Key John: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — First Reading 
Key John: New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:629;Page:1633] 
JOHN KEY (National—Helensville) 
: 
 I am pleased to rise on behalf of the National Party in support of the New Zealand Superannuation and Veterans’ Pensions (Entitlements of Spouses and Partners of People in Long-term Residential Care and Remedial Matters) Bill. Since Georgina Beyer mentioned that this is the Year of the Veteran I point out that I have made an application to the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs Rick Barker in relation to a special statue and a memorial celebration to take place in the Auckland Domain for the bombers who have not had any memorial there and do not have a statue. I understand it would cost about $60000. Millions of dollars are floating around—the Minister of Finance has about $6 billion worth of surplus available to him. I know that this matter is a bit outside the topic of the bill but I am very hopeful that the bombers will get their just recognition. 
It is interesting that we are in a House that is a war memorial—and it was certainly a war zone today—and that we should be looking to do something for poor veterans and New Zealand superannuitants who have been forced by this Labour Government under a crazy scenario to divorce their partners of often up to 70 years so that they can get the single living alone allowance. What a disgrace it is that the Government has had 6 years to fix that up but it has sat on its hands and has done very little—other than to count the cash. Michael Cullen sits on a pile of cash that he likes to count night after night while the poor veterans and the New Zealand superannuitants are out there struggling to make ends meet. It has taken the Government 7 years to bring this legislation to the House. 
It has taken the good work of the member for Nelson Nick Smith to bring the bill forward. This is a proud day for Nick Smith and a proud day for the National Party because we are forcing the agenda once again just as we are forcing the tax agenda. Michael Cullen spoke today on the issue of payroll tax. It took the National Party to expose that Michael Cullen is by stealth about to introduce a payroll tax to many New Zealanders—fortunately not the New Zealanders who will be eligible for assistance under the provisions of this bill because they have moved outside the workforce. But I thank Nick Smith for his contribution of caring beyond the extent that many members of Parliament do by ensuring that the 2000 eligible New Zealanders will live with some dignity because it is a crazy scenario that a couple who have been married for 70 years could be forced to get a divorce. 
I can add that I have been married to my wife for 21 years. I do not like to admit that because I am greying slightly. I am 44. I know I am not very good with numbers but if we add to that another 21 years we will find that I will have been married for 42 years by the time I am 65. I do not anticipate going gaga any time soon but should I go gaga at 80 then that would add up to 57 years of marriage at that time. I do not think my lovely wife after 57 years should have to divorce me because she loves me as she does no other human being. She cares about me. She should not have to go through a divorce after 57 years of marriage so that we can get the single living alone allowance. It is a disgrace that my wife of 57 years—when I am 80 and gaga—should have to go through such a despicable display and I am surprised that that was not something the Government tackled earlier. 
I am surprised that Nick Smith the very hard-working member for Nelson had to drive the agenda and I am amazed that Georgina Beyer tried to rain on Nick Smith’s parade. That is disgraceful when Nick Smith had undertaken all that work on behalf of the party had listed all of those things and had driven the agenda. That is typical of the Labour Government: it is late to do absolutely everything but is all too quick to put its hand up and claim the credit. The Labour members in the House are barracking even as late as this point. They should just take it sitting down and accept that Nick Smith drove the agenda Nick Smith put the issue on the map and Nick Smith is the person whom thousands of New Zealanders will have the opportunity to reward. 
I say to Nick Smith that he has done a wonderful service for the people of New Zealand and a wonderful service for those veterans. What a tremendous job and what a tremendous effort he has made given that Michael Cullen is too busy dreaming up payroll taxes and Georgina Beyer was not sure whether she would stand in Wairarapa. In the end it did not matter because National romped home in that seat with Chester Borrows. It would not have really mattered whether Georgina Beyer or anyone else had stood in that seat because the people of Wairarapa knew a disgrace when they saw one. They knew that a person who has been married for 57 years should not have to get divorced in order to get the single living alone allowance. They knew that that was wrong. They knew not to ring 0800 Georgina Beyer they knew not to ring 0800 Labour and they knew not to trust a credit card that was paid for by the taxpayers of New Zealand—and while we are on the subject of that we want the money back thank you very much. 
Instead of doing that people rang “Nick for Nelson”. When they rang “Nick for Nelson” the phone was on the hook unlike the Labour Party’s phone. Nick did what Nick always does: he stood up for the people of Nelson he stood up for the people of New Zealand and he went the extra mile. It was a tremendous effort by Nick Smith and I say to Georgina that I was absolutely shocked by what she said. I thought she would have risen above that and I thought she would have given the credit to the member for Nelson that he deserved. All I can say is that National is proud to support the bill because National led the agenda. Once again the people of New Zealand can look to the National Party for security for dependence for leadership—for all the things that one would expect from a party like ours. The people of New Zealand will be very happy. 
I make just one final point in relation to voluntary service abroad and the ability of New Zealanders to work abroad and still receive their New Zealand superannuation for 156 weeks not for 52. What a good idea that was as well. I do not know whether Nick Smith recommended that but I am pretty sure he would have done that as well because he has a heart. In Nelson where Nick works volunteer work is a critical part of the community. Nick knows the value of volunteer work and he knows that people who are working as volunteers overseas deserve to receive New Zealand superannuation. They deserve to receive the benefit of all those things. 
 How proud Nick and the other National members who have driven the agenda on this New Zealand superannuation and veterans pensions bill can feel as New Zealanders head overseas for 156 weeks knowing that they can receive their New Zealand superannuation as they do their good work—as they work in the tsunami-affected areas and as they work in Pakistan in areas affected by earthquakes and landslides. As they work in other parts of the world that are challenged they can look to the National Party of New Zealand and know that it cares about them—not like the Labour members who sat there for 7 years not caring about that issue and who were too busy looking at student loans and things they could do to make their way back to victory. National cared enough to make this matter a big issue; National through Nick Smith cared enough to make that happen. 
I finish by simply saying that I am disappointed with Labour but frankly after 4 years I have come to learn how easy it is to be disappointed with Labour which is sitting around doing very little and leaving our economy to wander in the wilderness as other countries go past us. Only on Monday Peter Costello was very happy to set up a taxation review and very happy to make the Australian economy more efficient and more effective to drive home the real advantage for Australians. Our Minister of Finance sits in the House tonight twiddling his thumbs. He will probably get up at some stage take a call and claim that Nick Smith’s effort was not fantastic. Well I say to him that it does not matter what comes from people who have taken 7 years to put this issue on the agenda. National is the one to thank; Nick Smith is the one to thank. It makes one proud to be a member of the National Party.