Your view: Benefit fraud, climate change, bureaucrats, Queenstown, show

OPINION: Click here to find out how to submit a letter for publication.

How to handle benefit fraud
I read with interest the grandstanding of the Minister of Social Development and the 300 hundred cases of "long-term beneficiaries".

Having spent most of my working life helping "at-risk" families, I admire those who are forced to live on a WINZ benefit and I would make the following comments about the Harris family:

Are they benefit fraudsters or abusers? Clearly not so. All their entitlements have been WINZ approved.

Should they have access to a local "difficult client" team at WINZ? Clearly not so. There should be a national team based in Wellington that comprises 3-4 experienced case managers who have a starting position of "no" to any additional entitlements.

Given that frontline WINZ are rightfully scared of Mr Harris (hence the special team, who work in an office with colleagues for support and often a security guard), is it reasonable to allow Harris to approach a local designated GP? Of course that would be inappropriate as he or she can be intimidated as well, hence the ongoing medical certificate for drug abuse and anxiety at possible work testing by WINZ. That medical certification should only be by a specialised GP attached to the national team.

Should Mr Harris and the other 299 cases have access to local review (decision appeal) committees? Clearly the answer is no. Any appeal should be dealt with nationally.

Isn't the sickness benefit income (not asset) tested? Of course it is. So when Mr Harris wanted new tyres for his 2007 Chrysler car, why did they not ask him where he had $40,000 in income to afford such a vehicle?

He could have sold it, bought a Japanese import, paid for the fence around the swimming pool for his second house (isn't rent income) and still had some money to spare.

Mr Harris should be served notice that he will be funded to drug and alcohol assessment at an inpatient unit and by the end of the next 12 months (or less if he refused to participate), he will no longer be able to have sickness benefit.

WINZ should learn from other national government agencies like Corrections (Prisons). They cater for all types of prisoner needs. Those who threaten others in the system or, more importantly, the integrity of the system, end up in a national unit with increased security.

And finally, if the minister and her colleagues think the integrity of our welfare system will be maintained by having separate systems for some cultures or by having everyone on unemployment benefit reapply every 12 months, she has little insight into the intergenerational behaviour of dysfunctional families. The extra WINZ staff needed for this annual task might lower the unemployment benefit level.

Merry Christmas to all those who genuinely struggle on benefit.
Nobby Clark, Invercargill

Just say no, leaders
If the world leaders who flew to Copenhagen had managed to achieve just one worthwhile thing, it would have been to have said "no"' to plans to build hundreds and hundreds of coal-fired powerstations around the world.

But they didn't.

The one worthwhile thing our Prime Minister could have done would have been to have said "no" to digging more coal out of the ground here in New Zealand.

But he didn't.
Robert Guyton, Riverton

Beating the bureaucrats
In all the years Alan Swallow has been commenting on city council activities I'd have thought he'd have realised long ago the problem.

Bureaucrats are paid for responsibility, which encourages empire building – another layer means increased salaries for those above and promotional opportunities for those below. (All done away from the public gaze).

Not until the councillors do what they have been elected to do and take back control of the budget will things change.

When the council employs all heads of departments with set budgets on performance based, reviewable, renewable contracts there will be a possibility of change.

While the bureaucrats will fight accountability tooth and nail, it is nowhere as difficult as they would have you believe.

The starting budget could be the average over the last five years.

If the department comes in under budget the surplus is distributed amongst the staff as a bonus.

If over budget, it comes off next year's allocation.

It is self-policing, as work deferred to gain a bonus will catch up down the track.

The question is have any of the ratepayers representatives the courage required?

With an election less than a year away, it would be a good time to establish candidates' priorities.
Lou Harrison-Smith, Christchurch

Hit or myth?
A number of climate change deniers have written letters to this paper with the outrageous claim that many leading scientists question climate change.

If you are really interested in facts, take five minutes and read this article from NewScientist that may shed some light for you on this ridiculous claim.
P Clifford, Invercargill

Resort's real role
Queenstown hits the "social pages" again!

On the Statue of Liberty it quotes somewhere "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free".

Queenstown should just post somewhere public "Give me your drunks, your p***ed, your befuddled masses yearning to board free".
R Keith Cook, Invercargill

Times not so staunch
I had always thought that The Southland Times was a staunch supporter of local activities.

I believed that it was an advocate of local people and events.

However, I am bitterly disappointed at the lack of coverage given to the family Christmas musical What Santa Does Other Days of the Year written by two Southlanders, produced by the local production company Mad Mother Productions and performed by a local cast in Centrestage since Friday.

A photographer from the Times visited the dress rehearsal on Thursday, and a reporter contacted me that day also (three times) to work on a story related to the show.

The hard-working cast and crew hoped to see a story on Friday, but nothing, then thought hopefully it would be there on Saturday to accompany the review (as tickets had been sent to the Times), again nothing, not even a review. Monday's paper produced a similar lack of support.

I understand that the Times can be pressed for space, but I feel let down that the efforts of this fabulous cast and band have gone unmentioned and unsupported by our local paper.
Sally Bodkin-Allen, Invercargill

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