Where will the cuts come from?

"Today's announcement of shuffling of money within the social development budget to pay for the Government's punitive welfare reforms begs the question of where the money will come from," said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.

"Given John Key's Government's record of making cuts that hurt the most vulnerable families, we are deeply concerned about where the millions of dollars of cuts will come from.

"It is disingenuous of this Government to announce this funding package without making it clear where the cuts are coming from. They have this information, it would have been easy and honest for them to release it at the same time.

"The punitive approach that this Government is taking to youth and vulnerable families will not create jobs. The Government needs to be focussing on creating jobs and looking after our ailing economy not targeting those who are already hurting.

"A hundred more people a day have become unemployed since the beginning of this year. That should be the focus of this Government.

"Just today the Government's welfare reforms have been criticised by the Human Rights Commission and Amnesty International for undermining the basic human right of people who need support.

"The Green Party wants a welfare system that looks after all New Zealanders and works beside them when they fall on hard times.