United Future yesterday supported the Government on legislation it had previously voted against, drawing Opposition criticism.
The Social Security (Working Towards Employment) Amendment Bill passed its second reading in Parliament with the support of United's eight MPs.
United has an agreement with the Government to support it on confidence and supply votes but can vote as it pleases on other legislation, such as yesterday's bill.
Act MP Muriel Newman said United leader Peter Dunne voted against the bill when it was first debated in Parliament during the last term, when he was the party's only MP.
"[He] voted against this bill in the last Parliament because [he] knew that it was anti-family," she said.
"In its first test in the House, United Future failed. Mr Dunne and his 'sensible' party supported a bill that will do more to destroy the family than any other legislation in modern times."
National MP Paul Hutchison accused United of "turning tail".
"I ask them to go back to their principles of supporting the family in a simple, signalled manner and not tying themselves up in this incredibly complex myriad of bureaucracy embodied by this bill," he said.
New Zealand First MP Peter Brown said he was amazed United Future had performed such a u-turn. The party's actions were not consistent with what they had been when Mr Dunne was the sole MP, he said.
But Mr Dunne denied any u-turn and was not concerned about the opposition views "because they're all parties of the opposition and they don't count".
"We were part of the opposition in the last Parliament. We are now involved in working with the Government," he said.
"We've looked at it again and decided we can support it."
Mr Dunne said yesterday's vote should not be taken as an indication United would simply support the Government in all legislation.
The bill abolishes the work test, introduces a case management concept and combines the Domestic Purposes Benefit and Widows Benefit. It was supported by Labour, the Green Party and United, while National and Act voted against it. The Progressive Coalition did not vote, while New Zealand First's 13 MPs abstained.
"We haven't had a chance, since we've come back [to Parliament] in full force, to really go through it," Mr Brown said.
- NZPA
United accused of u-turn on vote
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