Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill

I move, That the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill be now read a second time. This bill is the next stage in the process of making the SuperGold card, announced last year, a reality. This card was a centrepiece of New Zealand First’s election campaign, where we were the only party to offer such an initiative, and it is currently a critical part of our confidence and supply agreement with the Government.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: What’s on it?

As I have said before, some talk, à la Mr Gerry Brownlee, and some do, as New Zealand First does.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: Tell us what’s on it.

Oh, that is the great news. Nothing so insignificant that I could possibly cover in the next 5 hours.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: Just try.

Nothing so insignificant that I could possibly cover in the next 5 hours. Unlike the National Party, we have policies. And my challenge to Gerry Brownlee is simply this. I ask him to name one thing, just one thing, that the National Party has done in the last 7 years of New Zealand politics—just one. Apart from losing three elections and having five leaders—

💬 Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. There would be many things that the National Party has done in politics in the last 7 years, and, to use the member’s own term, far too many for me to elucidate in the limited number of hours we have before the House adjourns. But I tell members one thing that the National Party can claim great credit for, and that is relieving the people of Tauranga of the Rt Hon Winston Peters.

When I asked Mr Gerry Brownlee to name just one thing, I meant a positive thing, not a negative thing. I know National has a list as long as one’s arm of negative things. I meant that he should name just one positive thing, and all I can hear now is a deafening silence.

💬 Sandra Goudie: Give us some actuals.

That is my question. What is one positive thing that the National Party has done in the last 7 years? The answer is doughnuts—nothing, nought, zero.

We are very pleased that this bill has progressed to this point, and we look forward to seeing the SuperGold card become a reality. The purpose of the bill is to enable the full effect to be given to our intentions with regard to the SuperGold card. I would pay attention if I were that member over there, because it will not be long before she will need it. I am pleased to report to the House—

💬 Sandra Goudie: I think he has already reached that goal well before me!

And in fact, by the looks of it, that time will be closer than we think.

💬 Sandra Goudie: Has the member already reached that milestone?

Oh no, no. I have a challenge. I challenge that member to get up when I have finished—to make a speech when I have finished, not by way of interjection, but when it is her turn. I am pleased to report to the House that the Social Services Committee has recommended the bill be passed, and has reported it back to the House without amendment. I would like to thank the Social Services Committee for its prompt consideration of the bill. I would like also to thank those who made submissions. We now call on all parties in this House to support the bill through its final stages.

The SuperGold card is aimed at improving the lot of the more than 540,000 New Zealand residents who are aged 65 or over, or who otherwise qualify for and receive New Zealand superannuation, including those who receive the non-qualified spouse entitlement or a veterans pension. The card will be available from August 2007 and will enable seniors to access discounts from participating businesses, while facilitating easy access to Government and local authority concessions, entitlements, and services. That type of one-stop shop approach is long overdue, and will be of huge benefit to seniors.

💬 Sandra Goudie: List the discounts.

The discounts will be legion. They will be infinite. Over time, they will be infinite.

💬 Sandra Goudie: What are they?

Well, there are rates for a start; there are medical people for a start. A whole lot of businesses will say to themselves that if they can guarantee the solid consumer loyalty of 540,000 people, they will be in for it. Whether it is insurance—chattels, household, and life insurance—or something else, the options, the opportunities, and the chances here are infinite. That is the beauty of the scheme.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: It’s all there now.

It is not there now.

💬 Gerry Brownlee: Yes, it is.

No, it is not there now. If it was there now, why would we have the National Party approving the bill at the select committee and bad-mouthing it in the House? But then again it is the consistent action of the National Party to say one thing in a committee, something else in the House, and something else on the hustings.

💬 Sandra Goudie: I think that is what Grey Power told that member.

The feedback from our seniors community to date has been extremely positive, and there is an air of expectation surrounding the SuperGold card’s August launch.

