Carter DavidRt Hon DAVID CARTER (National): Mr Assistant Speaker can I start—as this is the first contribution I've made with you in the Chair—by extending my congratulations to you. You already show a very dignified aura as you sit in that Chair and I wish you very well in your role as an Assistant Speaker.I do want to return this debate to the legislation the Families Package (Income Tax and Benefits) Bill. It's not about universality of healthcare or education; it is a piece of legislation that is quite specific. It's in urgency because of course it comes into effect on 1 April and 1 July and that justifies coming into urgency according to the Leader of the House—can't quite understand the logic myself but anyway here we are.I'm having trouble—I know the National caucus has taken a position of voting against this bill but I'm reminded of the prayer we start the day with: Putting aside all personal interests as we debate matters". I don't know what I've done to deserve so much generosity and favouritism from this Labour - Greens - New Zealand First Government. I didn't ask for their generosity but I'm about to get it.I have a daughter Laura who's off to university in Auckland next year so conservatively that's about $10000 or $12000 that I'm better off. I have a daughter Isabella who's doing her last year at school—and congratulations to her; recently nominated deputy head girl. She will definitely go to university the following year so that puts me about another $10000 or $12000 better off. Then I've got my son Morgan who's determined to be an architect when he finishes school—he's got a few more years to go. He's only 13. But that gives me another opportunity through the generosity of this Labour Government to pick up about $10000 or $12000 a year.Then there is of course the situation—I don't look to be over 65 but I do admit that I am. So I'm looking forward to the winter energy payment of $750 and when I eventually get home perhaps on Saturday afternoon when the urgency finishes I will have a discussion with my wife about the potential of trying to become eligible for the baby bonus. I'm not confident that will be a discussion that ends well but I am certainly doing very very well out of this package. But having considered the $10000 or $12000 for three children and the winter energy payment of $750 I am going to put personal interests aside and I will be voting against this legislation.One of the reasons that I do it is I think you'd best describe this legislation as intellectually bereft. It is simplistic legislation. It delivers universality to people that don't need it. We heard the speech from the Hon Tracey Martin saying that this was all about targeting. If it was about targeting the people she's identified in true poverty then I might be prepared to vote for it. But when they generously give this sort of money to somebody in my situation why is that good legislation?Kiritapu Allan: What about the tax cuts?Rt Hon DAVID CARTER: What about the tax cuts? That's a very interesting—I did take that into account. I could have got $1060 a year and now they're talking about $35000 a year. How's that sensible—how's that sensible? It is taxpayers' money that you're wasting by delivering it to somebody like me who doesn't need it. By all means target assistance; we all support that. But the stupidity of passing out this sort of package and making it universal to people that don't need it just leaves me wondering what intellect what planet were the people who decided this package on.A winter energy payment that I understand will automatically be enrolled so it'll come with superannuation payments and then the option to opt out. Who's going to bother to opt out? Stephen Tindall? Hon Member: Winston might.Rt Hon DAVID CARTER: The Rt Hon Winston Peters might—well we'll watch with interest. He was very very slow to reveal when he was picking up a whole lot of superannuation that he shouldn't have been picking up. But maybe he will opt out. I don't think many people will.Hon Willie Jackson: No you won't.Rt Hon DAVID CARTER: The Hon Willie Jackson interjects and said that I won't. Well he doesn't actually know that situation but give me one reason why I should. You're passing the legislation. You're the one who's designed the system to give it to people who clearly don't really need it. Why should anybody opt out? Why should the responsibility go to somebody to opt out of stupid ill-considered legislation that the Hon Willie Jackson is about to vote for.This Government needs to be past slogans. When the Hon Grant Robertson introduced this legislation he used the words and I quote "We want all New Zealanders to live in prosperity." Who doesn't want that—who doesn't want that? We all do. Then it's a matter of intelligently delivering policies that will give the opportunity for all New Zealanders to live in prosperity. But to take a tax cut off me of $1000-odd and effectively give me a gift of perhaps $30000 is just plain stupidity. There is no other way I can explain it.Why does the Government hate the idea of tax cuts? I don't understand and I know it's been a philosophical argument we've had from the time I got here. People earn their money. They should pay reasonable taxation to a Government to deliver those essential services which we expect a Government to deliver. But once you are in surplus the fundamental philosophical discussion that should be had is: can a taxpayer spend their own money better than recycling it back through a central bureaucracy for a Government then to generously decide where they will put that money? I know the philosophy of that Government because I've watched it time and time again. What it does is it identifies a sector of the voting community where it will spend its efforts over the first three years that it's in Government to try and lock in that particular sector to vote for them.I'll tell you where they did it so blatantly. It was interest-free loans for students. Once there difficult to remove and I accept that but there was a sector of the community they targeted specifically to make sure they hoped they'd vote for them.I'll give you the next one. It's free tertiary education that's been announced. That's where the tax cut money's gone—$2.8 billion swapped over to $2.5 billion to provide tertiary education for students going into their first year with the promise that they'll develop that over time. That's another group the Labour Government's determined to lock into its catchment of votes for the next election.Kieran McAnulty: Rubbish!Rt Hon DAVID CARTER: But New Zealand—who said rubbish?Kieran McAnulty: I did.Rt Hon DAVID CARTER: Kieran McAnulty said that's rubbish. Well I don't think it is. He can think it is. When he's been in that Labour caucus a bit longer than 45 days he'll then know that actually it's not rubbish at all. It's the way they operate. But the interesting thing is New Zealand voters are smarter than that. They're a lot smarter than that and they work out for themselves as to whether churning taxpayers' money back through a system and giving it out to sectors that receive particular favouritism from the Labour Government is at all appropriate and I don't need that favouritism I don't expect that favouritism and I think it's stupid.Can I make my final point. This legislation will sign the death warrant for New Zealand First as a political party. They have stood for years to support the superannuitant and they're not going to support the superannuitant who has seen superannuation rise by over 35 percent during the period of the National Government and now that particular trajectory of rise has ceased simply because that Government supported by "Mr 7 Percent New Zealand First" has now removed that tax cut which was absolutely critical to the calculation of further superannuation payments. They know they're in trouble and that's why they've come up with the stupid idea called a winter energy payment which Tracey Martin says is designed to deliver to those people who live in cold houses ending up in hospitalisation. That applies to some. Target the assistance to them by all means Government but don't give it universally to the many many thousands of people who do not need it."