Bennett Paula: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBennett Paula: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 09 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9173. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development): I moveThat the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill be now read a third time. We are about to effect major change for social support in New Zealand. The bill before the House today will modernise the welfare system with changes that are long overdue and will serve this country well for years to come. I would like to thank the Social Services Committee and officials from the Ministry of Social Development the Ministry of Health the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Justice who have all contributed to this bill. I would really like to thank my office and all the people who work inside of it who put in extra hours all of those people within ministries who spent an immense amount of time on this. There are people who gave up time over their holidays quite frankly to write this. I said to the ministry the other day that I would like to do a morning tea for them and they said that there are more than 200 people who at some stage have actually worked on the reforms in the last 3 years. That is a lot of people to thank and I really recognise their work their intelligence and their hearts which they put into this.I want to thank the select committee especially the chairman for his stewardship through this. It made some sensible changes I thought and I was really happy to take those recommendations. We took submissions in writing and people came and told their stories. I hear those stories and they are pretty heartfelt. There are people who are in really unfortunate situations and I think that if there is anything that I should say—and I know that we hear a lot of rhetoric—it is that I have an immense amount of respect for people who need the system. I have an immense amount of respect for what we are doing here. I know that we hear a lot of rhetoric that I do not care and that I make changes just for the sake of it without consideration for those whom they affect but I do not think I am calling talkback and I do not think this is a letter to the editor. I recognise that these are people’s lives that they are living them in reality in their homes and that this Parliament needs to give that the level of respect that it deservesparticularly for those who are dependent on the State and who are at a level of vulnerability.Where we disagree—I get that and I understand it—is in terms of what changes need to be made and how to do that. I obviously feel strongly and I have seen the evidence and I back that it is these changes that are needed and will make a difference. I hear about how heartless I believe some think I am but if we go back—and this is really the third stage of changes that this Government has made to the welfare system—over each of the changes we see that last year when we made those significant changes for youth in particular we were told how awful it would be and we certainly did not get the support from Labour and other Opposition members. The reality was that we put an extra $287 million into supporting people up front. What happened is that we now have teen mums who are able to get childcare for their children so they are able to stay in school get into teen parent units or get some form of educational training themselves which they did not have the opportunity to get before this side of the House this Government made changes for them.It is this Government that has stood up and wrapped more support round those young people as they left school and as they did not know where to go and where to get support. That is what this next stage of reforms is also about. It is about recognising where people need more help and where we can get alongside of them. It recognises that at the moment we spend the most money on those who are on the unemployment benefit when what we really have is a whole lot of people who either have illnesses or disabilities or have issues around education and training and confidence and actually if we got alongside of them—the community also—and funded them we would see really really different outcomes for them. I am already seeing them.This bill does make changes to drug testing. I see too many young people with wasted lives—in both contexts quite frankly—and if only we gave them that kind of support where they were able to get into work where they have got people who are mentors in jobs and who actually back them. And I meet employers who are pretty outstanding and who actually get alongside of them. This bill asks more for people and asks more people to look for work but I want to reiterate as I have many many many times that if you cannot find a job you will not be penalised and you will not be sanctioned. We merely ask you to look. And I do say to people out there that beneficiaries you will not actually find a job unless you are actively looking. I think that that is fair and I think that it makes sense.We are asking those who have an outstanding warrant for their arrest to front up to do the right thing; if not your benefit will be cancelled. Quite frankly I am relatively appalled that 600-odd people after 20 days still have an outstanding warrant out for their arrest and have not fronted up and done what is the right thing. We certainly should not as taxpayers be paying them to live that kind of life.All categories will be changed. They will have a different title. But for those on the invalid’s benefit who are going to the supported living payment the criteria are not changing; we just have different expectations. There will be and has been a lot of rhetoric. I cannot help but do a quote because it is that kind of day and the quote is: “I love argument I love debate. I don’t expect anyone just to sit there and agree with me that’s not their job.” That is from Margaret Thatcher which I thought was kind of apt on a day like today. I do love debate and I kind of like that we have differences and quite frankly if we are going to argue about what is best for people and how we should do it then bring it on for these people who perhaps need us the most. I will get lots of rhetoric today on how I pulled up the ladder and how everything was so much better quite frankly in my day 25 years ago when I was on a benefit. Actually I do not remember it that way at all and I do not see comparisons at all either.I commend this bill to the House. I want to again thank all of those people who have put in so much. I know that my colleagues want to spend some time talking about it so I want to zip myself up sweetie and give them a chance to say something as well. Thank you.