Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:636;Page:6945] 
Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill 
First Reading 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 I move  
That the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Social Services Committee that the committee report finally to the House—[ 
Interruption 
]—it will be a long time 64 years later but that person will be entitled to it too—on or before 5 April 2007 and that the committee have authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting except during oral questions during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House despite Standing Orders 192 and 195(1)(b) and (c). 
This bill is the next stepping stone in the process of making the Supergold card launched last month a reality. This card was a central feature of New Zealand First’s confidence and supply agreement with the Government and the purpose of the bill is to enable the full potential effect of the card to occur. It would be churlish not to recognise the work and cooperation of the Government and in particular the Hon Ruth Dyson and her staff. 
The Supergold card is a concession card for the nearly 540000 New Zealand residents who are aged 65 or over or who otherwise qualify for and receive New Zealand superannuation including non-qualified spouses or a veterans pension. The card will be available from August 2007 will provide negotiated commercial discounts from participating businesses and will help facilitate seniors’ access to concessions on Government and local authority services. 
Part 1 makes two amendments to section 132A of the Social Security Act 1964. That section of the Act enables regulations to be made for the issue of entitlement cards. The first amendment in Part 1 will allow a regulation to be made for cardholder photographs to be placed on entitlement cards. Of course if that were to happen from an individual point of view it would be on a voluntary basis. This will enable the Government to provide cardholders with the choice of having their photo on the Supergold card which will be useful for those who do not have photo ID. 
The second amendment in Part 1 will enable regulations to be made allowing a microchip to be embedded on entitlement cards that will contain the same information that is currently contained on a magnetic stripe. This will allow the future possibility of embedding a microchip in the Supergold card for this will prove to be useful for cardholders. In essence the provision future-proofs the capability and capacity of the Supergold card. 
Sandra Goudie 
: You should know this off by heart. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Should I know it off by heart? 
Sandra Goudie 
: You should. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Well that member according to Nicky Hager does not. That is only a third opinion but it is a neutral and independent one. 
Part 2 amends schedule 1A of the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995. 
Sandra Goudie 
: Oh come on. Put a bit of action into it. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: The member should not criticise it; it will not be long before she needs it. That member will be able to retire with some dignity and grace knowing that she can “fly buy” not to Bali or some other part of the world but to a better retirement with some dignity and grace. Actually it sounds as if that will happen sooner rather than later. This amendment will allow births deaths and marriages information to be used by the Ministry of Social Development to verify entitlement to the Supergold card. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Why do they hate old people? 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I do not know why they hate old people. But when we in New Zealand First said we could increase the amount of superannuation they get every fortnight National’s leader said it could not be done and we would not do it. Well it has been done. The superannuation rate is now 66.12 percent of the net average wage but it was 63.85 percent before the election. It is just one more promise made and kept. 
Sandra Goudie 
: Grey Power aren’t dumb enough to be sucked into that. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: I do not know why that member being on the cusp of age-assisted retirement—occupational or otherwise—is putting up a protest. She should ask mums and dads or aunties and uncles. Those people will say they are waiting with bated breath for August next year for the release of this card. It is difficult now but hang on— 
Hon Paul Swain 
: Help is on its way. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Help is on its way. 
The Supergold card is an important initiative that will provide tangible benefits that will make a real difference to the lives of senior citizens in recognition of the contributions they have made currently make and will go on making to New Zealand society. I would be horrified—we all would be—if the level of voluntary work by the elderly of this country were to stop for example tomorrow. We would not recognise this society and it would be all for the worse. In a way this legislation recognises what the elderly have done. National Party members can laugh in their heartless way but New Zealand First is a people’s party. We are the party with humanity and we bring a human face to capitalism. That is why we are here. The Supergold card will be sent automatically to people— 
Sandra Goudie 
: Slick as! 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: The member says “Who cares?”. 
Sandra Goudie 
: No I didn’t say that. 
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS 
: Well first of all we do and hundreds and thousands out there do too. Even the richest capitalist sons and daughters in their minds’ eye think they will not have to worry so much about their mums and dads because more will be done for them. 
