Flavell Te Ururoa: Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill — Second Reading 
Flavell Te Ururoa: Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:665;Page:13074] 
TE URUROA FLAVELL (Maori Party—Waiariki) 
: 
 Kia ora tatou katoa e te Whare tatou e hui nei i tenei rangi. Kua tu ake tenei na ki te korero mo te taha ki a matou o te Pati Maori. I roto i toku ngakau kei te ki atu kei te hiahia te Minita ki te awhina i te hunga e rongo nei i te ngau o te rawakore o te hiahia ki te hoki ki te mahi. Engari tona whakatinanatanga kei reira tonu te uauatanga. I roto i nga pire ka tae mai ki mua i te aroaro o te Whare Paremata kei reira tonu etahi wahanga e ahua pai ahakoa pehea mai Reipa mai Nahianara mai. Ko te mate ke kei reira ano hoki etahi wahanga he ahua uaua ki te whaiwhai haere. Na runga i te aha? Na runga i te uauatanga. No reira ko ta matau ko ta tatau o te Whare nei he ata titiro ki nga taha e rua mena ae ranei he kaha ake nga painga ki era o nga mea ahua kino nei. Mena ko te tikanga o tenei pire he whakarite i etahi huarahi kia tangohia nga here o te Karauna i runga i te tangata he mea pai tera. He mea pai rawa atu tera. Engari tona whakatinanatanga penei i taku e korero nei kei reira tonu te uauatanga. 
Kua roa te Ao Maori e korero ana kare e tika ana kia noho here te Maori me ki ki te penihana ki te Karauna. Kua roa tera e korerohia ana kua roa tera e waiatatia ana. Kei roto i nga waiata a Tuini Ngawai kei roto i nga haka a Ta Apirana Ngata kei roto i nga korero a John Tamihere ma; ko ratou te hunga i ki atu i whakaatu mai ki te motu kare te Maori i te hiahia kia herea e nga taura ki te penihana otira ki te Karauna. No reira me pehea e taea ai te tango mai te here kia taea ai e te Maori te hoki ki te tiaki i a ia ano otira kia taea ai e te motu te tiaki i a tatau ano kia waiho ake te taha ki te penihana ki a ia ano me ki kia panaia ai ki tawahi. 
[ 
Greetings to us all the House those assembled here today. I rise to express the view of the Maori Party. My heart is saying that the Minister wants to help those experiencing poverty and who want to return to work. But the implementation is really difficult. There are some provisions in the bills coming before the House that are somewhat beneficial whichever way one looks at it be it Labour or be it National. The real problem is that there are provisions as well that are quite difficult to address. And why is that? Because it is difficult. We propose that we of this House should examine both sides to see whether yes the benefits outweigh those aspects that are somewhat bad. If the purpose of this bill is to consider ways of removing encumbrances placed by the Crown on the individual then that is a good thing—a really great move. But implementing it in the manner that I am saying here still presents a difficulty.  
Maoridom has long said that it is not right for Maori to remain tied to the State through benefits. That has been talked and sung about for a long time. It is in Tuini Ngawai’s songs Sir Apirana’s posture dances speeches by the ilk of John Tamihere and others; they were ones who revealed to the nation that the Maori people wanted to be unencumbered by systems like benefits and being a State dependant. So I ask how the Maori people can be unshackled so that they and the rest of the country can return to a situation where they care for themselves; and that matters relating to benefits be addressed by them or be driven offshore 
.] 
I think the aim of the Social Assistance (Future Focus) Bill is to create a shift away from State dependency into full or part-time employment. It is obviously a laudable aim and one that our people have often spoken about passionately. As I said from the waiata of Tuini Ngawai through to haka by Sir Apirana Ngata even right down to people like John Tamihere and others who have graced the halls of Parliament there has been a desire to be free of the so-called benefit of the welfare system that has held our people for a very long time. Although the aspirational goal of reducing State dependency is a logical one the economic downturn however has actually resulted in a greater need for social security which is significantly so for Maori people. Can that be realistically achieved if there is a shortfall in the employment sector? A big factor in obtaining and keeping work is the availability of jobs but the needs of the whanau remain the same whether or not the jobs are there. 