Part 1 makes two amendments to section 132A of the Social Security Act 1964. That section of the Act enables regulations to be made for the issue and use of entitlement cards. The first amendment in Part 1 will allow regulations to be made allowing for cardholder photographs to be placed on entitlement cards. Members should not forget that having a photograph on the card is the choice of the senior. Seniors can decide whether they want that. The Government will provide cardholders with the choice of having their photo included on their SuperGold card, which will be useful for those who do not have photo ID.

The second amendment in Part 1—and I emphasise these words—will, in time, enable regulations to be made allowing for microchip technology to be embedded in the entitlement cards. The microchip would contain the same information that is currently able to be stored on a magnetic strip, but in a more secure form of technology. In essence, the provision future-proofs the capability and capacity of the SuperGold card. Although there has been some resistance to, and hesitation about, the use of microchip technology, I can assure members that our seniors have nothing to fear from this development. The reality is that many seniors have already embraced this technology. If they have a current passport, they will already be using microchip technology. Many loyalty cards and travel discount cards are already making the transition to microchip technology, if they have not already made it. The banking sector is moving towards microchip technology. It is said that by the end of this year every bank will be providing that technology, primarily because it is more secure, and when that occurs, then very quickly magnetic-strip technology will become redundant.

I want to address the comment made by the Greens over here on my right. I say no, we do not put the microchip in the human being; we put it in the card. So it is not a case of trying to address the issue as though it is like the microchipping of dogs. This case involves humans and, as I said, it will be up to them, in time, to express whether they need the microchip. In fact, microchip technology is now the status quo even here in Parliament. Every member of this House—and I invite members to pull out their security cards right now—and all of our staff are using microchip technology in our new security system, again replacing magnetic strips. It would be cruel and duplicitous for MPs to embrace the advantages of this new technology for themselves and for their own security, then to deny it to our seniors community. That would be illogical, unreasonable, unfair, and prejudicial. This provision should be viewed as a positive step and one that will bring our seniors into the 21st century.

Part 2 amends schedule 1A of the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act 1995. The amendment will allow information about births, deaths, and marriages to be used by the Ministry of Social Development in order to verify entitlement to the SuperGold card.

The SuperGold card is an important initiative. It will provide tangible benefits that will make a real difference to the lives of senior citizens. It recognises the myriad of contributions they currently make, and will go on making, to New Zealand society. Put simply, it is there because they deserve it. The card will be sent automatically to people who receive New Zealand superannuation or a veterans pension, with a special version for veterans with war and emergency service. The card will be of credit card size. It will carry the cardholder’s name and client number.

💬 Sandra Goudie: Can you expand on local authorities?

We will address the issue of local authorities as time goes on. The member should not worry about it, because help is on its way. The card will indicate whether the person receives New Zealand superannuation, a veterans pension, or community services card benefits.

💬 Sandra Goudie: Come on!

It will replace the community services card and the New Zealand superannuation card for senior citizens. People who currently hold those cards will be able to access their entitlements through the new SuperGold card.

I commend this bill to the House, and I say to the member who has been shouting out during the duration of my address that if all she has ever done in her political career is to pull out a few mangroves—

💬 Jill Pettis: No, jump out of cakes!

—jump out of cakes and pull out a few mangroves, then she may be inclined to resist what is a very, very sound and wise move for the elderly people of New Zealand. But I commend the bill to the member, because out in the Coromandel, in the humble streets, villages, and hamlets of the Coromandel, people in their tens of thousands are waiting for this new technology to be made available to them. As in Thames and the Coromandel, around the whole country elderly people are waiting for this measure. I ask my colleagues in this House to put aside their partisan, narrow, and prejudicial political views in order to, for the first time in a long time, support the elderly of New Zealand.

