Brash plans welfare crackdown

Solo mums will lose benefit entitlements if they keep having children under National's aggressive new welfare crackdown policy.

Workers on the dole would be pushed to sit literacy and numeracy tests, while those on invalid and sickness benefits would have to be examined by designated doctors, in an attempt to stop benefit numbers spiralling upwards.

These are among the policies to be unveiled in National leader Don Brash's Orewa Mark II speech on Tuesday, as he argues that "Kiwi battlers" have been picking up the tab for beneficiaries for too long.

National is back trailing behind Labour in the polls, after a freak 17 per cent jump in the polls on the back of last year's Orewa Rotary Club speech.

That speech, attacking preferential funding for Maori and demanding "one law for all", seemed to catch a mood - but this year the Government is forewarned and forearmed, making Dr Brash's task more difficult.

As speculation mounted that Dr Brash would focus his attack on welfare, the Government sought to head him off at the pass by announcing greater scrutiny of rising invalid and sickness benefit numbers, which have risen steadily from 83,000 to 115,000 in the past five years.

But his aggressive time-limited benefits policy could strike a chord with some voters, judging by the reaction of people spoken to by the Herald on Sunday in the opening election year battlegrounds of Ratana and Orewa.

"I think there should be a time limit on benefits, because that would automatically encourage people to search for work," said Ratana Church official William Meremere, a Labour voter.

"You have another child, instead of getting an increase, you get a decrease. You wouldn't be there for long. You'd fix your problem," said Orewa Rotary Club member Andy Dunn.

Dr Brash has been bolstered by MP Georgina te Heuheu's decision to stick with the National Party, a year after he sacked her as Maori Affairs spokeswoman for refusing to sign up to his controversial "one law" Orewa speech.

The list MP had "seriously considered" approaches to resign and run for the Maori Party, she told the Herald on Sunday yesterday.

But tomorrow she and a large Maori group from Papakura will accompany him on to Ratana Marae, where last year he sat with no Maori supporters with him in the front row.

"I was thinking seriously about going, but there's a big picture to look at, a nation to be built, and strong leadership is required to build a strong, diverse and united nation. And I believe I have a role to play," Mrs te Heuheu said.

Twenty-four members of the Kotahitanga Community Trust in Papakura will travel today to Ratana, south of Wanganui, to accompany Dr Brash onto the marae tomorrow. Member Peter Caccioppoli said Maori opposition to Don Brash last year was because most Maori had not actually read the speech: "All this welfare dependency seems to be an easy answer. There should be a time limit on benefits, then after that those on welfare should educate themselves or do work experience."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY