PENSIONS RECIPROCITY,

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 177, 26 July 1913, Page 11

PENSIONS RECIPROCITY,

BR rDGITf& THE TASMAN SEA. (LOCAL PENSIONS EXTENDED. £100.000 EXTRA IN BENEFIT." - . (Cv Telegraph. —Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON". Friday. In moviiisl flic second reading of the Old Age Pens-ions Reciprocity Bill, the gon. Mr. Fisher rep..ated his explanation ■Then the hill was introduce,! the other night. Referring to ihe proportion to te paid towards pensions by the t ommonwealth and New Zealand, he expressed the opinion that it would be better to regard the question from a wider aß d national basis, each country contributing its qpota to the pension liability on a population basis-. Speaking of the probable number of applicants for benefits under the reciprocal proposal, the Minister said that not the slightest esstimate could at present he formed. In reply to Mr. Davey. the Minister w jd that the old r\'js pensions conditions WP rc easier in Australia than in New 1 Zealand. Tn Australia, for instance, the home of the pensioner, no matter what; j ;; v.ilue, was entirely exempt. j jo a query rv Sir Walter Buchanan, I the Minis;,'!' sail thai the proportion of; aid aue pensioner, in Xew Zealand to: Qie population was 1.73. In Australia it was 1.50. The ape vvas in Australia | fiOrears, New Zealand Go. The amount; of pension was £_t> in each country; j resilience conditions. Australia 20 years, ».f Zealand *!.">; absence allowed. Australia one-tenth ot period of residence,J Xe-.v Zealand four years; income to dis-1 qualify, Australia co:'. New Zealand! £60; joint income of the married couples/ Australia halt each. New Zealand! £(10; property limits of pensioner's hame, Australia none. Xew Zealand f340. The Minister explained that with , the modification proposed in the New: Zealand lavv 'by the Consolidation Bill,; the conditions in this country would be! natch in line with those of Australia. Mr. Hanan asked if any estim-atc had ken formed of the probable cost to the country. The Minister repeated that it was impossible to get data. No official records were kept in either country of the iium"jft of residents entitled to pensions from the other country. Several members- e\pres>sed their agreement, with the principle of the bill, though in one or two cases a warning ttas needed to go cautious before data. uras forthcoming. Mr. Robertson I Otaki I said that it was J. step in the direction of universal pensions, which lie considered should be the aim of the legislature. Messrs. Harris and Coales eulogised the proposal as being truly liberal and progressive in its intent. ,Mr. Coates expressed the hope that the "hill was the forerunner of many reciprocal arrangements between the Commonwealth and Sew Zealand. Mr. Bradney expressed the hope that liberals on the other side of the House' would appreciate the fact that this nnd other measures proved that equally good Liberals sat on the other side of the House. (Lauehter and bear, hear.) j ~The Hon.'Mi', l-'islicr explained that in! the year 191-13 the cost of pension- to Saw Zealand was £41.*".7i51. and in the Commonwealth for the same pen.nl the cost totalled £-2.200.1100. In answer to a question, the Minister laid that he was looking into the question of the inclusion of the Cook Islands into the agreement. This was. he hoped. tat the precursor nf many agreements between the Commonwealth and -New Zealand. The bill was rend a second time on the voices. CONSOLIDATING BILL DISMISSED. The Minister in charge of the Pensions Consolidation Bill ('Hon. F. 11. B. Fisher) in moving the second reading explained that the primary object of the hill was to consolidate the existing law . relating to old age. widows' an d military pensions. The proposal to reduce the pension arte for women from ('•"> to 00 j years vvas estimated to increase the! annual liability for old age pensions by* about £70,000 after the tir-t twelve j months, while the added annu~.l cost for militarv pensions would be anv thing between £7.000 and CIO.OOO. The annual liability under the Military "Pen- . sions Bill of last year vvas n,»w about £23,000. and some iif,o old -oldicrs had been assisted. Under the amendments ■ oi the present bill no New Zealand war , medallist need go without a pension. SOME IMPORTANT ALTERATION'S. Among the important clauses in the hill, it wan proposed to extend the iriendly societies' benefits exemption to | old age pensions, lo widows' pensions, , and to exempt from the computation of income grants from the gold miners' and coal miners' reliei funds, which, in the past, bad reduced, and in some cases cancelled both old age and widows- pensions. The bill I , would permit the reasonable expenditure! otcepi'al. however held, without reduction of the pension, where previously s such expenditure was restricted to cash . "withdrawn from the bank, and in the | . «J*e of old age pensions; limited to fixed t , amounts. Other alterations included provision for a maximum absence of four | , years during the twenty-nine preceding the date of application, and permitting,, 01 an additional six months for every I additional year 0 f residence. The | ; E «le of pensions for women below f".*> j ■ was: 64. £25. ,-,-., j_.> 4 . tt2 , £23: HO. ( «2; and GO. £21. while the income, in- ■ eluding the pension of a married couple, ■ ■W extended from iJOO t-1 £100. A , Sotaibk! feature, said the Minister, was "" provision to pay the full military Pension without regard to income and P r °perty. The qualiritation relating to: """"adence in New Zcnlan-l. however, still' --."Wiedto this class of pension. ; The Minister went on: "A provision "flueh is already law in regard tn widows.' ■ rrasions provides that any applicant fori 'Mage or widows' pensions who at thej J-teof application is receiving Income at ! 1 ;"-,."'*' «f the disqualifying amount. |i -ail be deemed to he'in 'lirriblo. As (he I I ** fit «>d 3 at pre,ent. magistrates have'' that an a;,;,-,'.,,:„ for „,,, ajn> pen . , """•ho rnav he earning L''l a vveok. |' ttJ ""■"' in '' r> "''' >"r tin- l»rceeditlg J 1 -months do,- not disqualify him. 1 to claim a pennon until such j : «,. , as ""-*" mcome has actually reached I 1 S e disqualifying amount, namely £00. j 1 «»e is.already a prnvfcin,, whVh allow. I ' to be admitted to the roll ! •""fiedtaHy hn n _ r 1 « ■ r ':". \ * rnv ':\ : rtiioj'fc - ■- *™ wi "' H O&er.jT."'■rnmen; officer*. All--b_.l _""' Tvil! '' ni, ' ,lr * ''••"' magistrate ™ gf *** property ,li-n,-e.l of bv will - «• compntaiion of ,;,-. pension nf *_ deceaserl'o ■,-,<",,., 1 or V,-v The ; pfctaee ha- „. , - ' ? I t«.< ' a ' - mv 'i lui.'.er the present with eon,i.,erable estate, I "■0 'heir property to children., tuns:

