2/ Because it's easy
3/ Because the consequences are trivial
Anne Sepuloni is a case in point, and typical.
She has effectively been given a 14-year, $20 weekly penalty on her benefit (or Super.)
The NZ Herald reports:
For defrauding the Ministry of nearly $34,000, he gave her a sentence of four and a half months' home detention.
He said other mitigating circumstance - including her clean record, early guilty plea and show of remorse - cut the starting-point sentence further to nine months' jail.
The judge then accepted the pre-sentencing report recommendation that the jail sentence be converted to home detention. Sepuloni must also do 250 hours of community work and repay $15,000 at the rate of $20 a week.
It's pathetic.
But it happens in thousands of cases. The offender remains on a benefit, supported by the taxpayer albeit it at a slightly reduced rate.
It's pathetic.
If NZ was serious about benefit crime it would bar fraudsters from eligibility. That might be the deterrence factor required.
4 comments:
How sensible Lindsay, that penalty is Laughable . How much of the 34k needs to be now invested to replace the one jug a week penalty.
Walk into WINZ looking simple then walk out muttering they are simple, eh.
$20 per week for three years goes nowhere near repaying the amount stolen, never mind interest. I agree with disqualification from eligibility otherwise where's the penalty?
Compare that penalty to some handed out via Mobie Health and safety and the Employment court.
Makes a mockery of people and businesses earning the cash to pay these slugs.
Anon 1, Quite. My maths was appalling. Re-calculated.
I wonder if the repayments are inflation-adjusted? Her benefit will be.
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