Address to Oamaru Grey Power

Thank you for your invitation to speak this afternoon.

I have spoken to quite a number of Grey Power meetings recently and have found that these are a good way for me to find out about the issues and concerns that you have.

Prior to the election, I was Labour's spokesperson on Youth Affairs. People did think that it was ironic that the Youth Spokesperson became the Senior Citizens Minister. However, in my experience the issues are not entirely different.

When young people do not have a sense of belonging and participation, they can become alienated and troubled. Older people can become isolated and afraid.

So, building or maintaining the ability to participate, and nurturing that sense of belonging, are vital at either end of life's spectrum, which is why I am a strong supporter of the positive aging approach in my role as Minister for Senior Citizens.

Another point I also like to make to meetings like these is that I am the Minister of Immigration, but the Minister for Senior Citizens. This means I am your advocate.

It is my role not to advance legislation, but rather to promote issues to the portfolio Ministers with responsibility in the particular area. I am your voice at the Cabinet Table. Fortunately, this is not a difficult task.

This coalition Government values the contribution older New Zealanders have made, and continue to make, to this country.

That is why we made the promise before the election to restore the superannuation floor. It was one of the seven commitments Helen Clark made to the electorate, and we have delivered. And what is more, we delivered, not merely on the actual promise, but also on the spirit of the promise.

When we took office the method for calculating the average wage had been adjusted by Statistics NZ. A strict application of our commitment would have seen a modest increase in superannuation but we decided to use the old calculation, which meant superannuitants received the increase they were expecting to receive.

And the feedback has been positive. I've received letters and phone calls, as have all my colleagues, thanking us for delivering what we promised.

But why should we be congratulated for keeping our promises? It should be expected that we do. In my experience it has been older New Zealanders who have been the most bewildered by the change to MMP, the Party-hopping and the failure to keep promises ¾ what was essentially a breach of faith between the political parties who made up the last Government and the people who elected them there.

And in that regard, I see it as an important function of this Coalition Government to restore faith in the parliamentary process. That's why I am such a strong advocate for the anti-defection Bill that is currently before the House. That Bill basically says - if you leave the Party that got you elected to Parliament then you have to leave Parliament as well.

I am amazed at those who oppose the Bill - if you want to be an independent MP then stand as one. If you want to join another Party, then stand for it. If you want to form your own Party, then stand under its banner. To allow this situation to continue is, in my view, dishonest, unethical, and it lacks the political mandate required of a House of Representatives.

POSITIVE AGEING STRATEGY

In the eight months of being the Minister for Senior Citizens, I have brought a new focus to the role, and that is to develop a Positive Ageing Strategy for New Zealanders focussing on well being and participation in society.

Society needs to realise that just because people have retired from work, that it does not mean they have retired from life. Society needs to recognise the value of older New Zealanders, and older New Zealanders need to value their own capacity to contribute to the next generation.

I can say that this week, Cabinet approved the process and timeframe for the development of the Positive Ageing Strategy.

The proposed objective is to improve opportunities for older people to participate in the community in the ways that they choose. The Strategy will provide a framework within which all policy with implications for older people can be understood and developed.

It will not be my role to deliver on the strategy, per se, but rather to promote an inter-sectoral approach to the range of issues that affect older New Zealander's ability to participate.

That range of issues stretches from Superannuation, through Housing, Health, Disability Support, Adult Education, Transport, Community Involvement, Security, Residential Care, Carer Support, Home Help … the list goes on. Running across the strategy are the perspectives of Maori and Pacific peoples, gender, rurality and ethnicity. It is a different approach that places the older person at the centre of the picture.

The proposal for the New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy is first to develop a set of strategic positive ageing objectives. The draft objectives are to:
· Empower older people to make choices that enable them to live a satisfying life and lead a healthy lifestyle;
· Provide opportunities for older people to participate in and contribute to family, whanau and community;
· Reflect positive attitudes to older people;
· Recognise the diversity of older people and ageing as a normal part of the lifecycle;
· Affirm the values and strengthen the capabilities of older Maori and their whanau;
· Recognise the diversity and strengthen the capabilities of older Pacific peoples;
· Appreciate the diversity of cultural identity of older people living in New Zealand;
· Recognise the different issues facing men and women;
· Ensure older people, in both rural and urban areas, live with confidence in a secure environment and receive the services they need to do so; and
· Enable older people to take responsibility for their personal growth and development through changing circumstances.

Government departments will then undertake a review of existing policies, programmes and services relevant to older people to ensure these align with the agreed strategic objectives. I would expect them to develop an action plan to address issues or gaps identified when reviewing existing policies.

They will also be asked to consider the long-term relevance of policies in terms of changes to the social environment, including the growing number of older people and the needs of future generations of older people.

This will result in the development of an inter-sectoral positive ageing work programme, and I will present this to Cabinet for approval.

Finally, we will develop monitoring and reporting mechanisms to ensure continued assessment of policies, programmes and services in terms of the agreed strategic objectives for positive ageing.

CONSULTATION PROGRAMME

The Senior Citizens Unit has planned a public consultation programme as part of the process for developing the Positive Ageing Strategy.

Consultations will, in most instances, be community workshops run by the Volunteer Community Co-ordinators, who worked with the Senior Citizens Unit during the International Year of Older Persons 1999.

All of the co-ordinators have agreed to run at least one consultation workshop in their region. Several have planned additional workshops, and one co-ordinator has arranged five separate workshops. Most of the consultation workshops will take place in the week of 14-18 August 2000.

In addition, specific workshops are being held with Pacific peoples in Christchurch, Wellington, West Auckland, and South Auckland.

The purpose of the consultations will be two-fold. First, to discuss the proposed strategic positive ageing objectives and, secondly, for participants to identify their priorities for Government action to promote positive ageing.

The feedback from the workshops will be used in the development of the action plan for government agencies.

HEALTH SERVICES

I note that in your letter of invitation, you wish to have a discussion on our health services and for me to take your concerns back to the Minister of Health, Hon Annette King.

I would like to say first that this Government is committed to the development of a National Health Strategy to improve the health of all New Zealanders, not just those who can afford it. The interests of older New Zealanders will be represented in this strategy.

Focussing on patients, not profit and cutting waiting times for surgery was one of Helen Clark's seven commitments. Health Minister Annette King announced an extra $21 million would be put into elective surgery in the last financial year, and significantly more has been allocated in this year's Budget. This will help reduce waiting times for surgery.

I have always thought it's not the number of people on the list that matters, but how long you actually have to wait. And as advocate for older New Zealanders, I ask what is the cost of waiting?

Hip replacements are a perfect example of this. I remember a woman who came to address a health select committee a few years ago. She needed a hip replacement. Before she got one, she couldn't do a large number of things. Shopping, cleaning, she found it difficult to drive. She couldn't garden. And she needed ongoing pain relief.

When she finally did get her hip replacement, she got her life back and all of her need for extra support stopped. So in financial terms and in human terms waiting times must be reduced.

So, to reiterate, this Government is to turn around the health system into one that is for all New Zealanders and not just for those who can afford health care.

CONCLUSION

I think I've taken up enough time this afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to meet. I hope that your organisation continues to see this government as approachable and ready to listen. We always welcome the opportunity that occasions like this bring; to hear directly from the grassroots.

I know there are other issues that you may have and that I would be happy to take any questions now.

Thank you.