Mahuta Nanaia: General Debate 
Mahuta Nanaia: General Debate 
[Volume:674;Page:20482] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
: 
 If the previous speech was a bid to retain Auckland Central all I would say to Nikki Kaye is that she has absolutely lost it. The member started her speech by commenting on the riots in London. Underpinning that issue all political commentators all media commentators have said that it was caused by issues of racism. Underpinning the greater tensions over there in the UK is inequality; rising unemployment and greater inequality in that country. All media commentators have made statements on that and political commentators have as well. So it is very interesting that the member started her speech with that issue. 
Talking about a programme of economic reform by the National Government if that is the case then why has it not led to job growth? Why have we seen Maori and Pacific unemployment increase? Why have we seen unemployment increase under this Government’s programme of economic reform? We have simply not seen any jobs generated whatsoever and unemployment is increasing. Although I am lowering the decibels in the House with my contribution it is a very serious issue that we are bringing to the table in terms of the issues of the cost of living and how we need to address it. In my electorate 73 percent of people earn $40000 or less a year. None of them and very few other people have received any benefit whatsoever from the tax cuts delivered by National. Every one of those earners in Hauraki-Waikato pay tax on every dollar they earn and they are not getting a fair shot at it from the National Government. They simply are not. There are no new jobs and people are paying more at the checkout counter because of GST. When we see people going to the supermarket and looking at the reduced-to-clear section we know very well that people are feeling the pressure. When we go to the markets and see those families juggling what they are going to buy with the minimal amount of money they have at the markets we know that people are feeling the pressure. When we go to community houses and they are telling us simply that more and more families are opting to join the vege co-op because they simply cannot afford to stretch the limited amount of dollars that they have they are feeling the pinch. National is closing its eyes to the reality that families in my electorate feel every day which is the pressures of juggling what they can do with their dollar. 
I went to a school in Paeroa. The staff told me that half of the kids in their school could afford to pay the stationery costs; the other half had to get a grant from Work and Income which their parents paid back over time to afford stationery for their kids to be at school. Do members know how much they were getting a grant for? It was for $30. That is a middle-of-the-road school in Paeroa—unbelievable. 
The principal herself said that more and more kids are coming to school hungry. I went to the Methodist City Action community in Hamilton. They said their food banks were bare. They are making calls out to the community to pledge to donate to their food bank every week because quite simply as soon as the food comes in it goes out. I visited the Anglican Action trust in Hamilton. They tell us time and time again that cost of living pressures are simply far too great. This Government needs to open its eyes and address the real issues that affect struggling families. We are talking not just about low-income families but about modest-income families and families who are working. The problem has simply shifted. Unless National understands that fact then all the rhetoric its members say about a great savings strategy and things like that is not heard. If they talked to a family that is working then that family would say that they simply do not have enough income to even think about saving let alone listen to what National has to say. That is in their words; not mine. The cost of living pressures on families that have modest earners or are on low incomes are very real and should not be underestimated. 
It is Labour’s intention to restore greater equality in our society greater redistribution of wealth through a fairer taxation system and greater effort and emphasis on investing in our kids. That will make a huge difference and it will resonate largely in the electorate. I think the speaker before me would do well to look at the issue of homelessness in Auckland City. We cannot on the one hand say that things are so great without looking on the other side of the street and saying that more must be done. 
This Government simply has not opened its eyes to the real debate happening in each home and each community about the pressures of the cost of living.