Rich Katherine: General Debates 
Rich Katherine: General Debates 
[Volume:606;Page:3797] 
KATHERINE RICH (NZ National) 
: 
 Welfare is a word that has received a lot of attention over the last week and it is a word that Labour with its “old left” style of managing things can barely say without spitting. Well that word needs to change its meaning to become a positive one. It should mean health. It should mean happiness. It should mean prosperity. It should mean well-being in general. It should mean financial and other assistance given to people in need. If members do not buy that definition from me then I suggest they take it up with Mr Collins because that is the proper definition in the Collins dictionary.  
The Knowledge Wave conference raised a lot of very interesting issues. First of all it was very interesting to hear the presentation from John Martin who presented a summary of OECD research. It was clear from his presentation that the carrot-and-stick methods of welfare delivery worked. His presentation was a glaring demonstration of why this Labour Government has it so wrong when it comes to welfare delivery. We also heard from Peter Saunders who questioned why New Zealand and Australian academics go to such great lengths to overlook the success of the United States reforms. The same can be said of the Government I might add. The results from the US are astounding and they are worth evaluating.  
Then we heard from Maori leader Mr John Tamihere who my colleague described as becoming a centre-right cult figure. There are websites being set up in his honour as we speak With his fearless demonstration of how it is always easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission he exposed the concerns that many other Labour members have about welfare. So let us have a look at the sorts of things he said. He said of Mr Maharey: “He’s going to have to get away from statism and “blank” under the name of third wayism because he is not practising third wayism; no no he is practising old left. Welfare in New Zealand is delivered in a charitable and benevolent way and that charity and benevolence actually crushes you because it just teaches you to put your hand out. All I need to do in terms of my community is to beat my caseload worker at WINZ and pull my $160 unemployment benefit ... That’s a wonderful lifestyle but what values does it teach the children in that house?”. He is absolutely correct. It teaches the children in that house absolutely nothing.  
John Tamihere is not the first Labour member to say that there is a problem. Let us remember Michael Bassett’s comments in  
North and South  
when he said: “I do believe in the welfare State but the current model needs substantial reforms or large numbers of people for whom it is meant to exist will continue to become its victims.” I could not have said it better myself. The Labour members have gone quiet over there!  
With his speech John Tamihere exposed the faults of Labour’s approach to welfare and to those who listened to John Tamihere’s maiden speech his comments will come as no surprise. He is not a career politician. He does not expect to be here in 20 years. He came here to make a difference and then he will get out. He will not be the Ken Barlow of the New Zealand Parliament. He has no intention of coming here just to collect his pay and eat his lunch. He has foreshadowed that he intends to make many other statements about welfare and other issues.  
John Tamihere speaks plainly about welfare which is in direct contrast to Minister Maharey. When Minister Maharey speaks about “social capacity” and “joined-up Governments” John Tamihere speaks of jobs education and training. In one fell swoop he has undermined Labour’s entire welfare policy. So no matter how the Prime Minister tries to shut him down and say that this matter is at an end this is just the first instalment. I look forward to hearing more from Mr John Tamihere. The public now knows that as far as Labour’s welfare policies are concerned the emperor has no clothes. It is not a matter of this issue being at an end.  
John Tamihere raises issues of housing and that will be an interesting one to watch. With income-related rents we have seen the numbers on the housing waiting list skyrocket to 11000. What is even more concerning is that the turnover rates for those Housing New Zealand homes have dropped dramatically. When we were in Government the turnover was well over 30 percent. In some areas of south Auckland it is now as low as 8 percent. John Tamihere said that Housing New Zealand stock should be a respite facility for people who need that sort of support. He said it should not be a lifetime entitlement. There is no way that the Government can deliver housing services for those 11000 people on the waiting list.