The card will be sent to people who automatically receive New Zealand superannuation or a veterans pension with a special version going to war and emergency service veterans just like we promised. The card will be of a credit card size it will carry the cardholder’s name and client number and it will indicate whether that person receives New Zealand superannuation a veterans pension or community services card benefits. It will replace the community services card and the superannuation card for senior citizens. People who currently hold these cards will be able to access their entitlements through the Supergold card and other Government concessions may be added later. 
There will be a dedicated Supergold card website and an 0800 phone number—I will send the number over shortly. A printed directory will promote the range of concessions and discounts available to cardholders across the country from central government local authorities and businesses. Just in passing I say that it is time for local and regional government to be far more involved in the care of the elderly. 
The large number of seniors who will be eligible for the Supergold card represents a valuable loyal and rapidly growing market for businesses to be involved in. Already several large companies have expressed a strong desire to be involved in offering business discounts. Their enthusiasm at this stage bodes well for the Supergold card rapidly becoming a valuable discount card for seniors. The experience in Australia where states have successfully implemented similar seniors cards over the past decade is also very encouraging. Discounts there have built up steadily year by year as more businesses have recognised the value of the card. 
The amendments contained in the bill will add to the value of the Supergold card by maximising its potential uses including offering cardholders the option of including their photograph on the card. Let me also again thank the Minister for Senior Citizens Ruth Dyson for her enthusiasm for this card and for her own work and that of her office in assisting in the work needed to make this happen. 
This is a great development for our seniors. This card has so much potential to make our seniors’ lives better. This card is about promises kept by New Zealand First. This card is about a genuine effort to recognise the contribution our seniors have made and continue to make. This card is about looking after ordinary New Zealanders who have served this country well. Ultimately this card is our way of saying we have heard their call for help and here is something real and tangible to make their lot in life better. That after all is the New Zealand way. That after all is what being a Kiwi is all about. That after all is why we are proud to live in New Zealand and why millions and millions of people around the world would rather live in New Zealand than somewhere else. At the end of the day a society is judged on many principles and many measures one of which is how it looks after its young its healthy its lame its maimed and above all its elderly. I commend this bill to the House. 
SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 At this point I would really like to pay considerable tribute to Grey Power. Grey Power has had the idea of a discount card for a number of years now and I pay significant tribute to the fact that it has been able to raise awareness of the value of a discount card and has been able to educate other people as to how to take that to another level and provide the kind of support our senior citizens really need. On that basis I pay exceptional tribute to Grey Power for the great work it has done and for how it has managed to take the whole idea of a discount card to a new level albeit through Mr Peters. 
What will this card actually do? Mr Peters has reiterated what this card will provide which is what we hope will be some significant discount options to people. As Mr Peters rightfully pointed out about 540000 people are aged 65-plus and another 15000 people who are below that age will also be entitled to this card. I thought that was quite an interesting point. It is to be hoped that cardholders will receive some significant benefits from having this card. 
Maybe those benefits will include a discount on electricity prices since we are quite clearly seeing a substantial increase in electricity prices that the current Government cannot control. That increase will have a significant effect on senior citizens who will be pulling the plug on heating just to save on their power bills. It is to be hoped that the Minister Winston Peters will seek some discounts for our senior citizens on increasing power costs. We look forward to that with interest. I know that Grey Power will celebrate any move in that regard given its continuing concern over the cost of electricity and the number of our older citizens who have been subjected to considerable hardship in the winter months. The health of some of those people was compromised resulting in their deaths. We need to bear that in mind and really consider the sorts of discounts that may be made available to our senior citizens. 
In reading the bill I notice some quite interesting points. The commentary states: “The card will enable seniors to access discounts and concessions from participating businesses …” which is great. Businesses can see a really great opportunity here. As members will appreciate our ageing population is one of our largest demographics so there will be quite strong interest in that. Those people will be interested to hear anything from the Minister on what the tendering process has revealed to date and on what level of interest has been expressed to date by businesses as a result of that tendering process. Other concessions will come from the Government. As I said before we are looking to the Government to see what concessions it will provide to our senior citizens through the Supergold Card particularly in relation to the increase in power charges. 
