Guy Nathan: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — Second Reading 
Guy Nathan: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:631;Page:3018] 
NATHAN GUY (National) 
: 
 I am from the Kapiti-Horowhenua area and that area has one of the highest rates of over-65s per capita in the country. We all know that we have an ageing population and it will be interesting to see how much that figure increases in the latest census. Up in my region those elderly people are struggling to make ends meet even with the 1 percent lift in the superannuation rate for married couples—which is something to do with the supply and confidence agreement with New Zealand First I believe—that moves the rate to 66 percent of the average wage. But the trouble is that costs continually increase for our elderly people and a lot of those increased costs have been passed through this House in the last 6 years under this Government. 
Rates are increasing. Right now councils are out there consulting on their annual plans and long-term council community plans. We only need to look at how the Building Act has increased the level of general rates on average by 1 percent. We see that councils have ongoing costs of consultation with their glossy documents called long-term council community plans. Councils are out there trying to consult communities with just a handful of people turning up to public meetings while more legislation has been passed under the Local Government Act. 
We should just look at fuel costs and how they are impacting on the elderly. Approximately half of the cost of fuel is collected by this Government in tax. And we can just imagine how much costs will increase for elderly people who have dogs as companions when they have to microchip their dogs. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Only their new ones. 
NATHAN GUY 
: Only the new ones Mr Cosgrove yells out. But what is next if that provision moves through on 1 July? The elderly will have their dogs microchipped so will it be their cats next—who knows? 
Ongoing legislation being passed in this House by this Government is impacting on the elderly. Is the $71 million passing through aged residential care services actually moving through the district health boards? In some cases it is but in most cases it is not. What about the caregivers in this country getting some assistance through an increase in salary? Do they have to wait until next week the week after or a couple of years after that? In my particular patch of Kapiti and Horowhenua we have a crisis with caregivers. Kimberly Centre is closing because there are not enough caregivers to look after those people in our local communities. 
But let us move to this bill which has taken a long time to get to the House—a long long time. I think the fact that it is here at all is due in part to my colleague the Hon Dr Nick Smith the member for Nelson forcing the issue through the Human Rights Commission. I was interested to read about Mr and Mrs Page who were 91 and 88 years of age respectively. Mr Page was advised by Work and Income to seek a divorce so as to receive the living alone payment and I think that is disgraceful. So this bill will help to get around that issue. It tidies up that situation. 
We need to be aware that the veterans are a dwindling population many of whom have served our country fantastically well. The calculations I have seen estimate that there are about 2000 eligible New Zealanders who will be affected by this bill. We all know it is expensive to live alone so it is good to address the sharing expenses rule. The calculations that I have seen show that the bill will add about $100 a month for those people. Although that may seem small it will go some way towards assisting them. 
The other significant aspect of the bill is that it covers service abroad for veterans and superannuitants. That is moving from 52 weeks out to 3 years which I think is a very important initiative. The bill seems to be a common-sense approach but it has taken a while to get through. I think it has taken far too long. 
In summing up I say that it is great that those people are being acknowledged by the bill because there is an anomaly. Had the Page family been a de facto couple or gay or had Mrs Page had dementia they would have been eligible. So we have to tidy up that issue and the bill does that. 
National needs to be acknowledged as the party that forced this issue to come before the House. Thanks should be expressed to the honourable member Nick Smith for forcing the issue. 
It is hard for the elderly to make ends meet with more and more legislation being passed through the House and that impacts on the many many over-65s in my electorate. 
Darren Hughes 
: Whose electorate? 
NATHAN GUY 
: Just in a couple of years the electorate has become the most marginal electorate in the country. It was won by 382 votes. 
Darren Hughes 
: You’re a list member. 
NATHAN GUY 
: Do not worry about that. It once was a Labour stronghold electorate; now it is the most marginal in the country. 
It was good to see all the back-bench members in the electorate during the recent House adjournment trying to shore up support but they should have done that last year. It is a case of too little too late. There is more legislation jammed down the throat of the elderly. The bill will support the over-65s in my region who need acknowledging. I am happy to support the bill.