Smith Nick: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in  Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — In Committee 
Smith Nick: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in  Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:631;Page:3105] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 We heard something of a pathetic speech from Clayton Cosgrove. He raved about all the great things Labour has done for elderly New Zealanders but he did not refer for one moment to this bill. I have a simple question for the previous Minister in the chair Mr Clayton Cosgrove. Why for 5 years have Government members knowingly allowed the injustice of elderly people being discriminated against in terms of the living alone payment because the married partner lived in care? Mr Cosgrove cannot answer that. Can the Minister in the chair David Benson-Pope answer it? No he cannot. For all their rhetoric about how much they care for the elderly they cannot answer when it comes to a practical issue like the case of 91-year-old Mr Stan Page getting a living alone payment because his dear wife has gone into a rest home. In that situation Labour said to Mr Page in respect of his wife of 70 years: “Divorce her!”. That shows the callousness of Clayton Cosgrove and his colleagues. 
Let us test a few of the assertions that have been made by Mr Cosgrove. He said that Labour has abolished the asset and income test. Well that is news! I have to tell members that this very week—Saturday at the Nelson market—a dear old lady whose name I will not mention because I do not have her consent told me how disappointed she was that Labour promised to get rid of the asset and income test and 6 years later it is still there and it is still being applied. I ask Mr Cosgrove this question: will he bet me the best bottle of Nelson wine that the asset and income test is gone? He is silent now. Five minutes ago he was making all sorts of assertions but he will not take me on for a bottle of wine because the asset and income test which Labour promised to abolish in 1999 is still being applied as we speak. 
Then he had the audacity to talk about some of the costs for older New Zealanders. Let us talk some facts I say to Mr Cosgrove. Does he know how much the price of power has gone up since his party has been the Government? It has gone up by 42 percent. That is an average of a 7 percent increase per year in the price of power. Let us have a look at National’s record. What was the average increase in the price of power between 1990 and 1999 when National was the Government? The answer is 2 percent. It was 2 percent per year in the 1990s and it is 6 percent per year I say to Mr Cosgrove when his party is in power. He should hide his head in shame. 
Let us have a look at another significant expense for our elderly—rates. Does Mr Cosgrove know how much rates have gone up because of the dopey legislation his Government has been passing through the House? Rates have gone up by 7 percent per year—so rates have gone up 44 percent for those elderly folk for whom this evening he was crying crocodile tears. Does he know what the average increase was when National was in office? It was less than half that. So I am happy to stand in this House and say that when it comes to the real issues of our elderly folk—their power bills their rates bills and their superannuation— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: You cut the superannuation. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Well let us talk about superannuation. This bill is about the living alone payment. Does the member know who introduced the living alone payment? Does the member know who it was who recognised that people living alone actually have greater expenses and are deserving of a greater allowance from the State? It was Jenny Shipley one of the great Prime Ministers of this country. She was the person who introduced the living alone payment which recognised the costs of living alone to older New Zealanders. I am proud of the heritage that the National Party brings to the House and I proud today again that it is the National Party that is providing leadership on the issues of justice and dignity for our elderly people by making sure that they get that living alone payment even if their partner is in a rest home. It is right and it is just and the only thing I say to those Labour members is that they should hide their heads in shame because they have known about this for 4 years and have done nothing. That is why I hope they will be supporting my amendments—so that Stan Page and those like him might get this payment that they should have been getting 3 years ago and that they will get it for the period for which they were ineligible. That will be the test of Labour members’ mettle when it comes to the question of whether they are prepared to honour elderly New Zealanders.