The third group referred to in the commentary is local authority services. I will be interested to hear what the Minister thinks will be added to the Supergold Card in terms of reduced charges for our senior citizens apart from the rates rebate. I am sure that local authorities will be very interested to see whether they can actually afford to provide any discounts apart from the rates rebate scheme to Supergold Card holders. I am mindful that the Minister’s policy statement refers to trying to get a review of lottery grant funding so that funding for transport for older citizens can be considered through lottery grants. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: When did I say that? 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: It is my understanding that that is the case. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: No I didn’t. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: Well perhaps I should drag out some documentation. Maybe I have an email or two. I have not yet seen anything to indicate that the Minister has even looked at furthering that particular policy. 
What else is involved? The other interesting thing about the Supergold Card—and this is something that people will be looking at with some degree of interest—is that this bill allows for regulation-making powers. What does that mean? It means that in the future regulations will be able to be made that could require photographs on Supergold Cards to be compulsory. They could also require microchipping on Supergold Cards to be compulsory. That would be something of an issue for some people but we have to think about the other side of that equation which is the fact that identity fraud is becoming an increasing problem. So there will be some interesting debates at the select committee I am sure. 
Even though this bill is only three pages long it will make some significant changes to the way in which people could be subject to regulation-making powers in the future. People will need to give that some very real consideration. I take the case of my own parents. They do not have plastic credit cards and in the case of my mother she does not have a driver’s licence or any other card that could identify her in any way. She will now have the option of deciding whether she wants a photograph on her Supergold Card. In some respects that could actually be a good thing. [ 
Interruption 
] Perhaps that member might like to take a call and contribute something to the discussion. It could be quite a good thing if my mother were to choose to have a photograph on her Supergold Card because she has no other form of identification. She now relies upon the long-term relationship she has with service providers in her community. 
There will certainly be some pluses—there is no doubt about that. No one will begrudge at all the ability of our senior citizens to have some further support through discounts for all sorts of services. National members welcome that—we absolutely welcome that—in spite of the claims that have been made to the contrary. But we do raise a point around some aspects of the legislation that have to be put in place to move this forward. Whether the regulation-making powers need to be a part of this bill is a question. I am sure that the fact that the Supergold Card will do away with the community services card and the superannuation card will raise some interesting questions around other entitlements around whether there will be asset testing in regard to other entitlements and around how that fits. 
The Supergold Card identifies other entitlements; how far that goes though remains to be seen. There are issues around what sort of asset testing will be affected if any what sort of fiscal implications there will be if any and to what degree those will occur with regard to entitlements on the card excluding the discount abilities. 
National is pleased to support the discount card for our senior citizens; there is no question about that. I do not think anybody can dispute that this is a good idea. As has been said our older citizens form a huge component of our voluntary groups and support groups in the community. I think this card will go some way towards recognising the huge input those citizens have had in our communities for many years. National is certainly supportive of that sort of recognition. 
I do not know whether people know but there is a Ministry of Social Development freephone for people who want to find out more information. I do not mind giving that a free plug because I think people should find out more about what is going on here and what the actual effect of this card will be. The more information that is available to them the better. They need to look at what the bill actually does. I know that members of Grey Power will look at it quite closely. They have had a long-term interest and I commend them for their initiative many many years ago for their discount cards. It is just great that they can set the example by which others have followed in this House. On that basis this legislation is positive for our senior citizens and we will be supporting that. In conclusion the only other comment I would make is that there will be disclosure of information from Births Deaths and Marriages to the Ministry of Social Development. 
GEORGINA BEYER (Labour) 
: 
 What a pleasure and privilege it is to speak on the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. I acknowledge the fine oratory in the remarks of the Rt Hon Winston Peters as he introduced the bill for this first reading. This bill is a fine example—and may well the Opposition take note—of how modern-day Government works. Cooperation and delivering on promises and arrangements made—in this instance a confidence and supply arrangement with New Zealand First—leads to something of this kind: the golden age card for our elderly people. This card is obviously an acknowledgment of the fine contribution that elderly people have made to our nation that they deserve in many respects to receive. It is a mark of respect. 
