Carter David: Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Procedure 
Carter David: Future Directions (Working for Families) Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:617;Page:13477] 
Hon DAVID CARTER (National) 
: 
 It appears that in the Committee stage the Minister in the chair Steve Maharey will not take the opportunity to answer some of our questions. I note the sarcastic cheeky comments made by the Minister of Finance who in the normal course of events would be going around the country proudly defending his Budget but on this occasion—to make sure that he did not have to leave Wellington to defend his Budget—slams the House into urgency to pass measures that will not need to be enacted until 2007. 
As many members on this side of the House have pointed out if the Government is so proud of this legislation it should allow it to go to a select committee allow it to be scrutinised by the public of New Zealand and allow New Zealanders to comment on how they think they will be better off. But no Dr Cullen and Mr Maharey have no intention of allowing this legislation to go to a select committee. They know that they have conned members like Darren Hughes who yells across the Chamber that this Budget is for working families. Mr Maharey and Dr Cullen know that this legislation is about giving more money to people who are on benefits and it is about putting more New Zealanders on to a benefit who at the moment do not have to interface with the benefit system. 
I tell Dr Cullen and Mr Maharey that the real sad thing about this Budget is that nobody will seriously give thought to the creation of wealth. This Budget is all about simply redistributing money to people who are battling away and paying far higher taxes now than they did before this Labour Government. Dr Cullen and Mr Maharey have missed the opportunity to turn back this excessive take in tax from New Zealanders and give it back to those hard-working New Zealanders. 
I remind Mr Maharey that 46 percent of all the tax that is collected by PAYE is taken off people who earn $60000 or more. Mr Maharey looks up with surprise. He had forgotten that. He should open his Budget pack and look at the simple little card in the name of the Hon Dr Michael Cullen which demonstrates that about 12 percent of all working New Zealanders are now paying the high tax rate of 39 cents despite solemn promises on a credit card from the Prime Minister that that figure would affect 5 percent of taxpayers. I want the Minister to acknowledge that not only are 12 percent paying the tax rate of 39 cents but that people in that tax bracket are now paying nearly half of all the income tax that is collected. 
That lolly-scramble does nothing to address the real problem that faces New Zealand which is the long-term growth rate of New Zealand. While Mr Maharey sighs and appears totally uninterested in this legislation— 
Hon Steve Maharey 
: In this speech yes. 
Hon DAVID CARTER 
: If the Minister thinks that he can answer some of the questions we are raising he should take a call. That is the purpose of the Committee stage. He is not prepared to send the legislation to the select committee because he does not want it to be scrutinised there. However if he thinks he is doing such a good job why does he not acknowledge that more children are living in poverty than when he became the Minister? We now have more usage of food banks in this country than when Mr Maharey became the Minister. The lolly-scramble of dishing out money to people in the hope that the Labour Party might resurrect itself in the polls and buy back some votes is why the legislation is being rushed through today even though there is no intention of delivering the bulk of it until 2007. That is a sham and a con and it has been accepted as that by most New Zealanders.