Chauvel Charles: Taxation (KiwiSaver and Company Tax RateAmendments) Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Chauvel Charles: Taxation (KiwiSaver and Company Tax RateAmendments) Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:639;Page:9494] 
CHARLES CHAUVEL (Labour) 
: 
 I would like to deal with a few of the points that have been made by previous speakers in addressing the third reading of the Taxation (KiwiSaver and Company Tax Rate Amendments) Bill. I would like to start with what “Simon English” had to say about ordinary workers in the smoko room. “Simon English” said that ordinary workers in the smoko room would reject this Budget. [ 
Interruption 
] No unlike Mr English I believe in referring to members by their proper names. How would he know what ordinary workers in the smoko room want? When was the last time he spoke to an ordinary worker? [ 
Interruption 
] 
I am really proud that my last job was as a partner in and owner and board member of a $60 million law firm. I am very proud of that and I will tell members why. I have had calls from former clients today telling me— 
Anne Tolley 
: What does this have to do with ordinary workers? 
CHARLES CHAUVEL 
: —I will come to that—what a great thing the targeted research and development tax exemptions will be and how fantastic they will be for keeping research and development onshore. They are saying what a great thing they will be for keeping head offices in New Zealand rather than our losing them overseas. That is what the people from the corporate sector are saying today. That is what they have been on the phone to say to me today. They think it is great they will get a reduction in corporate tax levels of 3c in the dollar because that proves that this is a Government that is listening to business and wants to see the best thing for investment in New Zealanders. That is what the business community is saying about this Budget. 
But let me turn to the ordinary workers and tell members about two recent situations I was in. I was talking to real live ones I say to Mr English not the pretend ones the National Party members tell us they talk to. I was at two recent events: an engineers union delegates forum in Petone and the launch of the industrial branch of the Labour Party in Gisborne. Mrs Tolley might like to listen to this. They are not the wealthy workers we heard about who Mr English thinks will worship in some sort of cargo cult that he accuses this Government of creating. They are ordinary working people who know that the Working for Families package has made a big difference to their lives and for whom the extension to the programme in April made an even bigger difference. 
One of them told me a story about how his wife used to have to work before the Working for Families package came in. They had to arrange for the wife’s mother to pick up the kids after school and look after them. The wife would then pick them up when she had finished work go home and look after them. Do members know what happens now? That does not have to happen. She can stay at home and look after the kids which is what she wants to do. It is a great thing. People really like having that choice which we have allowed them to exercise by the roll-out of the Working for Families package. 
What we are seeing with KiwiSaver is just the latest example of a roll-out of that sort of programme that allows people to realise their dreams—in this case building up a nest egg for a deposit on a house. What could be better than that? What could be better for ordinary New Zealanders than fulfilling that sort of dream? That is what they want and that is what this Government is delivering. Members opposite will see the results of that at the next election. 
I want to record for the House some interesting comments made today on the Budget. I would just like to read them. The ANZ said today: “once again Dr Cullen has struck a good balance between running prudent fiscal policy and not fanning an excessive domestic economy.” That was the comment from the ANZ. First NZ Capital said the Reserve Bank is now “unlikely to be driven towards changing its policy stance as a result of the fiscal update.” Standard and Poor’s has said the Budget places “New Zealand’s fiscal position amongst the ranks of AAA rated sovereigns such as Sweden Norway and Australia.” Those comments demonstrate that this Budget has been good for ordinary Kiwis because it continues Labour’s long tradition of targeting assistance to those who need it the most. It is good for business because it will help keep head offices and research and development onshore and help build up a strategic reserve of capital for use in New Zealand rather than our having to rely on overseas funds. It is a good Budget for New Zealand because it will continue to balance our programme of savings and investment in our future.