Ngaro Alfred: Estimates Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNgaro Alfred: Estimates Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 31 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:12136. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALFRED NGARO (National):Kia orana Mr Chair. The New Zealand Centre for Political Research and its commentators have said that the welfare reforms that have been introduced by this Government are some of the most significant since the Social Security Act of 1938—the most significant since 1938. Yet despite that what has actually happened is that these reforms have been welcomed and they have been embraced—they have been welcomed and they have been embraced. So what is the point of difference one may ask when listening to these speeches? What is the point of difference about these reforms that is truly making a difference? I want to share this. In 2007 the Rt Hon John Key in a state of the nation address said: “These are tough problems ….”—what we are facing; these welfare reforms—“But I have no intention of being a Prime Minister who tackles only the easy … But I can tell you that dealing with the problems of our growing underclass”—and our vulnerable families and children—“is a priority for [the] National [Government]”. He has kept that promise and these are the things that are making a difference.So here is the point of difference that is making a difference. On Friday I was out there visiting one of my constituents a Mr David Bruce. He has got cerebral palsy and I went to visit him at 54Pah Road in Epsom. He is in the hospital there. As I sat there with him the first thing he said to me was this—he pointed to his watch and he said I was 1 minute late for my appointment. I apologised for being 1 minute late. He could not speak well but then he motioned to me to come and sit down while he was there in his wheelchair. He began to speak to me and communicate with me—here are the things that are really important. In having a lifetime of disability he talked about the vulnerability and the protection of vulnerable adults. He talked about the potential of a member’s bill. What he started to say to me—and here is the point of difference that adds to this debate around social development—and what he was communicating to me was that he was not a problem to be solved but a potential to be realised. I knew at that point in time at that meeting with him—Hon Trevor Mallard: Take his cash to Skycity.ALFRED NGARO: This is what he was saying Mr Mallard. He was communicating this to me: “We are an investment. We are a potential to be realised.” The intent of this welfare policy is about an investment for the future for our children.But here is where it gets really ugly for the Opposition because as political commentators for the New Zealand Centre for Political Research have gone out—[Interruption ] That is right. They do not want to listen to this but here it is. An onlineNew Zealand Heraldpoll of 13450 voters showed that 58 percent of respondents believed that the reforms were—here it goes—sensible and about time. Only 13 percent thought they were totally unjustified. A Stuff poll of 8300 voters found that 52 percent thought that the reforms were needed and interestingly enough 21 percent thought they were not going far enough. What are these reforms telling us and telling the rest of New Zealand? We do not have people marching in the streets. We do not have people protesting. Instead what do we have? We have people who are saying that they welcome these reforms they are needed and they are positive because they are investing in the future of the young people and the families of our communities and of our nation.Here are some of the investments we are making. I have had constituents come to see me in my electorate office. One of the challenging issues is housing but there are also issues around budgeting. The extra funding and support of budgeting services of $1.5 million will help and it is on top of the $8.9 million so that we can ensure that budgeting services are meeting the needs. But that is not all. There ismicrofinancing support for people on low incomes. I sat down with a family with five children. They are struggling with their own finances. They owe money to five different finance companies. As we sat there together working through these issues we realised that the policies and the direction of the reforms will meet these very needs. We got the family to go to theŌtara Budgeting Service. We got them to be able to talk about these issues. In the long run these reforms will truly make a difference as well.The other thing we are doing is getting a better deal on the procurement of whiteware to make sure we do not have second-hand shoddy whiteware. We are going to have the opportunity for them to have whiteware which will make a difference for them. There is an extra $35 million for extended family members raising children. I have been meeting with grandparents with kin carers who have been working and looking after their grandchildren. This is much-needed relief. Often at times when there has been abreakup in the family and they have had some difficult times—