Welfare cut sought

Press, 27 March 1981, Page 4

Welfare cut sought

PA Hastings Thd Minister of Police (Mr Couch) has told a meeting in Hastings that he had tried to deny social welfare benefits to-a group of young people in Moerewa which had been causing trouble. “However, you should see the obstacles that were thrown up. I was told you can’t do it,” he said. Young people who lived , on the dole while breaking i the Jaw might find their ■ social welfare benefits halved, he said. The Government was look- ‘ ing at the possibilities of . doing something about the benefits, Mr Couch said. He 1 did not .want to see this

type of person thriving on welfare handouts. Mr Couch also said he believed tire death would be brought back if the public showed that that was what it wanted. “I believe it will come when you people out there say you want it,” he said. He raised the point of Arthur Allan Thomas’s conviction for murder — and subsequent acquittal — and said in reference to the possibility of an innocent man being put to death: “He wouldn’t be the first. Justice is not perfect.” Answering a question from the floor asking why the Government did not re-

introduce compulsory military training for unruly youngsters, Mr Couch said that the Government was looking at corrective training along military lines.

He also said he would like to see parents made to accept some responsibility for crimes committed by their children. The Government was looking at penal reforms and one arha under study was to make parents responsible for the criminal actions of their children.

Certain parents were trying to abdicate their responsibilities and their children were out of control by the time they had reached 12 and 13, Mr Couch said.