Judith Collins

Hysterical posturing by Judith Collins when she was in Opposition on the issue of child support has come back to haunt the National Government, says Labour Revenue spokesperson Stuart Nash.

Stuart Nash said the rate of child support debt was now increasing at double the rate it was under Labour.

"In 2005 Judith Collins attacked Labour, claiming that failure to pay child support was tantamount to 'child neglect', and demanding that people who owed money should not be able to travel overseas, but now the boot is on the other foot," Stuart Nash said.

"Since National came to office, the level of debt has escalated at about $250 million a year, more than twice the rate under Labour.

"To be fair, the reality that most of the current debt of $1.8 billion is penalty debt reflects an exponential rate of increase, but Judith Collins exploited 'child neglect' for political motives, and now her government is presiding over a deteriorating situation."

Stuart Nash said the Auditor General's report on the management of child support debt highlights the absolute mess that the whole child support system is. "The current debt is estimated to go to $7 billion by 2018 unless something drastic is done soon.

"This mess highlights two areas of major concern --- firstly, that many people responsible for providing for their children are not taking responsibility, and secondly that the system itself is becoming fundamentally flawed. Ninety six percent of parents liable for child support payments have been charged a penalty while in the scheme.

"Revenue Minister Peter Dunne promised last October that he would present a paper to cabinet 'in a couple of weeks', but nothing has happened. National is not taking this issue seriously at all," Stuart Nash said. "Who's guilty of 'child neglect' now, Ms Collins?

"National is finding the issue is far more complex than it made out while in Opposition. In government Labour passed legislation in 2006 to allow IRD to write off penalty debts in certain circumstance and in 2008 to allow a new information exchange with the Customs Service, but National is woefully short of new initiatives.

"It has no new plan or strategy. Labour is committed to developing a new scheme that protects children, that is fair to parents, and that is practical to implement."