Cutting TIA, what financial assistance is available to women on a benefit to train/study?
Rex Landy (Account suspended) made this Official Information request to Deputy Prime Minister
The request was partially successful.
From: Rex Landy (Account suspended)
Dear Deputy Prime Minister,
Today, on Radio NZ, you said, live:
'You see, I don't think I have made it harder. A woman on the benefit now, who wants to go into training, can get more financial assistance than I did in my time, and that's a fact.' (Direct quote from broadcast.)
I would like you to reveal the source of this FACT and how a woman on a benefit can get this financial assistance, and from which government department/s. I await your reply with eagerness.
Yours faithfully,
Rex Landy
From: P Bennett (MIN)
Deputy Prime Minister
Dear correspondent
On behalf of Hon Paula Bennett, thank you for your email.
While the Minister considers all correspondence to be important and all
messages are carefully read and considered, it is not possible to provide
a personal response to every email which is received.
Where the Minister has portfolio responsibility for the issues that you
have raised, your correspondence will be considered and responded to where
appropriate.
(Please note that this acknowledgement is an automatically generated
email.)
Regards
Office of Hon Paula Bennett
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From: Rex Landy (Account suspended)
Dear P Bennett (MIN),
I am still waiting for a response that isn't an automatic 'thanks' to my request under the OIA regarding what financial assistance is available to women now TIA no longer exists (thanks to you!).
I'd like you to tell me where this assistance actually IS, as you spoke about it last year. Surely you're not lying to us all?
Yours sincerely,
Rex Landy
From: Temp1 Bennett (MIN)
Dear Mr Landy
Thank you for your Official Information Act Request of 20 December 2017,
and your subsequent follow up email of 24 February 2017 requesting an
explanation as to why you have yet to receive a response.
I wish to sincerely apologise for both the delay in acknowledging your
request, and for not providing a timely response.
Due to staff changes just prior to Christmas, your request unfortunately
was overlooked. This is not an acceptable excuse by any means, and a
response to your request is currently being crafted.
Our acknowledgement of receipt is as follows:
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Dear Mr Landy
Thank you for your email of 20 December 2017 in which you submitted an
Official Information Act request as follows:
"Today, on Radio NZ, you said, live:
'You see, I don't think I have made it harder. A woman on the benefit now,
who wants to go into training, can get more financial assistance than I
did in my time, and that's a fact.' (Direct quote from broadcast.)
I would like you to reveal the source of this FACT and how a woman on a
benefit can get this financial assistance, and from which government
department/s. I await your reply with eagerness."
As your request aligns with the portfolio of Social Development, it has
been transferred to Hon Anne Tolley's Office for a response. Minister
Tolley is now considering your request in accordance with the Official
Information Act 1982, and will respond shortly.
My sincerest apologies for the delay in acknowledging receipt of your
correspondence.
Thank you for your patience
Kind regards
Gail Robinson
Gail Robinson
Office of Hon Paula Bennett
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of State Services | Minister of Police | Minister of Tourism
| Minister for Women | Minister for Climate Change Issues
MP for Upper Harbour
Executive Wing 7.6, Parliament Buildings | Private Bag 18888 | Wellington
6160 | New Zealand
show quoted sections
From: Rex Landy (Account suspended)
Dear Temp1 Bennett (MIN),
How about you hurry MSD up with my request please? It's waaay overdue now, and it's simply shameful that I have been waiting since BEFORE CHRISTMAS due to your incompetence and laxity.
Passing the buck won't make it go away!
Yours sincerely,
Rex Landy
From: Temp1 Bennett (MIN)
Dear Mr Landy
On behalf of Hon Paula Bennett, thank you for your email of 3 April 2017.
As noted in the email below, your Official Information Act Request was transferred to the office of the Minister for Social Development, Hon Anne Tolley. Accordingly, I am transferring your correspondence to this office for their response.
Kind regards
Salote
Office of Hon Paula Bennett
Deputy Prime Minister|Minister of State Services | Minister for Women | Minister of Tourism | Minister of Police | Minister for Climate Change Issues | MP for Upper Harbour Parliament Buildings
Executive Wing 7.6, Parliament Buildings| Private Bag 18888 | Wellington 6160
show quoted sections
From: Hon Anne Tolley
Dear Mr Landy
Please find attached a response to your OIA request from the Hon Anne
Tolley.
Kind regards
Ruby Bannister
Ruby Bannister | Ministerial Secretary | Office of the Hon Anne Tolley
Minister for Social Development | Minister for Children | Minister of
Local Government | MP for East Coast
Parliament Buildings | Wellington | DDI: +64 4 817 9333
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From: Rex Landy (Account suspended)
Dear Hon Anne Tolley,
Thanks for the pile of information you hoped to hornswaggle me with. It shows that less help is available to beneficiaries to study and train, so I find that your colleague Paula Bennett was LYING on public radio 20 December 2016. Would I be able to have an apology for her untruths?
The assistance you've outlined is available, however, most of it is A LOAN, or RECOVERABLE. That means that this help is in no way commensurate with the help Bennett got when SHE was a solo parent, ergo, she was lying.
Yours sincerely,
Rex Landy
From: Hon Anne Tolley
On behalf of Hon Anne Tolley, thank you for your email which has been
received by this office. Your correspondence has been noted and will be
recorded.
Your email will be forwarded to the Minister for consideration, and a
response will be sent as soon as possible. However, if your email is
bringing some information to the attention of the Minister, please regard
this as a final response to your email.
Kind regards
The Office of Hon Anne Tolley
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