Pillay Lynne: Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Procedure 
Pillay Lynne: Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:617;Page:13472] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour—Waitakere) 
: 
 What a great day! The sun is shining and as I walked to the steps of Parliament today I saw a person with a placard that stated three simple words: “Labour helps kids”. That is something to celebrate and that is what this Government is about. It is about looking after families and recognising ordinary Kiwis—low and middle income earners. I want to acknowledge United Future which has stood beside us and applauded this legislation. This is a package that carries through to 2007 with 60 percent of families with dependent children winning. This is one of our Government’s greatest achievements and there have been many. When it is fully in place there will be an average increase of around $100 a week for families in the $25000 to $45000 wage bracket; families like this family pictured in the newspaper. 
This Budget is not just about putting money into families’ pockets it is also about building on our early childhood strategy. By 2007 3 and 4-year-olds will get 23 hours of early childhood education. That is an investment not a cost and it is an investment that this Government is proud to make. Low and middle income earners were dealt to through the 1990s. Their take-home pay was driven down by ruthless legislation under the National Government. There was no support for apprenticeships or training—none whatsoever. There was a harsh market rent regime in State houses and most of them were flogged off big time. User-pays was pushed more and more in health and education with the theory being that if people did not pay they did not use. There was no hope for ordinary New Zealanders. 
What do we have now? We have paid parental leave apprenticeships a fairer loan scheme for our students better primary health-care a doubling of hip surgery industry training and more people in work than in decades. That investment in people has paid off and now we can keep reinvesting in people. The response from the “grab the jelly” party is once again that Dr Brash will not come clean. It is the same old tired rhetoric from the same old tired party that has the mantra: tax cuts are better. Who gets the most out of tax cuts? The rich. Katherine Rich and Don Brash. The National Party members and their cronies are once again looking at lining their own pockets—self self self. Has “Mr Selfish” got the guts to come clean? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is enough. That phrase must be withdrawn and apologised for. The member has to be very careful and start coming back to the bill. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: I withdraw and apologise. Is Dr Brash coming clean about what he has proposed to do with these increases for modest-income earners—the people who need it the most? Will he? No. Once again it will be the same old mantra and he will bleat about how bad things are. What is bad when we have a buoyant economy the lowest unemployment in decades fairer tertiary education paid parental leave and fairer labour laws to name just a few? He promises tax cuts but does not tell us what would go with that loss of revenue. This Budget is about working for families. This Budget is good for New Zealand families and I am pleased to be part of a Labour-led Government that is delivering it.