Cosgrove Clayton: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in  Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — In Committee 
Cosgrove Clayton: 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:3103] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Associate Minister of Finance) 
: 
 I want to take a short call on this bill. 
Hon Member 
: Give us an explanation. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Well the member asked for an explanation in respect of the vote against clause 3. If the member took a moment to look at parliamentary procedure he would note there are two Supplementary Order Papers one of which splits the bill. Because of that the clause becomes redundant. It is rather a technical phenomenon. I have tried to use small words and small concepts. I know “redundant” is a rather large term but that is why we voted against it; it is a technical move. 
I cannot resist focusing on the false bravado and immodest behaviour of Dr Smith and other speakers. They get up in this Chamber and have the audacity to talk about their deeply held beliefs and feelings for our good elderly folk how they have been so deprived under this Government and how all this is so awful. Mr Ardern—if he pulled his head in for a moment because I know he is quite an honest bloke; he is one of the better of them—knows deep down what this is all about. This is about a National Government who in 9 years first had asset testing and second cut the pension three times. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: Not true. 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE 
: Yes that is true. That was Mrs Shipley’s legacy—as Nick Smith did the numbers to roll Bill English and I am now told he was not sure who he was doing the numbers for—the pension was cut three times and the rug was pulled from under every elderly New Zealander. I see the members of New Zealand First are nodding. They helped to rectify that problem and I acknowledge that. 
When we talk about clause 3 and the Opposition bleats about why Labour is opposing it it is simply because—as National does know—of the two Supplementary Order Papers. One splits the bill and therefore clause 3 becomes redundant. Nick Smith’s guile in getting up and bleating and trying to have any credibility with our elderly folk is amazing after National pulled the rug from under every elderly person for 9 years. National members cut the pension and did not inflation-proof it and they cut the link to the average wage. They did all those things then introduced asset testing—which we are removing through legislation we have passed. 
I ask members who has more credibility with the elderly folk in this country. We reversed all the cuts of the National Government. We did not actually promise to increase the pension but we increased it. We got rid of asset testing. We are the ones who are putting the rates rebate up so that elderly people can actually afford it—so who has the credibility? 
That silly member from Nelson stands up and thinks he can get away with hoodwinking and conning the elderly people in New Zealand. He thinks that just because people are old they are silly. He thinks every elderly person at home tonight will sit there awestruck by Dr Smith. He thinks they will not remember what National did over 9 years—how it forced elderly people to turn their heaters off at home because National cut their pensions and they could not afford to have them on. The National Government forced elderly people who maybe should have been in a rest home but could not get there because of asset testing and who did not want to give up the family home and the assets they had put aside for their grandkids because Dr Smith’s Government introduced it. Labour got rid of it. 
If Dr Smith thinks any elderly person tonight is sitting at home and giving him any credibility at all then he is condemned because he says that people who are old are silly and they are not. National members have quietened down now because somebody has got up and reminded them of their legacy and of their history. I invite one of them—even the elderly member over there who took a point of order—to try to get up and tell this Committee that first they did not introduce asset testing second they did not take off the inflation index to the pension and third they did not cut the pension three times. All of those things are true. 
When we dispose of the technical amendments in clause 3 we will deal with these issues. When it comes to standing beside our elderly folk and supporting them I look forward to the debate. If all National members can do is get up and bleat about clause 3—because Mr Ardern is too stupid to understand that a Supplementary Order Paper splits the bill and that is why is has become redundant—then they are bereft of any ideas at all.