National attack on beneficiaries who go public an outrage

National’s attitude to people who dare to speak out on benefit issues is reminiscent of the worst of 1990s beneficiary-bashing, Green Social Development Spokesperson Sue Bradford said today.

“Paula Bennett’s release of personal details of two women on the Domestic Purposes Benefit who dared to go public about cutbacks to the Training Incentive Allowance is an outrage.

“The Minister evidently publicised the womens’ information without their permission. I strongly suspect this is a breach of the Privacy Act and would encourage the women to complain to the Privacy Commissioner.

“Ms Bennett should apologise immediately.”

This incident came on top of the release last week of further details about Bruce Burgess, a worker who had been made redundant and was distressed to find he was not eligible for the unemployment benefit.

The National Government is sending out a loud message that if any unemployed person or beneficiary dares to speak in public about issues that affect them personally, the Government will use all its power to discredit and humiliate them, Ms Bradford said.

“In my time working in the unemployed movement in the 1980s and 90s I saw this sort of thing happen time and again, but never as blatantly as the past week’s episode.

“The Green Party believes that in a democracy individuals should feel free to criticise Government actions which affect them without having the full force of the state and the media working together to criticise and demean them.

“It takes enormous courage for people to talk publicly about their circumstances in the first place.

“I fear that from now on no one will speak up.

“This form of silencing opposition is simply not acceptable in a democratic society and I hope the Government will urgently reconsider its intimidating tactics.”

* NZ Herald story Bennett gets tough with outspoken solo mums http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10587053