I was not going to speak on this bill today but the efforts of the Rt Hon Winston Peters have forced me to do so. One of the things we expect when something like this is put up is that there would be some tangible benefit for the people who are being tagged in the way our elderly are being tagged by this particular system. We should make no mistake. This bill is not about enabling a piece of plastic to be sent to every person in this country who is over the age of 65. It is about allowing the Government to crossmatch information about elderly people. It allows Work and Income to dive into all other Government files to find out all the personal details that other laws protect prying eyes from, under the privacy laws of this country. So it is a significant change to legislation.

The Minister can dress it up as being a SuperGold card that recognises the contribution those aged over 65 have made to this country. That contribution is significant—we do not have any issue with that—but what do they actually get? The Rt Hon Winston Peters wants to say that they will get a rates rebate. Well, they get that now. The Rt Hon Winston Peters wants to say that they get medical benefits. Well, they get those right now. He wants to say that they get transport benefits. Well, they get those right now, right this instant. Anybody who watches the news on television will know that every night competing insurance companies in this country are trying to get the custom of those aged over 65. But, apparently, this particular card will do something about that.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: Much more than that.

We are told by the Minister that it will be much more than that, but in 10 minutes in this House he could not name one other thing that this card will deliver to those aged over 65, apart from the range of benefits already in place for them.

I say to people that they should have a good look at this—

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: Petrol!

Here we go—the Minister just said “Petrol!”. There will be discount petrol with this card. If Mr Peters goes to Countdown, Woolworths, Pak ‘N Save, or any other supermarket, he will get a discount on his petrol of up to 8c. So I want to know whether this card will give senior citizens a discount of more than 8c per litre of petrol. If it does, granny will fill my tank on a weekly basis!

I think Mr Peters needs to say what else there is. I ask Mr Peters to give us just a couple of little snippets. I suspect that when Work and Income sends out these cards, the envelope will be bulked up with a few free vouchers for cheeseburgers at McDonald’s. That will be touted as being of huge advantage to the elderly in this country.

I want to go back to the substance of the bill, which is Part 1, the bit that extends the Social Security Act to allow Government agencies to go into the exercise of crossmatching. In particular, it says it will allow for diving into the register of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, and all the rest of it. What we know is that they want to be able to crossmatch records from banking institutions and the Inland Revenue Department—those are the two they are after. This bill will enable that, because Mr Peters has told the House that there will be a computer chip on the cards, under this particular bill. What that means is that it is a store of all one’s personal information. So if someone is picking up national superannuation, it will be recorded there. If someone has national superannuation paid into a bank account, the number of that bank account will be there. If there is a tax liability, someone’s tax number will be there. They will be able to work out whether the flow of tax equals the flow of cash coming back into the account. I ask Mr Peters whether that is correct.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: No, that’s wrong.

It is correct—confirmation from the Rt Hon Winston Peters. So what we are seeing here is a reverse idea. Whereas a Government might usually go to the younger end of the population to get them to embrace this microchip technology, in this case the Government is being very cunning and has decided to go to the elderly in this country and virtually say to them that if they want to keep getting rates rebates, medical benefits, and various other Government services then they have to pick up the card.

I guarantee that within 6 months of this card being available it will be a requirement for elderly people—or people over the age of 65; many of whom are hardly worthy of the description “elderly” as they are very, very fit—when they go to the doctor, to hand over the card so that a picture can be built up for the Ministry of Health as to how much these oldies are costing us, and how many services can be limited to that group. So we will see the Government using this card to amass a whole lot of information, which ultimately will see it narrowing down the services and benefits provided to elderly people. I am disappointed in the Rt Hon Winston Peters. The elderly in this country have given him a lot of political support over the years, and to repay them with a card that will do little more than give them the occasional free cheeseburger at McDonald’s seems to me to be a little bit sad.

The Minister also said that this card would lead to insurance benefits. Well, that is a pretty interesting way to allow Government agencies to dive into a contractual arrangement between New Zealanders over the age of 65 and the private sector. What possible reason would there be to have that information?

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: What are you talking about?

