Thursday, 18 November 2004

The Government not Children will be the big beneficiary of Child Support Debt Recovery.

"The Labour Government, via the consolidated fund, will be the big beneficiary of the changes David Cunliffe, Minister responsible for Child Support, is proposing to the Child Support Act 1991. Child Support Tax is all about revenue collection, not supporting children. Once again children will be the losers as Labour continues to tinker with a fundamentally flawed Child Support Regime." Commented Jim Nicolle, spokesperson for the New Zealand Child Support Reform Network.

"The level of "debt" is continually misrepresented by Mr. Cunliffe. About 57% ($494 Million) of this so-called debt are penalties that children will never see, but will provide a huge boost to the consolidated fund. Of the other 43% ($379 Million) the bulk of that will end up in the consolidated fund under the guise of benefit recovery" Observed Nicolle.

"The high level of debt is an indicator of a fundamentally flawed Child Support regime. Parents want to support their children but are stopped from doing so by a Child Support Tax that is a cash cow for the government at our kids expense." Nicolle stated.

"David Cunliffe is advocating a "sticks and carrots" approach that is more suitable to dealing with donkeys than parents and children. There is a rapidly growing dissatisfaction and frustration among parents with the anti father and child ideology that underpins New Zealand Family Law, reducing dads from real parents of their children to "cash and contact" parents. Real reform of Child Support Law, creating a fair and reasonable Child Support System, is required now." Concluded Nicolle

ENDS

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