Wagner Nicky: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Wagner Nicky: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:638;Page:8750] 
NICKY WAGNER (National) 
: 
 I rise to continue the debate on the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. I would like to assure the House that National supports the idea of concessions and a discount card for senior citizens. We all appreciate the contribution that our older people have made for us but I want to make sure that senior citizens understand clearly the very limited scope of this bill.  
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Would members leaving the Chamber please show some courtesy to the member who is trying to address the bill. Courtesy is contagious and we will all prosper if we keep within the spirit of the Standing Orders.  
NICKY WAGNER 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. This bill is only a technical amendment and does not guarantee the delivery of any services at all. It reminds me of the fairy tale  
The Emperor’s New Clothes 
. Members will remember the story. It is about an emperor a gorgeous peacock of a man who loved clothes and all that was glittery and gaudy. He loved and he wore shiny fashions jewels and baubles. Members will remember the story; the emperor bought a wonderful new “supergold” suit of which he was enormously proud but that suit proved to be a mere illusion. Alas when the poor emperor was out parading in front of his people a little boy pointed the finger at the sham and the emperor discovered that he was stark naked.  
Today I am really concerned that the Minister of Foreign Affairs might just find himself equally as naked and exposed. This Minister has made lots of lovely promises when talking to this bill. He says that it will create a card that will carry a range of concessions and discounts available from central government local authorities and businesses. National supports rewarding elderly people but the problem is that this bill does none of those things. All it does is set the rules to allow an entitlement card—any card—to be issued by the Government. The bill amends the Social Security Act 1964 so that the Government can issue a card with a photo and microchip; although in line with the dog microchipping legislation I am pleased that the select committee has voted against microchipping grannies!  
The bill also amends the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act so that information from the Registrar-General of Births Deaths and Marriages can be used to verify entitlement to this card. That is very ironic considering that the Government on the one hand is passing legislation so it can use that information and on the other hand is also trying to pass legislation that will not allow you me or anyone else who wants to study the history of his or her family the same access. How equitable is that?  
But what this bill does not do is provide business discounts. It does not make any concessions at all. It does not provide anything that is real or tangible to make life better for seniors. Yes I know that the Minister has promised these things and I know that he has promised them by August 2007 which is only 3 months away. That is why I am so concerned that he may be caught out stark naked. Nobody seems to know anything about the details of these business discounts or concessions. I have not heard anything in the media and I have not heard any advertising from companies that would like to be involved. So I called the 0800 number Ruth Dyson was promoting which was set up to give information about the card. Firstly I spoke to the consumers’ hot line and guess what? No the hot line did not know what concessions there would be and no it did not know of any companies that were interested in the card although it was sure—it was very sure—there would be some.  
Then I spoke to the hot line for companies that were interested in being involved and guess what? No it did not know what concessions would be available and no it did not know what companies were interested. In fact it did not even know what a company had to do to apply to be involved but it was very sure that there would be some companies and it was sure that they would all be set up by August. What faith!  
So I would tell the Minister that after all that I was even more concerned. National members know that senior citizens are looking forward to the card and we support that but only if the card actually delivers something. Otherwise we have an expensive piece of puffery—just like the emperor’s new clothes.  
This bill creates only a card; a blank cheque so to speak that someone has to provide the credit for in order to underpin the promises. With 3 months to go before the card’s issue the public has no idea of the value of the card it has no idea what companies will be involved and it has no idea what discounts and services may be available and I fear that it will become just a costly way to access those benefits that are already available. There is a real danger that there will be nothing new and nothing of value offered by this card—and then there is a very real danger that a little boy might just point this out to the Minister and he will be left out there in the cold with nothing on but his birthday suit.