Ogilvy Bernie: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Ogilvy Bernie: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:606;Page:3404] 
BERNIE OGILVY (United Future) 
: 
 The Prime Minister yesterday stated among other things that we must improve our social outcomes. I agree with that and I am sure everyone in the House agrees with that but how is it to be done? Obviously common sense tells us that we need either new or better inputs to get better outcomes. My colleague Judy Turner stated that we must rebuild families and the commission for the family is of course part of that. To do that there has to be a political will to first build whole families which will then improve our communities and of course our nation. This has begun but it needs to be strengthened considerably. The longer we skip over or ignore the family social outcomes I believe will deteriorate. We see these disastrous results as pictures and we hear about them as stories on our televisions and in our newspapers every day.  
May I be so bold as to suggest to the Prime Minister at least one way to ensure that she achieves her desired social outcomes and that is through growing social capital. I want to touch on that issue tonight. Social capital is vastly different of course from economic capital which featured very strongly throughout her speech. Social capital increases as it is shared with people in contrast to the zero sum gain of economic capital where “the more I share the less I have”.  
Social capital I dare say is really the glue that keeps our communities together whether the community is a group a congregation a neighbourhood a school a club or whatever. But the question has to be asked: how can we grow social capital? I want to suggest something here tonight. I suggest that a reform of our education curriculum would begin a major breakthrough. Let me explain. It would come about through integrating universal values and truths with the attitudes the academic achievements and the learning skills taught in every school in New Zealand.  
I am not suggesting of course anything to do with values clarification for that has already promoted only personal preferences and indeed values confusion. I am talking about those universal truths of certainty found in all cultures on all continents over all time. Virtues I believe build societies and they develop the civil behaviour we all desire. These are taught and modelled not just discussed and left to chance. Social capital is formed by fairness responsibility truth tolerance duty compassion equality respect justice and freedom. They are just a few that come to mind.  
United Future is convinced along with thousands of other Kiwis that character education is a reform that will work. Other reforms may work but high standards of behaviour work even better. What is more nothing else works without them. These are I think some of the missing things from our social inputs today. The State we must remember cannot build social capital. Only individuals and families can do that. The State is here of course to set up the regulatory framework to make sure that a caring loving and just nation is developed and nurtured. Girls boys and adults being taught what is right and wrong will build our social capital to give a genuine sense of aroha. Aotearoa will progress as ordinary New Zealanders make families and parenting and schools and teachers their highest priority. We need to restore education to its true dignity and we need to restore to our teachers the honour due to them because they as our trustees pass on traditions and virtues from one generation to another. United Future is here and is willing to help the Prime Minister.