My heart goes out to Metiria today as she faced the MSD interrogation squad today…
Turei shaken after grilling by MSD investigators
Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei has been grilled about her benefit history at a meeting with investigators from the Ministry of Social Development.
The ministry is investigating after Mrs Turei revealed last month she lied to Work and Income as a young solo mother in the early 1990s so her benefit would not be reduced.
Mrs Turei said she was asked very personal questions and if it wasn’t for her law degree and experience as an advocate, or had she still been a beneficiary, it would have been a lot worse.
She had gone into the meeting saying she was nervous, and had emerged appearing a little shaken.
“That’s part of what we’re trying to show people, that it’s very hard to deal with the agency. They were very good to me, but I don’t think that’s the experience of most people who have to deal with MSD.”
Mrs Turei said the meeting added weight to her view that the welfare system was broken. “We need to have a more compassionate system. I just think it’s set up in a way that punishes people for being poor.”
…it’s one thing to talk the talk, it’s another to walk it and Metiria is walking it for every single vulnerable person who has been abused by our neoliberal welfare state.
Her courage for speaking up about how the purposely spiteful system forced her to cheat to feed her child 25 years ago has resonated with beneficiaries everywhere as the enormity of how cruel the MSD really is becomes public.
Most NZers who never have to deal with the sheer meanness of neoliberal welfare agencies will never comprehend the animosity many beneficiaries feel against these mini-tyrants who rule decisions over their lives with such gleeful strictness.
More New Zealanders have to understand how awful Ministry of Vulnerable Children, Housing NZ, Corrections, WINZ and MSD really are or else the lives of beneficiaries will always be little better than debt slaves.
After the vicious character assassination she faced by rich white male broadcasters, fronting the MSD interrogation squad after fronting every media outlet and interview, Metiria has faced attacks few other politicians could ever survive.
She has become more than a politicians now, she is a genuine civil rights leader of NZ with all the mana that brings with it.
I can’t imagine a better Deputy Leader of NZ or Minister of Social Development.
By promising to lift benefits by $180 each week, the Greens have stood shoulder to shoulder with the weakest and most vulnerable amongst us. That deserves respect and our support.
Kia haha Metiria
Deep state are doing over both Metiria and Jacinda but both these girls are gutsy and have my new found admiration for this.
They will win and the deep state will loose mate.
Don’t fear them girls go hard we are all behind you now.
Absolutely Cleangreen.
Both Metiria and Jacinda are proving their worth, every bit of the way. Two very gutsy women, always up for a challenge, to lead the next government? You bet. Bring it on.
… ” She has become more than a politician now, she is a genuine civil rights leader of NZ with all the mana that brings with it . I can’t imagine a better Deputy Leader of NZ or Minister of Social Development.
By promising to lift benefits by $180 each week, the Greens have stood shoulder to shoulder with the weakest and most vulnerable amongst us. That deserves respect and our support ” …
Metiria is a hero.
To thousands in NZ now.
She will go down as one of the greats , – as did Savage and Kirk.
Doesn’t your heart soar when you see a genuine person , … not necessarily just a politician ? Someone real. Someone compassionate. Someone who actually gives a damn.
The Greens will reap a massive positive response at the polls for Metiria’s actions and the $180.00 extra for beneficiaries per week they have as part of their policy’s .
Any criticism of that will contrasted with the sheer miserable reality of Bill English’s loathsome , self serving ‘ low wage economy ‘ and the mass poverty , homelessness and despair that it brings.
I bet they were nice, they know all eyes are on them. We need the full sunlight on all the bizarre witch hunts they have conducted. There needs to be an ombudsman for social security- MSD appeal process is self serving and unscrutinised. We need better reporting in the courts- who asks the right questions -where are the children who are damaged in the process? Read CPAG’s publication ‘Kathryn’s story- nearly got to the Supreme court after 17 years post her prison sentence ( when she had a 4 year old) for the non crime of sex with some unsatisfactory bloke. This is conversation NZ must have.
Metiria is not 19 years old now, so has the advantage of age and experience, and still was shaken.
Says it all.
Good wishes for your future Metiria.
Hope you have a chance to bring about change.
Metiria is not 19 years old now, so has the advantage of age and experience, and still was shaken.
Says it all.
Good wishes for your future Metiria.
Hope you have a chance to bring about change.
Well Written – Martyn Bradbury!
I am interested in the following statement: “Mrs Turei said she was asked very personal questions ….”
