Moroney Sue: Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMoroney Sue: Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 16 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4451. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SUE MORONEY (Labour): Well we heard in an earlier speech in this House that they call them the Brown-Blues or the Blue-Browns and now I think we know why. Now I think we know why after that very disappointing speech from that MP Alfred Ngaro who came into this House because he was going to speak for his people the Cook Islands people. Here we see him instead this evening when he has got the very best opportunity—the very best opportunity—to do the right thing by the Cook Islands people he is going to vote against a Supplementary Order Paper that is actually going to remove the situation whereby Cook Islands New Zealanders have a different standard for their right to have superannuation than other New Zealand citizens—Hon Anne Tolley: It is not.SUE MORONEY: —and there is no other way to hide that Minister. What other New Zealand citizen is going to have to prove that they have been here for 5 years between the ages of 50 and 65 in order to get their superannuation? Who else is going to have to do that? I am not going to have to do that so what the Minister said before is clearly wrong and unfortunately she seems to have pulled the wool over the eyes of some of her colleagues. It is disappointing to hear that Alfred Ngaro and apparently Andrew Bayly have been in front of Cook Islands communities pledging that they would fix up this part in the Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau) Bill and then when it comes to the voting action clearly they are not going to honour that and I think that is deeply disappointing.Hon Member: Get some guts.SUE MORONEY: Yes it is shameful because one of the things that this Government has become known for is to say one thing outside the debating chamber and do another thing when it gets inside in the debating chamber and that is not going to enhance the reputation of that Government or of the New Zealand Parliament actually if it continues to do that.When I spoke on the first reading of this bill I paid homage to two very fine Cook Islands leaders in our community who had not long passed when we were debating the first reading of this bill: Terry Chapman and George Ford. I want to just pay homage to them again in the Committee stage and Part 1 when we are debating the purpose of this bill. I am sad to say that they did not live to see the day when they could have taken advantage of this bill. I am sure it would be something that they would have considered doing because they both felt very strongly about not only the Cook Islands community and supporting it in Hamilton but also about making sure that they kept very strong connections with the Cook Islands as well. I feel very honoured that in fact that speech that I gave on the first reading was shown up and down many Cook Islands churches right throughout the country and I feel very honoured that that was the case. But I hope also that the Cook Islands community will show the speech from Alfred Ngaro that he just finished in their churches as well because I think that speech deserves an airing in front of the Cook Islands communities. It is no good Mr Ngaro saying one thing outside the debating chamber and saying quite a different thing when we come inside the debating chamber.Alfred Ngaro: Really Sue?SUE MORONEY: Yes really Mr Ngaro. Are you ashamed that that speech would be shown in the Cook Island churches?Alfred Ngaro: What have you ever done for the Cook Islands community?SUE MORONEY: No he is happy for it to be shown so I think it should be and I will be—Alfred Ngaro: Oh really? Is that the greatest thing you could ever do?SUE MORONEY: I will be supporting Supplementary Order Paper 71 Mr Ngaro ahead of you. So let us just see. If you feel proud of the speech please make sure that it gets played in the church services in the Cook Island churches—The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Chester Borrows): Come back to the bill.SUE MORONEY: —up and down the country this Sunday. I think it would be very fine if you did that.This bill is a step forward but it could be so much better if the Supplementary Order Paper put forward by New Zealand First—I think it is in the name of Winston Peters—was to be supported across the Committee because we actually do have unity across the Committee on every other part of this bill. The purpose of it is a fine purpose. I find it interesting that when we are debating the bill we almost debate it as if we assume that it is going to be people of only Cook Island Niuean and Tokelauan descent who are going to use this bill but in fact the way I read the bill any of us could use it in this way. We could be resident in the Cook Islands—would that not be lovely—in our later years and use our New Zealand superannuation which I imagine would support quite a pleasant lifestyle in the Cook Islands or in Niue or in Tokelau. Certainly I think that is an opportunity.