2. Hon PAUL SWAIN (Labour—Rimutaka) Link to this
to the Minister of Finance
What recent reports has he received on support for the KiwiSaver scheme?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister of Finance) Link to this
I have received a large number of reports in support of it. There is one source from which I have received a substantial number of reports, both in support for, and in opposition to, KiwiSaver in general and specific elements within it. Mr Key has said that he was against KiwiSaver, and then he was for it. Then he was against it, and yesterday he was for it, but, perhaps, not quite in full.
Has the Minister received any reports on public confusion resulting from conflicting statements on support for KiwiSaver?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
By sheer chance, yes. I have seen an article in the Wanganui Chronicle, where Mr Chester Borrows supports Kate Wilkinson’s position that National opposes employer contributions to KiwiSaver. Then of course yesterday Mr Key appeared to support employer contributions, but what he actually said was: “at pretty similar levels to now.”—whatever that means. Perhaps it is all best summed up by this masterpiece from last year: “Well, we are looking at all the options around KiwiSaver. We don’t really like the existing scheme, in the sense that we think, um, the first mark 1 version of it worked, you know, was probably gonna be successful and not too bad.” Or, in other words: “Beam me up, Scotty!”.
Hon Clayton Cosgrove Link to this
Has the Minister received any reports on the importance of clear communication around support for KiwiSaver?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Indeed, I have seen a report from Newstalk ZB in Christchurch this morning, where the distinguished journalist Mr Barry Soper said of Kate Wilkinson’s statements opposing elements of KiwiSaver: “When, in fact, we ran a story on that on Newstalk ZB we had the spin doctors from the National Party ringing up saying ‘You are wrong—she didn’t say that.’ And I said well, in fact, I was there. I heard her say it, so did everybody else at the meeting … finally we had John Key this afternoon coming out and saying Kate Wilkinson had got it wrong.” By 2 o’clock yesterday Mr John Key had issued a press statement, saying Mrs Kate Wilkinson was wrong. Perhaps in the end, however, it was really Kate Wilkinson who was right. But who would know?