Exactly! The member says he does not know. That tells me that his good intention to provide a service card that recognises the contribution of those over the age of 65 has been well and truly usurped by the current Labour Government, which we all know believes that if the State does not do it, nobody should do it. I think that those over the age of 65, who are largely very responsible, and have very few insurance claims for personal reasons—for fire, and all those property damage things—should be very, very concerned about the information that this card will amass, finding its way into Government circles.

The Rt Hon Winston Peters is sitting there and shaking his head. But he was the man who told us that a chip is going on this card. Once a chip goes on the card, then anything and everything is possible when it comes to knowing information about that particular individual. I do not think we should be just lightly buying the line—

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: Why don’t you ask mum!

Well, unfortunately, Mr Peters, my mother is no longer alive. If she were, I would ask her. I am sure she would share all the concerns that I am articulating in the House here today.

I think we should be very concerned that having to walk around carrying an identity card is the thin end of the wedge for all New Zealanders. There is no question about it. It is easy, is it not? We go out and say to the people: “Here is something for nothing.” Of course they will say they will take it—particularly as it has the implied threat that if it is not taken up, their medical benefits will go, their rates rebates will go, their insurance benefits will go, their transport subsidies will go, and the very income that they might rely on could also go.

I want to know right now from Mr Peters: if people pick up national superannuation, will they automatically get this card?

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: No.

Yes, they will. It says in the bill that it will be sent to them automatically. So the moment they pick up national superannuation they are chipped straight away. A large chunk of the population has a big target on its head. The Government knows where they go, what they spend and how they spend it, and what they are costing the tax base. That is inappropriate. For that reason alone people should be very concerned about the intentions behind this card.

What an extraordinary contribution! We can tell that it is near the end of the term and that that member is about to have a little no-contact time—thank goodness for that. A member of the National Party has had the audacity to come into this House and say: “Huh—so senior citizens will get cheap health care! Huh—so they can get a rates rebate! Well, they can get that now.” Actually, senior citizens of New Zealand can get that now only because it is this Government’s policy to ensure that they are much better supported, have much more security of income, and have much more money of their own to spend, compared with what they had under that member’s previous National-led Government, which decreased senior citizens’ entitlement to superannuation and increased their expenditure on essential items such as health care and rates.

Senior citizens in New Zealand now get an average reduction of $20 in the cost of each visit to the doctor, because our Government has put more money into primary health care and has ensured that people aged over 65 get priority. They now get a $12 reduction per item on Government-subsidised medication when they fill their prescription at the chemist. That is good for senior citizens and, as Winston Peters alluded to in his introductory comments, the rates rebate now benefits all senior citizens, compared with the half dozen who were able to get it previously because the thresholds were never adjusted under the then National Government.

Just this week, on 1 April, our Government, under the confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First, increased superannuation by over $20 a week for a married couple and by over $10 a week for an individual.

💬 Sandra Goudie: What’s this got to do with this bill?

Sandra Goudie can bleat all she likes, but every person aged over 65 in New Zealand has a better memory than that member. Those people will remember that National cut the income of superannuitants—people who are entirely dependent on superannuation for their living—and increased their outgoings. Not one single person aged over 65 will forget that.

This Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill is the next step in making the SuperGold card a reality. Its purpose is to enable the full effect of our intentions in relation to the delivery of the SuperGold card promises. This bill amends the Social Security Act 1964 and the Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act 1995, because those pieces of legislation need to be amended so that the full effect of the SuperGold card can be implemented. For New Zealand residents aged 65 years and over, or for those who would otherwise qualify for and receive New Zealand superannuation or a veterans pension, the SuperGold card will be of direct benefit. It is a joint initiative between the Labour-Progressive Government and New Zealand First. The card will allow cardholders to access commercial discounts from participating businesses, and will help facilitate seniors’ access to concessions from both central government and local government services.

