Ngaro Alfred: Estimates Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNgaro Alfred: Estimates Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 11 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:5631. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALFRED NGARO (Chairperson of the Social Services Committee): I rise as the chair of the Social Services Committee to take the first call on this estimates debate. The Social Services Committee recommends the appropriations for the year ending 30 June 2016 for Vote Social Development be accepted.It is an honour to be able to speak tonight on this. The Budget for 2015 delivers a $790 million package to help children living in some of New Zealand’s poorest families. It is a commitment that was made by the Prime Minister and he clearly made it in his state of the nation speech that we are firmly focused on helping those children who through no fault of their own have been caught in a cycle of hardship. As the Prime Minister has set that vision I also want to acknowledge that the Minister the Hon Anne Tolley has taken on that role to ensure that we deliver that package and that vision as well.One of the things that we often think is the key area of concern and this is also the judgment from those in the sector who provide the service—and I know that my colleague Mr Matt Doocey will be reading from the state of the nation booklet called A Mountain All Can Climb but before he does that I too want to sort of comment on that. In February of this year this was a report that actually talked about it and often it is a state of the nation report that judges the performance of the Government in regards to the social sector. They have 22 indicators by which they judge the Government on its performance. I am happy to say that 14 out of the 22 had the thumbs up out of those social indicators of change during 2014 which gives us the lead that it is a good foundation for us to build on.Just a couple of those to mention—child poverty for instance. The percentage of children living in benefit-dependent households has reduced by 2 percent to 17 percent. We know it is a small change but it is a significant change. It is moving in the right direction. We talk about children at risk and it is a reduction of 15 percent down to 19623. So again it is a small change but the number of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect has also reduced.Darroch Ball: How many reported? Don’t answer that one!ALFRED NGARO: Educational achievement has increased by 0.2 percent. These are key indicators social indicators that are making a change. If Mr Darroch Ball was there he might have read this. He might have seen that 14 out of the 22 indicators have shown that this Government is heading in the right direction.Let us then look at the Budget of 2015 and what it is delivering for us and for New Zealand as well. We know that Budget 2015 delivers a $790 million package to help children living in some of New Zealand’s poorest families. We know employment is the best way to lift families out of difficulty and hardship and the incentive to work will ensure their children who are living in poverty are supported. This is focused on helping 60000 to 100000 children who through no fault of their own experience material hardship. There has been widespread reform throughout the welfare system over recent years aimed at increasing independence where possible. This is working well with 42000 fewer children living in welfare-dependent homes since this time 3 years ago. I think that is a significant number—42000 children in 3 years are now actually in situations where they can thrive and their outcomes can be improved.This Budget’s announcements continue National’s plan to deliver better services to vulnerable children and New Zealanders who rely on them and to deliver better value for money for taxpayers. Inside of that package I want to talk about a couple of things that I think are quite important. One of the ones that was significant in 2015 which I know was celebrated even on the other side—I know there was acknowledgment—was the fact that under this Government a National Government the benefit rates for families with children will rise by $25 a week after tax. It is the first increase other than inflation adjustments for 43 years—43 years.Darroch Ball: What did you do in 1991 Alfred? What did National do in 1991 to benefits?ALFRED NGARO: I do not think you were even alive in 1991 Mr Darroch Ball. It is the first increase other than inflation adjustments for 43 years and there will be extra support for low-income working families despite Labour voting against both these measures. That is significant because even when there was a time of surplus under the previous Labour Government there was no increase but under this Government there is an increase.Some speculators on the other side said: “What will $25 do?”. Q+A went up to the far north to some of the most deprived communities up there—Māori communities up there—and the question that was asked to Dr Lance O’Sullivan was this: “Will this budget of $25 extra per family that is eligible make a difference?”.