Don’t pre-empt welfare decisions before public debate: Alternative Welfare Working Group
Public meetings begin in Wellington

Welfare Justice – the Alternative Welfare Working Group, whose month-long series of public meetings get underway tomorrow, is calling on the Minister of Social Development not pre-empt her own Welfare Working Group’s process, after further announcements about welfare changes over the weekend.

Community-led Welfare Justice kicks off its own public consultation in Wellington tomorrow, which involves asking the community to share experiences and views about welfare through public meetings, and inviting submissions, both to itself, and to the government appointed Welfare Working Group.

However, Welfare Justice chair Mike O’Brien expressed concern about comments made over the weekend by Paula Bennett on TV3’s The Nation, prior to the Welfare Working Group and the Alternative Welfare Working Group presenting their reports to her.

“At the Welfare Working Group forum in June, the Minister called for a public debate on the future of our welfare system. We are taking that call very seriously, and the community sector is investing precious time and resources to ensure that voices of the most vulnerable are able to be heard. We would urge the Minister to engage with the community sector in the debate she herself has called,” said Dr O’Brien.

Welfare Justice’s meetings are aimed at enabling participation by vulnerable members of the community most likely to be affected by welfare changes. It is hoped that beneficiaries, sole-parents, people with disabilities, job-seekers and unemployed people and community organizations will share their experiences with the group, he said.

“We particularly want to hear what principles people believe should be central to social welfare, and how these are being applied or not applied in our current system. We want to hear about ideas for the future as well as what is happening currently,” he said.

Both the government appointed Welfare Working Group and the community commissioned Alternative Welfare Working Group will be reporting to the government in December.

ENDS

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