Kiwi welfare restrictions concern Clark FORMER New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has suggested Kiwis living in Australia should be entitled to all welfare benefits. Ms Clark, who was in Brisbane for a business leaders forum on Monday, told reporters her government did not agree with a Howard government policy introduced in 2001. The policy restricts resident New Zealanders access to certain social benefit payments and many, drawn to Australia by employment opportunities, find themselves without a social safety net when they lose their jobs. Ms Clark said it puts NZ under a lot of pressure to pay for the welfare of Kiwis living in Australia. "My government didn't think that was the right way to go," Ms Clark told reporters. However, she said it was ultimately up to Australia to decide how it treats New Zealanders. "Obviously we advocate for good treatment because New Zealanders have been a great asset to the Australian workforce over the years," she said. Former prime minister John Howard recently told NZ media he had no regrets about introducing the policy, which some say reduce Kiwis to being second class citizens.