Increase in welfare funds “a bribe”

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33044, 11 October 1972, Page 23

Increase in welfare funds “a bribe”

(Neu» Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 10. The Government had deliberately withheld money so that it could use it as an election bribe, said the Labour Party’s spokesman on social welfare, Mr N. J. King (Birkenhead).

He was commenting on the announcement by the Minister of Health (Mr AdamsSchneider) that expenditure on accommodation for the aged would be doubled over the next three years. “The Labour Party is certainly not going to emulate the Government by trying to buy votes,” Mr King said. “Now with a few weeks to the election, the Government promises after re-election to build, for example, 1500 pensioner houses in the next three years. “The number of pensioner housing units built bas fallen consistently over the last five years,” Mr King said.

“The Government allowed insufficient money so only 221 units were being built in the last financial year. To the end of March, 1972, there were 531 urgent applications and many more people needed better accommodation.” The announcement of a larger sum to be made available to welfare and religious organisations would not meet the need, he said. It still required alteration to the basis of subsidy as announced by Labour. “The policy announced by the Minister is uninviting; there is a need for a larger, broader approach.”