Muriel Newman's year of mistakes continues

Muriel Newman is ending the year just as she started – wrong, says Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey.

"Muriel Newman's claim that an increase of $2.1 billion over the next five years in welfare spending will contribute to 'massive growth in welfare dependency' is utter nonsense," Steve Maharey said.

"The majority of that spending is on the government's Working for Families Package, which rewards working families. Does Muriel Newman intend that ACT would not support this spending?

"Working for Families will put more money in the pockets of nearly 300,000 low-and-middle income families with children. It's helping people to get into work and to make that work pay for their families.

"The reality is the number of Kiwis in work has grown by 230,000 since the Labour-led government was elected. Unemployment to an 18-year low of 3.8 % - the second-lowest figure in the OECD. That's hardly welfare dependency.
"We know that ACT want to make huge cuts to superannuation and benefits. We also know how unenthusiastically their policies are being received by voters.

"My advice to ACT for the new year is to get their facts straight."

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