What we now know about Winston’s “mistake”

Interesting reporting from Newsroom and Radio NZ from Winston’s lawsuit against various people over his claiming too high a rate on his National Super.

Here’s what was revealed in court:

• MSD staff noted down he said “Do you know who I am?” to a staffer
• answered a question on whether he had a partner instead with a response about his long-ago wife, by ticking a box saying they were separated and lived apart.
• never addressed the question of whether he had a partner at the time of the 2010 application
• did not read all the explanatory notes on the form
• did not fill out a series of questions relevant to whether he had a partner
• asked an interviewing official in 2017, when the overpayment was discovered, why someone in a relationship should be paid less than someone who was single, as he had two people who had been dependent on him
• three frontline staff said the MP was alone during that meeting, including one who was “very sure” Ms Trotman was not there.

A very interesting court case indeed.