Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Minister should act against predatory men - Greens

Updated at 3:00 pm on 10 May 2012

Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei says the Social Development Minister should be dealing with predatory men who are targetting young mothers.

Minister Paula Bennett says when she talks to teen mums she is told of older men who have numerous children and prey on young women.

She says she hears about the problem often enough that it disturbs her but says from a policy perspective, it's difficult to know how to deal with them.

Ms Turei says if the minister feels disturbed by the problem she should be doing something about it.

She says Ms Bennett has all the resources of the ministry, so she should be able to place some responsibility on those men.

Beneficiary advocate Paul Blair says he hasn't seen any solid evidence of a problem, though he says it is sometimes talked about.

The call follows debate on the Government's plan to put aside $1 million over the next four years to subsidise medical appointments to arrange contraception or intra-uterine devices for women on a benefit and their teenage daughters.

On Wednesday, Conservative Party leader Colin Craig told Radio New Zealand's Morning Report programme that taxpayers should not be picking up the tab for what he said were the most promiscuous young women in the world to get free contraceptives.

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