While the Government is reviewing the public service, perhaps they should also reassess the calibre of the senior staff at Work and Income.
What the head of Work and Income, Janet Crossman said last week about illegal immigrant Mr Salam Al-Bawi is rather puzzling.
Al-Bawi who has been stripped of his citizenship and banned from New Zealand, Work and Income continued to pay him $360 weekly sickness benefit while he was not living in New Zealand.
Ms Crossman said 'the overpayment would be pursued should Al-Bawi return to New Zealand”. A rather ridiculous comment from Ms Crossman, as Mr Al-Bawi is forbidden from entering our country, therefore the probability of him ever returning here must be very remote, and Work and Income prospects of pursuing for the overpayment must be near impossible.
In the most unlikely event of him ever retuning, the chances of Work and Income knowing that he's back in the country don't look great, when they didn't even know that he had left the country in the first place and continued to pay his sickness benefit.

Brian Porter, Welcome Bay.