Pillay Lynne: Budget Debate 
Pillay Lynne: Budget Debate 
[Volume:654;Page:4265] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 When listening to this Budget debate one cannot help but note the contrast between this Government’s Budget and the Budgets and policies of the previous Labour Government. Extraordinary policies came in under Labour Budgets and at other times things such as Working for Families KiwiSaver 20 free hours’ early childhood education interest-free student loans apprenticeships primary health organisations and of course the Cullen fund which gave guaranteed funding— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: English fund. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: It is the English fund now but it was the Cullen fund when it had money in it. Funding for superannuation was put aside and guaranteed for all New Zealanders. People like the previous speaker Jonathan Coleman are fast approaching the age when they will be drawing on superannuation. I can see the anxiety all over his face. He knows as a baby boomer that his superannuation is at risk. 
We saw Bill English getting accolades from his team in the Budget debate because National did not cut interest-free loans for students or contributions for Working for Families. The fact that Bill English treated those entitlements and that funding as somehow discretionary and as if it was a plus or a bonus that it was not cut shows the National Government’s true colours. I do not trust the National Government and the longevity of those policies. The policies have made it through this time but what will happen in times to come? National is a party that was vehemently opposed to those policies. It labelled Working for Families as socialism by stealth and interest-free loans as totally unaffordable totally irresponsible and some sort of ridiculous action from the then Labour Government. We saw the funding being allowed through and not cut this time but I ask all students and families out there to watch this space and watch what happens in the future. 
We have already seen the slashing of employer contributions to KiwiSaver from the high 4 percent maximum employer contribution to the now low 2 percent. This Government is intent on shattering the dreams and the security of people in their retirement. Dealing to the New Zealand Superannuation Fund must be one of the most irresponsible actions of this Government and indeed there have been many. With the slash of a pen a big hole of $37 billion was made in the future funding for superannuation. The Prime Minister says that it is all right and that we have his personal guarantee that superannuation will be maintained. Nicky Wagner said in the House today that it would be maintained at age 65 and at 66 percent. We had also heard our Prime Minister John Key say that we had his personal guarantee that we would get tax cuts. The National Party campaigned absolutely solidly on personal guarantees for tax cuts. But what did we hear? “Sorry we cannot afford it.” I ask what any Government will be in a position to do when all of this money has been sucked out of the Cullen fund—money that was to have provided superannuation for people. 
These times call for certainty and investment in people: in skills training and jobs. The boost from the previous Labour Government’s investment in skills and training had absolutely never been seen before. I saw Helen Clark when she announced the return of apprenticeships at a public meeting. I saw her get a standing ovation. I ask members why she got that standing ovation for the announcement of the return of apprenticeships. Was it just young people who applauded? No it was not. It was older people who saw a future for their children for their girls and boys—to have an apprenticeship that would give them the skills to enable them to have a fantastic career in the trades. Applause also came from business people who saw a big gap in training with no support from the National Government in the 1990s. Those business people saw a future in terms of developing the skills that enabled our economy to thrive while Labour was in Government. When apprenticeships were reintroduced those accolades did not come from just young people; they also came from businesses and parents alike. 
This National Government had its Job Summit which was going to deliver. Representatives from the whole of New Zealand were invited. Not many I have to say were from the disabilities sector. There was no one from the Labour Party. But representatives from the rest of New Zealand were working with the Government to find ideas—bright new wonderful ideas—for innovation. I congratulate in this House all those businesses those organisations the Council of Trade Unions and the myriad of organisations that did front up. I offer my sympathy to those who were not invited and I know there were many who could have made a meaningful contribution. But to those who did take part I say that I know and acknowledge that there were many great ideas. I waited as did my colleagues with real anticipation to see where in this Budget that funding would be for the skills innovation training and all the things that would boost productivity and would work through the difficult situation this country is in. But there was nothing. There was absolutely nothing in terms of developing skills and developing innovation. There was nothing except perhaps the cycleway—$50 million for the cycleway. I ask Government members how many jobs will be created from that cycleway. They have been asked before and we have not had a response. 
Speaking of jobs we have not seen job growth but instead we have seen job cuts. We have seen the public sector decimated with the loss of some 1200 to 1500 jobs. It was not a capping which was promised. The Government said that public sector jobs would be capped. No; we have seen the axing of jobs. We have seen cuts in education in the primary secondary and tertiary sectors. And where have we seen money being injected into schools and the education sector? We have seen an injection of cash into private schools. When we look at the tax cuts that happened we see that they went to the rich. We are now seeing the exact reverse of Robin Hood’s policy. We see this Government’s tax cuts and its funding of private schools at the cost of public schools as the robbing of the poor to give to the rich. 
We can talk about déjà vu in other areas. In 1991 the previous National Government cut out the Apprenticeship Act and dumped the new pay equity legislation. National has returned to Government and what do we see? There is no money for skills training and innovation research and development tax credits have been axed and pay equity has been dumped again. Social workers and special needs assistants in schools in this country were well on their way to having their pay gap addressed. One of the chants we heard from National before the last election was that it would close the pay gap. Well that was one opportunity to see two very valued groups of workers get a pay jolt. What did we see? We have seen that project axed. We have seen no funding for wage increases for public servants or for those who really need it. The losers in this Budget are our families our children public servants teachers tertiary education staff low-paid workers and our environment. Those are the losers. This is a mean-spirited Budget. It is an insult and an assault on the people of this country. Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker.