TVNZ,
4
December, 2012
The
Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, has confirmed the
Transition to Work Grant, aimed at helping people get work in New
Zealand, has been used to pay for one-way flights to Australia.
"I'm
not saying they are acceptable but but I'm saying there might be the
odd time where there's extenuating circumstances," Bennett said.
Asked
how many times it had happened, Bennett said "Single figures in
the last sort of five years from what I can see."
She
said whether the practice is inappropriate, "depends on what the
extenuating circumstance are."
Asked
if the practice is embarrassing for her as Minister, Bennett said:
"Well certainly, and to the point where I've escalated all
decisions to head office because I don't think that sort of thing
should be happening."
Bennett
said she was "not going to stand here and make excuses for it.
It's not common practice, it's not the policy intent."
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Under
the Transition to Work Grant a beneficiary can get up to $1500 a year
for job interview costs such as "clothing and travel" and
"relocation costs".
But
the Winz website specifically says recipients should also normally
live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
'Outrageous'
Labour
says the practice is outrageous and is questioning if the Minister
has control of her department.
Labour's
Social Development spokesperson Jacinda Ardern, said the revelations
are "further proof that the Government has no interest in
creating work opportunities here".
"John
Key campaigned on stopping the flood of Kiwis moving to Australia.
Not only has he failed that test - we now have record numbers of New
Zealanders heading across the ditch - his Minister of Social
Development is facilitating it, with the 'transition to work' grant
being used to pay for beneficiaries' passports and flights,"
Ardern said in a statement.
"Paula
Bennett couldn't confirm in the House today just how many job seekers
Work and Income staff might have bought one-way tickets across the
ditch for. However, she 'hoped' it wasn't common practice,"
Ardern said.
"Hoping
isn't going to change the fact that roughly 6000 people move off the
benefit each year to move overseas, some of whom have apparently done
so with help from Bennett.
"That
makes a lie of the promise to reduce the number of people shifting
across the Tasman.
"The
'wave goodbye to your taxes, not your loved ones' slogan rings pretty
hollow when we have a Government that believes unemployed Kiwis are
better off leaving New Zealand because it has given up on finding
work for them.
"Put
bluntly we now have a Government that is supporting the export of
Kiwis to Australia."
ONE
News spoke to beneficiary advocates who were shocked that money from
Winz was being spent on flights to Australia. But they did not want
to go on camera for fear of losing their jobs.
The
Minister says over the last five years there have been more than
500,000 allowances given out.
Work
and Income staff are now trawling through those to find out just how
many times taxpayers have paid for flights abroad.
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