Heatley Phil: Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Heatley Phil: Electricity (Disconnection and Low Fixed Charges) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:646;Page:15601] 
PHIL HEATLEY (National—Whangarei) 
: 
 Mr Maharey might be able to afford to eat his lunch in this Parliament Labour Party members might be able to afford to eat their lunch here and National Party members also eat their lunch in the proper confines of Copperfields where we are supposed to do that sort of stuff. But we have people across this country who cannot afford to pay their electricity bills. They cannot afford to pay their electricity bills or go to the supermarket and buy a block of cheese a bottle of milk or some lunch for Mr Maharey. They cannot go to the service station and fill up their petrol tank or their diesel tank. They are being taxed to death on everything they do whether it is accident compensation levies personal income taxes petrol taxes taxes on this and taxes on that. 
The situation in this country is that interest rates are going up taxes are going up petrol prices are going up the price of Steve Maharey’s lunch is going up rents are going up and power prices are going up. We have a Minister who stands up in this Chamber and says that it is good news for New Zealanders that when electricity companies cut off their power they will not do it in a couple of weeks but they will spread it out; they will wait for a month. Electricity companies will cut off people’s power but not in 2 weeks’ time; they will cut it off in a month’s time. 
The Government is not so worried about the fact that people are in poverty because of the cost of food rent petrol taxes and everything else. The Government is saying that it will arrange it so that those people can pay their electricity bills if they can afford them over a 12-month period instead of monthly. The Government will smooth out the pain for them. It will drag out the pain for them. 
I argue in this Chamber today that the Labour Government rather than saying it will drag out the pain for people or that it will not cut off their electricity in 2 weeks’ time but will wait for a month—it will cut them 2 weeks’ slack—should be saying that it will lower their taxes get interest rates under control get the economy running so that petrol prices and transport costs are not going through the roof supply housing so that rents are not going through the roof and somehow make it easier for businesses so that the cost of a block of cheese a bottle of milk and every other basic dietary supplement that we eat is not going through the roof. Those are the things that we will address. 
The former MP from Taupo—“Sam the Eagle”—may be sitting in that seat there remembering the good old days when he was a Minister. He should remember that he had his chance to help struggling Kiwis the most vulnerable and he failed. He should not be voting for a bill that delays cutting off electricity; he should have looked at interest rates petrol prices and everything else. 
National will be voting for this legislation but it goes a very very small way towards helping the poor. “Sam the Eagle” from Taupo had his chance. He is now a backbencher. What we are saying now is that it is actually John Key and his team who will help the underclass not those guys. The country is looking forward to it.