Frankly it does not matter precisely where the seed of the idea came from. Regarding our elderly well has always been something that we have tried to achieve in one form or another in New Zealand. Whether or not the idea is from Grey Power—all strength to them—the legislation has come through the vehicle of the New Zealand First Party and its leader Winston Peters. He has managed to bring the bill into this House by way of his arrangements with this Labour-led Government which I am proud to be a part of. 
I certainly hope that all parties in this House—as National has just remarked—will support this bill through an easy passage. It is not that long ago and people will not have forgotten—in fact I understand it is as recently as the publication of this  
Hollow Men 
 book which I have not actually had a chance to read—that there was apparently some natter amongst the National Party leadership of upping the age of entitlement to 68. Well this rings true with a promise made to elderly people by Mr Bolger in a former National Party Government. So this nation needs to think about who will look after not only our young families but also our elderly. 
Labour is on the path to looking after families young and old and is building our economic capacity and ability in this country in order to deliver the services that we as a Labour-led Government care to support. The services provided for in this legislation are among those. This legislation will feed in very nicely to a suite of packages that this Government has been leading the way on through this particular term and beforehand in restoring faith for New Zealanders that we have a positive future to look forward to. The elderly who serve us overseas in emergency and other capacities will also be beneficiaries of this golden age card—as well as the 540000 in our country—because they too deserve recognition; they put themselves out on a limb on this nation’s behalf. This is a way of acknowledging the fine contribution they make to our country. 
This legislation will be easy for people to understand. As has been alluded to there are contact phone numbers for people who are interested in what this will offer what exactly the entitlements will be and how they can access the discounts and benefits. Also there is a number worth noting that is for businesses that are interested in becoming involved. I will read these numbers out before I conclude my speech. Of course I think those people in New Zealand who really would like to get behind this particular initiative—and businesses will be important here—should come forward get hold of us and get hold of the information by ringing 0508 650 000. Interested businesses should please call that number find out what this is about and get into it. Senior citizens of our country are a large demographic and they will be constantly good customers—one hopes—if they can see they will benefit because businesses are involved in this golden age card by way of discounts. 
Concessions on local government services—and central government services too—are some of the advantages we will be able to provide for the beneficiaries who are able to use this card. These beneficiaries are those whom we value: our mothers our fathers our grandparents our kuia our kaumatua—people such as those. All of these people are part of our whanau and that is who we support here. So I am doing an advertorial in a way for people to please get involved because it is people who are dear to us all that we support here through this golden age card. 
The card has been proven to be very successful in countries like Australia and I think many people in New Zealand who have friends over there will note that they skite about it quite often. Now we will bring it in over here. This is very worthy and I look forward to other positive contributions to this first reading debate from other members in the House. There is much to be said and much has been covered already. 
I will just give as I said I would the number that Sandra Goudie alluded to for people who are interested. The number is 0800 254 565. This is a freephone number set up for seniors to make inquiries about what the golden age card provides. That number again is 0800 254 565. With that I hope we can look forward to some other speeches in support of this bill so that it may be dispatched to the Social Services Committee which I happily chair. I look forward to it coming to us in that committee because this will be a very pleasant bill to assist the House with. 
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
: 
 On behalf of New Zealand First I rise to support the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. We are extremely pleased to see that this Supergold card launched last month will become a reality for the senior citizens and the veterans of New Zealand. It was very interesting to hear the National speaker finally acknowledge that she did welcome the implementation of the gold card and will actually support this legislation. Like many others in this House I was waiting for her to state the freephone number as she had said she would. She did not so I will give it on her behalf: 0800 254 565. We want to encourage our seniors to find out more about this extremely important card. 
As previous speakers have said the Supergold card was a critical part of New Zealand First’s supply and confidence agreement with the Government. Today we see the gold card move to the next stage in the process. It will finally be available from August 2007. We must acknowledge the Minister for Senior Citizens the Hon Ruth Dyson for the work that she has done. The Supergold card really is an acknowledgement of the MMP environment and how MMP the environment that we now operate in actually works. The gold card is about keeping promises too to our senior citizens that we all made during the 2005 election. We did not promise the moon and deliver dust like others have often done. We have followed through on this particular card and on this policy and we will continue to do so on the other policies that are coming forward. 
