Mahuta Nanaia: General Debate 
Mahuta Nanaia: General Debate 
[Volume:664;Page:12321] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
: 
 We have heard a thoroughly underwhelming contribution to the general debate from Government members. Simon Power and Maurice Williamson diverted attention from the real issues facing New Zealanders. The discussion about leadership is a distraction and members on that side of the House should look at themselves because when the shine and the gloss come off their smiling Prime Minister the lens will be turned on them. They should be concerned about what is next for leadership within the National Party. That is the real question. Leadership is not really something that Labour members should be thinking about; it is something that National members should be thinking about when the shine and the gloss come off the smiling Mr Key. 
I challenge some member—in fact I challenge any member—from the Maori Party to speak in this general debate and tell their constituents how tax cuts and GST hikes will be good for Maori whanau. Since the National-led Government introduced Budget 2010 not one Maori constituent has come into my office or approached me when I have been out and about to praise the tax cuts. Someone from the Maori Party should be here to say why their members voted for it. Those members should be concerned. Constituents tell me that the tax cuts will not have any benefit for them whatsoever. They ask why the Maori Party voted for it and they are concerned about the Budget in itself. Seventy-three percent of Maori households in my electorate earn $40000 or less. They will get nothing or very little from the tax cuts. The median income in Hauraki-Waikato is $22000. Those same constituents are concerned that the Maori Party voted for a GST increase of 15 percent which will see increases to power bills kai bills rates kids’ clothing costs and mortgage or rent payments. Whanau are feeling the pinch and no amount of talking up Community Max Job Ops or the Community Response Fund will get away from the fact that it is harder to get a job because fewer are available. Instead the Government is promoting short-term training schemes rather than growing the economy to provide real jobs and real wages. 
Last week I was at the opening of Thames Community Link a centre led by the community for the community and partnered by Government agencies. Community Link is a great model that was started under Labour in order to find local solutions to training and employment challenges. I commend that community in Thames and others like it for working together to get people back to work. But do members know what? The feedback from community participants in that particular initiative was that times were tough. Families are feeling the pressure jobs are just not there and they see stress on families and children. If Budget 2010 was designed with the great majority of fair-minded hard-working keen New Zealanders in mind then the proof of the pudding would be a productive and growing economy that created jobs jobs and jobs. Sadly that is not the case. Although the Community Max scheme that I visited in Thames demonstrated positive gains for the community and individuals involved out of a team of about six young people at least one individual was looking for employment overseas three people did not know what they were doing because there were no jobs available in Thames and the other two would perhaps go elsewhere to look for a job if there was one available. Community Max is a short-term fix to a long-term challenge. Our young people want to work but sadly jobs are not available and the Government is not doing anything about it. 
I am concerned because it is winter right now. I am concerned for families and children especially when kids get sick. Let us look at a community in Fairfield where a grandmother looking after her grandchild cannot get an appointment to see a local doctor. She pays only $10 for herself and the visit is free for her child. She gets told that the waiting list is long and that she should go to the accident and emergency centre. That is all very well if one has $69 to go there but if one does not and if one has no private transport so is reliant on public transport then one has to go to the hospital. That puts pressure on acute services because someone has not been able to see a local doctor. Under this Government we will continue to see prices increase for general practitioner fees and that is simply not good enough in winter. 
I am also concerned for kaumatua in winter. They tell me that they are concerned about power price hikes. They have to make the decision about leaving the heater on or turning it off. Most of them are turning the heater off or—worse—getting gas heaters that increase condensation and make an unhealthy environment at home. They will feel the pinch of increased power prices at home. Things need to change.