Simpson Scott: 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 VolumeSimpson Scott: 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:15462. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): It is a great pleasure and a privilege to rise in support of Dr Hutchison’s motion to debate this report of the Health Committee. So many people who watch the proceedings of this place often criticise members in it for their partisanship for their lack of detailed analysis of issues of the day for their pettiness and sometimes for the shallowness of the debate that takes placehere. So as a new member with no particular expertise in health matters to find myself sitting on the Health Committee and participating in this very full inquiry came as something of a very pleasant surprise to me. As a new member I found that a select committee process can work to achieve a significant historic and very very important outcome for the future of our nation not just for the young people but for the whole nation. It is a rare and special privilege indeed.Without having any particular health experience other than as an occasional user of the system I found some of the information that was presented to me to be overwhelming in its compelling nature and to be so logical and sensible as to be undeniable in terms of its capacity to be accepted introduced and acted upon. The work of Nobel laureate James Heckman was particularly compelling. The evidence is overwhelming that investment made in the very early years of life is an investment made in the whole of life. That is not only a benefit to individuals but an absolute benefit to us as a society and a nation. Dr Hutchison is completely correct when he says that that does not mean there need be any less focus or spending on the health needs of those who are at the other end of the life cycle.This report has been exceptionally well received as Kevin Hague indicated in his contribution to this debate. The fact that it has been so well accepted and acknowledged by all parties in the House and indeed the media the public and health professionals around the nation is I think an absolute credit to Dr Hutchison and his contribution to leading this work. Without his vigour and enthusiasm for this project I do not think that we would now be debating this matter in the House.No child deserves a bad start in life. It is often said that a child of one is a child of all and then it is also said that investing in children pays a dividend in good and productive citizens. These are mantras that are often touted around the place without any careful analysis of what goes behind them in terms of actually achieving a practical outcome and turning mere slogans into something meaningful and beneficial to individuals and society. So to have us here in this Parliament of New Zealand today debating a unanimously agreed report of the Health Committee on such an important topic is indeed a historic and momentous occasion.This report has been very long in its gestation. Public submissions closed in May 2012. The report is far-reaching. In fact there are actually two versions of the report. There is the full report and then there is sort of a “report light”. I commend that those who want to take a view of it without getting into the real nitty-gritty of it read the “report light”. It is very compelling. It is an easy read. It is absolutely logical and coherent and it makes an overwhelmingly compelling case for the 12 major recommendations and the 130 more detailed recommendations that the committee has presented.It is an absolute privilege to have sat on this committee during the course of this inquiry. I just wish that more of our fellow country folk could see the work that was done on that committee. They would understand that actually the work of this Parliament occurs in weird and wonderful ways often in ways that do not meet with public approval but that in this case we can all as members of Parliament be enormously proud of the work that this committee has prepared. I commend the motion to the House.