I am very pleased that the Social Services Committee has recommended that the bill be passed, and that it has reported it back to the House without amendment. I am sure it would have been of huge advantage to Gerry Brownlee if he had talked with at least one of his colleagues who served on the Social Services Committee, or if he had at least read the report back to the House. He clearly did neither. I acknowledge and thank the members of the select committee for their prompt and rigorous consideration of the bill.

There was some debate about the implementation of the policy of having a chip in the card, and that is good—we need debate about things such as that. But Gerry Brownlee did not know, when he made his contribution, that the bill creates a new power that will allow entitlement cards to contain information on either a magnetic strip, as is currently provided for, or an embedded microchip. What we are trying to do is keep our legislation up to date with the progress of technology. The intent of the provision is to future-proof the law in order to allow the use of smart card technology at a time when the Government considers that it is of benefit to do so. Smart cards are examples of an expanding technology that is in use in a number of social sector agencies around the world, as well as in banking, in transport, and in customer loyalty schemes. So in the future there may be some value to cardholders in adopting such technology in relation to their entitlement cards.

This amendment allows entitlement cards to be issued with an embedded chip, but we have no plans at the moment to implement the provision. The amendment simply takes advantage of the legislative opportunity presented by the bill to allow for the future possibility of the Government deciding to keep up with modern times. It allows for a decision to be made in the future. For Gerry Brownlee to attack that is extraordinary, given how much time he has spent raising spurious points of order in accusing Government members of filibustering. Actually, through this amendment we are ensuring that future legislative time will not be used up when the opportunity for legislative provision presents itself.

The SuperGold card is the card for the nearly 540,000 New Zealand residents who are aged 65 or over, or who otherwise qualify for and receive New Zealand superannuation or a veterans pension. It is an acknowledgment of the extraordinary contribution that senior citizens have made to our nation, and also an acknowledgment from this Parliament—and particularly from the parties supporting this legislation—of that contribution, and of the respect our senior citizens deserve. It will be a physical reminder of our Government’s commitment to seniors and veterans. It will improve their standard of living by reducing the cost of goods and services through the commercial discounts accessible through the card, and by helping them to access the range of services, entitlements, and concessions available. The bill is a fine example—and well may the Opposition take note—of how modern-day Government works. Cooperation, and delivery on promises and arrangements made—in this instance, the confidence and supply agreement with New Zealand First—lead us to something of this kind. The SuperGold card is a first-ever for our New Zealand senior citizens. It is an acknowledgment, as I said, of the contribution our senior citizens have made to our whole nation.

The genesis of the card can be found in many different places, but this legislation has come through New Zealand First, and in particular its leader, Winston Peters. He has brought this bill into the House by way of arrangements made with our Government, and I am very proud to be part of those arrangements. I hope that all parties will support the bill.

It is not that long ago, and people will not have forgotten—in fact, in my understanding it is as recently as the publication of the book The Hollow Men—that there was talk amongst the National Party leadership of increasing the age of superannuation entitlement to at least 68. Indeed, that rings true with a promise made to elderly people by Jim Bolger in a former National Government. So this nation needs to think about who will look after not only our young families but also our senior citizens.

The legislation will be easy for people to understand. There are contact phone numbers for people to ring if they are interested in what this will offer, what exactly the entitlements will be, and how discounts and benefits can be accessed. There is also a phone number worth noting by businesses interested in becoming involved—0508 650 000. I encourage businesses that are tuned in listening to our Parliament this afternoon to ring that number and find out how they can be involved in this card. Concessions on local government services, and central government services too, are some of the advantages we will be able to provide for those people who are able to use this card.

Those people are people we value very much: our mothers, our fathers, our grandparents, our kuia, our kaumātua—people such as those. All of those people are part of our family, and that is who we are supporting here. So I am doing an advert, in a way, for people to get involved, because it is for people who are dear to us that we support the progress of this SuperGold card. It has been successful in countries like Australia, and I know many people in New Zealand who have friends in Australia are asking why we have not got it in New Zealand.