I enabling the widow or widower, as the j case may be, to qualify for a pension. jAn alternative penalty, by way of fine, jis provided for in lieu of imprisonment . j for cases of fraud. This is to meet the case of an applicant with a considerable banking account who fails to disclose it, nnd attempts to get the pension. Magistrates have frequently referred, to the fact that the law did not provide for a monetary penalty, it being the practice jof the Department not to press for im--1 prisonment. THE EXTRA COST. j The Minister remarked that another j important amendment to be introduced jin committee provided that in the case " of a pension being granted to a man, ; his home shall be in future entitled to 11 assessment at the original value it ear- *| ried at the time the pension vvas granted, ) j making it impossible to reduce his pen- - sion. because the value of his; home in- • j creased. In conclusion, Mr. Fisher said -j that the State would have to pay somc- ", thing like £100,000 extra a year to • j pensions under the bill. : | SOME OPINIONS. . j Mr. Ell sugge-sted that the Minister in of the measure would not have ■ lost in dignity had he given eredit to the past efforts on behalf of the aged. Mr. Rhodes praised the liberality of . the. measure but urged a little more I consideration for New Zealanders who . i had been a-bsent for snntp period, -so long ias their home had been retained in the j Dominion. I Mr. Hind-marsh said the Minister in j charge nf the bill had indulged in re- ! crimination, knowing that it would in--1 volve four feliovy Ministers. It was a j deliberate attempt to involve them in ! political ruin to his own profit. One I could only impute it to an ambitious de- | sire to discredit his colleagues in the I eyes of the country. Mr. Bradney suggested that where an ! old man was employed in manual labour. j the wage he earned should not be used las a plea for reducing his pension. He I did not believe in the contributory pen- ! sion scheme, and vvas sorry to sec that the (lovernment had not adopted a universal pension scheme. Mr. Campbell (Hawke's Ray) urged : that old soldiers who had served, hut I never having been in the firing line, had no war medal to show, should he given consideration. Mr. Coates iKaip.iral made an appeal on behalf of des-tituto Maoris, who under the present law. could receive no relief under the pensions scheme owing to nominal property held bv them. A SLAUGHTER SALE. Mr. Russell (Avon) remarked that a flovernment would bo a very foolish one which did not remedy its sjns of omission and commission after they had j been pointed out by the Opposition. (Laughter.) He suggested this bill was one of the evident results of Opposition criticism on the very suhjeet of pensions. Liberals: Hear, hear.l " Like the season's sale at a drapery establishment, the present Ooyprnment arc bringing all their goods to market for sacrifice and slaughter," said the member. Hon. Mr. Fisher: You are going to market now. (Laughter.) The member for Avon continued to taunt the occupants of the Treasury. j Rcnclies for decking out their shop win- | dows with attractive goods, fearing the I results of the elections which would be jon their heels again very shortly. I ' "