O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): I think it's appropriate to begin in the languages of the Realm so kia orana faakalofa atu malo ni kia ora and hello. Look it's a real pleasure to speak on the Social Assistance (Residency Qualification) Legislation Bill. A little bit like with a piece of legislation last evening I don't actually sit on the social services bill but I'm speaking on this as I hold—Nicola Willis: Committee. SIMON O'CONNOR: —two associate—sorry on this committee thank you. It isn't a very good start is it? Thank you very much. However I now have nine minutes and 24 seconds to make good. I don't sit on the committee. However I have two associate portfolios—which is really going badly. I'm just so excited to get to talk about the Realm. It's going to be great particularly with Prince Harry and Meghan coming here—where could this go? But in all seriousness it's two associate spokesperson-ships that I hold in this area and I'm delighted to talk on this social assistance legislation bill because in effect it's a National Party bill. Actually without throwing too many brickbats it's another example of legislation being put forward in this House—rightly under the new Government's name but actually National Party originated—and this particular part is from the Rt Hon Bill English or should I more correctly say now seeing he is a knight of the Realm Sir Bill English. We'll go through a little bit of the history in a moment but this as I say is the second reading of a good bill. There were seven people who submitted and two who did so orally and by that I mean that they came to the committee and discussed matters. The report back from the committee—the Minister who resumed the chair earlier has traversed some of that and it's not my intention to do so. But fundamentally this is a progression in New Zealand's laws. In this case it's around its superannuation and veterans payments to recognise not only the rights if you will of those who reach retirement age to access their entitlements but I think importantly—and really importantly—actually there are consequences of New Zealand being a realm. It's not always known but some of the language in this House and otherwise can sometimes get blurred. We talk about New Zealand as being a State or as a country but actually we are a Realm. We are a Realm because our head of State is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and under that Realm New Zealand sits as an independent country. The Cook Islands and Niue also share the Queen of New Zealand as their head of State and are in free association with New Zealand and Tokelau is a dependent territory. Granted they have sought referenda before to discuss whether to move into free association with New Zealand or if they so chose to go completely independent. They have up to this point in time not done so and they remain as I say a dependent territory with rather than under the Queen of New Zealand.So the Realm of New Zealand is actually larger than simply the North Island South Island and the Chathams and Stewart islands. It also includes the Cooks Niue Tokelau and actually—if it's of the curiosity interest—the Ross Dependency. So New Zealand is more than what we initially think and it makes a lot of sense to me that if we're going to have a realm and if we're going to engage under the same head of State actually the same rights and privileges are accorded.I may go on a little bit further to see where these next expansions go but in terms of social assistance up until 2015—well actually firstly Madam Deputy Speaker we need to acknowledge this as an omnibus bill. In other words—and as you would know—as an omnibus bill it's affecting two pieces of legislation: obviously the New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001 and the Veterans' Support Act more recently updated in 2014. People at this point in time over 65 who are to become eligible have had to have lived in New Zealand for at least 10 years since they became 20. So people have to be resident in New Zealand but importantly and as other speakers have indicated you need to have lived in New Zealand for at least five years once you're over the age of 50.This is where the little complications began to kick in. So the problem we are seeking to solve is that New Zealanders who are eligible or would normally be eligible for superannuation: in New Zealand everything was fine; those New Zealanders living in other parts of the Realm—obviously the likes of Niue or Tokelau for example—were not eligible. In fact their living in that part of the Realm meant that they could not be seen as resident for five years. In a sense to make matters worse they had to if they were in those parts of the Realm come back to New Zealand to apply.So in 2015 changes were made so that a New Zealander living let's say in the Cook Islands would no longer have to come back to apply in New Zealand. So that was part of it: not only five years in New Zealand but you had to be in New Zealand to make an application. So we in 2015 fixed that requirement. People were able to apply from the Realm which makes sense and this piece of legislation as agreed by the Rt Hon Bill English in 2015—no it must have been nearer 2017; I'd have to double check those dates—said No; actually living in the Cook Islands living in Niue living in Tokelau—that will count towards the five years over 50." And I think that's really really prudent.Again I think first and foremost it's good for the person who is going to receive the superannuation of course. They want to receive the money. It's their entitlement. They've worked hard for New Zealand. It's obviously good for those parts of the Realm: the Cooks Tokelau and Niue. Those people are able to remain there to be resident there and to obviously spend their superannuation there. That's a positive. Others have talked about keeping those skills there. I would add on top of all of that that there are just good social benefits as well. People do not like having to move around unnecessarily.So that's incredibly positive there as well but I think much wider than that it sends an incredibly strong signal that New Zealand is a realm. The way that we are constitutionally structured is finally being reflected in our legislation—that actually these places in free association or as a dependent territory as Tokelau and Ross Dependency are are part of New Zealand and they should be treated equally and as such.Really just to illustrate the point up until this legislation goes through living in the Cook Islands or living in Tokelau doesn't seem to count even though it's part of the Realm for that five-year entitlement. It would be akin to saying "Well I'm sorry. All of those who live in"—I don't know—"Havelock North or Dunedin sorry; you don't count." It's as if we're dividing up I would argue arbitrarily where the lines go. And it's a slight contradiction because at the moment things like our exclusive economic zone and our military and diplomatic capacities are based off those territories off those areas of free association like the Cook Islands. There's some element of connection already and it makes a lot of sense to me that we continue to emphasise the importance of New Zealand's constitutional structures. And one of the best ways to do that—other than obviously educating people—is to make sure that the constitutional actions and our laws reflect that: in other words that there's equality for all of those people within the Realm. So it's my hope that as time goes on this is not the last piece of legislation we bring to the House that makes it really clear that all of those—all of us in fact; all of us—who live in New Zealand who live in the Ross Dependency or work down there or who live in Tokelau the Cook Islands or Niue are all under the one head of State and therefore we should reflect that in a sense uniqueness—because it is not all that usual. But that uniqueness should be reflected not only in social assistance but also in the areas of travel—how we actually move across those territories. That raises obviously much wider discussions around the freedom of movement visas passports and so forth and what is required there.I think too it ensures that we must have a mature conversation as if you will the one people in multiple areas within this Realm of New Zealand on how our relationship continues—importantly together. If we wish to separate things out I just think that's fundamentally important.So we are wholeheartedly in support of this legislation and happy that it's processed through the select committee. It seems like a very robust process. I think the recommendations and the way that the issues have been articulated are particularly positive. I look forward to it progressing swiftly through the House and other contributions as we count down."