Tolley AnneHon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development): He is a nice young man is he not? He is very earnest and he is quite eloquent. It is such a shame that Mr Tabuteau is so wrong. He is just so wrong. Actually if those members do a bit of research there is very good evidence that this Government has been a fine manager of the economy during some of this country's toughest times. I say to that member that I would do it all again.I accept that we inherited an economy that had no debt but every day I would do it again—borrow money to make sure we protected the most vulnerable in this country through the times of the global financial crisis. There were no austerity cuts in this country. We defended the most vulnerable and we certainly borrowed money to help the people of Canterbury and Christchurch rebuild their city. And I would do it again every day. That is what Governments are for and that is why National Governments are so good at managing the accounts.I want to talk a little bit today about today's announcement because it is part of the radical overhaul of Child Youth and Family that I announced earlier this year. Raising the age of care and support—the bill is in the House. The select committee has been considering raising from 1 April next year the age of care from the 17th birthday to the 18th birthday. That is to come into force from the time that the new Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki comes into being. But we are going further than that and I signalled that at the time I announced the overhaul. We are raising the age of care to 21 so that young people have the opportunity to continue on in their foster homes if that is what they wish and have that fail-safe role that a parent provides. No parent sends their child off to training to university or to polytech at the age of 18 and says: You're on your own." The State has taken the responsibility of being a parent and this Government is determined that it will continue to do that and of course it is then extending the opportunity for advice and support through to age 25.Some people have asked today after the announcement: "Why have you done that? Apart from the responsibilities the State has as a parent why have you done this?". The answer I have given all day is because it makes sound financial sense. This Government has talked a lot and the Deputy Prime Minister talked today about social investment. Social investment is about improving the lives of New Zealanders by applying very rigorous and evidence-based investment practices to social services. It means using information and technology to better understand the people who need the public services and just as importantly to see what works. It is about putting the needs of people who rely on public services at the centre of all decisions that we make on planning programmes and resources.So what does that mean? The expert advisory panel looked at a cohort of young people who had experienced State care. By the age of 21 90 percent of them were on a benefit; 25 percent of them were on a benefit with a child of their own continuing the cycle; 80 percent did not have the minimum qualification they need of National Certificate of Educational Achievement level 2; and 20 percent of them had already had a custodial sentence. That is the data that has been behind making a decision to invest in these young people's transition into adulthood because we know that the effect on them of the trauma that they have suffered means that they are developmentally behind every other young person who has had the benefit of a safe and loving stable home life. They need that investment up front and it makes sense because it will save the taxpayer money further down the track. That is social investment. That is what this Government believes in—investing in young people using good data and good technology and knowing that we will make a difference in those young people's lives."