Right now the statistics tell us as recently as of today that the unemployment rate—for Maori in particular—is going up and up; thereby lie some of the issues we face. The fact that Maori are disproportionately represented in the beneficiary sector coupled with the downturn in the types of jobs our people expect to be employed in mean that the bill would probably be detrimental to Maori at this point in time. We do not deny that there is an issue there. The total numbers of main benefits for all ages excluding New Zealand Superannuation and the veterans allowance have increased from 293562 at the end of November 2008 to a total of 355858 at the end of February 2010—an increase of 62296 or 21 percent. The numbers of those of all ages on the unemployment benefit have increased from the end of November 2008 to the end of February 2010 by 40340 or by 168 percent. The answer should not involve forcing people who are already in circumstances of hardship to face more hardship but that is the dilemma at the moment. 
The primary focus of the bill centres on Part 4 “Amendments to the Social Security Act 1964”. From our perspective the key to the bill lies in the single focus of gaining employment which as I say is a laudable aim. The bill repeals section 60O(a)(ii) of the Act which states that a personal development and employment plan is “designed to support the economic and social participation of the beneficiary who developed it:”. The economic and social participation aspect of the old definition is dropped. Yet what do we do in areas where there is limited employment available as discussed by other members? Do we not want to create opportunities for development? What about volunteering or supporting other members of the whanau? What do we do if in the end all the ducks do not line up to follow I suppose the logical course that people will move and have the opportunity to move into employment? 
The primary purpose of the bill is to require that people receiving certain benefits who can work accept offers of suitable work as a first priority encompassing within its scope work testing for beneficiaries. The real concern for the Maori Party is the promotion of a punitive policy designed to penalise those who fail to gain employment. For instance beneficiaries who fail to meet their obligations will be subject to a sanction of a 50 percent reduction in their benefit. The bill determines that for a first failure the person’s benefit must be reduced by 50 percent until the person re-complies. If a person’s dole is reduced or suspended and the person is re-granted the dole the reduction continues to apply to the re-granted dole until the person re-complies. 
Of course it is not just beneficiaries who will bear the brunt of this policy’s effects. In fact the Child Poverty Action Group also warns that the changes proposed under the Government’s future focus legislation—which insists on 15 hours’ paid employment—will worsen child poverty if parents are unable to find jobs. It was stated just last week by the Child Poverty Action Group that “New Zealand’s children have borne the brunt of changes in welfare education and the labour market in the last 20 years. If we leave their welfare to a minimal safety net we gamble with their futures. Children’s needs must be at the centre of policy decisions—not a by product of an increasingly precarious and volatile labour market.” We say that the Child Poverty Action Group has a very valid point. 
In addition there is of course concern regarding the availability of part-time work and the 90-day probation period especially where solo parents are concerned. We are interested in solutions actually in terms of how we can contribute as a party that would turn round the fortunes of our people. For instance the Mississippi-based Choctaw Corporation employs more than 6000 people in tribally owned businesses throughout America. It owns a whole range of businesses including aerospace manufacturers motor vehicle and electronic assembly plants casinos golf courses theme parks hotels commercial real estate and US defence contracts. In doing so the corporation has been able to liberate its people from poverty unemployment poor educational achievement and benefit dependency to be one of the most vibrant and successful socio-economic Indian models of development in America. That is where as a party we want to head. 
Last week I was fortunate to attend an event at Te Rapa with Tainui Group Holdings. Some of the amazing initiatives there include a new mall at The Base the retail centre in Hamilton which will see $120 million injected into the Waikato economy and generate an estimated 770 full-time and 760 part-time jobs. Our preference would be that we support iwi in determining their own solutions—solutions that include the opportunities for wealth creation and employment alternatives—but we must not neglect our responsibilities either as iwi or the State in supporting those of our members who are the most vulnerable. Unfortunately at this point in time the Maori Party cannot support this bill.