King Annette: Reports — Inquiry into Improving Child Health Outcomes and Preventing Child Abuse with a Focus from Preconception Until Three Years of Age (Volumes 1 and 2)Text is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Reports — Inquiry into Improving Child Health Outcomes and Preventing Child Abuse with a Focus from Preconception Until Three Years of Age (Volumes 1 and 2)[Sitting date: 10 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15458. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai): Can I also begin by thanking the Business Committee for agreeing to this historic debate but also historic report because in my time in Parliament I have not seen a report that has had the agreement of all parties that sat on an inquiry. It has come about by us coming together with a lot of consensus concern and common sense—both economic common sense and social common sense. I think it has come about because we accept that here in New Zealand we really have reached a crisis point when it comes to the future of our very young children. It is timely also that we have our leaders over in South Africa attending the funeral of Nelson Mandela. One of the things that he said in very recent years was this: “We cannot waste our precious children. Not another one not another day. It is long past time for us to act on their behalf.” What I think this report is doing is saying it is time for us across this Parliament to act on behalf of the very youngest and most vulnerable in our society.I want to thank Dr Paul Hutchison as chair of this inquiry for leading in a very able way. I have found him to be a very compassionate man and he will be leaving a legacy for future Governments with this report. I can tell Dr Hutchison that I look forward to implementing it after the election next year. I also commend the members of the committee. You know the stories of politicians that all we do is bicker and fight can be dispelled by the work that went into this inquiry. It is about improving child health outcomes with a focus as Dr Hutchison said on preconception through to 3 years of age. It came about after many many submissions many discussions and a lot of expert advice.The result of all that work is a report based on the best scientific evidence available both here in New Zealand and internationally. In fact I believe that Professor Sir Peter Gluckman would be very proud of the work that we have done because this is an evidence-based inquiry and report. What it recommends is that the Government—any Government—in the future put more focus on and investment into children from preconception through to 3 years of age. As it states it is a policy that is backed by science by equity and by ethics as well as by good sound economic sense.The evidence is very strong that we ought to be investing into these very early years. It is fundamentally important to a child’s health outcomes. We also know there can be great gains and cost saving if we as a country are prepared to invest into effective evidence-based early intervention.Dr Hutchison mentioned James Heckman. He is a man who has done a lot of groundbreaking work on the quality of early childhood development which has proved that there are great economic gains by investment into those very early years. I like this quote from him. He said: “The real question is how to use the available funds wisely. The best… policy prescription: invest in the very young and improve basic learning and socialization skills.”There are 12 major recommendations and we cannot go into them all today. But I would like to just mention quickly two very important ones: the need for leadership and an integrated children’s action plan. This recommendation in the report says that the Prime Minister ought to accept the formal role of developing and implementing a whole-of-Government inter-agency action plan. It would also include monitoring outcomes and annual or biannual reporting of progress and the report said that there was a need to have a cross-party approach on the key recommendations. That I have to say was one of the things that was in our children’s policy at the last election: a Minister for Children a Ministry for Children and a priority on an action plan. This has been accepted in this report and I look forward to your seeing it in our policy again at the next election.The last thing I would like to say is on the recommendation to address the social and economic determinants of health and well-being. It is very important to address the disadvantage that many of our children in New Zealand face. Thank you for this opportunity to support a very good inquiry.