I say thank you to Winston Peters and his arrangement with the Labour-Progressive coalition Government for being able to progress the card in this Parliament today. That is a very worthy exercise, and I look forward to other positive and supporting contributions from members in the House so that we can see the continued progress of this bill.

I would also like to acknowledge Grey Power and Fly Buys for their initiatives, from which the idea for the SuperGold entitlement card was probably born. I note there is no indication of any involvement by New Zealand First in the Social Services Committee, which considered the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. I guess that is one of the reasons why I seriously question whether the Rt Hon Winston Peters understands what is in the bill. He said—I quote from Hansard—in the first reading of the bill: “including offering cardholders the option of including their photograph on the card.” That gives the idea that a photograph will be optional.

But on looking at the submissions—only three written submissions and one oral one—I note that the New Zealand Law Society talks about clause 4 and outlines the purpose—that is, to provide regulation-making powers for cardholder photographs to be included on entitlement cards and for microchips to be embedded in entitlement cards. The society points out that clause 5(1) amends section 132A(1) of the principal Act by inserting paragraph (ba), which states: “providing for cardholders’ photographs to be affixed to or imaged into a category of entitlement cards and prescribing procedures, requirements, and other matters in relation to those photographs:”. The general policy statement at the beginning of the explanatory note of the bill states: “The Super Gold Card will offer the option of including a photograph of the cardholder if he or she wishes.”

In the first reading of the bill, the Rt Hon Winston Peters said that the photographs of cardholders would be on a voluntary basis. In fact, the society says the new paragraph states it will apply to any category of entitlement card, not just to SuperGold cards, and does not require that the photograph will be at the option of the cardholder. So that submission made by the New Zealand Law Society makes it quite clear not only to the Rt Hon Winston Peters but to the rest of the New Zealand public that the photograph is not optional. I think that underscores the lack of interest in the process of the bill by New Zealand First, and therefore the lack of understanding by the Rt Hon Winston Peters on that issue.

The New Zealand Law Society states that clause 4 actually confirms that, and that it does not contain any such qualification, either. “ ‘Entitlement card’ appears not to be defined in the Social Security Act, but it would appear that the term is not confined to SuperGold cards.” I just wonder whether the select committee addressed that omission, as well. The society states the proposed amendment will enable regulations to be made requiring the inclusion of photographs on any category of entitlement card, not just the SuperGold card, but if that is required in a regulation, it will not be optional. So I strongly exhort the Minister to develop some understanding about the legislation that will implement the SuperGold card.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: That’s rubbish.

The New Zealand Law Society wrote that “rubbish”, so is the Minister rubbishing the New Zealand Law Society? I would have thought he would have some appreciation of the quality of its expertise and contribution to the process of considering the bill. I strongly recommend that the Minister look at the submissions and the bill, and quickly get up to speed about what the bill is really doing.

I guess that causes people a little concern about Mr Winston Peters’ understanding of the bill in its entirety. Although he talks about all the entitlements, I say again the New Zealand public should be very concerned about what those really are. I wonder how many local authorities know that they are being targeted as people who will be part of the SuperGold card. Are the ratepayers of New Zealand happy with what may be going to cost them considerably, in yet another imposition by central government on their rates demands? The Rt Hon Winston Peters needs to be very clear about the impact of those costs on ratepayers.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: Your mum and dad are ratepayers.

That is right. We are very supportive of our older citizens having as much support as possible and of getting discounts. They certainly get a number of discounts through the Grey Power card, which was a great initiative—and I am disappointed that “Sir Winston Peters” has failed to acknowledge Grey Power and its wonderful inspiration for this idea.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: You got that wrong; you got the “Sir” wrong.

I had better tone it down; it is the Rt Hon Winston Peters. Given the honorifics, one would think he would have taken a bit more interest in the legislation and understood it. Perhaps we may see a little interest from the member as the bill progresses through the House and we try to get it right, given he exhorted that to happen.

I also note that the Minister has lauded the interest in the bill. One really has to question how much interest there has been and whether people are happy enough with their current Grey Power discount card, because there were only four submissions on the bill.

