SpeechPAULO GARCIA (National): Thank you Madam Speaker. I stand to speak about the Social Security (COVID-19 Income Relief Payment to be Income) Amendment Bill. By the title of the bill alone the bill seeks to address a situation brought about by COVID-19. I premise my brief contribution on the fact that every single member of this House is clearly passionate about getting relief to persons who have been affected by this bill. We all want the best for all New Zealanders—I think that very passionately as well.Some questions do arise—concerns that maybe this bill could be a better attempt. That is not to say that it is a bad attempt but could it be a better attempt? And we talk about classifications of people and we speak against each other but essentially the question really is: could there be a better use of the funds that are on hand in a situation where it is unprecedented? I use the word because it is unprecedented. The time calls for an extraordinary effort. So some of the questions are: (1) COVID-19 started affecting jobs much earlier than 1 March. I am part of a migrant community being a migrant myself and many are suffering because they have work that they lost very early on as these were related to tourism and hospitality businesses. The question is really that because they lost their jobs before 1 March then they are not able to receive this new support from this new bill—so that is one.The second is that again also because I am from a migrant community and I am aware of the widespread effects of this on migrant communities and clearly I am going to lead into the question: could migrant workers have been benefited by this income relief as well? These are the faces that welcome people to New Zealand. These are the faces that bear the smiles that make New Zealand attractive. These are the hard workers who go the extra hours and go beyond themselves and serve others making New Zealand such an attractive place to go to. I speak of actually 500 people in Queenstown who will also not get a benefit from this. These are questions that I think are fairly asked in a special time especially when this bill is going through a shortened process. Maybe we could have heard more from others that could have helped us to tailor the bill to them as well.In addition I end with the same position that many of my colleagues have expressed and that is that there are very many businesses who are at the brink and who are at that point where they need to make decisions to continue on with the wage subsidy to keep their workers attached to them or not simply because they are unable to go on they are unable to secure more loans and they are facing closure. As an example of that one such business is a medical facility that deals with persons who come in respect of potential illnesses and they are assessed for this illness. The cost is a fraction of what it would cost New Zealand and all New Zealanders if they were not checked and they went into a full-blown illness and the cost to deal with that illness is 10 or 15 times more than if they were checked early. This facility is actually a real situation where they are at the edge—they are at the edge—and they are fearful of closing. So the question really out of just a pure desire to be of help to everyone without calling lines is could they have been helped as well? So I end there Madam Speaker and thank you for the opportunity to speak.