COMMENDATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 207, 2 September 1936, Page 10

COMMENDATION.

BILL OUTLINED.

DIFFICULT PROBLEM.

SHORT-TERM MEASURE. LEGISLATION NEXT YEAR. (By Telegraph.—Parl'imentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. In addition to the two main speakers, the Minister in Charge of the Pensions Department, Mr. Parry, and Mr. S. G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) on the Pensions Amendment Bill in the House of Representatives to-night, each of whom spoke for one hour, Messrs. R. A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs) and Dr. D. G. McMillan (Government, Dunedin -West) each spoke for half an hour. The speeches were broadcast over the national stations. Progressive Improvements. Mr. Wright said something had been done by every political party iri its day to improve the lot of the old-age pensioner. He believed the Government had gone as far as it possibly could, and nobody could legitimately complain that the bill did not go further. No doubt in time and when finances improved improvements would follow. The inclusion of,deserted wives in the benefits of the legislation was a move in the right direction, but the position of widows without children was worth consideration. The solution was to reduce the age when the pensipn would be payable,

* 'and he believed that that time would" come. The present Minister of Pensions would be remembered as the-man who | : had introduced the Invalidity^pension. Mr. Wright congratulated the.Minister * on extending the benefits .to a> miner's ?. widow and said that one of the defects \ of the Government superannuation ([ .scheme was that the superannuation p practically ceased'with the death of the guperannuitant. The Government had , made an honest effort to deal with a ; most difficult problem and would reeeive the thanks of the people. IgJ.iV'.l Invalidity Pensions. Dr. McMillan said that no one would suggest that the bill was t&e last thing in the social legislation off.the Govern-' f ment. It was only a short-term measure §f ,to tide the Government oyer until its " main social legislation was introduced ' next year. New Zealand was at one, 4 leading the world in social legislation, but now it was "numbered among the backward countries. The bill C' marked a reawakening of the Govern ment's obligations to its fellows. ComA ' "pared with other countries the pensions tinder the bill were liberal, but he was » looking forward to the time when the * pension would be sufficient to save old j , "people from having to spend their last " "days in old peoples' homes.

i v Probably the most important section k of the bill, Dr. McMillan said, was that ISj providing for invalidity pensions, a prinv' ciple that was new to New Zealand,, but • not new to a number of other- countries. ' When the Government gained experience ' in social legislation it would doubtless . extend the definition of "invalid" as it was understood overseas, but it was necessary to draw a distinction between t ■ an invalid pension and sickness benefits.