A revelation that Ministry of Social Development prematurely suspended thousands of winter energy payments, places more pressure on its struggling Minister.
Louise Upston is a member of the conservative wing of the National Party. I am not sure that she specifically adheres to the Ruthenasia philosophy of former Minister of Finance Ruth Richardsons. However Mrs Upston has long been known to have a socially conservative voting record against L.G.B.T.Q people, single parents with children and those earning more than $65,000 with teens aged 18-19.
Poorly performing Ministers
I have long held a low estimate of Ministers of Social Development. All have been committed to the ideology of their government. None have tackled the more practical problems that anyone who has been a client of Work and Income New Zealand, or Study Link, know for sure exist. The current Minister is one. Former Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett is another. When Ms Bennett was in office, the National-led coalition that she was a part of sought areas to cut expenditure in. Yet they, like her predecessors in the Labour-led Government of Helen Clark and her successors failed to reform one thing.
The bureaucracy of Work and Income, but also M.S.D. at large, is bloated and inefficient. Its processes mean unnecessary paper and file handling is mandatory. I have seen this from personal experience, having been a client between 2000-2007, 2011-2013. For decades, I have known how inefficient M.S.D. and its umbrella agencies can be. I have been in Work and Income offices as staff have filled forms for the third or even fourth time. In some instances, I have been asked questions that should have had answers on the computer in front of the staff.
Mrs Upston is one of the most incompetent Ministers that I have seen in any Government. She has made numerous mistakes, which have had to be corrected on the Hansard record because Parliament was misled. Under her direction the following have happened:
- Thousands of New Zealanders have had benefit payments improperly suspended due to a rushed law change
- Earlier in August 15,000 people were affected by Ministry of Social Development implementing means testing on a payment that has no means testing
She also lacks compassion many will argue. An example of this came early in the current Government. It was announced people with cancer, or aggressive long-term illness have to seek part time work.
- Labour says that Mrs Upston and M.S.D. were warned about this as early as June – Mrs Upston denies ever receiving an e-mail
To sack or not to sack?
It is highly improbable though that Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will sack her. One reason is that it could be signalled as weak or a desperate attempt to save face. A second and more plausible reason is that Mr Luxon simply does not believe she has done significant wrong.
Except Mrs Upston has. Several times. It is time she faced disciplinary action for her poor performance as a Minister of the Crown. The time has come for Parliament and National to hold her to account for her actions. Will Prime Minister Christopher Luxon reign in his errant Minister of Social Development, or will she turn into a potential liability at the election?
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