Official documents have revealed the Government rushed the “Smartgate” electronic passport control system into New Zealand’s airports against the advice of three Government departments, Labour’s customs spokesperson Su’a William Sio said today.

“Despite warnings from the Department of Labour, Treasury and the State Services Commission, Customs Minister Maurice Williamson approved the purchase of Smartgate,” Su’a William Sio said.

“The three departments had serious concerns around whether the Smartgate system offered value for money and was the best technology to meet the future challenges of border control.

“But it seems they were all ignored because Prime Minister John Key asked officials to ‘give highest priority to advancing the integration of trans-Tasman border clearance’.

“Official documents show despite reservations about Smartgate, its purchase and implementation was rushed so John Key could announce its introduction at a meeting with the Australian Prime Minister last August.

“The security of our borders is paramount, but the evidence suggests on this occasion the chance of a positive headline and a photo-op drove the decision.

“There were concerns about whether taxpayers were getting value for money, and whether this system was up the rigours of the changing needs of border security. The process on this occasion was not good enough.”

“National fought tooth and nail for six months to prevent the release of documents which revealed this shambles to the public. Kiwis expect and deserve better from their Government,” Su’a William Sio said.

Mangere MP Su’a William Sio along with the entire Mangere & Manukau community, is wishing boxer To’aletai David Tua victory tomorrow night against boxer Friday Ahunanya.

 ”The whole Southside believes in David’s ability to box and the power of his punches and everyone I’ve spoken to are right behind our champ all the way.

“Tua has shown New Zealand he is a formidable boxer with his defeat over Shane Cameron last year and for David this fight could mean an opportunity at the heavyweight title.  

“David is an inspiration to our young people and it is a real pleasure to see how well he is doing.”

“Ia manuia au taumafaiga,” says Su’a William Sio, which is a Samoan blessing for David Tua.

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The Government’s announcement of welfare reform stereotypes beneficiaries as not wanting to work but in reality there are few jobs available and children in these affected families will be at risk of going without the basic necessities because they rely on their parents for their welfare says Labour MP for Mangere, Su’a William Sio.

“Children of sole parents will be at greatest risk of going without food, clothing, school uniforms, and warm homes if solo mothers are forced to look for jobs that just don’t exist, or risk having their benefits cut.”

“The Government wants sole parents to find work when their youngest child reaches six years old, but where are these jobs?”

“We have seen the images on TV of about 3000 people lining up to apply for only 150 low paid jobs at a local supermarket, so where are the jobs that beneficiaries are now asked to get into before their benefits are affected?”

“We know there are 168,000 plus people struggling on the unemployment benefit and desperately wanting to work.

“The Government should focus on job creation first and invest strongly on education and skills development right up front, but it won’t”

“Instead Government made a big splash of its Job Summit. We recall the $50 million dollar national cycle-way was going to produce around 4000 jobs, but where are those jobs now?

“Beneficiaries are being put under extreme pressure by the Government welfare reforms during a time where many still haven’t experienced any benefits from the so called economic recovery.”

“If there is an economic recovery, why are so many families still struggling to keep up with paying power, phone, food and rent.”

“Children in these families are missing out on some of the basic necessities of life and their parents are under constant pressure from forces they have little control over.”

“Parents are going to have to deal with the Government’s proposal to raise GST to 15% effectively increasing the cost of food, clothing, power, rent by about 20%.”

“How do these families deal with that kind of pressure on their meagre family budgets?

“The children usually go without.”

“That’s not the end of it either, with the supercity looming; we are all expected to pay for the huge cost borne from setting up this new beaurcracy.

“Notice how the Minister no longer talks about efficiencies and cost savings from the Supercity?”

“That’s because there won’t be any cost savings. Instead every resident throughout the Auckland region will be forced to pay for the Supercity set up costs estimated to be about $300 million.”

“Again when there are financial pressures placed on families, especially a solo parent family with young children, those children generally go without.”

These are the very families that are being targeted by this Government, even though the Attorney General has slammed the proposed welfare reforms finding these reforms breach Bill of Rights Act tests.”

“The Attorney-General found the welfare reform proposals “cause discrimination on three prohibited grounds: sex, marital status and family status.”

“It found that despite being in a similar situations, those on a Widow’s Benefit or Woman Alone Benefit would have been treated differently to Kiwis on the Domestic Purposes Benefit.

“It makes you wonder that if the Attorney-General’s report prove just how ill thought out these reforms are, then what was the real reason for announcing these reforms?”

“National needs to do something more positive with jobs and training and not just send dog whistle messages to its supporters to start benefit bashing.

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Mangere’s Labour MP Su’a William Sio has expressed his sadness and sincere condolences at the passing away of Tainui matriarch Lady Raiha Mahuta.

“Lady Raiha is held in high esteem by the people of Mangere because of the significant role she played for Tainui and her huge contribution to Maori generally.”

“Her life is known by many in Mangere as a life of service for others, and she leaves  this legacy for the younger generation to follow, including my parliamentary colleague, her daughter Nanaia Mahuta, MP for Waikato Tainui,” says Su’a William Sio.

Lady Raiha is lying in state at Waahi Marae in Huntly.  On Friday morning her body will be taken to her ancestral land at Karetu Marae, in the Far North, where she will be buried.

“On behalf of the people of Mangere, I express our deep sorrow and sympathies to the people of Tainui and the extended family of Lady Raiha.”

“On occasions such as this, we say in Samoa, Ia Manuia Lau Malaga  which is to say ‘farewell and may you have a safe journey beyond the veil.”

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The Youth MP selected to represent Mangere for the 2010 Youth Parliament is Ms Marietalini Ropeti-Iupeli of Mangere College.

Marietalini was selected from 10 other candidates from local schools across Mangere at a community meeting last night.

“All 10 youths were strong candidates.  They were articulate, fearless and the issues they spoke about showed the depth of intelligence they possessed.  It’s a real shame I can only nominate one,” says Labour MP for Mangere, Su’a William Sio.

“In the end, the Selection Panel chose Marietalini because she stood out and she’ll be an outstanding representative of Mangere at Youth Parliament.”

“It was a real pleasure to have listened to the other well qualified candidates during the evening and really wanted to express my thanks and gratitude to the others, for putting themselves forward and giving it a go,” says  Su’a William Sio.

Marietalini will be joining other Youth MPs from across the country to take part in Youth Parliament which is to be held from the 6-7 July in Wellington and aims to give young people a brief experience of what its like to be a Member of Parliament.

“I look forward to Marietalini representing the youth of Mangere and am sure it will be a positive and interesting experience for her”, says Su’a William Sio 

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