By 3 News online staff
The Human Rights Commission has found Social Development Minister Paula Bennett breached the privacy of a beneficiary and she isn’t ruling out doing it again.
Ms Bennett released solo mother Natasha Fuller’s benefit details in 2009 after she protested the removal of the training incentive allowance.
The commission has told the minister she was wrong to do so but dropped the case because Ms Bennett wrote a letter acknowledging her regret.
In the letter she expresses her “regret at the personal cost” the ordeal caused Ms Fuller but says she was not wrong to release the details and did not breach her privacy.
This afternoon, she didn’t rule out doing the same thing if faced with the same circumstances.
“I’m not going to make a judgement on what may or may not happen or a decision I might make at the time,” she says.
Ms Bennett says there are “certainly no apologies” for Ms Fuller and denies a breach took place because there were no official proceedings against her.
“Why don’t you go to the director and have a good chat with him about it because it is his opinion,” she told reporters during questioning.
“We’ve been over it, it’s three years later, the letter’s been done and we’ve all decided to move on.”
The Human Rights Commission's director of human rights proceedings, Robert Hesketh, said he had agreed to close his file on the matter "on the basis of the minister's letter".
“The matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties ... We have all agreed that the letter speaks for itself and we will make no further comment.”
Ms Bennett says it was important for public debate that the details were released.
But says she never intended to make Ms Fuller the target of “unpleasant, hurtful and personal” comments.
Watch the video for Ms Bennett’s response to questions from reporters
3 News
source: newshub archive
