Therefore greetings. Those of that opinion will say aye,
to the contrary no, the ayes have it.
Heretaunga Tamatea Claims Settlement
of the day Number 2. Social Assistance (Residency Qualification)
of the day Number 2. Social Legislation Bill I call the Hon
Carmel Sepuloni. I move
that the Social Assistance (Residency
Qualification) Legislation Bill be
read for a first time. I nominate
the social services and community
select committee to consider
the bill. Madam Speaker, this bill seeks
to provide greater
pension flexibility for people who
wish to flexibility for people who wish to
retire in any of the Cook Islands
near Tokelau or New Zealand. Can I
acknowledge the presence of the PM
of the Cook Islands and his
minister and other advisors and staff from
the Cook Islands. Can I
also acknowledge you, assistant speaker,
as a Cook Island member of
this parliament and I also
acknowledge Alfred Ngaro from the opposition
as a Cook Island member from this
parliament and my ministerial
colleague Kris Faafoi of Tokelauian
decent as a member of
this parliament as well. This Government
is committed to a Pacific reset. We
have a renewed emphasis on
strengthening our relationship with
strengthening our relationship with
our Pacific neighbours. This
renewed emphasis is in a small
but meaningful way reflected in this
bill. Yet, the PM of the
Cook Islands described the
connection between New Zealand First and
the Cook Islands as an enduring,
evolving and
evolving and living partnership. Under this Government, we will
continue to evolve and
grow together with our Pacific neighbours
based on a partnership of equals. I see
this
piece of legislation as honouring the special partnership between New
Zealand and the Cook
Islands Niue and Tokelau. This
Government wants to make sure that those
countries and territories that
have close constitutional ties with
New Zealand are recognised and that their
ongoing
ongoing economic and social viability is supported. We also
want to ensure that New Zealanders
who meet the relevant visa
and immigration requirements can
have other options for where they spend
their retirement. This bill
allows the requirement that a person can
meet their requirements of
five years' residence and presence
after the age of 50 in New Zealand for
superannuation with residents
the age of 50 in New Zealand for presences in either New Zealand,
the Cook Island, Niue or took law or any
countries. This bill is about recognising New Zealand's close
recognising New Zealand's close
relationship with these island and
reviews our push for stronger
relationships between New Zealand
and these fast fix is. Cook
Islands, Niue and took law are part
of the realm of New Zealand and that means
they enjoy shared
citizenship with New Zealand. Both the Cook Islands
and Niue were have adopted
constitutions enabling good and free
association with New Zealand so
they can administer their own affairs.
Current pension port built
can administer their own affairs. arrangements allow people to take
their New Zealand superannuation to
one of 22 Pacific
countries and territories including the Cook
Islands, Niue and Tokelau. The
special port built arrangement is
special port built arrangement is
designed to
designed to recognise the contribution Pacific people
make to New Zealand and the inability of
Pacific countries and territories to
fulfil the reciprocal
obligations necessary to conclude
social security agreements
security agreements with New Zealand. There are currently nearly
400 people receiving the New
Zealand superannuation and veterans pension
in the Cook Islands, Niue were and
Tokelau and over 300 of those people
live in the Cook Islands. Before
2015 a person would have to be a
resident and present
in New Zealand on the date of application in
order to be eligible under the special
Portia built arrangement. However,
an amendment introduced in
2015 means that people resident
in the Cook Islands, Niue or
Tokelau can now apply for
New Zealand superannuation for the veterans
pension from the island
rather than needing to be less don't and present
in New Zealand at the time of
their application. Applicants
application. Applicants are still required to be 65 years or
over and have lived in New Zealand for
10 years
have lived in New Zealand for 10 have
have lived in New Zealand for 10 years since the age of
20 and five years since the age of 50 in
fulfilment of the other
requirements of superannuation and
veterans pension. The intent
of this change was to remove a disincentive
for people to return to the
Cook Islands, Niue or Tokelau
to live. However the change has had a smaller
evident that the 2015 change, while evident that the 2015 change, while
removing some
removing some disincentives for skilled people to return to the Cook
Island, tui and Tokelau
during their working lives did not
achieve the desired effect of encouraging people
to move back to and remain in
those countries. The overall principle
of the five years over
50 residents requirement that comes
with superannuation and the
veterans pension entitlements continues
to be pension entitlements continues to be
preserved in this bill
and requirements remain about
over all residents that live 10 years in
New Zealand after the age of
20. Somebody must have at least had a
