Bennett finally admits boss was paid out

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has some apologising to do after misleading the public over the hasty departure of the head of Work and Income just 11 months after she was hired, Labour’s Social Development spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.

“Asked in the House in June why former CEO Janet Grossman had left after less than a year in the job, Ms Bennett said it was because ‘her husband had job opportunities in the UK and she wishes to return back there’.

“However since then the Ministry has released its annual report. It shows that termination benefits of $97,000 were paid out last year.

“Today we learned that Ms Grossman did, in fact, receive a termination benefit, something that is only paid if an employee is made redundant or when the decision is made to terminate employment before a contract ends - neither of which fit with Ms Bennett’s excuse in June.

“That leaves two options - either Ms Bennett lied, or her oversight of what is going on at Work and Income is so lax that she didn't know that its top executive had to be sacked

“Clearly something has gone wrong with what was an extremely expensive appointment – up to $50,000 is available for relocation costs – made by a department which is unravelling by the day.

“Ms Bennett must front up and tell the truth, because it's clear that she hasn’t done so, so far,” Jacinda Ardern said.