Bennett's Corporate Welfare advocate and Islamaphobic fiction writer wants money for opinion

Pay per view says professor
A welfare commentator appointed by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has asked New Zealand media to pay him to explain his controversial views. Professor Peter Saunders has been at the centre of questions over whether his appointment as expert adviser to Ms Bennett's welfare reform panel was mistaken identity. The British-based commentator has linked social class to intelligence. Ms Bennett defended his appointment by quoting a book Prof Saunders had supposedly written – but it was actually authored by another Professor Peter Saunders, based in Australia, who holds diametrically opposing views. The British-based Prof Saunders contacted The Dominion Post after stories about the mix-up, saying he wanted to explain his views on intelligence and class, given that he'd been "much derided" by commentators. But he sought payment to do so – and upon hearing that would not happen, told the newspaper to "forget it". "I would expect to be paid. This is how I make my living." Ms Bennett had no comment.

She had no comment because Paula doesn't know who he is! She has him confused with the other Peter Saunders! The one Paula has appointed is the Corporate Welfare advocate who argues that poor people are born dumb and who writes Islamaphobic fiction in his down time. This Peter Saunders has been appointed as the research person the Welfare Reform Panel can turn to for research, so the question is, haven't we the NZ taxpayer already paid Peter for his opinion?

Why does someone who is being paid to provide an opinion not willing to speak to the Newspapers over his controversial ideas, haven't we the taxpayer already paid for his pearls of wisdom? Why must the NZ media have to pay to hear his thoughts when he's already charged us for his time on the Welfare reform panel?

Personally I love how Paula always counters when challenged on appointing someone who believes class and intelligence are linked and who advocates corporate welfare, by pointing out that she also appointed Dr Susan St John to the panel. Her argument being that she has many opinions to listen to - this line of justification is bullshit. Susan St John is a child poverty campaigner who has tirelessly fought for the rights of children trapped into poverty, Peter Saunders writes Islamaphobic fiction in his downtime, the fact Bennett is trying to compare the two is grossly insulting to the work St John carries out.