Lotu-Iiga Sam: Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Lotu-Iiga Sam: Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 17 July 2012. Volume:681;Page:3587. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
: 
 I rise to first commend the Minister for Social Development for taking the courage to bring this piece of legislation the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill to the House with the support of the Prime Minister and the support of the National Government. We actually care about the kids who are being discussed tonight. We care about the 330000 people who receive benefits every year. We care about the 170000 who have spent the majority of the last 10 years receiving a benefit. It is all about the facts. Rather than throwing the mud—about what the Minister said or what this party stands for—we are putting an investment approach into place that will see these children and these young people and the people who receive benefits put on a road to aspiration and a road to working. That is what this Government stands for. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: How? How? 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: The list member Miss Ardern actually asks how. She is asking me how after listening to submission after submission of how this Government will help these young people and how it is about parenting courses how it is about budgeting courses how it is about mentoring these young people by allowing them to be helped up rather than handed out. For too long this system has all been about just giving people money and leaving them to their own devices. We have said that it has got to stop. It is broken and it has got to stop. So what are we going to do about it? We have said that it is about an obligation. We have got to meet halfway. In order for the State and the taxpayer to support people on the benefit they have got to come halfway and meet those obligations. Welfare if they remember correctly—the Labour Party—Michael Joseph Savage and how he saw the social obligation around welfare was that it was only a temporary measure to allow people to go on and work and contribute to society. It is about—as the Minister for Social Development has pointed out—modelling those things that actually work. We have seen the evidence around budgeting— 
Jacinda Ardern 
: What are you actually doing for the majority of people on welfare? 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: I see it every day Miss Ardern. If you want to see how people struggle and the role budgeting services play come to Maungakiekie. Come to my electorate office and I will show you what these types of services can do. They can actually help people in need and that is what this piece of legislation does. Despite the protestations of the members opposite this is about investing in people and investing in services. I am going— 
Jacinda Ardern 
: How? Sam all I’m asking is what is your investment? 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: She keeps asking how and we keep saying $287 million over 4 years. We keep saying early childhood education and quality early childhood education at that. We keep saying it is about supporting and mentoring and nurturing those people who need help. But it is also being values-based. It is about the value of our people. It is about saying it is not just throwing the money and leaving them to you know whatever devices they have. Mr Sio talked about the aspirational goals of kids who want to be Prime Minister—kids who want to actually contribute to society. Well that is what this legislation does. Mr Sio if you would like to look up and actually listen to what this legislation does—I know you slept during the select committee process but you can at least listen in the Chamber during this debate. It is about providing those kids with the sorts of tools and the sort of assistance that they deserve. They deserve that assistance so that is why this National Government supports this legislation. That is why I will continue to support this hard-working Minister. Thank you.