Joyce acting strangely before doing screaming U-turn

PHIL REID/The Dominion Post

TICKET TO RIDE: Transport Minister Steven Joyce must have had his radar switched off when he announced a review of the SuperGold card scheme for the over-65s, writes Colin Espiner.

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OPINION: When politicians say that what they said was not what they meant, it's customary for them to issue a "clarification". A clarification is usually the direct opposite of what they previously said, and most often follows a public backlash or a dressing-down from the prime minister.

It's known in political circles as a readjustment of position. You or I might call it a screaming U-turn.

The latest politician to do the 180-degree turn is normally politically astute Transport Minister Steven Joyce, who must have had his radar switched off when he announced a review of the SuperGold card scheme for the over-65s. This card was dreamt up by the former Labour government, in conjunction with NZ First leader Winston Peters, in a desperate bid to stave off election defeat in 2008.

Let's be honest, the card is a bit of political sop. Originally meant to provide superannuitants with genuine savings on their power bills and groceries, it initially flopped because Mr Peters couldn't persuade enough retailers to offer meaningful discounts.

Labour then took matters into its own hands in April 2008, adding free off-peak transport on urban bus, rail, and some ferry services. At that point, the scheme took off. National doesn't agree with the SuperGold card, though it won't say so. It has some sound reasons for this. The scheme's relatively expensive, it's inequitable, and it isn't means-tested. Plenty of elders who can easily afford the price of a bus fare still ride for free.

National realised it would be churlish - not to mention politically untenable - to scrap the card on entering office, which is why it has stayed. All of which makes Mr Joyce's "review" last week rather strange. For the sake of saving a couple of million dollars, the Government alarmed 540,000 gold-card holders, all of whom take their responsibilities at the ballot box very seriously, if you get my drift.

Less than 24 hours after Mr Joyce's initial proposal to review the definition of "off peak" and some of the "high-cost" services, the Government was pledging no changes to the services on offer. Instead, the Government plans to make the required savings by cutting the payments to the transport operators, which might mean they put their fares up for everyone else to cover the shortfall, or that they will simply make less money.

What was doubly strange about National's shortlived attack on the elderly was that at the same time as Mr Joyce was hinting at cutbacks to the SuperGold card, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman was rolling out the welcome mat to the world's retirees. He has offered New Zealand residency to anyone over the age of 65 who can scrape together $750,000 to invest and has at least $500,000 in assets. In many countries such coin is roughly the average house price, so the invitation is likely to be extremely popular.

If his scheme does take off, as seems probable, it will likely place an additional burden on the health system regardless of whether or not the new immigrants have insurance. There's an additional concern that treating them differently from other immigrants will institute two classes of New Zealand citizen - one that is entitled to help from the state, and one that is not.

At least the new immigrants can still be certain of one thing. Thanks to Mr Joyce's U-turn, they'll be able to apply for a SuperGold card, available to any New Zealand citizen, and enjoy the use of infrastructure their taxes never paid for.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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Fred Retter   #5   12:27 pm Mar 17 2010

Hey Colin, when the politicians give up their free perks that continue on long after they have left office (free air travel etc.)I might just think about the fairness of cutting or reviewing the Gold Card benefits that I have paid taxes for over the last 40 years. In the meantime I'll collect any legal benefits going without the slightest tremor in my hand !

Lil' Bro's Shadow   #4   12:19 pm Mar 17 2010

Colin,

It is disappointing, although entirely predictable, that you have chosen to misrepresent the origins and development of the Supergold Card. You know well the Card was solely the idea of Mr Peters and was a condition of New Zealand First's entering into the Confidence and Supply agreement with Labour following the 2005 election. It was never "dreamt up by the former Labour government". Likewise the addition of free off-peak transport on urban bus, rail, and some ferry services was solely the work of Peters and as much as you would like to divert the credit, you know well this was the case.

In a country with such a narrow selection of so-called "quality" media outlets you do yourself no credit by deliberately misrepresenting the facts, rather, much like your colleagues did during the 2008 campaign, you clumsily reveal your overt bias, yet again.

Mr Joyce has clearly misread this situation badly and in doing so has left the door slightly ajar for New Zealand First possibly enabling them to proclaim their relevance in the run up to next year's election.

As much as the thought of Peters re-entering the fray obviously upsets you, please do not dress your opinions up as facts as the New Zealand public deserve much better.

Jum   #3   03:25 pm Mar 16 2010

This country is so slow and so miserly. Everything is about money.

The UK gave its olds a comparable gold card decades ago; they send them on holidays to Brighton once a year. They care.

On the news Barnett is so sad because we can't have the Commonwealth Games in 2018. All he cared about was that the money wouldn't be pouring in - nothing about the visitors, the sharing of cultural experiences and beliefs, the chance to show off our beautiful country (as least it was until the NActs got in)- just greed.

We have NActMU which only cares about money and privatising things and digging out stuff so that other countries/corporates can fleece us. The greedy amongst us bring shame upon this beautiful land.

DavidW   #2   04:22 pm Mar 15 2010

Riding on the bus or taking a trip to Waiheke with someone paying the fare (whether it is the rider or the taxpayer) is not exactly " ... enjoy(ing)the use of infrastructure their taxes never paid for." any more than a student or tourist does. A big stretch mate.

But Hey ... don't let your personal peeves get in the way of a good story Colin

Andrew Stevenson   #1   02:56 pm Mar 15 2010

I think part of the reason National is so popular at the moment is that they are reluctant to repeal some things that Labour etc put in place.

My impression is that they (and/or ACT) are against (with varying degrees of conviction): KiwiSaver, KiwiRail, Working for Families, interest-free student loans, the SuperGold card... um... anything else?

Oh, yes, KiwiBank. Remember Hide railing against this? He's awfully quiet now.

(I am not saying that these are all good ideas - so let's not debate the merits of them - but they seem to have majority popular support and National realises they can't ditch these things without losing numbers in the polls.)

I'm a Labour supporter so it's cool that National doesn't want to reverse these things, but I wonder how National supporters feel. Most "swing" National voters I know voted for change.

Just my two cents...

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