Hon Chester Borrows
Associate Minister for Social Development
19 March 2014
Cunliffe voting against himself on welfare fraud
Associate Social Development Minister Chester Borrows says Labour needs to be clear on where they stand on welfare
fraud.
“Yesterday morning David Cunliffe said he would scrap our legislation to hold partners complicit in welfare fraud to
account, but later in the day Labour supported it,” says Mr Borrows.
“I was pleased to have such broad support from across the Parliament, including the Labour Party, for our bill.
“So to see Mr Cunliffe promising in an online interview just that morning to scrap these changes was disappointing, even
though he changed his mind later in the day.”
“National’s position has always been consistent. We make no apologies for wanting to hold to account those who try to
rip-off our welfare system, and that includes partners who are complicit in the offending,” says Mr Borrows.
“Mr Cunliffe should give the New Zealand public a straight answer. Do he and his party stand with the more than 300,000
beneficiaries who follow the rules, or with the tiny minority of thieves ripping off the taxpayer?”
ENDS