Fairbrother Russell: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Fairbrother Russell: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:639;Page:9197] 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) 
: 
 I have just listened to the speech of the previous speaker Judith Collins who busily danced on the head of a pin. She tried to make fatuous comments so she could put out yet another press release on the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill to take the credit for its passing—knowing that the bill would be very popular with the senior members of our society. She will want to obfuscate the fact that in her last speech in the House she said that it was bad legislation and that National members voted for the bill in the Social Services Committee only for some spurious reason of support and to get the matter through the committee. 
The last time Judith Collins spoke about the bill in the Chamber she noted that National always reserved its objection to the bill. But now of course as the legislation becomes a reality she rushes off to issue her next press statement and take unto herself the credit for work she has not done. She does not quite fully mention that this bill has gone through over her vigorous rhetoric and opposition and that there has been no constructive input into the process from either her or her party. If she omits that from her press statement that will perhaps be in keeping with the continued contribution—and I use that word in a very ironic way—of the National Party to the progress of this bill. 
What the National Party does not like about this bill is that it recognises the valued members of this society as the Minister said. The National Party being an entity that recognises value in terms of dollars is unable to see that a gold entitlement card is a statement to each and every senior citizen that the work those senior citizens have contributed to build up New Zealand to what it is today is valued even if each individual senior citizen with a card has no great material wealth. It is itself a statement of recognition and a statement that finally this country recognises the very many ways that it is a good country because of the work of our senior citizens. 
We heard again in the previous speech from that member who sought to dance on the head of a pin that she tried to suggest that there was some untoward conspiracy here—perhaps she should become a sub-editor on  
Investigate 
 magazine—and that there was an attack on recipients of social security benefits generally. I have to say that this matter was not raised at the Social Services Committee by her or by the National Party at any stage otherwise it would have been explicitly dealt with in the report and I would have voted against the bill. 
I repeat at this stage of the third reading that the purpose of this bill is simply to make amendments to the Social Security Act 1964 and the Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 to enable full effect to be given to the Government’s intention in regard to the SuperGold card. We are talking here about the SuperGold card. That is what this bill is about and that is the bill that has gone before Parliament and will be passed today in the fullness of time. 
Just as National members as they prepare for their press releases are trying to take credit where it is not due unto themselves they have also tried to take from Taito Phillip Field the credit for his amendment which reinforced the steps that are handy but not necessary to ensure the sanctity of privacy of information— 
Tariana Turia 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. There has been a continuous barrage from across the Chamber each time somebody from the Government benches has spoken. It has been very irritating. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the member for her point of order. I just say that I do not believe the interjections were bothering the member who was addressing the House. Had the interjections done so then I would have pointed out Speakers’ rulings 58/4 and 59/1 to the member on my left. 
Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not want to challenge your ruling Mr Assistant Speaker but the point that the honourable Tariana Turia is making is not that the interjections are interfering with Mr Fairbrother’s speech but that she is trying to listen to the speech and cannot do so because members sitting close to her on the National benches are making too much noise. I do not think she is objecting on behalf of Mr Fairbrother; she is saying she cannot hear the speech that is under way. I think that is a reasonable request that is in her right to make as the co-leader of a party in this House. 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: Speaking to the point of order I am prepared to start again if that would assist— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No I do not think we need to start again. But I have taken on board what the honourable member has mentioned and I will keep a watch on it. 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: I am reminded of the saying that empty vessels make the most noise. Perhaps the honourable Tariana Turia would have drawn that conclusion too as she listened to the barrage that has now subdued—which is an obvious admission from the barrackers on the other side of the House that they were making extensive noise in an effort to hide themselves away from the facts of the handiness of this card. 
This SuperGold card recognises as I have already said the contribution that senior citizens make to New Zealand. That is something the National Party cannot stomach. If people measure their success by the size of their bank balance then they will fail to recognise the contribution of those who measure their success in other ways. 
The other thing that sticks in the gall of the National Party is that this SuperGold card fulfils a commitment and fulfilling a commitment to our senior citizens is a matter that the National Party has struggled with in the past. I take just one example of that. On 1 April 1999 the floor used to set New Zealand superannuation and veterans pension rates was cut from 65 percent to 60 percent by the previous National Government. A cut was brought in to reduce the floor level of payment then Jenny Shipley explained to veterans in a letter of October 1998 that doing this—in some weird way—would be of benefit to the superannuitants and the recipients of veterans pensions. 
So this bill upsets National members because it fulfils a commitment made to New Zealand First as part of its confidence and supply agreement with the Labour-led Government. Of course that confidence and supply agreement is well entitled because this country has confidence that this Labour-led Government will honour its commitments to its coalition partner and its confidence and supply partners and in doing so it will honour its commitments to the people of New Zealand and in this case to senior citizens. 
 So what does the card offer? It offers discounts from participating businesses for senior citizens. Here is the rub and the point that the Opposition has tried to exploit with its fear-based argument. Participating businesses are moving from the swipe card—the barcode access—to microchipping and it is becoming an increasingly regular form of commerce to move from a barcode to a microchip-type of database. To enable participating businesses to offer easy access to concessions to senior citizens the card needs to be framed legally so that the improvements in technology can be absorbed therein. 
This is not to suggest that this measure is any invasion of privacy. This is not intended to open the floodgates of rampant State intrusion into people’s lives. This is simply a logical and clear step whereby this Parliament and its laws can keep up with developing activities in the business world. Concessions on Government and local authority services and business concessions can be obtained by the use of the entitlement card—the SuperGold card—that this bill is all about. 
The card will be sent automatically to people receiving New Zealand superannuation or a veterans pension with a special version going to war and emergency service veterans. But that is not to say that recipients of the card have to have their photograph on it. There was an interjection during the Minister’s speech with a suggestion from the National Party that photographs would be compulsory. The interjection was to the effect of: “Where does it say it is optional?”. If I direct the interjector Sandra Goudie to clause 5 she will see that it provides merely “for cardholders’ photographs to be affixed”. It does not make it mandatory. It does not state that if people receive a card they have to have their photograph on it. 
Sandra Goudie 
: It doesn’t say “optional” either. 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER 
: I suggest that that member takes her time to look at the dictionary and see what the word “provide” means. When the bill states “providing for cardholders’ photographs” it means it allows a cardholder to opt in and have the convenience of a photograph. If that is too obscure for the member then I suggest she goes back to English 101—or perhaps she should aspire to English 101—and get an understanding of the language used in everyday life as well as in this House. 
The card will carry the holder’s name a number and whether the holder receives New Zealand superannuation a veterans pension or has a community services card. If the cardholder chooses to have a photograph for ID purposes then that will be done pursuant to clause 5. 
What the National Party does not like is that about 540000 people will be eligible to receive the card—over half a million people will be eligible to receive the card—and cardholders’ spouses who are under 65 will also be able to access the commercial discounts. What National members do not like is that these benefits will be available in less than 3 months. They will be available from August of this year. 
There is the rub for the National Party—this card’s basic premise is that of common sense. This card offers benefits it offers convenience and it keeps up with modern technology with the protections that surround that technology. This bill is a very good bill.