Fairbrother Russell: Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill — Second Reading 
Fairbrother Russell: Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:13455] 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour—Napier) 
: 
 After that lamentable effort from that senior member on the furthest back Opposition back bench I say bring back Bill English. One can now see that he had great judgment. He had the judgment to send that member to the furthest back seat of the back bench that he could imagine. Members can see why—10 minutes of wasted time in this House and not once did he dare to address the bill. I guess that is because the Government used words with more than four letters in it so he cannot understand what it says. 
This is a bill New Zealand will welcome and the National Party will regret because those members could never have thought of it. That is because it is good news for every honest hard-working family in New Zealand and that party would not even know what that was. Regarding that last effort for that speaker to have spoken it with a straight face he would need to be a contortionist. This is a bill that brings the family centre stage. [ 
Interruption 
] I have just had a jury verdict that says: “Eleven for one against (National). We’ll have another ham sandwich thank you.” This bill brings the family centre stage in the New Zealand economy and social setting. That is a new idea for National is it not? Fancy those members putting families at centre stage instead of the tax break for the wealthy! This bill should be named the “Working for Families Bill”. Well what is it named? It is named the ”Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill”. How ironic that a bill that does so much for so many people and that makes this country get on to its feet again is named the “Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill”. No wonder the last speaker did not bother to read it. No wonder we have allowed him until October to read and understand it. On 1 October that member will come grovelling to these benches and he will be the last speaker saying: “Oh I wish I’d read that bill before I wasted 10 minutes of this country’s time.” 
I want to talk about a great electorate that has working families—unlike the electorate of the last speaker whose constituents sip lattes and send out overdue-mortgage notices. Napier is an electorate of working families. This is a good bill for the Napier electorate because it is an electorate of working families. The suburbs of Bay View Ahuriri Marewa Onekawa Maraenui Greenmeadows and Taradale are family suburbs. [ 
Interruption 
] I say to Mr Brownlee that a family is that special thing we have in New Zealand that has a mum and a dad and kids. Mum and dad love each other they love their kids and the kids return it. That member may not know much about that but he should listen to this debate and he will have his eyes opened—and keep other things zipped up. There are suburbs with the real stars and with their share of families on benefits—Marewa Bay View Onekawa Maraenui Greenmeadows and Taradale—and moving those families from the benefit to the workforce is one of the best things we can do for the suburbs of Napier. Before today and before 1 October it has been a hurdle to get off a benefit no matter how much it was screwed down by the previous Government because moving from the benefit to a wage often meant a drop in income—but no longer because henceforth one is encouraged to work. One is encouraged to get off the benefit and get into a job. 
And we can offer jobs. For the next 4 years or so experts greater than the members opposite could even imagine predict that the unemployment rate will be below 5 percent which means our families will have income earners. The intent is to get them off the benefit which is not understood by the intellects on the other side of the House. We will move to an economy that is sound. So this bill is good news for New Zealand good news for the suburbs of Napier and good news for Napier. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Get out of making excuses for criminal behaviour. 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: Speaking about criminal behaviour I think the previous speaker would know about that. Anyone who has studied it both close up and far distant would know that most criminal offending comes from those who are in poverty. That is well documented. Those people know there is a correlation between families under financial stress and family dysfunction. That is well known to those who bother to meet with families. The correlation between child health and poverty has been glaringly obvious to all but those who talk about tax cuts for the rich. We cannot ignore that correlation. 
This bill increases family income. We recognise that family income inadequacy has a significant impact on the welfare of our society. This bill addresses that issue by lifting the levels of family income so that families can move forward. Families in Napier who are endeavouring to survive can now lift their heads. The electorate that I represent will march forward from tomorrow morning. The workers in its suburbs can go off to their workplaces knowing that this bill places the family in the centre of our consideration. This is a bill for children. It is a bill that lifts the place of children so that they can have families who care and love for them. 
So I recommend this bill to the House. I endorse this bill and I wait to hear one single argument from the members opposite as to why this bill is wrong—an argument from ex-bankers ex-lawyers ex-accountants ex - money-sellers. I want to hear what they have to say about it. This is a bill that is working for New Zealand and working for families.