Sabin Mike: Vulnerable Children Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSabin Mike: Vulnerable Children Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 17 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13403. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]MIKE SABIN (National—Northland): I am pleased to take the last call on the Vulnerable Children Bill. I also want to join in commending the Minister for Social Development not only for this bill but also for the work that she has done right through the green paper and white paper process.I want to cover off just a few points because most of it has already been traversed. This has been an issue where the can has been kicked down the road year upon year for many many years. I remember the inquiry into JamesWhakaruru back in 1999 the abhorrence that New Zealanders expressed at that stage and the conversations that have gone on since. The conversations have amounted to a whole lot of hui and not much do-ey as far as I am concerned. While that has been happening over 50 children a year have been dying often at the hands of those whom they most rely on for their existence and protection: their caregivers and their parents. What I saw in the Minister’s efforts to actually make a substantial action-focused approach to this was the fact that she went out to the grassroots and she developed bottom-up ownership of this issue. Out there in the community not here in the halls of Parliament people actually know what is going on and they know where the deficits are. They know the cracks through which these children are falling notwithstanding the fact that so many agencies are often involved in the cases of children who are most often abused and who end up dying.We have heard the argument raised and I commend the fact that all members across this House believe that we need to come together and put the politics to one side to resolve the issues but I will not stand here and accept it when members turn this conversation into one about what they say is “poverty”. There are many many families in this country who are in challenging financial situations for a variety of reasons andwho do not beat their children and do not sexually violate them because of the fact that they may not earn what their neighbour does. The thing that really gets me—Iain Lees-Galloway: Try listening Mike. For once in your life try listening.MIKE SABIN: —and which comes from members like that member over there—is that they will sit there and wax lyrical as they have for year upon year as this can has been kicked further down the road and yet they will oppose every effort that this Government makes to actually do what is most important in ensuring that families have more ability to spend the money. If they raise the argument that it is about poverty then why vote against every effort to actually grow the economy? If it is about jobs then why vote against every effort that this Minister and this Social Services Committee have put in place to ensure that the focus for those who do not have work is on getting work and having the skills and the attitude to get into work?When I interviewed offenders who had abused raped and murdered children not once did they say to me: “Oh well sir the reason I have committed this offence is that I am living in poverty.” No it was because they were living in a situation where they had seen their parents and their parents’ parents doing that. It was because they had lived in an environment where they had no education no quality and no prospects for a future—again efforts in those areas that that party will vote against; our efforts to make sure that the one in five who are not succeeding actually have a chance to succeed—and it was because of substance abuse. I will bet the House that there are plenty of members on that side who are quite happy—in fact Iain Lees-Galloway is one—to see some more liberal approaches to what we see around drugs and alcohol.Those were the reasons that members opposite raised. Those were the reasons. If the members on that side are genuinely concerned about the children of New Zealand then they should stop voting against bills that are about ensuring that the economy grows and stop voting against bills that are about ensuring that people on welfare are given the opportunity to get into work because otherwise those arguments are disingenuous.This bill provides an important fabric and a vehicle for change and it does it for two reasons. It does it because it provides leadership and accountability a top-down process which ultimately through theViKi system the Vulnerable Kids Information System provides a bottom-up synchromesh with the vehicle of accountability and the direction that must come from a cohesive collaborate cross-government approach. When you join the top down with the bottom up you get a result.I commend this bill. I commend the work of the Minister. My challenge to those on the select committee is to not play politics but to actually deal with what this bill is dealing with. We will then look forward to seeing you supporting us in growing the economy and bills that support that.Bill read a first time.Billreferred to the Social Services Committee.