KEY POINTS:
If Paula Bennett needs just one reason to question the veracity of 84,000 working age adults receiving the invalid benefit, thus too ill to work, she should look at the photo of Victoria Stevens, accompanying a story by Marty Sharpe, published in the Dominion Post on February 6.
(I apologise in advance for excessive reference to other media, but according to North & South's media critic Deborah Hill-Cone columnists who use other journalists' work to form their own opinions are as guilty of plagiarism as her friend Noelle McCarthy, who inadvertently used unsourced writings on National Radio. Suitably warned, I proceed with caution.)
Victoria Stevens, 43, is the mother of 22-year-old Hulio Ataria, accused of murdering good samaritan, Mark McCutcheon, who tried to help another woman allegedly being attacked outside the Ongaonga pub in central Hawke's Bay.
The incident tragically mimicked the fatal assault on Austin Hemmings in Auckland before Christmas, but McCutcheon's death on January 23 has not provoked the same level of public outrage.
Yet the circumstances of the latest attack were made even worse when the accused, described as a "gang associate", appeared in the Hastings District Court. His mother, aforementioned beneficiary, yelled "love you" as Ataria was led away and barked like a dog, apparently a Mongrel Mob sign of support.
Judge Richard Watson was distinctly unimpressed and jailed Stevens for contempt of court, saying it was the worst behaviour he'd seen.
"I am not prepared to tolerate that in my court, ever."
As if to prove his point, four burly policemen were needed to restrain this woman who kicked down doors, swore at the judge, and shouted obscenities at McCutcheon's widow and her friends. When I saw this photo, of a very strong, fierce woman, gut hanging out over her jeans, physically restrained by two cops, I thought the caption - invalid beneficiary - should have had an accent on the second syllable of the first word.
A few days passed with no comment and I feared I was alone in my disgust - how can we justify giving hard-earned taxpayers' money to support this? I don't care what sort of disability Stevens suffers from, if she's well enough to cause chaos in court, she's well enough to work.
Thankfully others agree.
Phil Moore, Hastings, in a published letter in Tuesday's Dominion Post said it with irony when he thanked the paper for informing us of this miracle recovery. "I look forward to the news her invalid's benefit is clearly not needed and has been revoked. Woof woof indeed."
Meanwhile, McCutcheon's wife Paula, widowed at the age of 27, struggles to continue running their business and caring for their three daughters, aged 7, 4 and six months.
Her life is "a living nightmare". No benefit for her.
There are many intellectually and physically incapacitated people who are entitled to assistance, but to lump them in with someone like Stevens, a breeder and supporter of gang members, is an insult. Genuine invalids should be treated with dignity, and paid a decent wage. The others should have their benefits cancelled.
Longtime benefit reform campaigner and one-time Act candidate Lindsay Mitchell said the number of 18- to 64-year-olds on invalid benefits rose at a rate of about 6 per cent a year under the Labour Government, and that doesn't include the 16- and 17-year-olds, about 2000, also drawing this benefit.
But former Minister for Disability Issues Ruth Dyson remained "unconcerned" in September last year when more than 80,000 people were too sick to hold down a job.
Greens co-leader Russel Norman accuses welfare critics of lacking compassion. He's welcome to pay his own money to the likes of Stevens.
Personally, I'd take her benefit, double it, and give it to people like severely disabled John Whittaker, whose 19-year-old daughter Alix hit headlines last week over her battle after all government departments dumped his support.
We need to get judgmental. Forty years ago, anyone applying for a benefit had to be "of good moral character and sober habits". Another rule, since abolished, stated that "incapacity for work was not self-induced or in any way brought about with a view to qualifying for an invalid's benefit."
Isn't it time we reintroduced some responsibility for your actions? Bennett should instruct her ministry to reassess every one of those 84,000 invalid benefits. In a recession there may be fewer jobs, but there is plenty to be done. If Stevens is so keen to communicate on a basic level with dogs, Winz could take her to the SPCA where she can start cleaning dog droppings out of the cages.
