Lee Keynote speech to Auckland Central Grey Power
EMBARGOED for automatic release at 10.30am Wednesday 26
September 2001 Speech Notes
Keynote speech to Auckland
Central Grey Power meeting
Keynote Speech to Auckland
Central Grey Power
Dick Fickling Centre, Three
Kings
AUCKLAND
EMBARGOED for automatic release at 10.30am Wednesday 26 September 2001
[Please check against delivery]
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you this morning.There have been huge changes in our world during the past two weeks, in the wake of the terror attacks in the United States.
Despite the uncertain outlook caused by these events, the government is determined that the core values that underpin the Labour-Alliance coalition will remain firmly in place.
We are determined to keep
alive the promise of a better tomorrow for all New
Zealanders.
We are committed to ensuring that
the government is a positive force for good.
We
believe governments can deliver gains for New Zealanders
that markets can't.
We continue to reject the
free market vision that demands that the community should
pull out of everything, sell everything, and let the market
rule. We've already seen the folly of that path with our
railways, and our national airline.
These are baseline commitments to ensure your future security, on an individual basis and on a collective basis.
It is too early to assess
the economic impact at home and abroad of the terrorist
attacks.
But what can be said is that we enter this
period of uncertainty in a better position than many other
countries.
Our return to export-led growth in recent times has bedded in our economic security. Unemployment stands at its lowest level since 1988. The current account deficit has been shrinking steadily, and our economy has maintained modest levels of growth.
As well as improving balance of payments and employment levels, we also enjoy low inflation, low government debt, and a strong government fiscal position. In addition, the Reserve Bank's move last week to lower the official cash rate--effectively lowering mortgage interest rates--was a very welcome response to the new international conditions.
We have already demonstrated our commitment to addressing your personal security needs. One of the first things the Labour-Alliance coalition did after gaining office was to increase the level of New Zealand Superannuation by $20 a week.
Since then, the government
has introduced the New Zealand Superannuation Bill, which is
due back in the House next week.
This Bill is one of the
Labour-Alliance coalition's most significant political
initiatives. It is designed to provide for a realistic,
universal, flat-rate New Zealand Superannuation entitlement
that is not means tested.
The scheme we are promoting is described as "pre-funded". Essentially this means you keep putting in over the next couple of decades a bit more than seems necessary. At the end of this period, we expect to have a permanently older population structure that will gobble up all the extra funds contributed.
We have been compelled to look at this type of national super scheme in part because employment-based superannuation is in retreat. The notion of a "job for life" has eroded, and it can be expensive to switch pension plans when people change employers. Also, many employers have axed their pension subsidy in a bid to contain their business costs. And there have also been few opportunities in recent years for unions to negotiate pension schemes as part of employment packages, because union coverage and the coverage from collective bargaining was reduced under the previous administration.
The New Zealand Superannuation entitlement is not meant to replace personal savings. But it will be designed to provide enough to enable participation in community life.
Of course, the responsibility for your
wellbeing doesn't just rest with central government.
As
Minister of Local Government, I know that senior citizens
are important to local authorities.
In fact, 72% of
urban Councils have staff dedicated to working with older
people.
A similar percentage of city and district
councils—nearly three quarters—address issues directly
related to senior citizens in their planning
documents.
It is not hard to see why.
You are amongst
our most active groups at the local level.
In fact, my
guess is that you are the most active part of the population
when it comes to local government issues.
I'm told that
when Auckland City Council surveyed who had made submissions
to their Strategic Plan in 1999, they found that 48% of the
submitters were 55 or older.
I suspect that level of
representation is not unusual for most councils when they
ask for public submissions, be it for an strategic plan,
annual plan, or feedback on a specific issue.
The fact is
that many of you make the time to get involved and put your
views, and our local democracy is all the richer for
that.
With voter participation at around 50% for the last
local body elections, all I can say is: if only everyone
could be so active!
But this raises the issue: If senior
citizens are contributing so much to the councils, what then
are councils doing for you?
I’d like to take a few
moments today to review some of the main areas that local
authorities are presently involved in, to provide for the
needs of older New Zealanders. These include:
Affordable housing;
Personal safety;
Mobility and public transport services; and
Recreation.
The Government has a social duty to facilitate the provision of affordable housing. Many of you will have been appalled at the introduction of state housing market rents by the previous administration. This one measure impacted severely on every section of the community that lived on fixed incomes, pushing many proud and independent New Zealanders below the poverty line.
Both the Alliance and Labour pledged to scrap the policy
once we gained office, and provide affordable housing.
We kept our word, and all state house rents now depend on a
tenant's income. Low income tenants pay no more than 25% of
their income on rent.
Local authorities remain one
of the most important sources of rental accommodation for
senior citizens.
