Sabin Mike: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sabin Mike: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 23 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2328. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
MIKE SABIN (National—Northland) 
: 
 We have heard a few stones thrown around the glasshouse today: no plan no plan. It is funny because the three Davids do not seem to put one forward themselves—but no great surprise to the New Zealand public there. This National Government went to the electorate in 2011 with a programme to put this economy on a sound footing. National was re-elected because the New Zealand taxpayers the New Zealand public trust us to do the best by them to achieve just that.  
This Budget will reflect four of our key priorities: responsibly managing the Government’s finances; building a more productive and competitive economy; delivering better public services; and of course rebuilding and supporting our friends family and community in Christchurch.  
But a key plank of this Government’s priorities has been welfare reform—welfare reform—because welfare in this country has become a welfare trap and there has been a disgraceful programme by the previous Labour Government that has seen us in a position where some 350000 people are trapped in that predicament. So what does it mean? It means that the New Zealand taxpayer has to find $7.6 billion a year—$22 million a day—for those 351000 people 13 percent of the working population of New Zealand. And 220000 children are living in homes that are benefit-dependent. We can and must and will do better.  
I am internalising a very complicated situation in my head. I am doing this because Labour Party members and some of their colleagues across the floor oppose every change that this Government tries to put in place. They oppose everything that we are trying to do to ensure that we have more to go around to achieve what this country is capable of. They say that there are no jobs. Yet we have heard the Prime Minister tell us today that there are more people in employment now than ever before in the history of this country. Labour members will ask where the jobs are. Yet they will oppose every effort—every single effort—by this Government to grow our economy and the platform from which jobs are created. They will oppose every single effort from this Government. They oppose welfare reform but they also oppose every effort from us to curb spending so that we can support our most vulnerable to get back on their feet.  
This is the same Labour Party that squandered the good years. Let us have a look at that in some detail. The number of people on the sickness benefit under Labour increased by 51 percent and the number on the invalids benefit increased by some 47 percent. This was a huge migration from the unemployment benefit—figures that the Labour members trumpet—because so many were moving on to the sickness benefit and the invalids benefit. We also saw an 8.5 percent rise in the number of people on the domestic purposes benefit. So I guess if Labour members are opposing welfare reform on that basis then we are pretty much on the right track. That is the conclusion that I arrive at.  
This Government is committed to welfare reform. That is what Kiwis want that is what Kiwis expect and that is what Kiwis need. This Budget will see around $287.5 million over the next 4 years for investing in and improving our welfare system and for supporting New Zealanders to get ahead. There will be $80 million over 4 years going into childhood education; $55.1 million over 4 years towards 155 Work and Income staff who will be dedicated to supporting job seekers; and very important $148 million - plus over 4 years to support the most vulnerable youth who are at this stage on a collision course with an adult benefit.  
What will this all mean? This will mean that there will be more people in work and fewer people on welfare. This will mean that over the next 4 years you will see $1 billion worth of savings to the New Zealand taxpayer. This will mean that there are more reasons for Kiwis to see that this National-led Government is delivering for them and for New Zealand.