Ngaro Alfred; Tolley AnneHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Madam Chairperson Tolley thank you for the call on the Rates Rebate (Retirement Village Residents) Amendment Bill. Often when you are on House duty you listen to bills and then there's an opportunity when you hear parts of the bill that actually have some connection to you. I just want to acknowledge the Hon Peeni Henare. When he talked about the changing demographic profile of those going into rest homes and into retirement villages he talked particularly about those who are Māori and we know that for Pasifika that's also changing—and also for other diverse groups as well.Why that point becomes quite important to the member is that the intent of the bill in its general policy statement is to allow ratepayers of residential properties who are on low incomes to receive a rebate on their rates." So the idea of the member in putting this bill was to allow those who were ineligible to have the opportunity to be eligible to receive the rebate.So in terms of the intent of that I believe that none of us across the House would disagree with that. But therein lies some of the challenges that then will come. As the Hon Peeni Henare talked about them—he talked about the power of attorney and the challenges that that causes. I just want to put it to the member that in the submissions that were held—and I can't say; I was not part of the select committee and privy to being able to hear some of the submissions. But one of the challenges in order to be able to see the changing demographic of those who are on a low income—and I know that Michael Wood talked about the ability when you see a $610 or $600 rebate that's available; it's enough incentive to go out and to apply.But to a number of those who are often on low incomes who are working families sometimes even though the incentive may be there there may be a barrier to that. I wondered if the member may have heard from those in local councils who are administering this—they may have heard for instance that some of those low-income families may be of a different diversity a different ethnicity. We've seen time and time again that things like for instance interpretation and translation become really difficult.So while the intent of the bill is to provide that eligibility for those in that demographic profile and those on low incomes has there been some thought to make sure that those whom we're trying to serve with the intent of this bill will be met in that way? Were there any thoughts from the administrator as in our territorial authorities—had they taken that into account? We've seen on a number of occasions where many of those in which there is intent to try and increase the accessibility—let's take for instance in the local elections or the general elections—there's been the move by those bodies to be able to ensure in respect of these translations going into those communities that we disseminate enough information and actually we make it a bit easier for them to be able to apply for that as well.The second point that I'd like to make in my contribution is just in regard to—the maximum rebate is currently $610 and the income abatement threshold is $24470. I know that the Hon Tracey Martin was talking about the increase in that rebate and potentially what that could be for other eligible residents as well.I suppose the intent—and again a question for the member: in the submissions when there was the conversation with the territorial authorities in their administration roles obviously the view is that this will now increase the number of eligible residents that are there to apply for them. What were the costings in regard to their own costs? As you know when you are increasing volume there's the ability to create some extra savings.So I think in both ways I'm just wanting to sort of get a sense that again we want to ensure that there's accessibility for those whom we're wanting to target with the intent of the bill. Secondly if we want to ensure that potentially there could be an increase in the rebate threshold were there other areas of savings that could have been had by those that are there as well?I just want to again commend the member. Like the Hon Peeni Henare I have seen in the Pasifika community in particular an increase in those who are now going into rest homes. I know there was time when there were cultural constructs where we wouldn't normally see that. But we have to accept that that has become the reality in the changing dynamics of our families. Again I suppose and I put this to the member: if our intent is to serve those members who at times may find it really difficult in terms of translation and interpretation accessibility have we ensured that those are put in place and that it's taken into account by those territorial authorities that they will put those mechanisms in place to serve those in need? Again I just want to thank the member for her contribution.The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Anne Tolley): I call Simon O'Connor."