Parata Hekia: Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill — First Reading 
Parata Hekia: Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:661;Page:9916] 
HEKIA PARATA (National) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker Barker. Huri noa i to tatou Whare tena tatou katoa. I stand unambiguously and unequivocally alongside the Minister of Social Development and Employment in supporting the introduction of the Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill. Emotive language has been used about punishment and penalty but this bill is far removed from that. It is focused instead on how we can get fairness into our society. 
If the Opposition thinks it is fair to condemn benefit-dependent households to a lifetime of benefits then all I can say is I am glad we are in Government. We have far higher aspirations and ambitions for the people of New Zealand. We want fairness for benefit-dependent households; we want fairness for the children in those households. The Opposition thinks the best life that the children of New Zealand can have is one of lifelong dependency on society. I will never support that. The children of New Zealand require hope; they require the understanding that it is not normal not to see people go to work and that it is not normal to grow up in a household of multi-generational dependence on the State. It saps the spirit of those children it saps the spirit of those adults it saps the spirit of the grandparents and it saps the community that they are a part of. This Government is not prepared to sit back and let that happen. 
And this Government is equally committed to fairness to the workers; to the workers who every day go out and do the “measly” kind of job that that member over there dismisses; to the workers who are prepared to pay their taxes who want to be fair to people who are benefit-dependent who want to be able to help but who also want to ensure that there is fairness in our society. And we want fairness in the future. We have a burgeoning population. We need to have growth in our economy. We need to have people with an aptitude and an attitude oriented towards work. This bill is based on that. 
The Opposition members are going on and on about work while dismissing as measly the jobs that are available. 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: What jobs? 
HEKIA PARATA 
: If Opposition members are prepared to listen I will tell them. As at Friday just past Youth Opportunities through Job Ops and Community Max had delivered 7391 jobs. But of course Opposition members want to be judgmental. They want to talk only about work as they define work. But 7391 people are delighted to have the opportunity to work. Those members say there is no work. Currently 6000 vacancies are advertised with Work and Income but I guess that is not the kind of work the Opposition is talking about. Opposition members are concerned about theoretical work in an ideal world whereas this Government lives in the real world and delivers up real jobs. That is what this Government is about. 
The Social Services Committee will be delighted to have this bill referred to it. We want to hear from people who are committed to a long strong and sustainable future where they are not subject or condemned to being dependent. 
Moana Mackey 
: If only rhetoric could create jobs! 
HEKIA PARATA 
: This is not rhetoric; this is knowledge. I happen to come from a community that is hugely benefit-dependent. I happen to have worked in that community as have many of my whanau and all of us are committed to finding work for those people. I speak with some authority because we have started businesses that have given work to those people whom Opposition members wax lyrical about but do they do anything about them? Oh forget it! Those members would rather whinge and moan. I am interested in rangatiratanga; I am interested in the practical personal kind of rangatiratanga which allows individuals to have authority over their own lives to be able to make decisions for themselves and to not have to rely on a Government of any kind because they have the quality of life they want and they are not subject to the idea that they are dependent on welfare. That is a disease. Nobody wants to embrace a life living on a benefit. 
Let me tell the Opposition this: this Government is committed to helping people who cannot help themselves and it is committed to finding ways to support people to get back into work. Why? Because we think benefits are about being a lifeline not a lifestyle. I commend this bill to the House. Kia ora.