Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Madam Assistant Speaker thank you. I look forward to standing and speaking on the Families Commission Act Repeal Bill in its second reading. It's a pity that Minister Tracey Martin's remarks were somewhat condescending rather than contributing to I suppose the intent of this bill.If we know its history the history goes back to 2003 as has been spoken about. It was a political commitment of two parties coming together United Future and the Labour Party to ensure that there was more focus and direction on supporting families. It was quite clear and when one looks back at the Hansards of the speeches that were given it often reflected the fact that when we looked right across the whole of not only Government but society there was always one common denominator and that was the family. Whether it be with health education employment or law and order there was one issue there. And at that time there was a lack of evidence of data and therefore a lack of giving direction and focus to policy legislation and also to practice that would support the better lives of families. So one would have to say I imagine that most of us if we were in the House would have been very supportive of the direction of setting up the Families Commission.Over that period of time and in 2003 when the Act was put in place and in 2004 when the Families Commission then was formed it was formed in an advocacy role. Part of that role was for them to establish research. So I do have to commend—over the history of that period of time where it developed its history—this research component to it. As that progressed—and it changed obviously as administrations changed from a Labour Government to a National-led Government—it took on some of those roles but it began to ask the question that with the data that it was receiving How can we better use the analytics around actually forming better policy and better practice in regards to that development?" hence the development of the social investment approach.The social investment—again it was asking very simple questions to all Government departments and of the Government itself. In other words it held a mirror to itself and asked the question that if we could look at every dollar that we invested in Government and also in its outreach arms of its services in its ministries could we actually hand on heart say that we were truly making a difference to families? Part of that approach was saying that we needed to first hold ourselves to account. So the whole social investment approach was wanting to make sure with the data we had that we were investing early and we were investing in the areas that we felt that were critically important as well as holding ourselves to account.As that transitioned on so did the aspect of the information that was gathered in that period of time from 2010 to 2014 and 2015 hence the development of the social policy evaluation and research unit (SuPERU) which in particular was to focus the research around families as well. So then in that development I want to acknowledge some of the work over that period of time that's taken place. And if we think about the Families and Whānau Status Report that's critically important because what that does is again it gives data in the development of understanding the well-being and—as the previous speaker the Minister Tracy Martin was talking about—now they're developing some of that. I have to say that's come off some of the work and the research that's come out of the Families Commission and then formed into SuPERU as well.We also too have the Family Violence Clearinghouse contract. I know that Greg O'Connor will know about this because it impacted where the police were as well. Again I want to acknowledge the work that came out of SuPERU which informed that. That still continues on. We're also pleased that as part of the transition and the repeal of this Act and the disestablishment of the Families Commission those pieces of work will still be held. The Family Violence Clearinghouse will now still be the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice. So that's informing again the direction not only of practice but of policy as well. We think that's important.The roles and the residual responsibilities around the Families and Whānau Status Report will now go to the Minister for Social Development. We're pleased to see that because part of our discussion in the Social Services and Community Committee was to ensure that the appropriations of funding that would then be established would also continue on through the Minister for Social Development. The Minister in her remarks talked about the fact of tying up loose ends. I have to say that's incorrect because we progressed in a way to ensure that we were still taking the intent of the Families Commission of the Act to ensure that we had both adequate evidence and data but we were utilising that data in the best way to ensure that we were investing in the appropriate services that were supporting families. If one looks at the Social Investment Agency (SIA) that was set up by the National-led Government it clearly talks about the fact in its statement: "Investing in what works for better lives". And that's the whole intent of it. So when we see the repeal of this Act we have to say the fact that while it's being repealed by the current Government of the day and it's disestablishing the different components it's doing so because it realises the framework that was set up around social investment is a framework that will work. So when this Government is looking at the Child Poverty Reduction Bill when it's looking at the child well-being strategy all of those elements will work if it applies the key principles of practice under social investment. So we're very pleased by that. We were pleased by the fact that they're adopting that and it is the direction of work. It was a Cabinet paper in July 2017 which actually was progressing this and again that's something that we think is really important. In closing my remarks there's a statement that says that everyone has their day in the sun. I think the fact is we can confidently say that we are taking on the work and the intent of the Families Commission that was set up in 2003 the work that it has progressed over the last 12 to 14 years and that now as it then sort of embeds itself and establishes itself in the different components of the mechanics of the Government and its different roles and responsibilities we feel that that work is good work. We think that is work that will improve and better lives. We're proud to support it because I have to say when one thinks about what are the good things that we have done over this period of time of nine years as a National-led Government social investment has been a critical part of that.So we support this bill it its direction. We think it's an important part of what needs to continue on and if we are serious as the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction says to lift the politics out of poverty in those discussions then we think it's important that social investment is a critical part. The last thing that I would say that is important is that Better Public Services targets are critically important because it's not about holding people to account in regards to the people of our community; it's holding Government departments to account. If we don't have that along with social investment we'll find that part of those mechanics will not achieve the results that we all desire which is again to ensure that our families our communities have better lives. I commend this bill to the House."