Faafoi Kris: Social Security (Long-term Residential Care—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Faafoi Kris: Social Security (Long-term Residential Care—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 24 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2535. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana) 
: 
 Thank you for giving me the chance to speak to Part 2 of the Social Security (Long-term Residential Care—Budget Measures) Amendment Bill. In 1967 the Tremeloes a band that I am sure many of the people who will be affected by this bill were fans of released a song called “Silence is Golden”. The chorus to that song is “Silence is golden but my eyes still see”. The people out beyond these walls know exactly what is happening here. They still see what is happening here: that this Government is trying to sneak in this piece of legislation which significantly changes the way in which the threshold for assets for residential care is calculated for them. What will it mean for them? It will mean that it will cost them a lot more money to pay for their residential home care. 
 This change was not telegraphed. I cannot see it anywhere in this piece of information which was sent by the National Party around election time last year. I did not hear Mr Lotu-Iiga out around the traps talking about raising the threshold by the CPI. I did not see any of the members across the other side of the Chamber talking about this. But it is so important that it needs to be rushed through this House under urgency. It is so important that it has to be rushed through this House under urgency and it was not mentioned once in the Budget speech at all.  
This is so important that this needs to be rushed through in the House under urgency and how were the New Zealand people told about this? They were told in 1½ lines at the bottom of a press release from the Minister of Health. This is a Budget measure that the Minister in charge of this bill the Minister for Social Development said was a priority for her Government in her 1-minute speech in the first reading to the House—in her 1-minute contribution in the first reading in the House. You have got to give Miss Goodhew some praise too because at least she made a 2-minute speech—a 2-minute speech—in the second reading of this bill which is now before the Committee. But I will remind you again of that song “Silence is Golden”.  
I notice that there has been a change in membership for the Minister in the chair and I would encourage the new Minister in the chair the Hon Nathan Guy to maybe perhaps take a call and answer the myriad of questions that have been asked by people on this side of the Chamber as to why this has to be done. If as Mr Macindoe said in another contribution this Government wants to tackle the serious issues around aged care then why bring this in and raise $4.5 million in the first year and in the fourth year raise $16.5 million? Thank you very much you have solved the problems in aged care with that amazing measure that comes in with this bill—with that amazing measure. I say thank you very much to the National Government for sorting out aged care with this bill.  
It is ironic that the Minister in charge of this bill had the gall to say that this is a priority when it was not mentioned once in the Budget speech. It got half a mention in a press release and the Ministers who are in charge of shepherding this bill through the House afforded it 3 minutes of time. We will not even get the chance for the people whom this measure concerns in this area—the 170 people who will be affected in the first year and their families and the aged-care sector—to have their say because this bill is not going to a select committee. This is being rushed through this House under urgency. So the process is shameful and awful.  
You have got to ask why this is happening. Why is the Government doing this? Why is it picking on the elderly? Why is it picking on the elderly and at the other end of the scheme why is it picking— 
Hon Member 
: They did kids yesterday. 
KRIS FAAFOI 
: Well yeah yesterday was kids’ day and today it is elderlies’ day and maybe what is going to come beyond this Budget will affect the rest. The Government has already hit all Kiwis with its rise in GST in order to give its mates a tax cut but I ask what is going to come next.  
This is bad leadership because there are serious issues around aged care that need to be addressed. I went to an aged-care centre in Ian McKelvie’s electorate. It is facing serious issues and it needs some serious thinking done about this issue. But what does it get? What do the residents and the staff at Edale residential home in Marton get? They get this: four pieces of waffle from National which it claims is going to help sort out aged care in our country. What disrespect in another way can you get from this Government in terms of making sure that our elderly people are looked after?  
This change was not telegraphed in the various statements that were made by all the National Party candidates. Mr Goff mentioned before that Mr Key said during the election debate that we judge a Government on how it treats our elderly. Well this Government is treating our elderly with disrespect because it is not giving them and their families and the aged-care sector a chance to come and have their say. It may not like what they say but at least they should get their chance to have a say. People on the other side of the fence would get to have their say as well—those who agree with these measures. At least they would get their chance to have a say and we as parliamentarians who have a duty to make sure that we look after our elderly would be able to ask questions of those who are concerned about this bill. They are people like the residents at Edale in Marton and people in a number of residential homes in my electorate as well. Those people deserve to get the chance to have their say but because we are here on a Friday—well technically not on a Friday; this is still Thursday—still talking about this bill under urgency talking about the way that this bill changes the threshold for assets for residential care they do not get to have their say. I think that is a shame.  
It is a shame that this Government is doing it this way. It had the opportunity to do it properly and to make sure that we had a select committee hearing on what is a serious issue. I just want to repeat again that I ask the Minister in the chair to make a contribution. “Silence is golden but my eyes still see”.