect of some of the criticism of the Green Party co-leader in the comments on social media was the thinly disguised racism and the not-so-thinly-veiled references to her body shape.

Obviously young, white, good-looking males get an easier ride when it comes to questioning the disbursement of taxpayer funding.

And, speaking of taxpayer funding, how sensible is it of the Government to be dangling the carrot of tax cuts before the electorate when we hear repeated calls of the desperate need for increased funding for the health and education sectors?