"Helen Clark's rejection of a taxpayer bail-out for disgraced Maori TV head John Davy is a graphic example of unprincipled and inconsistent thinking," says Lindsay Mitchell, Libertarianz spokesman for the deregulation of welfare.

Davy is unable to return the $20,000 advance on his salary, and Clark is reported to have asked: "Why should we give him money so he can repay us?" But Mitchell points out that this is exactly what the government already does. Only weeks ago, she says, we learnt of extensive fraud amongst WINZ staff - in at least one case the fraudster is now repaying the taxpayer from his 'unemployment' benefit.

"By giving this character money so that he can repay us, aren't we doing exactly what the Prime Minister says we should not?" asks Mitchell. "Indeed, whenever we jail or pay welfare to perpetrators of crime the taxpayer ends up footing reparation to victims."

"It is revealing that the Prime Minister can identify the immorality of a taxpayer-funded 'bail-out' in one circumstance but not in another. Both the millions of dollars we are forced to give to criminals to repay their so-called 'debts to society' and the $20,000 we will inevitably be forced to give to John Davy are examples of indecent use of taxpayers' money. Neither Davy nor the criminals should be in line to receive a taxpayer bail-out - and our Prime Minister really should know that."

"It's enough to make you vote Libertarianz!"

ENDS

Lindsay Mitchell
Libertarianz spokesman for the deregulation of welfare
ph/fx 04 562 7944 e-mail dandl.mitchell@clear.net.nz

www.libertarianz.org.nz

www.libz.org

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