Welfare: Some questions for you

Here's three questions for you policy wonks to answer:

1. Which welfare programme was introduced in 1973 with an estimated cost of $250,000 per year ($4 millon in today's money), and now attracts an annual taxpayer spend of $2.713 billion -- fifteen percent of the welfare budget?
2. Why does it cost so damn much?
3. Why did anybody believe it wouldn't?
   
4. Which political party was responsible for preparing the introduction of this programme?

Answers to questions 1 & 4 on Lindsay Mitchell's blog today (which by itself is a clue, really), along with evidence (including pictures!) and more info. The answer to question 2 is obvious if you understand what happens when you understand black holes, the exigencies of buying votes, and what happens when you feed one unspeyed stray cat. And the answer to question 3 just beats the hell out of pretty much everyone, especially me. Answers to that one on a postcard please.

LINKS: Famous last words - Lindsay Mitchell
Crown accounts analysis - Statistics New Zealand

TAGS: Politics-NZ, Politics, Politics-National, Budget & Taxation