Long passage likely for Super. Bill

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33601, 1 August 1974, Page 18

Long passage likely for Super. Bill

•5m Zealand Preu A j»o<iation> WELLINGTON. July 31. The Opposition notice in Parliament this evening that the New Zealand Superannuation Corporation Bill is in lor a long passage through its committee stages.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon). opening the committee stage* dehate, said that it would scrutinise each of the bill’s clause* “to the estent that the Government majority permits.” Pointing out that the bill had been reported back from the Select Committee with 93 of it» 106 clauses amended, Mr Muldoon said: “I have never seen a bill come back to this House in such a state It ts a dog's breakfast of a bill, and the responsibility is the responsibility of the Minister of Finance " The state of the bill was mute testimony to the utter < haos in which the Government found itself in introducing hs superannuation scheme. Mr Muldoon said

“It proves absolutely the accuracy of my statement that it is impossible to introduce a superannuation scheme of this type in two-and-a-half years.” he said. “As time goes by, and during the next year, we will* see the truth of that statement underlined. The Minis-'■ ter has already told the Select Committee that he expects next year to introduce more amendments to the bill.” “INTOLERABLE BURDEN” Mr Muldoon said that officers of the State and others had been given an intolerable burden in bringing the bill together — and they had not succeeded. "We have an absolutely chaotic situation because of the Minister trying to bring this thing together,” he said The Minister of Finance <Mr Rowling) replied that the Opposition had shown clearly

that it intended to be completely negative on the bill.: Mr Muldoon knew full well, he said, that a considerable 1 number of the bill’s changes were a consequence of one or, two significant amendments; such as including the self-! employed on a voluntary: basis. The bill had been deliber-i ately produced to allow! interested parties to match! their ideas and views against; the Government’s proposals.. The Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Taiboys) said! the bill discriminated against women. “In my history in this House.” he said, "there has not been another bill to so arouse the feel-! ings of women in this coun-! try.” The bill excluded married! women. “It should make pro-| vision for women as does theUniversal Superannuation scheme," Mr Taiboys said.! Single women who were working and contributing to the fund and then got married could not claim their, funds until they were 65. ‘NOT TO THE POINT’ “It denies women the opportunity to use the funds when they need them j most,” Mr Taiboys said. Mr J. B. Munro (Lab.,; Invercargill) said that the! Opposition was “playing; around with words” and not sticking to the point. Debate was interrupted by I the 10.30 p.m. adjournment, h