10 Apr 2018

Improved NZ pension portability pending

From , 6:03 am on 10 April 2018

The New Zealand Government is close to giving its Pacific realm countries, Niue, the Cook Islands and Tokelau, the access to superannuation they have been seeking for some years.

Legislation is now before parliament which will end the requirement for people from the island countries to have spent five years after the age of 50 in New Zealand to qualify.

The island countries have been pushing for this because they believe it will help build their economies with people returning much earlier than at present.

Don Wiseman spoke with the Minister of Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, about the legislation and some recent concerns raised by Niue's leader who has called for no restrictions at all on the qualification for superannuation.

He began by asking the minister how far the legislation was from becoming law.

Labour's Carmel Sepuloni on the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee hears from petitioners asking the government to address human rights issues in West Papua.

Photo: RNZ / Daniela Maoate - Cox