Bidois Dan; Williams PotoDAN BIDOIS (National—Northcote): Malo ni tau huhuga te Takitaki Fono. Madam Assistant Speaker happy Tokelauan Language Week—just had to get that right. It's a pleasure to speak to the Social Assistance (Residency Qualification) Legislation Bill. I'd like to apologise to all the people of Tokelau for my poor linguistic ability. I'll stick to English which is my mother tongue for the duration of this speech.Hon Member: Among many other things.DAN BIDOIS: Ha ha! I was also reminded with the colour that was just in the House about five minutes ago that it is also appropriate for me to say Happy Diwali." For everybody in New Zealand it was a fantastic celebration last weekend and I'll be continuing to celebrate that this weekend. I've got about 2000 people in my electorate of Northcote who celebrate that and it's just a fantastic celebration.It's a pleasure to talk to what is an important bill today. The purpose of this bill and the way I see it is threefold: the first is around flexibility the second is around fairness and the third is around contributing to local economies in the Realm. We are very happy to support this bill because it allows people who are from the Realm of the Cook Islands Niue and Tokelau the ability to come to New Zealand and contribute to the New Zealand economy but also to go back to their home countries—or their countries of origin—and continue to contribute to those economies and at the same time fulfil their residency requirements for New Zealand super or for the veteran's pension. It's also about fairness and it's about those who contribute to New Zealand and who have the ability to access their New Zealand super also being able to access super wherever they are in the Realm.Finally it's around contributing to our local economies. I see this as actually a very important bill for helping to provide remittances back to these local economies to provide the skills and expertise of all these people who have worked here who have got New Zealand connections and expertise to go back to their home countries once they've turned 50—or are over 50—and be able to contribute to their local economies. I would certainly love to acknowledge Madam Assistant Speaker your origins in coming from the Cook Islands and also our colleague on this side of House Alfred Ngaro because both of you come from the Cook Islands as well.Of course we cannot underestimate the importance of our relationship with the Cook Islands Tokelau and Niue both from a historic perspective dating back somewhat to 1946 in terms of the South Pacific Commission but also the political and economic relationship that we share together today. It really is by way of a constitutional relationship. The people in these countries are New Zealand citizens and this bill extends the same level of rights that they have in order to get access to the pension.So what is the policy problem that this bill is trying to solve? Well certainly it's around the 10-year residency requirement for pensioners to get the pension. I would like to acknowledge the fantastic contribution from my colleague Maureen Pugh who outlined that there is a member's bill that will in fact extend this requirement to 20 years. So if that progresses through the House then we'll need to discuss the implications for this bill. It's also around the next requirement which is around the five years above 50—this idea that you have to stay in New Zealand over 50 years of age in order to qualify for the pension. This bill essentially does away with that so that people from Niue Cook Islands or Tokelau may go back to their countries contribute to their local economies and also fulfil the requirements for the New Zealand super or pension.Now other options were considered in the select committee process. The option that was really chosen by the select committee was an option that removes the disincentives for people to move to the Islands and to contribute to their local economy. It's also the option that retains the core principles of New Zealand superannuation which means that you must stay here for a certain number of years and work here in New Zealand and you also must work in these countries in order to satisfy the requirements. Because of our special relationship it is believed that if you're in the Realm no matter where you are you're fulfilling the requirements for this bill. So that was the option that the select committee chose for this.I do want to go through some of the submissions from the select committee. Essentially we did receive seven submissions in total—not a lot but certainly very substantial and high-quality submissions at that. Two of those submissions were received orally and I was there at that meeting when we heard them one of them from the High Commissioner to this area. Essentially there were three key arguments that were raised against this bill. The first was that there is potential to discriminate in this bill between those who are from this Realm versus those who are not from this Realm. I want to assure the submitters that this bill doesn't in fact discriminate—that anybody no matter where they are from can move to these countries after they're 50. Perhaps you've come from South Africa for example—we've got a lot of South Africans in my electorate. You've come from South Africa at 45 you work right up until 50 and you decide "Well Niue Tokelau and Cook Islands—they're beautiful pieces to live and maybe I'd like to retire there." So it actually gives these people the opportunity to go to these countries and also fulfil the requirements for the New Zealand super or veterans pension. So in fact it doesn't discriminate.The second point that was raised in the select committee submissions was that there would be an unfair advantage for people from those Islands. I've just demonstrated that there will not in fact be an unfair advantage from these Islands.The final thing that was raised was around the economic impact of this bill and there was a sense that—[Bell rung] ha ha; Madam Assistant Speaker was so engrossed in my speech that she forgot to do the buzzer—the economic value would actually be harmed by this bill. I want to assure the submitters that I actually think the opposite: this bill has the potential to add a significant amount of economic value to these countries through remittances and also through the economic activity of these people in these countries while they're fulfilling the requirements for their pension. So there you have it: those are the major flaws that were raised in the submission process and I've managed to dispel some of them.I'd like to spend the last kind of minute just talking about the select committee and I'd like to thank all the members on the select committee for their tiresome work in hearing the submissions. There were—Brett Hudson: Tireless I think you mean.DAN BIDOIS: Tireless—tireless. Thank you to my colleague Brett Hudson. It has been a long week. I'd just like to say that this is a good bill and it's a good bill that I believe is going to get—Hon David Bennett: It's a good bill.DAN BIDOIS: —bill?—a lot of support in the House and I'm looking forward to seeing all of those people who contribute to New Zealand's economy also being able to access New Zealand super. Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): I understand this is a split call. Greg O'Connor you have five minutes."