Stewart Barbara: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Stewart Barbara: Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:639;Page:9201] 
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
: 
 I am very pleased to rise on behalf of New Zealand First to take a call in the third reading of the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. We in New Zealand First are very pleased to see this card becoming a reality. It has been very sad to hear in this debate the cynicism of the National Party speakers. They do not really like to see anybody receiving discounts or anything that they cannot get or have not initiated. I seem to recall that it was no hassle for the National Party to get information on superannuitants at the last election. I remember some letters were sent out. So how the National members can get up and say it is shameful to have knowledge of people’s superannuation details is really beyond me. 
I find it very surprising too that the National Party’s support for this bill has been quite reluctant particularly when we know that senior citizens and veterans are looking forward to the SuperGold card and to receiving some discounts from participating business so that their pensions can go a little bit further than they do at present. At last New Zealand’s senior citizens will be able to enjoy some of the benefits that their Australian counterparts enjoy—and have done so for some time. That is basically how it should be here in New Zealand. If it can be done in Australia it can definitely be done here in New Zealand. This type of approach is long overdue. 
It has been a very great shame that this card has been caught up in the general hysteria over microchipping. Seniors have nothing to fear over the SuperGold card. A card like this is used safely by Australian senior citizens and the same will apply here in New Zealand. As the Rt Hon Winston Peters said in question time last Thursday the SuperGold card will not be issued with a microchip but will have a magnetic strip and barcode. The information contained on them will be limited. It is quite interesting to see that the legislation has a clause that deals with microchips but that is basically aimed at future-proofing the card. We know that magnetic strips and barcode technology are rapidly going to become redundant. We are also very aware that banks and retailers are already moving towards the use of microchip technology. When it comes to this particular card it would be totally negligent for us not to at least think of trying to future-proof the legislation. If that clause had not been in the legislation New Zealand First would be castigated for a lack of vision or forward planning. Really in this particular case it is a bit like being the meat in the sandwich. The scaremongering directed at our seniors has been quite scandalous. If the SuperGold card is to be functional in the future it will require that technology. 
But again we emphasise that the SuperGold card will not be issued with a microchip when it is launched in August. Like all other MPs here in this House the New Zealand First members know that any move towards microchip technology will require a thorough review by both the Privacy Commissioner and the State Services Commission. That will always be the case despite the scaremongering we have heard. Microchip technology is not being slipped on to the SuperGold card secretly in the dead of night. We on this side of the House have no desire to see any information related to our seniors be abused or misused. The checks are already in place to provide the strongest possible protection against the misuse of information. Our seniors and veterans—and we know there are over 540000 of them—deserve far better than to have this sort of fear put into them. 
I believe that the SuperGold card is an excellent example of what can occur in the MMP environment and of how MMP actually works in practice. We must acknowledge the Hon Ruth Dyson the Minister for Senior Citizens for her support and work to ensure that the SuperGold card becomes a reality. At the last election New Zealand First campaigned on a dedicated seniors card and we have worked since that time to ensure that it has become a reality. We are very aware in New Zealand First that those with goodwill can work together in the best interests of all New Zealanders. With this particular card New Zealand First did not promise the moon and deliver dust—as many others have often done at election time. We followed through on the policy and we will continue to do so with regard to every one of the items in our confidence and supply agreement with the Labour Government. 
We are very pleased to hear that a website is to be set up when the card is launched to keep seniors informed of developments. I accessed the Australian Seniors Card website and was very interested to see the competitions discount directories short-term offers latest discounts and travel discounts—the list just goes on. I am sure that if all of that information is included on the New Zealand SuperGold card website then our seniors will be absolutely delighted. For those people who do not use the Internet—and we know there are some—there is a freephone number. We must also remind them that a published printed directory will also be available to promote the range of entitlements concessions and discounts that are available to cardholders from central government local authorities and businesses. Really seniors will have all of that information available to assist them to make the best possible use of the benefits available. 
We in New Zealand First see the SuperGold card and the benefits that will be available as being complementary to the Grey Power card. Both of those cards will have the common objective of ensuring the best and most extensive use of the purchasing power of every senior’s income. We believe and we know particularly from the Australian experience that those cards—both of them—will provide tangible benefits that will make a real difference to the lives of our senior citizens. 
In New Zealand First we have always maintained that the treatment of our seniors sends a clear signal of our status as a developed nation. This card recognises the contribution that our seniors and veterans have made and continue to make in our society. We know for a fact that the voluntary sector in particular is helped hugely by our senior citizens—St John Ambulance Meals on Wheels SeniorNet and the many other organisations that our seniors belong to. There are far too many to list here. Our seniors make a really great contribution and it is timely to ensure there is recognition of that. I think that all of us here in this House have to recognise that many of our seniors—our parents—are busy looking after their grandchildren after school so that those children do not have to go into after-school care and caring for sick children on the days that parents have to go to work. Seniors do make a huge contribution. 
Our senior citizens can choose to use their SuperGold card as a form of photo ID if they so wish and that will be entirely at their own discretion—it is optional. I know that many of us use our drivers’ licences as ID for that particular purpose. Some of the senior citizens I have spoken to are actually looking forward to having their photos on their SuperGold card because they believe that it will actually safeguard their card. 
We can assure people that the benefits of the SuperGold card cannot be discussed prior to its launch because they are commercially sensitive. Nobody can say which businesses are participating in the SuperGold card before the card is actually launched. I know we have heard criticism of that from National members over the past few weeks but they should just wait—help is on the way the discounts are coming the directories will come and people will be able to find out. 
New Zealand First is very pleased that this bill has now reached this stage in the process. We support this bill and we look forward to the launch of the card in August. We believe that our seniors have earned the SuperGold card and we look forward to receiving their feedback on it.