Hipkins: Minister should go
Labour leader Chris Hipkins is calling for Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to sack Disabilities Minister Penny Simmonds, after she and her ministry blindsided families with sudden funding clawbacks.
Yesterday, Finance Minister Nicola Willis revealed the Cabinet was taking charge of Whaikaha, the Ministry for Disabled People, requiring any future frontline changes to get top-level approval.
“Christopher Luxon doesn’t have faith in his minister’s decision making, so he can’t have faith in her continuing to hold the portfolio or continue as a minister,’’ Hipkins said.
“It is an extraordinary step and a massive vote of no confidence for Cabinet to intervene because a minister is failing to make decisions in her own portfolio.
‘‘Christopher Luxon should remove her as a minister altogether.”
The Cabinet directive came after Willis said she had been “surprised” by the funding decision at Whaikaha, and ACT leader David Seymour said it wasn’t a decision he was comfortable with.
Willis said the Cabinet had approved some extra funding for the ministry, which Simmonds said was needed so it could continue funding equipment such as wheelchairs and household accessibility modifications.
“We’ve also directed, as a Cabinet, that any further decisions that the ministry makes about changing its criteria, its funding, needs to be properly consulted, properly sequenced,” Willis said.
“It needs to go to Cabinet before it’s enacted.”
Labour disabilities spokesperson Priyanca Radhakrishnan said Simmonds had “failed to stand up for communities that needed her”. “Simmons was warned as far back as December that there were issues, did nothing, then signed off on changes that would hurt the disability community anyway ... I think that is disgraceful.”
Last night, Simmonds said she was working to “maximise” support for the disabled community.
“It is clear there needs to be major improvements to the service delivered and the way it communicates with the disabled community,” she said.
“Given the ministry has required additional funding to prevent spending over its allocation, Cabinet has instructed the ministry that any future changes to criteria and funds that impact frontline services must be properly consulted on with the community and go to Cabinet.”