Robertson H V Ross: Budget Debate 
Robertson H V Ross: Budget Debate 
[Volume:654;Page:4269] 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON (Labour—Manukau East) 
: 
 Kia ora tatou. No reira e te Whare e nga iwi e nga reo e nga hau e wha tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. I stand this afternoon to speak for the people of Manukau East as their member of Parliament. It is a community with 185 different ethnic groups residing within it. It is represented not only by me as the local member of Parliament but also by the Hon George Hawkins Su’a William Sio and Dr Ashraf Choudhary. [ 
Interruption 
] We have no confidence in this Budget. I see that Mr Hide is not surprised at that. We have no confidence in this Budget because it does not have a plan to protect and create jobs and to support New Zealanders through the economic crisis. 
This Budget fails on three counts. First it fails to invest in people and to develop the innovation the skills and the training that give us a strong economy. 
Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: What does that mean exactly? 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON 
: The member knows exactly what it means. The reality is that this Government has failed with the Budget on three counts. The second count is that the Budget fundamentally undermines the future well-being of New Zealanders by creating a $37 billion hole in our future funding for superannuation. I feel for those in the 30-40 year age group. Thirdly the Budget repeals tax cuts promised by the National Party in the election campaign when its members knew full well that those cuts were unaffordable. 
This Budget should be about integrity about honesty and about keeping one’s word but on all three counts the Key Government has failed. While the world economy dithers and while the Government uses that as an excuse—which is understandable but a man’s word is his bond—the Prime Minister has failed not once not twice but three times when he promised this country tax cuts. He promised them but then he did not deliver to the low and middle income groups that really need them. He promised that tax cuts would be for all New Zealanders. It was Mr Key’s personal guarantee in order to win the election. But the promise was reckless; he knew that the world was slipping into recession because of his background and training as a money dealer in New York. So this Budget is about leadership and leadership is the ability to motivate and inspire others to follow. The Prime Minister did that; he won an election. But was it an honest win or did he mislead this country by promising tax cuts that could not be afforded? 
Nathan Guy 
: Are you talking about the pledge card? 
H V ROSS ROBERTSON 
: No I am not talking about that. Either the Prime Minister was oblivious to the catastrophic recession when he announced his tax cuts or he did know about it but chose to continue with the cuts anyway. And that is not good enough. A man’s word is his bond and he failed. 
I listened to Paula Bennett and I was reminded that non-governmental organisation heads tell me that when social welfare problems are raised with that Minister all they get is a laugh and a giggle to solve the problems. Well I tell the Minister that that is not good enough. Much has been said on this side of the House about the impact of the Budget on New Zealanders who will turn 65 after the year 2031. That year 2031 is not too far away. The Government’s decade of deferring payments to the Superannuation Fund will inevitably have two major impacts. The first is that it will reduce the level of superannuation people will receive or second it will necessitate a raise in the age of entitlement for superannuation. 
But this Budget also has an impact on today’s superannuitants in a way that has not yet been discussed. In the fine print of the Economic and Fiscal Update it is revealed that the following risk has “been removed since the 2008  
Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update 
:”. This is found on page 107 of the volume containing the Minister of Finance’s Executive Summary. This Budget has scrapped the “Energy Subsidy for SuperGold Card Holders” which was being developed by the fifth Labour Government. Officials had been instructed to look at that very thing and in the Budget papers presented to Parliament by National not only were no new Government concessions offered but the most important one for older people—help with paying their power bills—has gone. Staying warm in winter is vital to maintaining one’s health as one gets older so that is a callous cut and it will cause unnecessary stress and strain and a curtailment of activities for the elderly. I am aghast at the temerity of a Government that gave tax cuts to the wealthy but gave nothing to superannuitants. 
Debate interrupted.