Bennett Paula: Child Support Amendment Bill (No 4) — In Committee 
Bennett Paula: Child Support Amendment Bill (No 4) — In Committee 
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PAULA BENNETT (National) 
: 
 That was an excellent speech by Dr Hutchison. He made some amazing points and I will not repeat them because I do not think I can do them justice. I am going to come up with a couple of other points I want to address in regard to the Child Support Amendment Bill (No 4). 
We listened to the submissions and looked at this as a case and a point that National members would like to make is that most parents are good parents. Most parents whether they are the fathers the mothers the caregivers the grandparents or whoever they are actually want to do what is best for their children. Most parents when they find themselves in the incredibly emotional and distressing time of having a relationship or marriage break-up when children are involved want to do what is right by the children. 
Judith Collins 
: And most do. 
PAULA BENNETT 
: And most of them do too. We really need to make that point because tonight we have been hearing a lot about the other kind of parent. 
If I were to make a point to the two people who are listening out there in radioland I would say that if people were to find themselves in the situation of a relationship break-up and having to decide custody liability and money then wherever possible they should try to keep the State out of their affairs. They should try to keep the State out of the decision-making process. If people can make those decisions amicably and come to an agreement that is best for their children then we certainly support them having that responsibility and being able to do that for themselves. What we have here is a bill for a lot of those people who cannot do that. 
In many cases a relationship has broken down even further and in those cases it is really clear that a few people do not think they should have to pay. Those people may be withholding money as an emotional and financial bribe. 
Judith Collins 
: Or bullying! 
PAULA BENNETT 
: And bullying. Financial control is used detrimentally in such situations there is no shared responsibility and those people do not believe they should be paying. Why on earth would we be thinking about writing off any penalties for them? How have those people got themselves into that position of debt? Those few people are in that position because they do not believe they should have to pay. 
National members believe that if anything we should come down harder on those people. About 3000 liable persons currently owe penalty debt only. We are not asking why they owe that penalty debt. How have those people got themselves into the situation of owing hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars? We should be concerned about that situation but it is not even addressed in this bill. We do not actually look at the problem. What we are looking at in this amendment bill is a bit of a fix for those who owe too much money so that we might be able to get a few of those dollars back. 
There is something fundamentally wrong with the whole philosophy surrounding this issue. There is something wrong when we are letting those few bad ones off and letting them go. Most people do not do that and that is something we need to remember. National members do not agree with writing off about half a billion dollars in unpaid penalties owed by liable parents. They have that debt for a reason. They have an obligation and a responsibility and if anything we believe that the Government should be getting those people. Is the bill sending the right message? Is that the question we are asking out there? We talk a lot about this being about the children and about it being a cross-party issue that everyone in here cares about. But are we really sending that message when we look at a bill like this? 
This bill does not sufficiently protect responsible parents and their children from those liable parents who hide assets and income in order to escape their obligations. It is on that basis that I am appalled and we certainly will not be supporting this bill. Thank you Mr Chairperson. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I know the previous speaker is a new member but I suggest she looks up Speaker’s ruling 45/2. The discussion is directed to the Chair and members in the Chamber not anybody else.