Simon Bridges, with Paula Bennett, questions Winston Peters on the obligation of beneficiaries to be drug-free. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Simon Bridges, with Paula Bennett, questions Winston Peters on the obligation of beneficiaries to be drug-free. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Simon Bridges and Winston Peters went head to head in Parliament today over claims by the National leader that the Government has gone "soft" on social welfare sanctions against beneficiaries who don't meet their obligations.
Peters, who has about 10 more days left as Acting Prime Minister, accused Bridges oftaking a "puritanical" view and had a flick at Bridges' "roadshow" which has been filling halls across the country.
Peters defended the fact the number of beneficiaries with sanctions applied to them has fallen 21.8 per cent in the past year from 15,619 to 12,214, and the number of people on benefits had gone up.
Sanctions is the term given to the reduction or suspension of a benefit because the beneficiary has failed to meet an obligation such as show up for an appointment or interview or fails a drug- test.
Bridges asked how Peters could defend the policies of Labour and the Greens "to soften obligations, remove sanctions and put more people on welfare."
He asked if Peters agreed with Green MP Jan Logie who has welcomed the fact that sanctions had fallen - from about 100 a day to 80 a day – but who said that was too many.
Peters said in an ideal world he would agree with Bridges but he had not given up on people.
"We haven't given up on the economic and social utopia….we don't take the dismal puritanical view of the roadshow that went around the country filling up telephone booths and calling it a worldwide campaign."
Bridges asked Peters if people on the job seekers benefit should be drug-free while they were looking for work.
Peters said in an ideal world, yes, "but our job is to take people who have fallen by the wayside, pick them up again, and put them back into the workforce."
Peters quipped that he was concerned that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern would call him and tell him to stay in the job because it was looking too easy.
Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters says his job is pick up people who have fallen by the wayside. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Bridges said that sanctions were fair. They were not applied unless a beneficiary had been non-compliant at least three times, and benefits were reinstated as soon as they became compliant – "no ifs or buts."
"These are fair and reasonable obligations that most New Zealanders would go along with," he said.
"New Zealanders are a compassionate and fair-minded people…they want to see the most vulnerable receiving support and they are happy to pay their taxes for that but what they also want to see is that there is fair and reasonable obligations."
People who could work should make a reasonable effort. "That is not too much to ask."
Jacinda Ardern earlier this year asked Work and Income to take a "kinder" approach to families seeking help over the winter.
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni has changed the process for sanctions and now requires that two staff member must approve such sanctions, rather than one staffer.
Talking to reporters at Parliament, she rejected claims that that was going "soft."
She said the criteria had not changed and the drop in sanctions was evidence that mistakes had been made under the National Government.
Labour and the Greens agreed in their confidence and supply agreement to end the sanction on sole parents benefit who can lose up to $28 a week if they do not name the liable parent.
But that is part of a wider review of the welfare system due to be finished early next year.
The most recent figures showed that in June 2018 there were 277,410 people on a main working-age benefits (such as Jobseeker, Sole Parent Support, Supported Living Payment, Youth Payment and Young Parent Payment and Emergency Benefit), a little higher than the 276,331 a year ago.
Last year's figure represented 9.6 per cent of the working population and this year's is lower, at 9.4 per cent .
