Faafoi Kris: Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
Faafoi Kris: Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3) — First Reading 
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KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana) 
: 
 Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to the Social Security Amendment Bill (No 3). Earlier in this debate as my colleague Su’a William Sio was addressing Parliament members across the House—I think including the Minister—were asking whether he thought he could pad out his speech for 10 minutes and were saying that he would need to speak slowly. I am not surprised because there is not enough in this bill. It does not take a good look at what the real problems are in this area. In fact it is tinkering. It is tinkering around the edges. It is a lost opportunity. 
The bill is correcting legislation. Although I believe that Labour will support the bill through all stages in the House there is some concern that the Government is not taking a really good look at what the issues are for the people the bill will affect. The Minister of Social Development and Employment in her opening address made a comment that this bill is about fairness. If it is then that is very interesting in terms of fairness for most New Zealanders at the moment and in terms of the cost of living. 
I would actually challenge Tim Macindoe at the moment in relation to his assertion that petrol prices are not as high as they were in 2008. I cannot remember petrol being $2.19 when I paid in 2008. I cannot remember paying that much for it. I cannot recall in 2008 paying $2 and 18.9c for a litre of 91 petrol. Maybe Mr Macindoe might want to go and check his facts on that claim and then come back to the House to clarify whether that is true. 
As I said the Minister said the bill was about fairness. That comment is interesting given what is going on in most Kiwi households at the moment where in terms of the cost of living people think that New Zealand is going backwards. Todd McClay mentioned to the House Labour’s policy of making the first $5000 of earnings tax-free. That is exactly about fairness because whether a person is a cleaner or a chief executive that person would get the first $5000 tax-free. That is unlike the tax-cut package that came in on 1 October where the top 10 percent of earners got 40 percent of the tax cuts under this National Government. In terms of fairness most New Zealanders think that that does not quite meet that standard. I thank Tim Macindoe for bringing up the issue of petrol because most Kiwis think petrol is yet another one of the things they have to fork out for in the cost of living rises each week that are making things unfair for them. 
Tim Macindoe 
: Have you seen what’s happening in the Middle East Kris? 
KRIS FAAFOI 
: I read the papers too. But I say to Mr Macindoe that people are also concerned about what is happening at the petrol station when they are filling up their cars and when they see the petrol pump figures going well beyond the hundred-dollar mark to fill up their cars. Where is fairness when people are looking at what the National Government is doing at the moment? Most Kiwis believe that in terms of fairness and the cost of living they are not getting a fair deal under this Government. Although this bill as the Minister said tries to address fairness most Kiwis feel as though they are going backwards. Most Kiwis feel as if this Government does not have a plan to get the economy going. In terms of fairness for ordinary Kiwis I believe that this Government might be out of touch. 
Going back to the bill I tell members that we are talking about tinkering. We are talking about correcting legislation that is really inconsequential. Going to the bill itself and looking at the third aspect of it that I have on my piece of paper which is to clarify provisions I note that the bill will exclude students who are eligible for assistance under the Student Allowance Regulations 1998 from receiving the accommodation supplement. I guess the intention of that—and as I said before Labour will support this legislation—is to try to help students. But if this Government really wanted to help students they would not support the legislation that the ACT Party put forward in terms of voluntary membership of students associations. Student unions—and if I am correct the Minister may have been the president of a student union in her student days—are absolutely vital in terms of making sure that students have the required assistance they need at tertiary institutions. If this legislation goes through all the services that students have relied on over time will no longer be available to them. In the fairness game for students that does not match up. 
I am also looking at the disincentive Rajen Prasad spoke about: the disincentive for getting both the allowance and accommodation supplement for part-time workers. Although that attends to the question of fairness we on this side of the House will definitely address fairness in the upcoming election. We have a plan to make sure that we give most Kiwis a fair go and to make sure that everyone pays their fair share. I guess that is what having the first $5000 of salary tax-free is about. We will make sure the economy will work for most ordinary Kiwis. We will be introducing legislation that will make sure we focus on jobs and creating jobs not the kind of tinkering legislation we have before the House at the moment. 
We will not be tinkering either with our State-owned assets. We will not be tinkering with those. They will stay in the ownership of the ordinary Kiwis who already own them. We will make sure that State-owned assets are protected from being sold offshore. The profits that come from our State-owned assets—I believe they are somewhere in the region of $750 million a year—will stay right here so that they will go towards paying for the essential services that Kiwis rely on. 
While I am talking about services let us talk about public services and the fairness of what the Government is planning to do there. Unfortunately this House— 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I ask members that the noise level be reduced. It is becoming increasingly difficult to hear the member so please calm it down. 
KRIS FAAFOI 
: Thank you very much for that Mr Deputy Speaker. I think I was talking about the fairness of public services and the Government’s intentions around cuts that unfortunately it has been telegraphed will come on Budget day next month. Where is the fairness for ordinary Kiwis who rely on very essential public services in health and education? How is it fair that we are getting this tinkering legislation and a massive whack when the Budget comes through next month? What we really need is to stop this tinkering around the edges. What we really need is a plan to make sure that we are making it fair for all Kiwis who are struggling to make ends meet. 
What we have here is just a small piece of inconsequential legislation. It does not really address the wider issues facing Kiwis at the moment. What we need is a real plan to make sure things are fair for Kiwis and to make sure that Kiwis can do the simple things like putting food on the table and making sure their kids can go to school and early childhood education without having to pay exorbitant prices for that—because this Government is pulling $400 million out of early childhood education. I expect a barrage about that but it is absolutely the truth. The members opposite are not listening. They do not care about the fact that in one case in my electorate parents will have to pay $25 more per kid per week to make sure their kids can have the right to go to early childhood education.