Copeland Gordon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Copeland Gordon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:641;Page:10908] 
11.  
GORDON COPELAND (Independent) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Does the Government have any plans to address the issues of fatherhood marriage preparation and marriage enrichment to ensure that more children are raised in a safe loving and caring home? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Acting Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 The Labour-led Government wants to ensure that all Kiwi kids living in all sorts of families live in safe loving and caring homes. Since we became the Government we have set a task for example of raising 130000 out of poverty. We have done that through our income-related rents policy and the Working for Families policy and by reducing health costs. We have had a real impact of course on families which has made life safer for those young people. We have been investing $1.6 billion to increase the amount of support available for Working for Families to children which means that three out of four New Zealand families are now enjoying that support and that undoubtedly is making life better for those children. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Why does the Government continue to ignore family form when the evidence demonstrates that on average a home headed by a married couple produces the best outcomes in terms of health education and income level and by far the lowest involvement in the criminal justice system? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: At the risk of giving the member a sociology lesson I think that the evidence actually shows that as long as the family form maintains a safe caring nurturing environment with clear boundaries for behaviour then whatever the family form is those children will be in the proper kind of environment and that is the evidence that this Government follows. 
Gordon Copeland 
: Is the Minister aware that a sample of 7000 young people involved with the youth justice system each year indicates that just 12 percent are living with both their mum and dad 28 percent with only one parent and a massive 60 percent with neither their mum nor their dad; and does this not provide ample evidence that family form especially the presence of a mum and dad is all-important? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I think everybody in the House would say that it is preferable if children can remain with their biological parents. However unless the member has a bill intending to force people to stay together we have to deal with the facts as they are. That is why I say that we reinforce good positive relationships within any family form that exists in New Zealand. 
Gordon Copeland 
: I seek the leave of the House to table a Youth Court paper setting out the statistics that I quoted in my supplementary question. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Gordon Copeland 
: I seek the leave of the House to table a statement from the Chief Family Court Judge saying that very few youth offenders are from stable two-parent homes. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
[The following supplementary question supplementary answer member raising a point of order and the Speaker’s response were wrongly omitted.] 
Moana Mackey 
: What steps is the Government taking to ensure that children are raised in a safe environment? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Since the Government came to office in 1999 it has invested very heavily in programmes to keep children safe—for example Family Start early intervention programmes to tackle family violence and Women’s Refuge. There has been about $136 million from the Ministry of Social Development alone. Meanwhile can I say that Mr Copeland’s contribution has been to miss the vote on section 59 and today to call for a Children’s Day not realising that Children’s Day is celebrated in March every year. If he wants proof of that I have here a photo of his former leader on the steps of Parliament and I can only guess that the big figure in the suit is hiding Mr Copeland who maybe could not see that it was Children’s Day being celebrated on the steps of Parliament. 
Gordon Copeland 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The member’s statement is misleading.  
Hansard 
 will indicate that I voted against the section 59 anti-smacking bill. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order.