In New Zealand First we recognise the value that our senior citizens bring to their families and to the communities they live in and we will always support that value in all policy that has an impact on them. We have heard today that senior citizens number well over half a million people—half a million New Zealanders. We maintain in New Zealand First that the treatment of our seniors sends a clear signal of our status as a developed nation. We believe that there is very little point in pursuing economic growth and other objectives if our seniors are not looked after adequately. It is imperative that the most vulnerable in our society are always looked after—the very young and the seniors. In this case we are focusing on our seniors. 
The Supergold card as outlined earlier by the Rt Hon Winston Peters will provide negotiated commercial discounts from participating businesses and it will help seniors get access to concessions on Government and local authority services. The very fact that large businesses have already expressed a strong desire to be a part of the Supergold card bodes well for the future. We are only too aware that our seniors who visit Australia are very keen to have the same card here in New Zealand. They know the value of the card over in Australia and when they return to our shores we often hear that a card such as that one should be available here. At last the card will be available thanks to New Zealand First. 
We have also talked to our seniors and found out that in Australia the discounts have built up steadily over a period of years as businesses have recognised the value of the card that they operate. Of course the exact same thing will happen here in New Zealand. We expect the value of the discounts here to build up steadily over the coming years. The Supergold card will make a real difference to the lives of our senior citizens. We are very aware in New Zealand First that many of our seniors face challenges to make their pensions stretch a little bit further so that they can enjoy the very busy life that all of them lead after they retire. We have often heard it said that it is the busiest time of their lives. I myself have heard seniors say that they do not know how they had time to work in paid employment. Of course we know too that many of our seniors continue to work in paid employment for a very long time. They also make valuable contributions in voluntary work and in the community in so many ways from the St John Ambulance Association and keeping in contact with seniors in various communities to Meals on Wheels to the very many other organisations that our seniors contribute to. Of course many of our seniors are involved in the very successful running of those particular organisations. 
We cannot fail to say that seniors make a very valuable contribution in a family situation. How many of us give our children to our parents when they are sick and cannot go to school so that we can go to work? It happens every day in very many communities right throughout New Zealand and in every family. We know that seniors are a very vital part of each and every one of our lives. Any family would find it extremely difficult to function without their parents—without their seniors—there to assist. 
This card is for seniors and veterans who have participated fully in our communities and in our families. It has the potential to make their lives easier. It is essential that we recognise the contribution that our seniors make and continue to make in so many ways. So New Zealand First supports the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill totally. We will support it going through all of its stages. We want to have a very positive future for our seniors and our veterans. We believe that they have earned it. 
METIRIA TUREI (Green) 
: 
 The Green Party has no problem with the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill in so far as it provides for an entitlement card for superannuitants to access better support services. It is a perfectly fine thing to do for them and to that extent the legislation is not really very much of a problem. We need to get a bit real about the fact that this is just a loyalty card like any other loyalty card. In fact one gets a huge number of loyalty cards from all sorts of places and businesses everywhere. It is an ID card not dissimilar to the Hospitality Association of New Zealand’s 18-plus card which is quite funny when I think about it. To have special cards for veterans is all very nice as well. 
But in effect this is a loyalty card that can be provided to those people in order to provide them with extra support and discounts for both commercially and publicly provided services. It is a great thing to provide that but to do so does not necessarily require regulation or legislation. I will talk about that point a little more because we are quite puzzled as to why legislation is being introduced. If members actually look at the bill they will find that it does not say anything about the gold card. It is a very very small bill with very few provisions which are extremely general and deal with other issues. 
