Judith Collins MP
National Party Welfare Spokeswoman
20 September 2006
Benson-Pope in denial about his own figures
National Party Welfare spokesman Judith Collins understands that David Benson-Pope would be embarrassed by figures
showing 73 people have been on a benefit for more than a decade due to stress.
"I understand why this Minister would be embarrassed by these figures, but they are his own figures. How can that be
misleading?"
Earlier today, Ms Collins released figures from parliamentary questions showing 478 people have been on a sickness
benefit for more than four years due to stress and 73 people have been on welfare for more than 10 years due to stress.
"Does the Minister now disagree with these figures supplied by his office?"
Ms Collins says she stands "100 per cent behind" the statements she made earlier that after seven long years in office
Labour is tolerating a "criminal waste of human talent" by not doing more to rehabilitate those beneficiaries with
stress related conditions.
ENDS