Collins Judith: General Debate 
Collins Judith: General Debate 
[Volume:677;Page:672] 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 The Leader of the Opposition the current leader has just sat down and he has talked about how you cannot sell your way to a better future. But I think you can work your way to a better future and that is why I am so proud of the Hon Paula Bennett and the work that she has done in the welfare policy area to actually encourage—particularly young—beneficiaries into work.  
In fact what I have seen from Labour over the last 10 years I have been in this House is a constant drain—what we are talking about is “low-grade demeaning work” to quote the Hon Ruth Dyson. She was talking about people who work at McDonald’s and she was talking about people who work as cleaners—in fact the very people who actually help keep this country running. And she referred to them as doing low-grade demeaning work. That is what Labour thinks about it. 
But the Hon Paula Bennett says she has got some faith in teen parents she has got some faith in young people and she has got some faith in beneficiaries that they want to be able to experience what she was able to experience actually. She was able to get ahead to get her qualifications and to work very hard. Sometimes she would have a setback but she would come back again. That is what happens in the real world.  
What I heard yesterday in the House was Metiria Turei a co-leader in the Greens referring to women abandoning their children when they went to work. This is the same woman who talked to the  
New Zealand Woman’s Weekly 
 where she said: “My daughter saved me.” and good on her. In fact she went on to talk about how as a solo parent she found the energy and the drive to go to university and get a law degree. I think most of us would say: “That’s a fantastic achievement. Well done her!” So why was she not abandoning her child when the rest of us who are working mothers were apparently abandoning our children when we went back to work? Frankly that is the sort of level of personal abuse that the Hon Paula Bennett has had to put up with. And I think we will mention Hone Harawira and the abuse in the  
New Zealand Herald  
today. 
Hon Member 
: Who? Who’s he? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Yes people do wonder who he is. Well actually Paula Bennett has had the courage to do what no other Minister of Social Development has done in our lifetime and that is to actually have enough faith in young people particularly sole parents to say to them: “I know you can do better. I’m going to help you do better.” This is not about punishing parents this is not about being difficult with parents; it is actually about giving them some choices some options some ability to get ahead. Because frankly the alternative is a life of poverty in a State house nothing to leave for their children— 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Where are the jobs? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: And the Hon David Cunliffe says: “Where are the jobs?”. Well actually there are an awful lot of jobs out there Mr Cunliffe and I suggest he just listens to what Minister Bennett said today in the House about the thousands and thousands of jobs. And he might be looking for a job but I can tell him there is probably one on SEEK right now. He could do that now. But the fact is that people will not get jobs without the education and without the work ethic. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: They can’t all be stupid and lazy. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Mr Cunliffe says they are all stupid and lazy. Well I am sorry; I do not agree with that at all. I in fact think that we should have faith in people and where they need education and training why can they not have it? 
Hon Annette King 
: Does caring for children count as a job? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Oh and Annette King says caring for children is not a job. 
Hon Annette King 
: No I said it is a job. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: It is a job she says. Yes it is. But do you know what Mrs King? Actually if a mother wants to go out to work and get an income and get ahead why should she not? I bet that member did. Why is it that one can do it only if one is married and not a solo parent? Why is that? Why is it that we want to leave these women in poverty all their lives so that they can be abused by people? Why is that? I do not think that is fair and nor does Minister Bennett and I agree with her.  
We should not condemn people to lives of poverty because we want to sit back in our middle-class worlds and tell them how to run their lives. Well Minister Bennett has got more faith in beneficiaries than that member ever did when she was the Minister. [ 
Interruption 
] That is exactly true. Why is it that she has got so little faith and why is it that the Labour Party has moved so far away from wanting to get people into work and a life out of poverty? Why is that? Do you know why it is? It is because it does not want them to have choices. Well frankly I think we should have more faith. I am very proud of what Minister Bennett has done and I congratulate her. I wish that member over there had had the opportunity to take that courageous decision.