Sio Su'a William: Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
Sio Su'a William: Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
[Volume:671;Page:17813] 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Mangere) 
: 
 The last speaker Katrina Shanks said she looked forward to debating this issue vigorously at a later stage. I wonder why the member did not take the opportunity to debate the issue now at this particular time. Let me provide some context before I come to the Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3). We are in a crisis at the moment in this country. I see that the country is in crisis. There has been a cloud over this country for quite some time. We had the tragedy in Christchurch prior to that we had the Pike River mine tragedy and prior to that there was another earthquake. Since then there has been a sense of urgency through the length and breadth of this country about the need as a country to pick ourselves up and move forward. Despite the desire I pick up from the people of New Zealand all we are getting from this Government is this kind of legislation this flimsy piece of legislation. 
Yes my colleague Jacinda Ardern said we would support this bill but we are supporting it on the basis that this is the first reading. We are supporting this bill because we want to debate it and we want to go out and ask for the views of the general public. I have to say that if we send this bill out to Grey Power whose members will be affected by what is in this bill or to the students associations of the various universities for their comment they will throw it in the rubbish—they will describe this as rubbish. Is this the best this Government can do—flimsy legislation? Is this the best this Government can do at this time when the country is in a crisis when people are looking for leadership and when people are looking to move forward? Is this the best this Government can do? 
The explanatory note of this bill states that the bill “is intended to ensure equitable treatment—for people receiving payments of weekly compensation:”. I get people on a daily basis coming into my office and saying this Government is not providing the support they need in a time of crisis. I would say that people who have left Christchurch who are now living in Mangere and Manukau are still looking to find support for housing. People who have lost jobs are still looking for support to find jobs. 
The other thing this bill is intended to do is to ensure the equitable treatment “of students seeking assistance for their accommodation costs.” Is it not important that in times of crisis we ensure we are investing in the future of this nation? Is it not important that in times of crisis we give every support to the younger generation coming through so that they are supported to receive the education that not only they need but this country will need in the years ahead? Sooner or later we will need this younger generation to be able to come through the ranks to be able to get an education and to be prepared to take up the reins of this country. But if this is the best we are going to do by this Government it means we are left languishing in terms of trying to find where we go. Let me read out what this bill intends to do. It provides that “the requirement for weekly compensation payments paid under the Accident Compensation Act 2001 to be deducted dollar-for-dollar from benefit payments applies equally to weekly compensation paid by the Accident Compensation Corporation”. 
When Grey Power organisations and students associations hear what this bill is about they will ask: “What about us? What is this Government doing for elderly folk? What is this Government doing for students who want to upskill themselves and get further education to prepare themselves for the future?”. 
I have to say it is very disappointing that under this Government we do not seem to be going forward but seem to be going backwards as a country. Instead of wanting to move the nation forward the Government seems to be taking the nation backwards all the time. In fact at the beginning of this month the legislation that came into force was generally an attack on workers. On 1 April this Government attacked the working population of New Zealand. Workers are already in a crisis; they are already under attack with high unemployment but this Government instead of creating and finding jobs for them is content to say to those workers that employers can now sack them within 90 days for any reason. That is the gift of this Government this month. So I ask whether it can be helped that the population listening to this debate and to the presentation from this Government on this flimsy piece of paper will say that under this Government instead of moving forward we are going backwards. They will say this Government has no plan. 
Unemployment increases. Every day I have to say we get complaints about the housing stock in our neck of the woods. During 2½ years of being in Government National made promises to maintain housing stock and ensure that houses were going to be available but those houses continue to be unlivable and unmaintained. We have winter coming up. What will happen to those people who are still looking for homes? What will happen to the people of Christchurch who are still unable to return to their homes? This Government instead of focusing on tinkering around the edges of legislation should be presenting to this House major work to move this Government forward. It should be presenting to this House a plan to move the economy forward. 
Frankly the public has every right to say this Government is out of touch and does not realise the struggles that families the length and breadth of this nation are experiencing. The rising price of food is making it very difficult for many families particularly families with schoolchildren to provide quality food quality lunches for their children. The rising cost of petrol is making it so difficult for many of our families to look after themselves. Once upon a time in 2008 my 1990 Toyota Corona cost $60 to fill up. Today it costs over $100 to fill up the same car. It happened under this Government’s watch and all we get is the Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3). When will the Government do the right thing for this country? When will it move the economy forward? When will it take this nation forward? 
Katrina Shanks 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Is this a general debate? He is not speaking to any of the bill at all. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I will judge the relevancy there and otherwise. This is a first reading speech which is a wider-ranging speech than we find in the second and third readings. I will determine the relevancy. 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO 
: Your determination is excellent. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: You do not need to comment on the ruling I have just made; otherwise I will terminate the speech. 
SU’A WILLIAM SIO 
: Let me just say that when this bill goes out for consultation I expect that questions will be asked by members of Federated Farmers Grey Power and students associations. They will ask what plans this Government has for raising the productivity and economy of this nation what plans this Government has to increase our employment needs and what plans this Government has to ensure we invest in our young people.