Home Affairs Minister Quinton Edness has launched a personal crusade to help an unemployed mother of four get out of debt.

And he has announced he will investigate the possibility of setting up a new credit blacklist to prevent bad payers getting further into the red.

On Thursday the minister spoke on behalf of 28-year-old Tanya Durham, who was appearing before Magistrate Arthur Hodgeson for failing to pay outstanding credit card and medical bills.

And he urged that the court give Durham "a stabilising period'' in order to get a new job.

Durham, who owes thousands of dollars to numerous creditors, was recently sacked from her last job because of her financial problems.

"It is going to take some time to get Tanya a job but I am prepared to do that,'' Mr. Edness said.

"There's no way we can get these bills paid in the near future but we can get them to keep them on the books until we get her stabilised.

"Tanya is a good worker -- she's certainly not lazy -- and I will certainly help her get a job, but part of the problem is that, because her name is known, potential employers hear her name and put up a resistance.

Durham offered to make a payment of $5 a week to her creditors but Mr. Edness insisted that "that just isn't going to work''.

"There's a system that can help people in need but there are cases such as Tanya's that get complicated and it's difficult for the agencies to assist her,'' he said.

"Our concern is for her and her children and the main thing is to get her stabilised and in employment. I can't promise how that's going to be done but there are lots of people who are prepared to assist her.

"I have to tell you that I am aware that there are other cases that need this kind of help.

"I would ask that Tanya have a month to have some counselling about interviews and while that's happening we will track down some job opportunities for her. I am fairly confident we can get something for her.'' Magistrate Arthur Hodgson insisted that Durham was partly to blame for getting into debt in the first place.

And he once again refuted her earlier claims that one of the main reasons for her debts was because the courts had not been strict enough in ensuring that the fathers of her children kept up their maintenance payments.

But he recognised that, without an income, it would not make any sense for Durham to be ordered to pay off the debts.

"She doesn't seem to appreciate that she's made her own name,'' he said.

"But if people don't have an income they can't pay bills. If she's not working then there's nothing that can be done.

"But I think that one of the problems with this sort of thing is that there's no way the creditors can know who they're giving the credit to.

"When there are judgements in Supreme Court they are recorded and anyone can check them and act accordingly. But when you have numerous small judgements no-one will know it.

"It's all well and good to blame the defendant but if creditors could have some information before they entered a contract then they wouldn't give credit to these kinds of people.'' Mr. Edness agreed and said he would examine the possibility of setting up a register of bad payers who had numerous small debts.

"I think we can set up a register and I will discuss it with the Chief Justice to see what we can do about it,'' he said.

"But despite the fact that she may have been the author of her own problems but in order to look at the future of the children I think it's a question of the community reaching out to try and help her.'' The case was adjourned until May 21.