The Green Party has renewed its call for a sanction-free welfare system, the same campaign overshadowed last year by former co-leader Metiria Turei's benefit fraud admission.
In her now infamous speech at the Green Party conference last year, Ms Turei admitted to lying to Government agencies in order to keep receiving money in welfare support.
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She raised her own experience to highlight issues with the welfare system, and begin a campaign for more compassionate rules.
Now, RNZ reports new co-leader Marama Davidson - who replaced Ms Turei following the fallout of her admission - has said it is important she continued her predecessor's work.
"We're very clear that we cannot address inequality, or climate change, without ensuring that people are able to live with dignity. That's key. So this is a long-standing position and passion for the Green Party," she said.
The party is proposing ensuring access to entitlements, removing excess sanctions and reviewing Working for Families, said Green MP Jan Logie.
Increasing the benefit and removing all financial penalties and sanctions in place for failing drug tests, not showing up for appointments, or not applying for jobs, are also key focusses.
At a party conference in Auckland on Sunday afternoon, Ms Davidson launched the campaign to "put the heart back into our social support system", with similar events expected across the country soon.
"For decades, successive Governments have allowed our social safety net to stagnate and have also deliberately eroded it, meaning individuals, families and children don't have enough and Kiwis moving in and out of work are worse off," she said.
Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) has welcomed the policy, and challenged the Labour Party and New Zealand First to follow suit.
"We acknowledge the importance of having political parties willing to put forward legislation to make these calls a reality", says Ricardo Menendez March, AAAP coordinator.
Newshub.
