Upston Louise: Urgent Debates — Social Development Ministry—Security of Private Information 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Upston Louise: Urgent Debates — Social Development Ministry—Security of Private Information 
[Sitting date: 16 October 2012. Volume:684;Page:5822. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupo) 
: 
 I am somewhat pleased to stand and take a call on this issue. I am not pleased because there is absolutely no argument in this House that this security breach is appalling and there is damage that has been done as a result of this breach. What I do find objectionable though is that members in this House stand here and say that they have not heard the Minister come to her feet and explain in some detail exactly what has happened. Instead what do they do? They go into emotive language and scaremonger about information that may have been made public. That is what I find offensive. The Minister stood here 10 or 15 minutes ago very clearly fronting this issue. She stood here fronted the issue and said she would make information available as it comes to her. She read an apology from the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development. 
I am impressed. I am impressed with how quickly when this serious breach came to light and how rapidly those kiosks were shut down. So as soon as the threat was identified it was shut down. And then not even 2 days later—not even 48 hours later—not only is there an independent review under way but also the consultants Deloitte have been appointed and they are under way. 
So there is no debate. There is no debate that this is a serious breach. But what there is a debate about is the fact that this side of the House fronts up deals with issues as they go wrong and focuses on the problem—not petty politics not scaremongering and not scaring the New Zealand public. I mean it is an absolute joke that on Sunday morning that member of the Opposition Jacinda Ardern went on television to say that she would support perhaps some of the issues in the White Paper for Vulnerable Children but not even 48 hours later she is using this to attack those same children. And here we have another party suggesting that paedophiles would use this information as a shopping list. That is despicable. That is absolutely despicable language in this House. There is a breach. We recognise that. The Minister and the chief executive have got onto it. They are dealing with it. So what is important now is that this issue is taken into focus and that it is looked at in every level of detail possible to ensure that it does not happen. This is a problem. We are not saying it is not. The Minister stood there 15 minutes ago and fronted up with some detail about what information was potentially accessed. She talked about how absolutely mortified she was that there had been a breach. So for that side of the House to then use it to attack the very constructive work in the White Paper for Vulnerable Children which over 10000 New Zealanders have contributed to is despicable. 
This is a Government that is focusing on what is important. It is focusing on what is important to New Zealanders. I am not going to stand here and have criticism of a Minister who I believe is the most courageous Minister for Social Development we have had in this country. Is she going to sit back and let generations rot on benefits? No she is not. She is taking the hard calls. She is reforming the system that that side of the House did not have the guts to deal with. She is dealing with the issues of fraud. Constituents in my electorate— 
Chris Hipkins 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I did not interrupt the member immediately because I was expecting you to interrupt her. The member cannot accuse other members of the House of lacking guts. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Well technically the member is right. Generally we apply that ruling when the word is referring to an individual. It was used in general terms. In my view it is inappropriate and I would just ask the member to desist. 
LOUISE UPSTON 
: As I was saying this is a Government that is focusing on what matters to New Zealanders. What matters to New Zealanders is having a system of welfare that supports those in need and recognises that work is the best opportunity for families and children. We are taking the hard calls to protect the most vulnerable in this society not playing petty politics with them like that side of the House.