recent connection with the
Cook Islands, Niue were Tokelau or New
Zealand before they can get New
Zealand superannuation or
veteran Zealand superannuation or veteran
The
The proposals in this bill have come about due to concerns raised by
Governments of the Cook Islands and
Niue about the current five years
over age residents requirement. They
considered that the five over 50
residents requirement was deterring
skilled people from returning
and contributing to their country's
and territory. They were also concerned
that the five years over 50
residents requirement may induce
some people to return to New
Zealand in order to ensure that they will be
able to claim New Zealand
superannuation or
superannuation or veterans pension later on. And the concern was that
that was the only reason for
returning to New Zealand at that
point. This bill is about supporting
the economic and social viable
of the Cook Islands, Niue
and Tokelau, depopulation and its related social
and economic consequences is a
longstanding issue
longstanding issue for these islands. The five years other
50 residents requirement has been
described as a disincentive for Cook
islanders to remain
in their employment and to participate
in their community after
having lived in
their community after having lived their
their community after having lived in New Zealand. We all
in this House know the importance
of family, particularly in later life. This
bill helps to maintain
family and community ties in
these Pacific Islands by enabling older people
to stay with their family, without
losing access to superannuation or
the veterans' pension. There is also
concern that people would leave
important positions which contribute
to the economy and society, to
return to New Zealand to gain the
five years residents in New
Zealand over the age of 50. Removing this
disincentive would potentially help
boost economic development
and human resource capacity by allowing
highly skilled people
skilled people to continue contributing to their communities in
these Pacific Islands after the age
of 50 and be entitle to New
Zealand superannuation and veterans'
pension by using residence in the Cook
Islands Niue, Tokelau and New
Zealand to qualify. This change will
not be restricted to New Zealand
citizens of the Cook
Islands, Niue and Tokelau. Other New Zealanders
who qualify for New
Zealand superannuation and veterans'
pension will be able to make use
of the provision should they meet the
relevant migration and visa criteria
and the Cook Islands, newy
and Tokelau and choose to reside there.
I had people thinking at the age of
50 they could move to the
Cook
ha! The economic implications of the bill for New Zealand
are relatively low. The increase in
New Zealand superannuation and veterans' pension
costs in the first complete fiscal
year in 2019 had been 20 is
estimated
year in 2019 had been 20 is
indirect economic benefits and savings that may be derived by
New Zealand from the proposal. The
potential benefits
Zealand from the proposal. The
increased economic activity in the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau,
leading to a reduction in
remittance payments and
payments and potential private transfers
payments and potential private Cook
payments and potential private transfers from New Zealand, savings
could also be accrued as a result
of a lesser burden on some of the
New Zealand Government
Zealand Government funded services, as has been highlighted by the
Cook Islands and
Islands and Niue Government themselves. These benefits are
difficult
difficult to quantify, however, and would depend on the response to the
arrangements. Officials have tried
to estimate how many people
might benefit from
benefit from the new arrangement. The proposal is estimated to result
in an additional 174
people receiving New Zealand super and
veterans' pension in the
first complete fiscal year of operation in
small, in the context of the small populations of Niue and Tokelau,
in particular, which each has
populations of less
particular, which each has
the implications of the bill is significant for those countries and
territories. I want to acknowledge
the vital role in bringing
this bill together that our Pacific neighbours
have played, not only in
New Zealand, but can I
also say the role that our Pacific
neighbours play on the global stage. We have
a unique relationship with the
Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau and that
is something to cherish. With
this bill, this Government shows our
commitment to evolving and growing
our partnership together as a
response to the concerns
and needs that have been raised with us.
I want to thank the Cook Island
Government for being present
in the House today and I look
forward to progressing this bill further. The
question is that the motion
be agreed to. I call the Hon Alfred
Ngaro. Can I first
of all say and declare
Ngaro. Can I first of all say and
from the Hon Carmel Sepuloni, because the National Party
will be supporting this bill. We see
this as a bill that is
of great importance and also signifies the relationship
that we have. Can I first of all
also acknowledge the Hon PM of the
Cook Islands and also to Her
Excellency too, and thank
you for also
Excellency too, and thank you for being here. Kia
ora.