We are most concerned about the fact that the Government and New Zealand First are using the establishment of what is a very good thing—this gold card—to put in place regulation-making powers that will enable the compulsory use of photographs and microchips on ID cards. Clause 4 states exactly that—that the purpose is to enable any cards to have photographs and embedded microchips. We have always been very concerned about these kinds of sneaky attempts to introduce electronic mechanisms to increase the capacity for Government surveillance of the public and for information sharing between agencies without conducting the proper public scrutiny and debate that those kinds of mechanisms need. I note that in Britain for example there has been a shift from the use of optional ID cards like this card ought to be towards a more stringent information-sharing system that makes photos or microchips compulsory. 
I do not believe that older people in our community want their advantageous mechanism—their gold card—to be used to potentially breach their rights of privacy. The card could interfere with their rights of privacy in terms of the information-sharing capacity that it provides. The provision in the bill is so generally worded that it could apply to virtually any Government ID or entitlement card and that includes things like the community services card. That is a very serious issue because the community services card is designed to help provide support for low-income people and beneficiaries. There is no doubt that we have a history in this country of treating low-income people as though they are a problem and as though they are criminals. A form of information sharing embedded microchips and surveillance capacity through those cards could therefore prove to be a real problem for those people. So this bill has serious implications that have nothing to do with the gold card because the bill is being used to introduce a mechanism for another purpose. 
We are very worried that the inclusion of the embedded microchip mechanism in this bill concerning the gold card will make the important public and human rights scrutiny of these provisions much less likely than it would otherwise be because few people will even begin to think that the bill about the gold card would include an information-sharing mechanism such as the embedded microchip. People will not know they should make submissions raise issues and talk to others about it because they would not expect this legislation to include those provisions. The fact is of course that the legislation is not necessary for the introduction of the card but is being used specifically to provide these mechanisms. We are very concerned about that. We will support the first reading of the bill so that that debate can be held on the issue but we offer no promises of support after that point because of our concerns about it. 
We are of the view that it has been a waste of New Zealand First’s efforts and priorities to have legislation developed for this card when that is completely unnecessary and when other legislative changes need to be made in order to better support older people in our community. One of those changes is an issue that New Zealand First feels as strongly about as we do and that is the repeal of section 70 of the Social Security Act. The fact is that superannuation is supposed to be free of income tests; in fact that is not the case. If a person receives a superannuation benefit from another country then a deduction is made from the New Zealand pension. So those people are subject to income testing of their superannuation. 
Frankly the fact is that as long as the income source is legal where that income comes from should be irrelevant. The principle is that superannuation is not to be income tested. That is a good principle to have because superannuitants are people who have made a significant contribution to our community and many of them rely solely on the pension for their income and live in dire low-income circumstances. It is not right that superannuation should be income tested but for those few people it is happening. It is true that a comparatively small number of people suffer from that income test but that is not a reason to keep such an anomaly in the law. If the principle is that superannuation should not be income tested then it should not be income tested. As I said New Zealand First completely agrees with that principle and has advocated for it before. Yet instead of making an effort to get the Government to change the law in that way which would have had a real beneficial impact on specific people it has instead put out legislation that is largely irrelevant and performs an entirely different function from the one that has been stated. This bill is not about the gold card at all; it is all about the potential for information to be shared between Government agencies and for an increase in public surveillance. 
We are very disappointed that New Zealand First has not prioritised its resources better. We do think the gold card is a great thing and we will support this bill going through its first reading. But we will be taking a very serious interest in what happens on the issue of embedded microchipping in terms of this bill. Thank you. 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Kia ora Mr Deputy Speaker. Kia ora tatou te Whare. The relationship between tangata whenua and gold anything took on a very interesting spin earlier this year when the Waitangi Tribunal found that the tribes of Hauraki were owed generous redress for goldfield revenues they should have received from mining on the Coromandel Peninsula particularly in light of the fact that in the 1800s regulation of goldmining on Maori land was far heavier than on non-Maori land. Evidence before the High Court estimates gold reserves of up to $30 billion may still exist in Coromandel. The Treaty claims manager for Hauraki John McEnteer is rightfully asking whether continued Crown ownership of gold is a Treaty breach. The Hauraki inquiry headed by Dame Augusta Wallace said that the 12 iwi were due substantive restitution as a result of being marginalised by the transfer of land and resources to others. 
