PENSIONS LAWS

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21746, 31 March 1936, Page 12

PENSIONS LAWS

GOVERNMENT’S TASK ELIMINATION OF ANOMALIES AND DIFFICULTIES v V, tFrom Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, March 30. A statement that the Government was doing its utmost to smooth out the difficulties and anomalies in the pensions laws was made by the Minister for Pensions (the Hon. E. Parry). The Cabinet had devoted attention to” a complete revision of these laws, the Minister said, and as a result many of the unfortunate cases which existed at present would be satisfactorily dealt with. Asked when the Government's amendments of the pensions laws would be introduced, Mr Parry said he was unable to indicate any specific time. That was really a matter for the Prime Minister, the Hon. M. J. Savage. “The Cabinet has treated the pensions legislation as being of the first importance,” said the Minister. “There are some glaring anomalies in the present law, and during the first three weeks of my taking Ministerial control of Jhe Pensions Department half my mail each day was concerned with some aspect or other of the pensions question. Many particularly unfortunate cases were revealed, showing how unfortunate has been the operation of some of the principal provisions of the present law. I am glad tc say, however, that the Government's proposed legislation will have the effect of dealing satisfactorily with many of the difficult cases which have been found to exist. Deserving people may rest assured that the Government is doing its best to relieve them of anxiety." The reciprocal pensipns arrangements with other countries was referred to the Minister. He said emphatically that whatever the Government did, it would take good care not to make New Zealand a dumping ground for pensioners. Persons who were already here would have to be cared for; but the Government would have to safeguard itself against the possibility of people coming to the Dominion when the best years of their lives had been spent iq some other country. The Minister illustrated the task confronting the Government by saying that at present only 35 per cent, of the persons who would benefit under the Government’s legislation were receiving pensions. Removal of the existing anomalies would entail a great deal of work.