Prasad Rajen: Income Tax (Universalisation of In-work Tax Credit) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Prasad Rajen: Income Tax (Universalisation of In-work Tax Credit) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 07 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6397. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr RAJEN PRASAD (Labour) 
: 
 I am pleased to take a final call on this Income Tax (Universalisation of In-work Tax Credit) Amendment Bill from our side. I have had time to reflect on contributions from members opposite to this particular bill and this debate. I must say that when it comes to child poverty members who have spoken on this bill have not displayed any compassion or understanding or empathy for the plight of poor families bringing up young children in this country. They have not done that at all. In fact members opposite in the debate 2 weeks ago were actually quite disparaging of the plight of the poor. Effectively they pathologised that poverty through their comments and I think that was a pretty nasty thing to do. Government members were effectively saying that there is nothing more that can be done for the 270000 children who live in poverty making New Zealand’s performance on this score one of the worst in the world. We are entitled to draw the conclusion that apart from punitive measures which the Government has taken in the last 4 years it is just not interested in this particular area. Instead of taking the opportunity to reflect on the reality of these lives of quiet desperation—because that is what it is; many of these families live lives of quiet desperation—Government members instead of talking about it have actually gone on the attack in the debate and indeed in other debates concerning this subset of the population. 
David Bennett’s contribution to this debate reached probably even lower than the lowest which is usually reserved for Maggie Barry—apart from the last speech and I will acknowledge that. [ 
Interruption 
] Well if the cap fits wear it. That is saying something. For David Bennett the provisions of this bill were communism. That is what he said. Although I doubt he could accurately define the concept of communism he went on to interject that $60 per week will not make any difference to the lives of these poor families living in poverty. Clearly David Bennett was not listening at all to what the Green members were talking about. Both Metiria Turei and Jan Logie actually gave examples of what the experience was. Metiria talked about empty lunch boxes in schoolbags—$60 would go a long way. Teachers are desperately seeking funds for kids’ breakfasts. There is increasing illness and kids desperately looking for food in places where animals look for food. Yet those were the disparaging comments that he was making. Jan Logie also talked about the poor being left out not being able to go on school trips feeling the shame of having no spare resources lacking warm clothes and living from week to week. 
So this is the empathy of the members opposite for the poor in this country the most vulnerable. For these families Mr Bennett $60 a week would go a very long way. Of course it will not go a long way for him because for him it is only a meal at a reasonable mid-range restaurant. But for these families it makes the difference between living and really being miserable. Paul Goldsmith in his comments on the bill invoked the spectre of assistance to these families as destroying the human spirit. Which century is this guy from? The Charity Organisation Society was a long time ago. Assistance he said was like a narcotic. I say to Mr Goldsmith that he cannot hide from these images he created during the debate regardless of the fact that the quote was from someone who should have known better. But by quoting these lines he associates himself with the images that this work conjures up. 
This bill actually is a good bill. It really addresses the most vulnerable and the Government shows a lack of regard. Imagine a family with very little resources bringing up young children and young children are our future. Yet the Government is miserable enough to say that we cannot give them that—they will have to get a job and will have to do something else. Where do members opposite get their knowledge from? What about the poor in Maungakiekie? What about the poor in Waitakere? What about those people? Have they not gone and seen them? Have they not talked to those families? Yet they come here. 
The other point I want to make is that for these children this period of development is the most important there is. If we mess up during those early years age 1 to 2 all the research shows that they are on a downward path. But that Government and the members who spoke on this bill are quite happy for that to happen yet they privilege their own; they privilege the rich through tax cuts. I think they have taken a miserable position and it will come back to haunt them. They could have at least shown an appreciation and voted for this bill to go to the select committee. Thank you.