It makes an interesting parallel to run alongside the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill because it raises the same questions about whether Maori will be as unfairly treated under this bill as they were in their own goldfields. I ask this question because the gold card kicks in at 65. Pakeha die at 78 but Maori die at 71. So we get to pay for it like everybody else—we just do not get so much of it back. When we look at the living standards of older Maori nga ahuatanga noho o te hunga pakeke Maori [ 
ways that elderly Maori live 
] we find that older Maori are much poorer than non-Maori with lower income levels a greater reliance on superannuation for income lower levels of savings and assets and lower homeownership than non-Maori. Into that context again—drum roll of course—comes the Supergold Card. 
Let me say from the start that the Maori Party supports any initiative that recognises the unique contribution of our kaumatua and kuia to Aotearoa. I refer here to the excellent work done by Professor Mason Durie who detailed some of the busy working life that many older Maori take up in their so-called twilight years. Not for these older Maori the leisurely days of sitting in a rocking chair and watching the world go by; instead the opposite is the case. Durie remarks: “The roles of kaumatua include resolving disputes and conflict between families and between iwi carrying the culture recognising and encouraging the potential of younger members cultural guidance and advice maintenance of protocol reception and care of visitors protection and nurturing of younger adults and children performance of ceremonial duties spiritual leadership and attendance and control of tangihanga.” 
Clearly the diverse needs of kaumatua and kuia present a major challenge to planners policymakers providers and politicians. How does the Supergold Card fare in meeting those needs? A card even a Supergold one cannot hope to meet the health needs of pakeke. That takes dedicated and specialist services. But we are happy that the card will give old people some discounts and concessions from agencies and other services and we are keen to see whether that might also apply to local body services phone or power. Will it be better for those living in the town or the country for homeowners or those who rent? The Maori Party has long supported keeping our kaumatua and kuia actively involved in community life. We want to make sure that superannuation provides for an equitable standard of living as well. 
We come back again to the issue of a cut-off date based on age. Because of their lower life expectancy Maori and Pasifika to a large degree will simply miss out. If we are truly committed to reducing the gap between Maori and other New Zealanders then Maori should be able to get the Supergold Card at 60 rather than 65. The difference in life expectancy between Maori and Pakeha is a major issue that can be addressed only through long-term initiatives to improve Maori health. But until we get to that point adjusting the age of entitlement to recognise that difference would be only fair and progressive. Indeed as  
Living Standards of Older Maori 
 states the older Maori population will remain at risk of relatively depressed living standards for as long as inequities exist between Maori and non-Maori in the area of economic well-being and health. If we are serious about addressing poverty and inequity then we have to be prepared to do things differently. 
The Maori Party congratulates New Zealand First on its commitment to ensuring the standard of living for senior citizens can be improved through the card. We are impressed that unlike the Government stalling over providing for the needs of our Viet Nam veterans this bill includes recognition of war service. We cannot help but compare this generosity with Labour’s mean-spirited refusal to honour the Allies’ most decorated servicewoman of World War II and the Gestapo’s most-wanted person Nancy Wake. Nancy Wake was a true New Zealand - born warrior and hero who helped recruit for the French Resistance yet here in her own country in the Year of the Veteran Labour chooses to snub one of our greatest living war heroes for the simple reason that she does not live here. 
This devaluing of whakapapa has been a rather hot topic lately with the bizarre situation of the Kiwis being docked their victory points for playing somebody whose great-grandmother rather than his grandmother came from Aotearoa; and of course with the former National leader suggesting Maori were no longer Maori because of intermarriage. But to deny Nancy Wake’s whakapapa because of her address is not only morally indefensible it is insulting to her whanau it is insulting to her iwi and indeed it is insulting to all citizens of this land. 
So against this background of such bitter and pointless dispute it is nice to hear about a bill with a positive purpose of honouring our elderly and recognising our war heroes of ensuring practical tangible help to our kaumatua and kuia in their final years. 