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: They’re happy; that’s why.

Then do people really understand what this bill is all about? The actual wording of the bill gave the National Council of Women of New Zealand some concern as to who might fall outside the scope of the criteria for entitlement to the card. Again, I think that issue needs some clarification. Hopefully, those matters will be addressed in the Committee.

Perhaps the Minister would like to take another call and outline what the discounts will actually be. We have not yet heard anything from him that gives any specificity on what those discounts—

💬 Rt Hon Winston Peters: They’re too big.

He says they are too big. Well, if they are to be as big as that, then I say again to the New Zealand public that they need to be very concerned about the escalating cost of their rates demands as a result of a Minister who wants to place more and more of central government’s decisions and policy costs on to local authorities, and thus on to ratepayers. There is no doubt that any discounts from local authorities will be borne by the ratepayer—except, of course, for those available under the rebate scheme that already exists, if the Government is looking at extending that on to the discount card. It was interesting to note some of the speeches to the House on that issue.

On behalf of New Zealand First I am absolutely delighted to take a call on the second reading of the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. It is very interesting that National members are actually terrified to see that a group of people in society will be advantaged, and will, perhaps, get more than they currently get. It is a shame that this group of people comprise National members’ mothers, grandmothers, and elderly parents. I have never seen such merchants of misery and doom making up fiction as they have gone along. I really wonder who put the venom in their Easter eggs. I can assure those members that Grey Power is extremely happy with the SuperGold card. It cannot wait to see the card become a reality for our senior citizens and veterans.

As we have heard, this measure is an extremely important part of New Zealand First’s supply and confidence agreement with the Government, so we must acknowledge the Government’s part in ensuring that the SuperGold card has eventuated in a very prompt way, particularly through the efforts of Minister Dyson. I think this initiative, and the legislation, actually emphasises the positive aspects of an MMP environment—an environment that the National Party is not happy with. We know we can work together in the best interests of New Zealanders if we all have the goodwill. This is an excellent example of MMP and how the MMP environment works. We know we can make a positive difference to the lives of our senior citizens and veterans. New Zealand First has always had that as one of its objectives.

It is important that the most vulnerable people in our society—the very young and the seniors—are always looked after. In this instance the seniors are our focus, and we have stayed very true to our election platform. We did not promise the moon and deliver dust; we have actually delivered on what we went out to the people on. In New Zealand First we have not forgotten the very young. We are going to continue to work on the issues that benefit them, such as free medical care and oral health-care—all of those things that are very important to us in New Zealand First.

The SuperGold card will provide negotiated discounts from participating businesses, and I assure the National Party that those businesses are very keen to be part of this particular venture. We know that our seniors already know the value of this card. It operates in Australia, and our seniors are keen to have the same benefits and advantages that are available across the Tasman.

R Doug Woolerton: And it’s about time, too.

It is about time. After all is said and done, if it can be done in Australia it can definitely be done here. It is long overdue. We know from the Australian experience that the gold card system over there has definitely got better as time has progressed.

New Zealand First sees the benefits available through the SuperGold card as being complementary to the Grey Power card, because the cards have a common objective of ensuring the best and most extensive use of the purchasing power of seniors’ incomes. We know that in many cases their incomes are limited. Basically, the SuperGold card will concentrate on the provision of services to the widest possible number of seniors throughout New Zealand. We have heard about many of the benefits here today. There may very well be individual companies in less populous areas that can see advantages of being aligned with the SuperGold card, and we will encourage those companies to do so.

As has been said, this card will be available from August 2007 and will enable seniors to access with ease the Government and local authority concessions, entitlements, and services. This type of approach will be of huge benefit to seniors. We do not want them to have hassles to get these particular discounts; we want it to happen easily and without stress, and to ensure that they actually get what they are entitled to.

R Doug Woolerton: Absolutely!

