Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Thank you Mr Chair. It's an honour to take a call on the Social Security Legislation Rewrite Bill. It's fair to say on this side the House that this legislation initially came out of the National-led Government and so there is a lot here in this bill that we're very supportive of. In this process of the committee of the whole House it's an opportunity to again—even if we were in Government—improve the bill and that's the intent of this. So as a way of sort of declaring that we're putting through our amendments. They may be small amendments small changes and we hope that the Minister will see these as an opportunity again just to improve maybe small anomalies that need a slight change a slight amendment and that's the purpose of the committee of the whole House. We've got a number of amendments that are coming through and there is one on clause 93 in Part 3 and it's in the name of the Hon Louise Upston. It's an amendment to clause 93 and it's inserting a new clause 93B. This is in relation to the provision headed up: Steps to explain overseas absence rules". The amendment wants to insert new clause 93B which reads "A person may apply to the chief executive of the Ministry of Social Development for an exemption to 203A on the grounds of for example: (a) Caring for children who may be located overseas (b) Health conditions which require time in warmer conditions (c) Serious illness to immediate family overseas".This as I'm sure the Minister would appreciate often relates to some of our constituents some of our superannuitants here that have come from the Pacific nations and from the Pacific Islands. In fact in the Chamber presently—and in the select committee—we are talking about an extension to the portability of the pension fund to nations of the Realm and this amendment I think is quite relevant. What it does is it seeks to clarify what are some of the steps and it gives an explanation for the absence in the four-week absence rules that apply in this regard.So I'm hoping that the Minister will see that this is again a contribution that's practical that's simple and it seeks to give clarity to those who are beneficiaries who are superannuitants who are seeking then to for these three reasons—one is caring for children located overseas. Often it is the case that some of the family members will go back to those places. It could be Australia and other places but in this regard I want to give examples of going back to the Pacific Islands. There are many situations where there have been health conditions—again family members for very good reason need to return back and go to those islands and again it is frequently the case that they return to those islands. And then the third reason is where there is serious illness to immediate family members overseas and there is genuine cause for concern. We often call it tangihanga as you'll know Mr Chair and it's where there isn't a chance to go back when superannuitants have lost a loved one and it's a very genuine and authentic reason for them to be away from New Zealand as well. So I seek that this amendment would be able to be inserted there. The amendment has an explanatory note saying that with the winter energy payment available for superannuitants in all cases they do need to explain the four-week rule so that people don't miss out on their entitlement. And in the committee we've had a number of speeches and even in the general debate talking about the power of the winter energy payment. I won't go into that but if it's going to be something that's consistent with what this current Government has put through into this bill which is the winter energy payment then I think this consistency will reflect itself in this amendment which I think is very pragmatic and practical and again I think it would be very useful in this regard.As I said we don't want other people to miss out on that opportunity to be able to get the winter energy payment. So I want to submit this amendment in the name of my colleague and friend the Hon Louise Upston as a pragmatic solution—and again the explanatory note for those reasons as well. I hope that the Minister may be able to see that she gets advice from her advisers and is maybe able to stand up and actually agree—that would be wonderful—and say that new clause 93B would be a very valid clause that we could include in this bill. Thank you Mr Chair."