Allow us to control benefits, says Tamihere

John Tamihere says Maori support organisations are frustrated by an inability to compel people to seek help. Picture / Greg Bowker

Welfare benefits should be paid to Maori social service agencies which would control how beneficiaries spend the money, says the National Maori Urban Authority.

The proposal comes after an urgent meeting of the heads of the authority, which represents around 30,000 Maori, as public outrage at the killing of the Kahui twins continues.

Under the proposal launched yesterday, the group says benefits should be paid directly to Maori agencies, which would then pay beneficiaries' household bills such as rent, electricity and food.

Benefits would be cut to those refusing to use services such as family support or addiction treatment.

The authority is based in south and west Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Christchurch and Invercargill and was launched in May 2003 to represent the majority of Maori living in cities away from their iwi areas.

Its move was prompted by the brutal killing of twin baby boys Chris and Cru Kahui in South Auckland two weeks ago. Police investigations are continuing into the case, which has highlighted a growing problem of welfare dependency, drug and alcohol addiction and child neglect.

The Weekend Herald revealed last week that just one of the nine adults and teenagers living in the house had a job. Two children were removed from the household three weeks ago.

The urban authority's chief executive, John Tamihere, said social problems within the Kahui whanau were those facing Maori social service providers daily.

"We are merely scratching the surface. Something has to be done or we will just sit back and wait for the next Kahui family to hit the headlines."

He said Maori support organisations were frustrated by an inability to compel those most in need to seek help. Unless some reciprocal obligations were demanded from second and third-generation beneficiary families, they would never break out of state dependency.

Too often, benefit money, desperately needed for household basics, was used to feed an addiction.

"Benefits are for those who experience tough times. They are not to reward a lifestyle. It is time now for budgeting to occur where the benefit is applied directly to rent to provide shelter for the family, electricity for warmth and cooking and for food to feed families."

Mr Tamihere called for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Helen Clark and senior ministers.

Social Development and Employment Minister David Benson-Pope said there was no plan to change Government policy but he would consider meeting the authority.

Combined Beneficiaries Union chairwoman Helen Capel labelled the proposal simplistic and an infringement on beneficiary rights.

"Treating all beneficiaries like children is not going to help anyone," she said.

Green Party Maori issues spokeswoman Metiria Turei labelled the proposal as extreme beneficiary abuse and a ridiculous knee-jerk reaction to an extreme example raised by the Kahui case.

"We completely oppose attempts to impose centralised control over people's lives. They [the authority] have no right to decide for people how their income is spent."

She said dysfunctional families were a result of poverty, and families required empowerment to move ahead, not loss of their independence and rights.

"I find it offensive that Maori are proposing such a policy."

Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia supported any move to reduce welfare dependence. However, Maori must be involved in decision-making rather than others making decisions for them, including the authority.

Once Were Warriors author Alan Duff, who this week criticised a "culture of violence" within Maoridom, said he applauded anything that would help to free Maori from dependence on the state, but this was not the answer.

"The only way is to stop giving benefits entirely, and families will get by exactly the same as families do anywhere else on the planet where there are no benefits."