Absolutely! We look forward to the time that the SuperGold card will be sent out to senior citizens who receive New Zealand superannuation or the veterans pension. We heard today that there will be a special version for veterans with war and emergency services.

We do not want any hassles around the card. I was very delighted to hear that there will be a SuperGold card website. That is a great development for seniors. It is so pleasing to see that many of our seniors are getting onto the Internet and taking advantage of this particular technology. I know that SeniorNet computer classes are available in many communities throughout New Zealand. I know they are available in my home town of Cambridge. The seniors are taking full advantage of those particular classes. As with other discount cards, the Internet will ensure that a printed directory with the range of available concessions and discounts can be updated very easily.

It was very interesting to read in the report back to the House that there was some hesitation and resistance to the use of microchip technology, which is future technology. Winston Peters has assured the House that our seniors have absolutely nothing to fear from this particular technology. Many of the seniors who use a passport are already aware that they also now contain a microchip.

R Doug Woolerton: Ninety-nine percent of them have got it.

As my honourable colleague Doug Woolerton said, 99 percent of them have it. In Parliament we all have cards that use microchip technology. The magnetic strip technology that we have relied on for so long has now been made redundant. The use of microchip technology will not occur until the technology is widely available. The SuperGold card will not be an identity card, as some of our National colleagues have said. On that point, we do not even know yet whether National will support this particular bill.

We are very aware in New Zealand First that our seniors face many, many challenges to make their pensions stretch further so that they can enjoy the busy lives they lead. One senior said to me recently: “I am far busier now than when I was working. I am busy doing voluntary work in the community, looking after grandchildren when they are sick so their parents can go to work, and, in between times, trying to follow some of my own interests.” That makes seniors very, very busy people. Our seniors do make very valuable contributions in so many ways, and this particular card just recognises that. As my colleague has said, National does not recognise their contribution.

I visited the St John Ambulance Association recently in Cambridge, and I was really impressed with the service that it offers. I was also very interested to see that many of the volunteers were our senior citizens. They were busy working and going out each day to the St John Ambulance service. Our seniors make a huge contribution to the community and to every New Zealand family. Where would we be without them? It is absolutely essential that we recognise the contribution that they make.

New Zealand First supports the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill totally. The party wants to have a very positive future for our seniors and our veterans. This legislation is a great development. I must give out the freephone number while I am here so that senior citizens who want to make inquiries can do so. The free phone number is 0800 254 565. We in New Zealand First believe our seniors have earned the SuperGold card. We look forward to this bill passing through the House.

I rise to debate the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill. I assure Barbara Stewart that National supports the idea of concessions and of a discount card for senior citizens. We all appreciate the contribution our older people have made for us. But I want to make sure that senior citizens understand clearly the very limited scope of this bill. It is only a technical amendment that does not actually guarantee the delivery of any services at all.

The bill reminds me of the fairy tale The Emperor’s New Clothes. Members will remember the story. It is about an emperor—a gorgeous peacock of a man who loved clothes and all that was glittery and gaudy. He loved, and wore, shiny fashions, jewels, and baubles. Members will remember in the story that he bought a wonderful, new, super, gold suit of which he was enormously proud. But that suit proved to be a mere illusion. Alas, when the poor emperor was out parading in front of his people, a little boy pointed the finger at the sham, and the poor emperor discovered he was stark naked.

Today I am really concerned that the Minister of Foreign Affairs might just find himself equally as naked and exposed. You see, the Minister has made lots of lovely promises today, just as he did at the first reading of the Social Security (Entitlement Cards) Amendment Bill when he said that it will create a card that will offer a range of concessions and discounts from central government, local authorities, and businesses.

We support rewarding our elderly people, but the problem is that this bill will not do that. All it will do is set the rules to allow a card—any card—to be issued by the Government. This bill amends the Social Security Act 1964 so that the Government can issue a card that includes a photo and a microchip.

Debate interrupted.

The House adjourned at 5 p.m.