Petitions

In April 2006, a petition was launched calling for a full Parliamentary Inquiry into the ongoing abuse of pension rights of many elderly citizens.

The petition was delivered to Parliament in June.  A similar petition had been delivered the previous year.  In September, the Social Services Committee reported to the government:

"We understand that aspects of New Zealand superannuation, including the direct deduction provisions contained in section 70 of the Social Security Act 1964 which impact on equity issues for those with private overseas contributory pension schemes, are currently being reviewed by the Government.

"We believe that it is inappropriate for the committeee to duplicate the work of this review.  However, given the ageing population and immigrant component of New Zealand’s current demographics and the widespread concerns conveyed by the petitioners, the Government’s review should be accorded urgency.

"We support the work being done to resolve issues around deductions to overseas pensions and recommend that the Government make plain the aims, scope, and timing of the review."

The government’s response outlined that the specific criteria guiding the review were to:

•        ensure adequate incomes for persons eligible for New Zealand Superannuation
•        provide consistent rights that are fair and equitable
•        ensure that policies are fiscally sustainable and administratively effective
•        ensure that policies are acceptable to the international community.

In the event, none of these criteria were satisfied.

Persons eligible for NZ Super are still having it withheld - and government policy is as inconsistent, unfair, inequitable, unsustainable, administratively awkward and unacceptable to the international community as it was before the petitions were tabled.

The petition process was a farce.  Cabinet had simply been rubbing Parliament's nose in the dirt.

Review
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