Sio William: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSio William: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 09 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9186. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Su’a WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Māngere): Labour strongly opposes this bill the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill. By passing this bill the Government will spread out for all to see the naked evidence of its reckless dismantling of New Zealand’s social security system. By dismantling our social security system the majority of hard-working New Zealand families can expect to be consistently beaten down—more so now under this bill than they may have already experienced since this Government came into power.Families all over New Zealand already feel beaten down by this Government. We were hammered right from the beginning with a tax switch that favoured the wealthy. We were slammed with increased costs by the raising of GST to 15 percent. We were booted with lost jobs and rising joblessness the high cost of living low wages and unaffordable rents while all the time this Government made empty promises and sat on its hands. It promised a brighter future and for the majority of us that has come to nought. If there are any families left who through some miracle have managed to escape being beaten down already by the reckless and punitive legislative agenda of this Government of which this bill is a significant part then just wait and see.This bill formalises the bashing of beneficiaries through a work-testing regime with sanctioned removal or reduction of welfare support from New Zealand families who are most in need. Every hard-working member of our families who finds themselves either unemployed underemployed jobless a solo parent sick disabled or widowed will inevitably be beaten down by this bill at some stage. The Government’s welfare reform bills are punitive to say the least and are designed to encourage beneficiary bashing calling those on welfare “bludgers” when they are the Kiwi families most in need of our collective support.The bill will create deep divisions in our communities by adding a further burden of stress and hardship on families who are already struggling while this Government sits on its hands and its mates continue to earn millions and live their lives of luxury and extravagance. These families the majority being middle to low income families are already doing it tough during these difficult and hard times. The majority of Kiwi families are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of basic food power and petrol skyrockets while their wages plummet and the loss of jobs continues to rise. The majority of hard-working Kiwi families do not know where to turn because of the consistent beatings they have received at the hands of this National Government and this nasty bill.Can we blame New Zealanders for feeling let down by this Government? Can we blame Kiwi families for wanting to leave for Australia? Can we blame any of the community organisations who submitted on this bill and overwhelmingly and strongly opposed it? These community groups are forced to pick up the pieces of this Government’s austere and brutal approach to welfare reform.Even the new arrivals to our shores the new migrants who initially arrive in the Land of the Long White Cloud with excitement dreams and aspirations of a new life a new beginning and new opportunities are soon beaten down by the empty promises of this Government the lack of opportunities the rising joblessness the lack of affordable housing and the low wages. Ever since this Government came into power many Kiwis have believed that New Zealand is fast becoming the “Land of the Long Dark Cloud of Hopelessness”. We owe full credit for our current and terrible state of affairs to this John Key Government.The bill reforms our social security system. The inclusion of the words “Work Focus” in the name of the bill provides a false sense of security. People think the inclusion of the words “Work Focus” in the name of the bill means that they will have jobs. The “Work Focus” words are deceptive as this bill does not help to create jobs in the private sector and it does not create any jobs in the public sector. It does not raise wages or income levels for those most in need or in desperate situations. It does not provide affordable housing for those families living in garages or in crowded houses. It does not value motherhood and the role of raising children. It does not even address the issues that have been identified as barriers to work. It does not make more jobs available.We currently have 16 percent unemployment for Pasifika. We have 90000 young people aged 15 to 24 not in education not in employment and not in training. It does not assist mums and dads with childcare costs. Childcare is getting harder and harder to access with the high cost of private care and long waiting times taking it out of reach for many solo parents. It does not ensure that workers have the necessary skills required to get a job. Anyone studying full-time will not be eligible for jobseeker support which means that those currently on the DPB who are studying will have to have a student allowance or student loan.What this bill will do is punish those who want to work but cannot get a job. It will punish those mothers who want to stay at home and look after their children. This bill does not recognise the importance of the role of raising children. It will punish those with disabilities if they do not go looking for work even when unemployment for someone with a sight disability is at 60 percent. It will punish the close to 300000 jobless New Zealanders who have been discouraged from finding work as they have been turned down time and time again.Under this bill every New Zealander who finds they need welfare support to get by because through no fault of their own they have lost a job will be work tested and will face the stress of imposed sanctions. Every mother with young children who loses a family member who may have been the main breadwinner and then seeks welfare assistance will be required to be work tested and have the threat of sanctions hang over them under this bill. Under this bill anyone who receives welfare support from this Government will be work tested in an environment of high joblessness.If they do not meet work-test requirements they then face sanctions the loss of welfare support in an environment of high living costs low incomes and unaffordable housing. Their benefit may be cancelled with a 13-week stand-down for any beneficiary who fails to accept an offer of suitable employment. Beneficiaries with children will lose up to 50 percent of their benefit. What if the pay for that job is low? What if the job is far removed? What if their benefit is cut or they face a 13-week stand-down period? How will they put food on the table for their family for those 13 weeks? How will they pay their rent during those 13 weeks? How will they pay for their power during the coming winter over those 13 weeks? This bill will increase the underclass which John Key said he wanted to help.The premise upon which this bill is founded was flawed from the beginning. This Government has assumed from the start that people seeking welfare support do not want to work. The basis for this welfare reform bill was wrong from the beginning and remains wrong now. Most people do not want to be on the benefit; they want to work. We know this because when Labour was in Government we saw thousands of people on the benefit coming off the welfare system when jobs were plentiful. Labour believes that the best kind of welfare reform is providing high-quality jobs with wages that help workers sustain their families. A good Government can deliver all of this if it is a hands-on Government. The welfare system is used by the majority of hard-working New Zealanders as a safety net. It is used briefly by most as they get themselves back on their feet and off the benefit.This short-sighted bill will cost us more than it will save in the longer term. In the long run New Zealand will be a poorer country for it. As one submitter said children will be the biggest losers under this bill as this Government does not value their welfare. We can stop this madness by getting rid of this Government in 2014.