Lotu-Iiga Sam: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Lotu-Iiga Sam: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 26 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8908. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (National—Maungakiekie) 
: 
Talofa lava and thank you for the opportunity to speak in the Committee stage of this Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill. Mr Prasad got it right. He asked in his earlier statement what the policy intent is for this bill. It is quite clear—it is quite clear—what this Government is trying to do with this welfare bill: to change the mind-set of our country towards encouraging independence towards encouraging people into work and towards encouraging people to have self-reliance in order for them to look after their families. This bill is transformative for our country. It will encourage those who can work to work and it will encourage people off benefits and into work. Despite the scaremongering from members opposite this bill actually protects the vulnerable it protects those who are unable to work it protects those who have disabilities and it gives them benefits. 
All we on this side of the Chamber are saying is that those who can work should work. It is an investment approach because there will be more funding upfront in terms of case management. There will be more funding upfront in terms of work testing to get people prepared and into jobs. Members opposite have asked where the jobs are. 
Carol Beaumont 
: Where are those jobs? 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: Oh Miss Beaumont will ask where the jobs are having been unemployed from this institution for the last 15½ months. I will tell her where the jobs are. If that member had looked on the website SEEK this afternoon at 3 p.m. 12500 full-time jobs were on SEEK 1000 part-time jobs were on SEEK 2000 contract jobs were on SEEK and 150 casual jobs—that is 16000 jobs that are on SEEK this afternoon waiting for people to work. Members opposite continue to ask where the jobs are. We know that as the Prime Minister stated quite clearly this afternoon the manufacturing sector is growing and that most sectors across this economy grew in the December quarter of 2012—1.5 percentage growth in our GDP. This economy is growing. We know that jobs are being created. Some have been lost but some have been created and we know that the jobs are out there. 
But what does the bill do? What is the problem that we are trying to solve? We know that around $8 billion per annum is spent on welfare. We know that. The Opposition members know that but they do not want to hear how we can progress people out of work and into jobs. It is a lifetime cost of paying benefits to our population. It is estimated at $78 billion dollars. 
Dr Rajen Prasad 
: It’s all about dollars. 
Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA 
: That is more than the Government spends every year Mr Prasad. You know that; I know that. So that is a lifetime cost and that is why it is not just the fiscal implications that this bill brings about; it is also the social implications. Mr Prasad did not know where welfare dependency was. Well I can tell you Mr Prasad. I have welfare dependency in my family and in my electorate. I have seen it—from mother to daughter to granddaughter. It happens and that is sad. It is a sad indictment. We all know in this Committee that some members of our society need help when required but we also know that work is really important to get people off welfare and into jobs. When you have welfare dependency you set boundaries around having very low or no expectations and you have very low or no aspiration. The worst thing that we can give them is having very low or no hope in life and that is why it is important that our kids are incentivised and promoted into getting jobs. 
We know that the changes are around introducing benefit categories. We know that work-test obligations are critical. We heard Mr Sio saying that they must find work. No they are being work tested into work and if they are able to work and a job presents itself then they should work because the money that they get from working is actually quite beneficial to their families. It is good for—