Shanks Katrina: Corrections (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill Customs and Excise (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill — Third Readings 
Shanks Katrina: Corrections (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill Customs and Excise (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill Injury Prevention Rehabilitation and Compensation (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill — Third Readings 
[Volume:646;Page:15381] 
KATRINA SHANKS (National) 
: 
 It is my pleasure to stand to take a short call in support of this legislation. Unlike Mr Fairbrother I cannot stand here for 10 minutes and look at one little spot on my desk and ramble on. At one stage I was unsure whether he actually knew which bill he was talking to because the barbs were so good that I thought maybe he was talking to the next bill. But as he is leaving the House he obviously was not talking on that bill. He intended talking on this legislation which he occasionally touched on in the 10 minutes of his brief speech today. 
Sue Moroney 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The member knows very well that she cannot refer to a member exiting the Chamber and she did so in the course of her speech. I know she is a new member but I wonder whether you could give some instruction to that new member on that issue. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I think she will take on board what you have said. She certainly knows now. Thank you. 
KATRINA SHANKS 
: Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker. I apologise because he was leaving and was not absent— 
Colin King 
: And he should stay! 
KATRINA SHANKS 
: And he should stay and add a contribution to the House. Getting back to the legislation though firstly I would like to acknowledge the officials who are sitting in the Chamber today. It is great because these officials always come to the Social Services Committee when there is a bill that is related to their area. We appreciate that they put a lot of effort into our select committee that they come and listen to the consideration of the bill and also that they listen to the debate. 
I listened to the Minister talking on the legislation. National supports this legislation and I agree with everything she said about it. I think she was spot on when she said that this is good legislation to put forward. It is moving New Zealand and beneficiaries forward. Over the last 8 years the debt level of beneficiaries has increased significantly. This legislation will address that and help to stop some of the debt that beneficiaries owe. It affects only a small number of beneficiaries and students—it relates to student loans—who when they enter prison are not entitled to any benefit payments accident compensation payments or student loans. The legislation prevents them from receiving those benefits which they would then owe because they are not entitled to them. 
The legislation prevents detects and increases the recovery of debts and misuse of social security and student allowances in the student loan system. So it is actually very important especially when we are talking about beneficiaries because they are the most vulnerable people in our society. We can do better for them so that they if they go to prison they do not come out of it to find they have a debt owing because a benefit was not cut off or matched off correctly. The job of the Government is to help these people and this legislation goes towards helping them in their lives especially when they come out of prison. They can start with a clean slate and not have a debt to the country hanging over their head. 
I have taken only a short call today to say that we support this legislation. It was good to be on the select committee and to hear the submissions. The Social Services Committee had concerns of its own about mismatching and other issues but the officials addressed those very well for us and gave us some ease. Some recommendations were made as to maybe having an official at the courts to talk to families about the system that is in place the matching and whether they have any hardship especially when a weekend is coming along. I thank the officials. I am pleased that we are supporting this bill today.