Parker David: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Parker David: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 26 June 2012. Volume:681;Page:3361. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) 
: 
 It is seldom that you see a Government so willing to treat people like fools—treat them as if they have got no idea and no common sense. During that speech from David Shearer when he was saying that we are going to have trouble meeting the future cost of superannuation if we do not raise the age of entitlement Maggie Barry interjected: “Buy some shares buy some shares.” “Buy some shares.” she said which was a reference to the State-owned enterprises share sales at the moment. This Government is just treating people like fools. It is out of touch. Imagine— 
Phil Twyford 
: Let them eat cake. 
Hon DAVID PARKER 
: Let them eat cake—that is right. “Let them eat cake.” Mr Twyford says. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: “Queen Margaret”—“Queen Margaret”. 
Hon DAVID PARKER 
: Ha ha! “Queen Margaret”. About 2 years ago the office of the Retirement Commissioner said that we needed to move on the age of eligibility for superannuation and the Labour Party looked at it. We took it seriously. Phil Goff encouraged us to take the hard decision that needed to be taken—not politically popular but the right decision for our country. It is really important to the people whom the Labour Party represents because our people—more than John Key—need to have the security of superannuation being available to them in the future. Our people by and large do not have much income in retirement other than their superannuation and for us maintaining the sustainability of superannuation is absolutely important. 
We have the Government this week again throwing pixie dust around trying to divert people from the real decisions that need to be taken by a responsible Government. This is the week that we have had the Government in trouble on asset sales. That legislation passed by one vote—with Peter Dunne’s vote—in the House. That is deeply unpopular in the country and it is no coincidence that the Government brings out targets for the Public Service. But they are not meaningful targets because they do not address the important issues. There is no target for addressing the age of eligibility for superannuation—no target at all. There are targets there that relate to reducing violent crime within a period of time and reducing welfare numbers within a period of time. There are no policies to back them up but the Government is very willing to promise a rainbow at the end of every street—fictions that it takes to the public—but produce no accountability for itself for the really important decisions that need to be taken like the age of eligibility for superannuation. 
 There is no principle lying behind the decision making of this Government as is evidenced by the fact that everyone except National members it seems knows that we need to do something on the age of eligibility for superannuation but they refuse to acknowledge that reality. They instead throw diversions. Other diversions have been thrown recently when they are in trouble. They have said: “We will have legislation for boat people.” It is already a crime to come into New Zealand that way and there are no boats on the way but they throw that in as a diversionary tactic. Then when it is in trouble on teachers and class sizes they throw another one. They say: “Look we will look at compulsory sterilisation for beneficiaries.” which is another attempt to divert the attention of the public from them not addressing the big issues. It is not working with the media. The media are seeing through this and I congratulate the media on doing that. 
National is not addressing these big decisions. As we have already heard not only does the cost of superannuation exceed the total spend on education within about 4 years but also it is about 20 times the unemployment benefit. So the Government produces a target for beneficiaries and yet it has got 20 times the cost or close to it in respect of superannuation. Superannuation very soon exceeds the cost of all benefits: unemployment benefit domestic purposes benefit invalids benefit and sickness benefit. 
Superannuation is not a benefit but it is a transfer payment and it is a cost that comes from taxes and the Government’s refusing to move on this just makes a nonsense of its pretence to be serious about controlling cost centres for the Government. So it cannot claim any moral authority when it comes to these other areas of expenditure because it is ignoring the bigger issue that relates to the rising cost of superannuation. We need to give proper notice. We need to have fair transitional arrangements for people who are worn out by age 65 because of manual work. That is the discussion we should be having not the discussion as to whether there is any need to move at all. The Retirement Commissioner is to be congratulated on her work.