Human Rights Commission comes out against Paula Bennett

Another blow to Paula Bennett's bash the bennie program, after being told her legislation breached the Bill of Rights by Chris Finlayson (who has been cruelly treated by National when Key destroyed his 18months of Treaty negotiation with Tuhoe), the Human Rights Commission has righteously come out and attacked Paula's plans...

Commission finds Future Focus bill requires substantial changes
The Human Rights Commission wants substantial changes made to the Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill so that it does not discriminate against specific groups and it meets basic human rights standards. It has offered its expertise to help redraft the bill it considers fundamentally flawed.

The Social Assistance (Future Focus) bill aims to “put into effect the package of proposals to implement the manifesto commitments made by the Government prior to the election and introduce an unrelenting focus on work.”

However, the Commission says it will fail in its purpose because it:
1: Discriminates against certain groups
2: Contravenes New Zealand’s international obligations
3: Is unlikely to achieve its purpose given the lack of available jobs in the time frame proposed
4: Has the potential to impact on young children if parents are forced to return to work and cannot arrange satisfactory childcare
5: Places extra burdens on sickness beneficiaries
6: Perpetuates stereotypes about already vulnerable groups.

The bill includes:
1: introducing a part-time work test for solo parents on domestic purposes benefit once their youngest child turns 6 years old
2: introducing a part-time work test for people on sickness benefit who are assessed as being able to work part-time
3: requiring people receiving unemployment benefit to reapply every 12 months and undertake a comprehensive work assessment at that time.

...but remember Paul's words when challenged that her policy was discriminatory? She said most NZers would accept that discrimination - she doesn't even try to hide that her policy is bennie bashing and is a breach of rights by being discriminatory, she just says that we all hate solo mothers so much, that we'll all go along with seeing them openly discriminated against.

Ugly. So very, very ugly.