PATHS (Providing Access to Health Solutions)

When the government launched this programme I was against it because it meant beneficiaries would be queue-jumped over other people waiting for operations and I also questioned why ACC were bumping people onto sickness or invalid benefits instead of dealing with their health problems. It would be better to deal with people only recently incapacitated than spend the money on those who have been long-term beneficiaries. However, the scheme went ahead.

Now, according to National, the scheme has cost $18,000 for each beneficiary it has got into a job. Judith Collins is attacking that saying a scheme that cost $2.7 million and has only helped 0.1% of sickness and invalid beneficiaries into work is an "extremely expensive experiment".

But only a very small number were put through it.

IF the 151 people stay in work $18,000 apiece is worth it. It's probably less than one year's benefit payment. That's how Labour will sell it and how the public will see it.

And it's interesting to note that when the programme was launched in 2004, Katherine Rich, then social services spokeswoman, called upon the government to introduce the measures nationwide as soon as possible.

She said,"It's something that would work immediately. It is something that could get potentially productive people back into the workforce and has to be a priority for the government."

As attacks go this wasn't a very strong one from Judith Collins.