Hughes Darren: Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill — In Committee 
Hughes Darren: Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:638;Page:8152] 
DARREN HUGHES (Labour—Otaki) 
: 
 I rise to speak in support of the title clause that sets out the name of the bill the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill. The bill is well named because it sets out exactly what the Labour-led Government has been trying to achieve since 1999 which has been around ensuring under our Pathways to Inclusion disability strategy that people with disabilities are able to participate in mainstream New Zealand life be that in education in health services or in employment. 
This bill honours our manifesto commitment to review the 1960 legislation. We have also set out to review the funding and the support systems that are available to help people who have disabilities into work which is what our bill will do as well. The title of the bill is well named. It sets out our priorities very clearly. We have listened throughout the entire debate to National members basically not telling us very much apart from the fact that because the law has existed since 1960 we should keep it. 
I asked Sandra Goudie whether if the law did not exist she would introduce it and she said no. So here we are trying to repeal legislation that the Opposition spokesperson on disabilities—I think it is Sandra Goudie; it is always hard to keep up— 
Dr Paul Hutchison 
: No wonder your majority is going down. 
DARREN HUGHES 
: I would not have thought that was the reason in respect of Sandra Goudie. She seems to be the person who does a lot of the thinking around this area for the National Party and perhaps that is why we heard some of the speeches tonight in that regard. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Hard to believe. 
DARREN HUGHES 
: Hard to believe I know but this is a land of opportunity for all people which is one of the themes the Government has been running tonight and it ought to extend to members of the Opposition as well. 
The bill sets out to repeal these provisions which are outdated. We do not believe that any of the predictions of fear doom and the end of opportunity for disabled people which the National Party has put out will happen. As we do on so many other occasions we can put a marker in the ground and say: “Let’s come back in 12 months’ time and see whether all these terrible things have happened.” I do not think they will have happened. I certainly do not think we will see situations continuing like the one we heard from Mr Guy who was supporting the fact that a person with a disability who was working in the racing industry was being paid $4 an hour. I do not think that is fair and I do not think most New Zealanders would think that is fair actually. 
So if we can through the title of this bill bring about some change to honour the Government’s commitment to make sure that people in our country can walk with their heads held high and be treated under the law exactly the same no matter what their background then I think the Disabled Persons Employment Promotion (Repeal and Related Matters) Bill deserves the support of the Committee.