Sabin Mike: Budget Measures (Financial Support for Newborn Children) Bill — First Reading Second Reading In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSabin Mike: Budget Measures (Financial Support for Newborn Children) Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee[Sitting date: 15 May 2014. Volume:698;Page:17959. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MIKE SABIN (National—Northland): I am not sure where the member Tracey Martin was going with my Nordic knowledge. I am quite happy to stand here in this House and say that I have a really limited knowledge of the Nordic approach to supporting children but I have a very good knowledge of what the National Party does to support children to support families in this country and this bill the Budget Measures (Financial Support for Newborn Children) Bill is actually a very good example of it. I am actually feeling very privileged to be able to speak on this bill because according to Sue Moroney this is not a bill that men can speak on apparently.No—no; heaven forbid that the National Party might have a few fathers who stand up to speak on a bill that deals with parent—Sue Moroney: That’s not what I said and you know it.MIKE SABIN: Well it is Ms Moroney. It is actually. You were chastising the National Party because of the men who were speaking on this bill. Heaven forbid that men might have something to do with procreation of children. There you go. Call me old-fashioned but I think we do. I have got three lovely children none of whom—Hon Trevor Mallard: One of them is a hell of a lot brighter than his father.MIKE SABIN: What is that sorry?Hon Trevor Mallard: One of them is a hell of a lot brighter than his father.MIKE SABIN: Well that is probably true. What happens is an evolutionary process where the offspring become more intelligent.Hon Trevor Mallard: He’s obviously got a brighter mother.MIKE SABIN: I am happy to accept that—I am happy to accept that. He has certainly tripped that member up a few times so there you go. You must be right on song.If we look at this package there has been some discussion about the fact that this is a narrow focus on a small set of people but actually this is part of a $500 million package much of which actually goes far broader than people are acknowledging here. It has some $90 million - odd that will go towards supporting children up to the age of 13 getting free doctors visits. That will be something. That will be very good in Northland. There is $155 million to help our early childhood education centres and has this Government not done a very good job in that space? There is $33 million to enhance the work that we are doing with vulnerable children around the vulnerable children’s teams.Tracey Martin mentioned the $359 million which she pooh-poohs but actually ensuring that we have good leadership and excellent teachers in our classrooms to enhance young people’s opportunities to be good contributors to New Zealand is a very positive thing. That is front-loading. People can cherry-pick one piece or another but the reality is that this Government is doing a lot across a lot of areas but it is doing it in a prudent responsible and careful manner. That is why we are back in surplus. That is why we will grow at 4 percent next year and that is why we will continue to be the Government beyond the election—plain and simple.