Brownlee Gerry: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Brownlee Gerry: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
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GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam) 
: 
 I was not going to speak on this bill today but the efforts of the Rt Hon Winston Peters have forced me to do so. One of the things we expect when something like this is put up is that there would be some tangible benefit for the people who are being tagged in the way our elderly are being tagged by this particular system. We should make no mistake. This bill is not about enabling a piece of plastic to be sent to every person in this country who is over the age of 65. It is about allowing the Government to crossmatch information about elderly people. It allows Work and Income to dive into all other Government files to find out all the personal details that other laws protect prying eyes from under the privacy laws of this country. So it is a significant change to legislation. 
The Minister can dress it up as being a SuperGold card that recognises the contribution those aged over 65 have made to this country. That contribution is significant—we do not have any issue with that—but what do they actually get? The Rt Hon Winston Peters wants to say that they will get a rates rebate. Well they get that now. The Rt Hon Winston Peters wants to say that they get medical benefits. Well they get those right now. He wants to say that they get transport benefits. Well they get those right now right this instant. Anybody who watches the news on television will know that every night competing insurance companies in this country are trying to get the custom of those aged over 65. But apparently this particular card will do something about that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Much more than that. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: We are told by the Minister that it will be much more than that but in 10 minutes in this House he could not name one other thing that this card will deliver to those aged over 65 apart from the range of benefits already in place for them. 
I say to people that they should have a good look at this— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Petrol! 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Here we go—the Minister just said “Petrol!”. There will be discount petrol with this card. If Mr Peters goes to Countdown Woolworths Pak ‘N Save or any other supermarket he will get a discount on his petrol of up to 8c. So I want to know whether this card will give senior citizens a discount of more than 8c per litre of petrol. If it does granny will fill my tank on a weekly basis! 
I think Mr Peters needs to say what else there is. I ask Mr Peters to give us just a couple of little snippets. I suspect that when Work and Income sends out these cards the envelope will be bulked up with a few free vouchers for cheeseburgers at McDonald’s. That will be touted as being of huge advantage to the elderly in this country. 
I want to go back to the substance of the bill which is Part 1 the bit that extends the Social Security Act to allow Government agencies to go into the exercise of crossmatching. In particular it says it will allow for diving into the register of Births Deaths and Marriages and all the rest of it. What we know is that they want to be able to crossmatch records from banking institutions and the Inland Revenue Department—those are the two they are after. This bill will enable that because Mr Peters has told the House that there will be a computer chip on the cards under this particular bill. What that means is that it is a store of all one’s personal information. So if someone is picking up national superannuation it will be recorded there. If someone has national superannuation paid into a bank account the number of that bank account will be there. If there is a tax liability someone’s tax number will be there. They will be able to work out whether the flow of tax equals the flow of cash coming back into the account. I ask Mr Peters whether that is correct. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: No that’s wrong. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: It is correct—confirmation from the Rt Hon Winston Peters. So what we are seeing here is a reverse idea. Whereas a Government might usually go to the younger end of the population to get them to embrace this microchip technology in this case the Government is being very cunning and has decided to go to the elderly in this country and virtually say to them that if they want to keep getting rates rebates medical benefits and various other Government services then they have to pick up the card. 
I guarantee that within 6 months of this card being available it will be a requirement for elderly people—or people over the age of 65; many of whom are hardly worthy of the description “elderly” as they are very very fit—when they go to the doctor to hand over the card so that a picture can be built up for the Ministry of Health as to how much these oldies are costing us and how many services can be limited to that group. So we will see the Government using this card to amass a whole lot of information which ultimately will see it narrowing down the services and benefits provided to elderly people. I am disappointed in the Rt Hon Winston Peters. The elderly in this country have given him a lot of political support over the years and to repay them with a card that will do little more than give them the occasional free cheeseburger at McDonald’s seems to me to be a little bit sad. 
The Minister also said that this card would lead to insurance benefits. Well that is a pretty interesting way to allow Government agencies to dive into a contractual arrangement between New Zealanders over the age of 65 and the private sector. What possible reason would there be to have that information? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: What are you talking about? 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Exactly! The member says he does not know. That tells me that his good intention to provide a service card that recognises the contribution of those over the age of 65 has been well and truly usurped by the current Labour Government which we all know believes that if the State does not do it nobody should do it. I think that those over the age of 65 who are largely very responsible and have very few insurance claims for personal reasons—for fire and all those property damage things—should be very very concerned about the information that this card will amass finding its way into Government circles. 
The Rt Hon Winston Peters is sitting there and shaking his head. But he was the man who told us that a chip is going on this card. Once a chip goes on the card then anything and everything is possible when it comes to knowing information about that particular individual. I do not think we should be just lightly buying the line— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why don’t you ask mum! 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Well unfortunately Mr Peters my mother is no longer alive. If she were I would ask her. I am sure she would share all the concerns that I am articulating in the House here today. 
I think we should be very concerned that having to walk around carrying an identity card is the thin end of the wedge for all New Zealanders. There is no question about it. It is easy is it not? We go out and say to the people: “Here is something for nothing.” Of course they will say they will take it—particularly as it has the implied threat that if it is not taken up their medical benefits will go their rates rebates will go their insurance benefits will go their transport subsidies will go and the very income that they might rely on could also go. 
I want to know right now from Mr Peters: if people pick up national superannuation will they automatically get this card? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: No. 
GERRY BROWNLEE 
: Yes they will. It says in the bill that it will be sent to them automatically. So the moment they pick up national superannuation they are chipped straight away. A large chunk of the population has a big target on its head. The Government knows where they go what they spend and how they spend it and what they are costing the tax base. That is inappropriate. For that reason alone people should be very concerned about the intentions behind this card.