Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:607;Page:4327] 
4.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Social Services and Employment 
: With respect to superannuitants who travel abroad does the Work and Income website state “If you don’t tell us you are going overseas and your payments continue and you stay away for more than 30 weeks you’ll have to pay all the money back.”; if so how quickly does Work and Income take action when a superannuitant fails to so advise the department? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Social Services and Employment) 
: 
 The words quoted by the member are included in a section providing information for people on superannuation who intend to travel overseas. The section includes a request to “check with us before you go” as there are additional criteria relating to medical treatment working for aid agencies or unforeseen delays. Work and Income data matches with a variety of agencies including the Customs Department and actions any cases raised in this process. Generally a letter is sent within 2 to 3 weeks. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: The Minister said sending the letter took between 2 and 3 weeks. That being the case has he discussed with his colleague the Minister of Immigration the huge inconsistency of Work and Income—relying on information gleaned at our border and available to the Immigration Service—being able to act within 2 to 3 weeks against hard-working New Zealand superannuitant taxpayers yet the Immigration Service taking years to act in the case of tens of thousands of overstayers? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: No I have not discussed that. I want to say that generally a letter is sent in 2 to 3 weeks and that of course is a practice that has been in place since August 1991 when the member for Tauranga was in Cabinet. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I know that it is normal for Ministers to add on bits to their answer that refer to the past ministerial experience of members on this side of the House but what did that add to the issue of whether he had talked to his incompetent colleague about her inactions? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister addressed the question. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What does Work and Income—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will ask the member to start again and anyone who interjects while she is asking the question will leave. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What does Work and Income do to publicise rules regarding payment of superannuation while a person is on an overseas trip? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Work and Income produces booklets that set out the general rules. The booklets recommend that people intending to travel overseas call Work and Income for detailed information using one of the freephone information numbers. Work and Income is currently working with travel agent associations to ensure that brochures are available in all travel agencies. I seek leave to table the  
Retired and Going Overseas  
booklet which some members may well want in the near future. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is not. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Yes there is. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is objection? 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Yes there is objection simply because this Minister knows full well—and this is a point of order—that usually as a matter of courtesy tabling occurs at the end of question time. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is perfectly correct and the member is right. I will ask the Minister to do it then. 
Katherine Rich 
: In the light of the fact that only seven people were prosecuted for overseas benefit fraud in the 2000-01 financial year and none of them were superannuitants can the Minister confirm whether he believes there are people whom his department is not catching; and can he explain why he remains ideologically opposed to allowing the Ministry of Social Development to engage private investigation services when clearly Work and Income’s own benefit fraud detection is weak at best and many other Government departments from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to the Department of Conservation and the Accident Compensation Corporation use such services to detect illegal acts? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I do not remain ideologically opposed to hiring private services to augment what the Government would do but in the case of Work and Income we have one of the most successful agencies I think across the board. In particular in relation to the collection of debts I think it does a very effective job. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Does the Minister think it is right proper and fair for his department to be hounding elderly New Zealanders many of whom have worked 45 or 50 years and paid their taxes and to act within a matter of weeks which is totally discriminatory when he has regard to the fact that his colleague will not take action for years against what she has said is up to 20000 overstayers in this country all of whom are foreigners? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: That is how one gets to be an overstayer; one has to be a foreigner in the first place! Dang he is quick! Applying the rules that Mr Peters’ earlier experience in Cabinet put in place we do not hound any one. He did not hound those people; neither do we. These are simply the rules and we send out the letter asking for the money back if they break them.