Transcript
The bill will allow those who have lived in New Zealand for 10 years, after the age of 20, to move or return to any of the realm countries without having to come to New Zealand to qualify for their pension.
Up to now five years of the 10 year qualification period had to be after the age of 50.
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says the change recognises New Zealand's special relationship with the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau.
She says the government wants to ensure that people living in countries and territories that have close constitutional ties with New Zealand are treated fairly and that ongoing economic and social viability is supported.
"They have contributed here in New Zealand and I think for that we are very grateful as a government but in terms of actually being supportive of people going back to be able to contribute to realm island countries I think that is something that makes sense to us as a government, and that we were supportive off before we got into government and now we are making happen."
Carmel Sepuloni says 174 people in the New Zealand realm countries currently qualify under the new rules.
The Cook Islands government has been strongly pushing for the change and deputy prime minister, Mark Brown, says they are delighted.
"It has been a long process for the Cook Islands in terms of allowing for Cook Islanders, who have spent a considerable proportion of their working life contributing to the New Zealand economy, being able to collect their pension entitlements here in the Cook Islands when they choose to retire. So we are very happy."
For Mark Priest, who has spent most of his life in the Cooks, it's a game changer.
"The fact that all of the Cook Islanders who have living there have always been worried about portability of their pensions. The idea that they can come home and retire here would be a no-brainer I would think."
Mr Priest's father Les, who died just recently, had been a long time campaigner for more equitable access to NZ Super.
He says his dad would be over the moon after he had championed the cause for 20 plus years.
"Simply because when he came back with my Mum, who was a Cook Islander, he already had 30 years of New Zealand public service under his belt, made a fair contribution to the New zealand economy, and even a portion of that by way of a pension, could have only been seen as fair. Anyway the legislation that was written up, that was the case, up until now. So i just think he went out there on a limb on behalf of a lot of people in a similar situation, and Cook Islanders as well as expatriate New Zealanders, and he just made it a cause but he wasn't here to see the legislation finally go through. So hopefully in some small way his efforts over all those years might have played a small part in getting it over the line."
Cook Islands lawyer Wilkie Rasmussen says he doubts the Super changes will attract many Cook Islanders back to the islands, because of the community ties they have established in New Zealand.
"It will still be left to the decision of those that want to come back, you know, the novelty of New Zealand is over they'll come back or you might get from a certain section of the community of New Zealand, one that is a lot more secular in their views. They are not tied to religion or church, that sort of thing. You will find there will be a lot more of those type coming home to the Cook Islands because they have got no extension of kinship commitments back there in New Zealand."
Mark Cross is a New Zealand artist who has lived on Niue for many years.
He sees several benefits from the decisions.
"I had worked for nearly 20 years in New Zealand before I moved permanently to Niue, so I think something should show for that, without having to come and work for five years before I am 65 as it is at the present time. It is also a benefit to Niue in a way because people like myself are getting the pension, which is quite considerable - it is not as much as New Zealand - if they get the New Zealand pension that should decrease the pension here for the Niue Government, and perhaps give the people who didn't go to New Zealand a little bit more."
Mr Cross says it may attract small numbers to return to the island.
"It's happening now but a lot of them are coming back when they are too old to build houses and that, but I think this could encourage people to plan much further ahead. I doubt very much that it will entice people to New Zealand to work for ten years with a view to coming back but certainly the people that are already there, young people, if they plan it right they can think about coming back when they are 40 or 50."
One person not expected to back the change is the premier of Niue, Toke Talagi, who has said any restrictions on qualifying for NZ Super discriminate against Niueans.
He said earlier this year that rules were not fair in requiring people to move to the mainland to become true New Zealand citizens.
On Tokelau the difficulties with getting to the islands from New Zealand would continue to be a deterrence.
One commentator says while the Super changes are a good move, it will not spark returns to Tokelau until an air service is established.