More than a quarter of rental
properties used by senior citizens are owned, maintained and
administered by local authorities - an investment of more
than $460m, nationwide. Local authorities are the most
common landlord for women aged 80 and over. In addition
women aged 80 and over is the biggest single group in local
authority rental accommodation.
Our challenge lies in how best to provide housing services to older people, both now and in the future. I am pleased to note that many councils, such as Christchurch City, are now looking for ways to offer housing that are more in touch with what their tenants want.
Personal safety is every citizens'
right. Security, especially personal safety, is one of the
most pressing issues for senior citizens. The issue of
personal safety involves concern not only about crime but
also about factors like badly maintained footpaths and
street lighting, or the ability to summon help quickly in
the home.
These are all issues that can either create
or destroy a feeling of safety in the community.
Several councils have upgraded their street lighting in
response to public concern.
Others such as the
Masterton District Council, provide a 24-hour emergency
telephone line in each of its rental units.
About
three-quarters of local councils also sponsor a Safer
Community Council.
Most of you will be aware that this
is the local group that coordinates crime prevention
activities by creating a community safety profile for the
area, and then developing a crime prevention plan for that
profile.
The Safer Community Council then implements
the plan by coordinating resources drawn from Government
sources and the wider community.
A good example
can be found in the South Island. Some of the programmes
from the Ashburton District Council’s safer community
council deal with such issues as confident living and crime
prevention (with help from the Police, Fire Service and Red
Cross), as well as financial and legal matters.
This
and many similar programmes throughout the country have all
been well received.
Mobility and Public Transport
are vitally important. The ability to get around freely and
easily has a huge effect on quality of life. Systems of
transport, whether it be by foot, car, or bus, must take
into account the needs of older people.
In each of
these areas local authorities are largely responsible for
providing the infrastructure of these services, and
therefore have an important role to play.
Walking is one of the most important ways of getting around, and anyone who has been involved with local government knows that the issue of broken footpaths is one that comes up again and again. That's not because people like to complain, but because broken footpaths can be dangerous for everyone.
Also, traffic crossings can make a big difference to pedestrian safety, with pedestrian refuges, lights and crossing signals (preferably audible) all making life much easier when you're out walking.
From the other side of the wheel, the private motor vehicle is still the most popular form of transport for older people, but driving habits and capabilities change, and this needs to be taken into account by those designing signs and lighting.
Public transport is also vital to the mobility of
senior citizens, particularly for those over 75 who are
increasingly less likely to drive.
Being able to
easily get on and off, seating and shelter are all issues,
as well as frequency and cost.
Improvement of public
transport generally has been very much an issue in the
public eye in recent years, and in many cases, improving
access for older people makes public transport more
accessible and popular for everyone.
In places such as
Auckland and Wellington, the introduction of kneeling buses,
improvement of shelters and higher trip frequency has
resulted in more passengers, across the board.
Recreation facilities are crucial for balanced living. Being able to get about isn’t much use if there is nothing to do once you get there. Activity and recreation are vital to health in all senses, mental and physical.
I'm
pleased to note that district and city councils have come to
the party on this issue, and been described as New Zealand’s
largest investor in sport and active living.
Whether
this is literally true or not, with annual spending of over
$300 million, local authorities are certainly a major
player.
Councils offer and organise physical
facilities such as walks, and also offer and organise social
events, library programmes, arts groups and creative
communities schemes, as well as volunteer and support
groups.
There are too many services and programmes to
mention today, but I’d like to talk about one initiative
just as an example.
Hamilton City Council’s
Celebrating Age Centre offers a wide range of services under
one roof.
These include:
information
about the services offered by the Centre and other groups in
the Hamilton are
facilities ranging from a hall
to smaller rooms, including a kitchen and dining room;
numerous events or all kinds;
office space for the Senior Citizen association, Grey Power
and Age concern; and last but not least
a
drop-in centre and café.
The key areas where
local authorities are most involved in the lives of senior
citizens are:
Affordable housing;
Personal safety;
Mobility and public transport
services; and
Recreation
All these aspects
are linked and to a large extent depend on each other - but
all contribute to quality of life.
As Minister of Local Government, I know that if local authorities get these things right, they will help you enjoy more secure and active lives and in so doing, also help you continue your valuable contribution to the community.
When I was
younger, it was accepted that well-off New Zealanders paid a
higher proportion of tax than those of more modest means,
and in turn the government would help the young, the old,
the sick and the needy.
New Zealanders would contribute
when they had the means to contribute, and receive help when
they needed help.
We can again take pride in fulfilling
our responsibilities and being good citizens if New
Zealanders accept responsibility for making a fair
contribution.
I thank you all for your contribution to building our nation over the years.
I warn you that the community may not yet have fully extracted its pound of flesh. Some of you will inevitably be tapped on the shoulder to take on a leadership role. We will all gain from your continued community involvement.
ENDS