Greypower conference: A tale of two parties

John Key (left) and Phil Goff. Photos / NZ Herald/NZ Listener

It was a tale of two parties at Greypower's annual conference in Hamilton today - and delegates could have been forgiven for being a little confused.

First up was Prime Minister John Key, who talked up a 19 per cent increase in New Zealand Superannuation for married couples during the past three years - or 8.5 per cent after allowing for inflation.

Mr Key attributed the increase to tax cuts, a special payment to compensate for the GST rise, inflation and the fact that after-tax wages have been rising faster than inflation, thereby triggering the 66 per cent wage floor.

"By comparison, under the previous Government, it took a whole nine years for the married couple rate to rise 8.5 per cent above inflation."

Mr Key spoke of increased health spending and said the over-65s had benefitted from an extra 12,000 operations last year than in the year before that.

There were 1000 more nurses, 500 extra doctors, shorter waiting times for cancer treatment and quicker treatment in emergency departments, he said.

"In law and order, we have passed a three-strikes law to keep the worst offenders in prison, strengthened laws against gangs, and launched an assault against the drug 'P'. We have also increased police numbers and put in new programmes for youth offenders.

"I have given my word that the married rate of Superannuation will remain at 66 per cent of real after-tax wages.

"And I have constantly reaffirmed, and do so again today, that as long as I am prime minister, the age of eligibility for Superannuation will not change and all New Zealanders aged 65 and over will be eligible."

Phew, the delegates may have thought, it's all okay. But Labour leader Phil Goff soon jolted them back to reality with the story of a 70-year-old Taranaki woman who had had to go without food for two days because of an unexpected repair bill.

"She could pay her bills or buy her groceries but not both. It is a choice no one should have to make," he said.

Mr Goff also told of 94-year-old Alma Costall's $80 bill for a visit to an after hours medical clinic on Good Friday.

"When the costs of power, of petrol, of food are all going up, the extra expense of something like this can mean that you simply can't make ends meet," Mr Goff said.

"These are real people and despite John Key's comment that if people need extra help it's simply because of lifestyle choices, in neither of these situations is that the case."

It was not just the elderly who were struggling to make ends meet; many middle income earners were going backwards as a result of increased costs such as GST.

"They are the new working poor and low income earners are simply struggling to survive," he said.

"New Zealand shouldn't be like that."

- NZPA