Brown Peter: Social Security (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Brown Peter: Social Security (Social Assistance) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:625;Page:19756] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First supports this bill. That is not to say that we do not have some reservations. We have some strong reservations concerning clause 7 headed “Rates of benefits for sole parents may be reduced”. We do not accept as the honourable member who has just resumed her seat does that claiming violence should be the total excuse to allow fathers to be exempt. Let me make this quite clear: young children need their fathers. The taxpayer is entitled to know who the fathers are or who the father is in a particular instance. We do not swallow hook line and sinker the line the member has just espoused. Some women cannot name the father because frankly they have had too many liaisons. They simply do not know who hit the jackpot. Other women do not name the father because they get a pay-off from the father. They lose $6 in one hand and as Sandra Goudie illustrated quite well they get another $20-something so there is a net gain of $19. But equally so and I am aware of this occurring some fathers will say: “Don’t name me and I will give you something extra.” and that occurs in this country. 
Darren Hughes 
: Three percent. 
PETER BROWN 
: Members are saying 3 percent and the Minister says I’m dreaming. 
Hon Annette King 
: You’re dreaming that anyone would have a baby for $20 a week. 
PETER BROWN 
: I am not dreaming that a woman would have a baby for 20 bucks a week. I am saying that the Minister should listen a little bit to what other people are saying in this House. There are people who will have a cash advantage because the father will say: “Look don’t name me and I will give you some extra.” 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: Name them. 
PETER BROWN 
: I could name one lady who came to me. I can see that the Government particularly the Minister of Finance thinks that this is a frivolous idea. By the look on his face he thinks that fathers should be exempt. He thinks it is a bit of a joke that the good old taxpayer will pick up the responsibility. 
Darren Hughes 
: Name one. 
PETER BROWN 
: Let me say to members and to the member interjecting who is probably too young to be a father yet that if we took some DNA swabs we could find out who the father is was has been or whatever. We should be using modern technology to save the taxpayer some financial burden. 
As I said at the beginning New Zealand First is strongly in favour of all children knowing who their father is—good bad or indifferent. Sooner or later when youngsters grow up they want to know where they have come from. We believe that there is an opportunity here to deliver that message home—that a particular child’s father is so and so. If he is an awful sod so be it but the child is entitled to know. Equally so the taxpayer is entitled to know and to hold the father to account for some of the responsibilities of the upbringing of that youngster. 
We take it seriously. The Government may take it as a joke but we take it seriously. People in this country are ripping off the taxpayer left right and centre and this bill provides another loophole. Having said that New Zealand First will support this bill. It is a move in the right direction but it is not the complete answer. It is disappointing to us that the Government cannot see the complete answer. It is staring it in the face. The answer is to use modern technology to determine who the fathers are. New Zealand First will support the bill.