Meurant claims “insulting”

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 10

Meurant claims “insulting”

By

DEBORAH MCPHERSON

An outspoken National member of Parliament’s claims that domestic purpose beneficiaries had children to get more payments were insulting to women, said the Christchurch Kitchen Table yesterday. The group was responding to comments by the Member of Parliament for Hobson, Mr Ross Meurant, that D.P.B. beneficiaries in the “less so-cio-economic category” were encouraged to have children to qualify for increased welfare payments. The Government’s policies provided “incentives for the poor to breed,” he said. A spokeswoman for the Kitchen Table, Ms Moira Pennell, said Mr Meurant was “talking nonsense” and that his statement was “an insult to women.”

The group of 40 women, who work in paid employment, voluntary organ-

isations and the home, monitor economic change and its effect on women and families. Ms Pennell said the Kitchen Table did not believe Mr Meurant’s comments were based on fact. If they were, however, it would be a “shocking indictment on our society that the job opportunities and the pay rate for women were so poor that a few could see it as a viable way to make a living,” she said. “Poverty does not create poverty, but wealth does,” said Ms Pennell. “During the 1930 s Depression people had fewer children than in the economic boom of the 19505.” The group was also adamantly opposed to any benefits being cut. Social Welfare Department figures showed that the D.P.B. was largely used by women as an interim benefit for about two years, before they stopped receiving it, said Ms Pennell.