Tisch Lindsay: Social Security (Working for Families) Amendment Bill Taxation (Working for Families) Bill — Third Readings 
Tisch Lindsay: Social Security (Working for Families) Amendment Bill Taxation (Working for Families) Bill — Third Readings 
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LINDSAY TISCH (National—Piako) 
: 
 I have sat through all the debates on this legislation from the first reading right through until now as we are closing the third reading. It is interesting to note that of all the speeches we have heard this afternoon’s third reading speeches from the Labour members have been the most proactive in trying to gloss over the in-depth problems that will occur with this legislation. During the Committee stage—yesterday and earlier today—only five Labour members took a call. The Committee stage was when we went through this legislation part by part. It was when we digested dissected and looked at what this legislation does. Yet only five Labour members thought it important to stand up and justify what this Government is doing and what the Minister of Finance did in the Budget announcement. 
Hon David Benson-Pope 
: Don’t be so silly. 
LINDSAY TISCH 
: The member may make those sorts of comments but at the end of the day we need to see what this legislation does. Over the last 5 years this Government has taxed at such a level that it now has a windfall of money—and what will it do with it? It will redistribute. That is what socialist Governments do. They tax on this hand build up a fund and then on the other hand give the money back to the people it has already taken it off. Then they say: “Aren’t we doing well.” 
When we look at it if we want to lift New Zealand’s living standards we do not just give money out we have to grow the cake. We have to grow the economy. That is the basis of economics. What do the wealth creators of New Zealand—those people who are prepared to invest and put a dollar at risk—get out of this? Absolutely nothing. There is nothing in this legislation to say to employers that the Government will cut compliance costs make it easier to employ staff and allow them to compete in the market place. There is none of those influences or catalysts to grow the economy. 
What this Government has done and what this legislation does is lock people into dependency. Why would somebody on an $80000 salary with four children get $25.12 per week in April 2007? Why would someone on that sort of income get $25.12 in April 2007? Why do those people need to be locked into dependency? They would far rather have a tax cut. Money in the hand today is worth a helluva lot more than what it will be worth in 3 years’ time. That is the basis of economics—money in the hand today and what I can do with it is worth a lot more. But this Government believes that it can do better with taxpayers’ money than they can do with their own money. 
This really means that the 300000 families out there who will benefit out of this legislation will not benefit immediately. There will be some concessions for beneficiaries but those low-income earners whom we all aspire to help do not get assistance until April next year and then again in 2006. So here is a Government that says it will help those on lower incomes and in the middle-income bracket. That is fine but at the end of the day if we study all the figures there is little for those people. That is why they will be disappointed and why all the media comments say that it is just a lolly-scramble as my colleague said. 
The Government is saying that over the next couple of years many families will be assisted. The Budget benefits 300000 households—that is one in five because there are 1.2 million households that get absolutely nothing out of this Budget. When it is scrutinised and when people ask where they get this big handout from that the Government is talking about they will be bitterly disappointed. When I am on the campaign trail I will say that this was a hoax—a cynical Budget to do nothing else but buy votes.