The icing on the cake for the Maori Party will be if our suggestion to respond to the reduced life expectancy of Maori and Pasifika is taken up seriously and amendments made accordingly. We are happy to support this bill but we will be working hard to ensure that equity becomes as important a part of the legislation as the recognition of the true value of our nation’s senior citizens. Kia ora Mr Deputy Speaker. 
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
: 
 I rise on behalf of United Future to speak on the first reading of the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill and I will say straight up that United Future supports the first reading. 
When this bill was first tabled I thought back to the last parliamentary term when the Health Committee set about having an inquiry into the Agent Orange issue. As part of that inquiry we compared the full range of support available for veterans within New Zealand and Australia. Certainly there was a feeling by submitters to that inquiry that New Zealand veterans felt short-changed in comparison to their Anzac brothers and sisters. However when we looked closely at the pensions and entitlements we saw that the differences were minimal. But what seemed to stick in the minds of veterans was the famous gold card that Australian veterans enjoy. It seemed to me at the time that it was a very simple thing for a Government to choose to deliver a gold card for veterans and I think it is very good that New Zealand First has taken the initiative and pushed it out beyond just veterans to all seniors. We say well done to New Zealand First and we will certainly support the first reading. 
What is good about this card is the fact that it gives ordinary members of the community in businesses and social service groups the opportunity to provide discounts or additional benefits to people who are holders of a gold card. It is a way that a community can honour senior citizens and I think it is an extremely good thing. 
However I want to signal that like the Green Party I too have some concerns. They are not enough for me to oppose the first reading but I would be interested to see what the select committee comes up with and certainly I would be interested to hear what submitters say about these things. These concerns are about whether there is the need for this to be done legislatively. The student ID is a very good example of an opportunity—just through sheer policy and some resourcing—to provide a card with a photo on that allows a person a certain status. I understand that this bill takes it a step further and my criticism is that the opportunity for photographs raises a little bit of concern. 
I was over in the United Kingdom in January of this year. Just as a tourist I went and sat in the House of Lords and watched a debate about identity cards including microchipping issues and things like that. The House of Lords was I think rejecting the proposal for about the third time. The reason for that was that as they dug into it they discovered this was an incredibly expensive undertaking and almost prohibitively expensive. 
I ask the question and it would be interesting to see what comes out in the select committee about whether we need to be unleashing this potential on New Zealanders for an expensive way of developing ID cards when I think a policy and a bit of resourcing would achieve very much the same thing. I would be very interested to hear comments on that matter. I am concerned about the expense and as I think Metiria Turei mentioned whether we need this to be a legislative mechanism. I stand to be corrected on this but I do not believe we have needed legislation for things like the community services card yet it works pretty effectively. 
I agree also with the comment made by the Green member when she talked about the fact that if we were going to be spending time—taking up a select committee’s time—making a difference for elderly people the portability of overseas pensions is something that I think is actually a far more pressing need. Certainly United Future encourages the Government to make that a matter of urgency and when we come back after the Christmas break I would like to believe work is being done on that. There are some really unfair things happening for a number of our superannuitants that certainly seem to be outside the terms of reference and intention of our superannuation scheme. [ 
Interruption 
] Mr Donnelly assures me help is on its way and that is good. 
United Future will be supporting this legislation. We are very happy to support it. We think it has some huge merit and we will interested to hear the answers to the questions I have posed today in this first reading speech. 
Bill read a first time. 
Hon LUAMANUVAO WINNIE LABAN (Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector) 
 on behalf of the 
 Associate Minister for Senior Citizens 
: I move  
That the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill be considered by the Social Services Committee 
referred to Social Services Committee 
 that the committee finally report back the bill to the House on or before 5 April 2007 and that the committee have the authority to meet at any time while the House is sitting except during oral questions during any evening on a day on which there has been a sitting of the House and on a Friday in a week in which there has been a sitting of the House despite Standing Orders 192 and 195(1) (b) and (c). 
A party vote was called for on the question  
That the motion be agreed to. 
Ayes 71 
New Zealand Labour 50; New Zealand First 7; Green Party 6; Maori Party 4; United Future 3; Progressive 1. 
Noes 50 
New Zealand National 48; ACT New Zealand 2. 
Motion agreed to.