It would be helpful if the general public of NZ could be given the Names, Addresses (Home and Work), Contact Phone Numbers (Home and Work), Status in the Department, Degrees, Salaries, Housing; Mortgages; Bank Balances; Partners past and present; Children; Parents; Assets; Holidays taken; Destinations; Close Associates; Drinking Preferences; Drugs taken; Lists of close Associates and Friends. Each Data point to be traced over the past 25 years.
Why ?
Because a lot of NZ people would like to examine the morals and principles of the Ministry of Social Development who rummaged willingly and unthinkingly through the life of a single mother. Numerous single mothers too!
We would like to get to know these strangers. And if necessary deal to them.
Only in the interests of Justice and Fairness. Admittedly, Justice and Fairness is not something readily associated with the Ministry of Social Development.
Okay ?
I also find it interesting how if any of the opposition ‘do wrong’ they are hauled over the coals – on the flipside, Nat MPs just get the ‘ soft talking, nothing to see here’ treatment.
Good on you Metiria and spot on Martyn, the welfare system has become mean and spiteful. It is broken and needs a new compassionate approach, the opposite of what culture there is at present.
You are a hero Metiria, a true role model and leader who speaks the truth for the sake of justice and freedom in this country. I have really felt for you. I am the eldest of eleven children born in 11 years and single mother of two children. I have worked to support myself since I was 13. I thought the hard was normal. I am 67 and still working and poor. Good on you for speaking up.
I loaned my daughter $7000 2 years ago to replace her broken down car. She was on a benefit and had 4 children. Before I have her the money I asked Wins if my daughter was allowed to receive this money to which they replied, yes, it’s a loan. I asked for that in writing but they said their policy was they are not allowed to put anything in writing. I was worried about this so rang Head Office in Wellington where a staff member did put it in writing. Last year Winz investigated my daughter and she was told they classed that $7000 as income and prosecuted her. They took no notice of the letter I had in writing from their Head Office. My daughter was made to pay the $7000 back (my money loaned for her car) and she was given 4 months home detention. She was so traumatised that she now suffers anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. Wins are bullies and need to be held accountable for the disgusting way they treat the vulnerable.
Dianne Ryan
What was done to your Daughter and to you her Mother, is absolutely appalling and utterly unjust Dianne.
We must pull the Ministry of Social Development apart – Officer by Officer – from top to bottom – and take the entire National Cabinet to Court for deliberately and wrongfully traumatising (mentally destroying) hapless persons in their care.
MSD is guilty of Mother / Child heinous crime. One of Nationals satanic delights.
One of the mistakes in this debate, is the allegation that the taxpayer has been badly ripped off. Child support-paying spouses via IRD must fund a good portion of the pool of benefit money but this point has been ignored. How much child support is paid to the Crown each year I wonder?
To: Dianne Ryan
As recently as two years ago, You communicated with WINZ on behalf of your Daughter and you asked that they write back to you with their given verbal finding. As is normal procedure worldwide in matters of Business and Bureaucracy.
However, “I asked for that in writing but they said their policy was they are not allowed to put anything in writing.”
Effectively, under the ruling of John Key and the Head of Department they proceeded to entrap you and your daughter. Since when your Daughter has been deeply distressed and traumatised. Shredded.
MSD -Ministry of Social Development – is sheer filth. John Key must be taken to Court and severely punished by imprisonment for his shocking devious behaviour.
He must explain every case of Trauma that he and his associate National politicians brought on these struggling women. He must be thoroughly punished.
Gower, Espiner, Garner, Soper – plus Hosking, Farar, and Armstrong and all other hatchet men of National – must be taken before the Judiciary too. For their role in this reign of MSD terror.
Dianne, we can measure this Blog, and the timid Standard Blog, NZ First, Labour and the Greens – by the way they drag National kicking and screaming to Justice.
New Zealand does not exist for the degradation of Mothers by wealthy fat National politicians and their Ministries.
There is probably no way we can get RNZ Kathyrn Ryan of looking into this deep deep cess pool – she being such a fan of the great Hooton – but surely some women somewhere can form a group to care for their traumatised sisters.
I wish you so well Dianne Ryan. I earnestly hope that Martyn Bradbury keeps we of this Blog ever mindful of what we should be doing for Nationals traumatised.
Excellent article Bomber.
It is vitally important that the focus is kept on WINZ and NOT the ‘taxpayer’s money’ nonsense.
The right will always try to shift the focus away from how evil neo-liberalism is.
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