Belich CamillaCAMILLA BELICH (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It is an honour at this late stage to speak on the Social Security (Financial Assistance for Caregivers) Amendment Bill. I wasn't on the select committee that considered this bill or able to speak on this bill during the earlier readings of this bill. However it is an honour to do so now and to hear the contributions from around the House on why this is a significant bill and one that enjoys widespread support. Earlier in the general debate today I spoke about the initiatives that the Government is taking to assist children. I talked about things like raising benefits that will help address child poverty the initiative that we have to introduce period products in all schools and kura from June the extension of Ka Ora Ka Ako—healthy lunches in schools—and better childcare assistance for working families. It is my pleasure therefore to stand again to take another call on another initiative that puts the needs of our most important constituents—our children—first and carries on the Government's work towards making New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child. I think it is worth reflecting on the words of the Minister for Children Kelvin Davis in his speech that he made at first reading. He said—and I quote—It is everybody's dream I guess—or wish—that every child in New Zealand has a safe secure living whānau preferably with their own family; however that's not always the case." When it is not the case we all have a role in caring and looking after these children in our community and this is exactly what this bill does. So what does this bill do to assist children who are in care? This bill addresses a longstanding discrepancy between caregivers who look after children in State care and children looked after by caregivers who are not in State care. Now children themselves are probably often unaware if the care outside their family is provided by the State or whether it is not and so therefore it seems very unfair that some of these most vulnerable children in our society are treated differently currently compared to the source of the provision of their care. Currently caregivers have to prove that they'll be looking after children in their care for at least 12 months and I think we've heard from others that this particular provision that currently exists in our law is very problematic. The requirement isn't fair. This bill would remove the 12-month rule as it's known and it would do this by extending the definition of who a caregiver is. Often when people are caring for a child they may end up caring for them longer than they originally thought meaning that children who would have been entitled to additional benefits if the final length of their care had been known remain unentitled to them. So the removal of this rule will allow caregivers to receive allowances when the period of care is short term unknown or uncertain. This is I understand an issue that was brought up by submitters on this particular bill and it seems a pragmatic solution to a problem that exists. It is fair and equitable to make this change to the 12-month rule and I'm proud of the Government for recognising this injustice. I also just want to acknowledge as have others who have spoken on this bill tonight the former Minister who brought this bill to the House Tracey Martin. I was really heartened to hear that she attended the Social Services and Community Committee to give her view and I really want to commend her for that. She obviously cares deeply about this policy and was able to put her time and energy into it when there was no direct benefit to her and she had no direct role in seeing its passage through the House. So for that I thank you for you leadership on this particular bill Tracey. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Not the Speaker. CAMILLA BELICH: Sorry—I thank Tracey Martin not you Madam Speaker. The next significant change is a change to make sure that children with caregivers who are not in State care receive a holiday and birthday allowance. This is done through clause 6 through amending Schedule 4 of the Social Security Act 2018 in respect of allowances. This will allow caregivers to receive an allowance on children's birthdays from 2022 and every year after that. This will mean that days that are special to most of us can also be a bit more special for some of our most vulnerable children. As a teenager I read the autobiography of Sonja Davies a former union leader and a Labour Party MP later in her career. The title of her autobiography is Bread and Roses. The title Bread and Roses is from the Lawrence textile workers' strike. It was popularised by the Lawrence textile workers' strike in 1912 which was a famous strike that took place in America. The women there were fighting for fair wages but also for dignity. Making sure that children in care whether in State care or not receive a birthday or holiday allowance recognises I think children in a very similar way. Yes children need the essentials. They need food shelter and love as all people do but they also need to be treated with respect and deserve to celebrate extra things like birthdays and holidays that might be important to them. Children like the striking workers need bread and roses too. I also want to acknowledge the committee for the change of name from "Christmas" to "holiday". This appears to me to be a long-overdue change that better recognises our diverse community. Not everyone in our community celebrates Christmas and I think it's important that in legislation we have language which is as inclusive as it can possibly be and this change to recognise holidays as opposed to the previous wording in the bill—"Christmas"—would recognise that. I think when Minister Davis first spoke on this bill he acknowledged that the level of these allowances means there won't always be big birthday parties or big celebrations or dinners that some of us might enjoy in our own homes but it will be a recognition of something. There are also additional changes apart from those two main changes which I think we've heard quite a few speakers talk about which were the change to the 12-month rule and additionally the allowances in relation to holiday and birthday allowances which I think are the main changes in this bill. I personally wasn't aware of the main types of financial assistance that are provided to carers but on reading the bill I was made aware that there are three types of main benefits that are provided to carers in New Zealand. The first is the orphan's benefit and first of all like other speakers I want to acknowledge the language on this. It does cover children whose parents have died or are missing but it also covers children whose parents have long-term disabilities. So not always orphans—I think it's right to acknowledge some issues perhaps with that language. The second type of financial assistance is the unsupported child's benefit. This supports children where there has been a breakdown of family or the children are unable to be supported by their parents. The third type of financial assistance provided to carers is the foster care allowance for children in State care. Now these first two benefits or allowances that I described are provided to carers who are caring for children not in State care and the third one the foster care allowance is for children in State care. So what this bill does is remove the disparity between the orphan's benefit and the unsupported child's benefit and brings it in line with the foster carers benefit which is what I just described as a main benefit that people who care for children in State care receive. Another thing that the bill does is expand the "principal temporary carer" definition. This move allows more people to be covered—those on an orphan's benefit and the unsupported child's benefit. However there are some exclusions to this which I think further leads to the integrity of the bill. Specifically excluded from this additional principal temporary carers definition are private arrangements for care while parents are employed overseas or in another region arrangements where a child is being raised by family members or extended family care when a child is staying in short-term visits with friends or family members and care related to school holiday programmes and early childhood education. I understand further advice will be provided by the Ministry of Social Development on how that will be interpreted but I think it does lead to the overall integrity of this bill that those particular things that we would expect to be excluded are in fact excluded by this bill. In conclusion I just want to acknowledge the different people in the House who have shared their stories. I want to acknowledge my colleague Koro Glen Bennett who through his care of many many children over many years is I think deserving of the title "Koro". So thank you Glen for all of your work in that area and also to all the others around the House who have shared personal stories. This is a personal matter. Being in care is very personal but it's important that we recognise how important it is that we get this right. So in conclusion I just wanted to acknowledge the 15000 caregivers who are supporting the 22000 children. We thank you and to those children in care we see you and you are entitled to a full life one of bread but of roses too. Thank you."