Pillay Lynne: Social Assistance (Payment of New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Overseas) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Pillay Lynne: Social Assistance (Payment of New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Overseas) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee 
[Sitting date: 20 October 2009. Volume:658;Page:7295. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to stand and speak in support of the Social Assistance (Payment of New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension Overseas) Amendment Bill. In doing so I acknowledge the previous Labour Government which put this bill on the Order Paper and I acknowledge that the Government is moving forward with this bill. That is a very good thing. I note that I would have been delighted to see this bill progress in the first 100 days of action rather than some other bills—for example the bill pertaining to the cutting of KiwiSaver and those sorts of things. Nevertheless it is before the House now and that is really good. 
We know that this bill will work in the interest of superannuitants—and veterans whom I will talk about later—who have contributed all their working life to New Zealand and then in their retirement years want to take advantage of those years and travel. Under the old scheme they were disadvantaged and in fact penalised for taking up that opportunity. This bill is very good for supporting superannuitants and enabling them—certainly not in their twilight years; in what some would call a very exciting time of their life—to be in the position having worked to travel to take advantage of the savings they may have been able to make and to have other opportunities. I think that security in receiving and being able to receive superannuation at that time will make a tremendous difference to the quality of their life and indeed provide for them exactly what they are entitled to and that is New Zealand superannuation. 
The bill is also important—and the Hon Annette King and the Hon Ruth Dyson spoke on this matter—in terms of our veterans who have given so much in service to this country. It has been acknowledged that they may not be 65 years old; they may be at a stage of their lives where a whole lot of opportunities open up overseas. It is great that they are able to receive their pension—indeed it is vital that they do—when they are in a position to take advantage of the opportunities to travel or to work overseas. 
I am very pleased to stand in support of this bill. I think it will have wide-ranging support and so it should. I cannot go past mentioning that along with this bill we see advantages for superannuitants in terms of the travel policy that was introduced under Labour. I hope that that policy is available to all New Zealanders. It perhaps does not enhance the ability to travel overseas but it enhances the ability to travel within communities and within cities which is absolutely vital to the quality of life of superannuitants in New Zealand. 
I have tremendous pride in commending this bill to the House. I also cannot go past talking about superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Part of making superannuation available to superannuitants when they travel is ensuring that we have a superannuation fund. The deferral of payments to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund in the last Budget is of great concern to me. On one hand we are saying it is absolutely essential—and we all agree with this—that superannuation is available is extended and is another investment in our hard-working superannuitants and veterans who have contributed so much. We are saying that we are enhancing their payments yet we are deferring the payments into the Superannuation Fund which will jeopardise the ability to provide that superannuation. 
Darien Fenton 
: Ridiculous! 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: It is indeed ridiculous. The whole fund is not at risk but certainly the ability to continue providing superannuation at those levels for superannuitants and veterans travelling will be much harder. We know that that was a very silly move of the Government. 
We see that New Zealanders are worried and concerned about the security of their pensions and we see that this legislation will put more pressure on that security. It gives even more reason why the Government should accept that it made a mistake. There is nothing wrong with admitting that it made a mistake. Indeed there are so many instances—whether it is about the adult and community education funding cuts whether it is about the cuts to young people with disabilities; there is a myriad of things—where we see that if the Government fronted up and said that it got something wrong and asked how it could fix it then we would be more than willing to work with the Government on it. I urge the Government in supporting and putting forward this bill—it was not in the 100 days of action but it is none the less happening now—to look at the funding for superannuation. I urge the Government to look at those payments to the Superannuation Fund and say that it did not get it right so it should look at it. It should not defer those payments; it should keep the Superannuation Fund healthy so that it can provide for all of its commitments for our superannuitants and our veterans not just now but for decades and for generations to come. 
I could not take a call on this bill without mentioning this matter and urging the Government in this respect. A number of members opposite look quite interested in what I am saying and look quite positive. I ask my colleague the Hon Annette King whether she thinks that. I acknowledge that they are and I think I see some heads nodding. There have been some very valid and very constructive arguments from this side of the House; there always are. I think the member is right that very careful consideration is being given. 
In summary I say again that Labour is right behind the bill—in fact we were at the forefront of it—and we support it. We would love the Government to put an amendment up— 
Hon Member 
: You had 9 years to do this—9 years! 
Hon Annette King 
: It doesn’t matter how long we had; we did it. You had 9 years to do it when you were in Government last time but you didn’t do it! 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Exactly. To ensure that this happens and this security is provided for superannuitants and veterans now and for decades and generations to come I urge the Government to take another look at the Superannuation Fund and to reinstate those payments because then we have security for people in retirement for the future. I think that is very important. Thank you very much.