Williams PotoPOTO WILLIAMS (Labour—Christchurch East): I want to change the tone of the debate this afternoon. I want to celebrate the men and the women who work in the NGO sector who work for not-for-profits who work for community organisations in the third sector—civil society organisations. Many of them are volunteers but each and every one of them is dedicated to the people and the causes they care about and they support. So I celebrate the work they do. They support people with disabilities to live fulfilling lives they help parents to parent well they support individuals and families to live violence-free lives they teach kids how to play sport they support mothers to breastfeed and they house the homeless. Speaking of people who should be housing the homeless has the Minister for Social Housing not had a dreadful few weeks? She has had a dreadful few weeks. First her response to the ever-increasing homelessness issue was to offer people $5000 to leave Auckland because there are no houses in Auckland.Hon Annette King: How much to come back?POTO WILLIAMS: And then when they get to these places and they find there is no work she offers them $3000 to come back. So we have got this amazing homelessness loop of people leaving Auckland coming back to Auckland leaving Auckland coming back to Auckland. What is her next response to homelessness? Well she is going to pre-book some motels at the princely sum of $190 a night which the homeless will have to actually repay. But let us face it when the Government does not do its job who picks up the pieces? Who then has to take up the reins? The community sector and the NGOs do. And why does the Government not rate the NGO sector higher—why does it not? I turned on the news the other day to find out that 750 NGO groups are due to have their contracts cut in 2 weeks—in 2 weeks' time. Andrea Vance's report on One News the other night said that 750 NGOs are due to have their contracts expire. The Ministry of Social Development (MSD)—Hon Anne Tolley: That is rubbish.POTO WILLIAMS: It is rubbish. It is complete rubbish that you would treat the NGO sector in this way. Smokefree Coalition Minister—Hon Anne Tolley: That's not MSD-funded.POTO WILLIAMS: I did not say MSD; I said 750 NGOs. Listen Minister it might pay you to learn some things. The Ministry of Health and MSD are cutting 750 NGOs. In 2 weeks' time they will lose their contracts. Smokefree Coalition has worked in the smoke-free area for 20 years and has a strong commitment to New Zealand becoming smoke-free in 2025 which is a Government responsibility. That is 20 years down the drain because the Ministry of Health will not continue to fund it. Why does this Government disregard the expertise of the sector? Why? Let us look at what happened to the Problem Gambling Foundation. The Problem Gambling Foundation had the audacity to stick its head up and say: We have the right to advocate on behalf of the people we serve and the Government policy isn't matching the needs in the community." What happened to the Problem Gambling Foundation? It had its contract cut. Let us look at how the Government uses the NGO sector to actually legitimise its own policies. The Minister for Social Housing used the name of the Salvation Army to legitimise the work that the Government was doing. Thank goodness the Salvation Army actually came out and said that it was not true. I just want to end on one note. I want to send huge congratulations to Te Puea Marae and Manurewa Marae in South Auckland on doing what this Government should do. They are the New Zealanders who care for each other. They are the ones who have the least who give the most. They are not motivated by profit but they are motivated by the aroha they have for other New Zealanders unlike this Government.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."