SLASH AND BURN WELFARE POLICIES WON'T WORK

Minister of Social Welfare, Hon Roger Sowry today lashed out at the ACT party's policies saying they would gut welfare services to small communities like Hawera and Stratford.

"Reducing taxes to 20% of GDP will result in one thing for certain, and that is less money to distribute to groups providing social services. The first groups to lose out will be those in our smaller communities.

"The National Party is more interested in realistic and fair policies for New Zealanders which is already clearly evident in the way Income Support is working one to one with its customers to help those dependent on state assistance to move from welfare to work.

"The National Party is more interested in supportive and realistic ways of helping people to break the welfare dependency cycle and move from welfare to work, not the slash and burn policies that the ACT party are promising."

Mr Sowry made his comments as he visited offices in Hawera and Stratford which are among Income Support's top three in the country for service to customers.