9. MIKE SABIN (National—Northland) to the Associate Minister for Social Development: What steps has the Government recently taken to combat welfare fraud?

Hon CHESTER BORROWS (Associate Minister for Social Development) : On Monday an Order in Council was signed expanding the range of information the Inland Revenue Department can send to the Ministry of Social Development, and this will give the ministry a powerful new tool to make sure it has accurate information and that people on benefits are receiving their correct entitlement. It is another step forward in cracking down on welfare fraud. I want to acknowledge the Minister of Revenue, the Hon Peter Dunne, for his work in making this level of information sharing a reality.

Mike Sabin: What would he say to a beneficiary who was concerned about the new information-sharing?

Hon CHESTER BORROWS: That we are drawing a distinction between the vast majority of beneficiaries, who are honest and upfront with the Ministry of Social Development, and the small minority who think it is OK to rip off hard-working Kiwis. Honest beneficiaries have nothing to fear from these changes, as it will only confirm information that the ministry already has. But fraud is fraud, whether from an individual or from a taxpayer, and those who rip the system off should come to us before we come and find them.