Walker HamishKIWISAVER (FOSTER PARENTS OPTING IN FOR CHILDREN IN THEIR CARE) AMENDMENT BILLFirst ReadingHAMISH WALKER (National—Clutha-Southland): I move That the KiwiSaver (Foster Parents Opting in for Children in their Care) Amendment Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Social Services and Community Committee to consider this bill.Despite the very lengthy title of the bill this is a very simple issue which deserves the support of every member of this House. The bill was designed to solve a problem and create an opportunity for the most vulnerable children in our communities: 6000 children who are currently in the care of the State. They are foster children and it is the hope of every member of this House that these vulnerable children are all receiving the care the security the services and the love that they need and deserve.Foster parents are the mechanism we as a country use to give these tamariki a family—a family who will care who will provide and who will love unconditionally. Sometimes that family is the care of strangers. Sometimes they are whānau carers or kin carers but the objective is always the same: give the child a safe secure and loving environment where their physical and psychological needs are met where decency and kindness prevail and where love flourishes.This House has a responsibility to those children and I am sure that every member of this House takes that responsibility as seriously as I do. The issue this bill addresses is simple. It seeks to give foster parents the same right as other parents to open a KiwiSaver account for these children. It also gives foster children aged 16 and 17 the same rights to open a KiwiSaver account as any other 16- or 17-year-old New Zealander. This sounds simple and many members of this House would no doubt ask why this is not possible currently. Why indeed? Well a foster child is in a very unique position. Often their legal guardian or parent is absent. They may be unable to be contacted. They might be in prison. They might be deceased. For whatever reason their care is now the business of the State.For children in this situation our country allocates that guardianship responsibility to the chief executive of Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children. In the absence of a legal guardian or parent that chief executive is responsible for all decisions affecting that child's welfare. The chief executive exercises that care through social workers who themselves are likely to be responsible for many other children. Foster parents or kin carers are the mechanism that is used to reassure the chief executive that a child for whom she is responsible is receiving the care that they need. But there's a problem. This problem arises when foster parents want to open a KiwiSaver account for foster children in the same way as any other parent can open a KiwiSaver account for their children.Why would a foster parent want to do this? Let me give you a real-life example of a family where the grandfather wants to provide a legacy for all the children in the family including the foster children. Why a KiwiSaver account and not a bank account? Very simple: if you want to leave a legacy for a child that you know will only ever be able to be accessed by that child then that is a KiwiSaver account. As the child grows he or she may receive other financial bonuses which can be put aside for their future. No one else can access a KiwiSaver account except the account holder himself or herself.So it's a good thing to do this for a child—to provide that child who may have had many years of instability and insecurity with a valuable asset that will always be there for them in the future. So why can't this be done now? Very simple: the chief executive of the Ministry for Children is a very busy person who has thousands of responsibilities. Currently the only way to get an application to open a KiwiSaver account on her desk is through the social worker who is responsible for that child and possibly for hundreds of other children as well.So form-filling to open a KiwiSaver account is not a high priority for the social worker for the ministry itself or indeed for the CEO given her massive job. That's what this bill was designed to address. If you want to open a KiwiSaver account for a child you need that child's birth certificate and an IRD number. Currently foster parents cannot access those. They need the CEO of the Ministry for Children to do it all on their behalf. This bill gives foster parents who have been approved through the Family Court and who have been given a care plan by that court the right to apply directly for a birth certificate and for an IRD number. It's that simple. It can be done by the Family Court judge adding that responsibility to the care plan given to each foster parent through the Family Court process. Until this happens foster children do not have the same rights as other children in New Zealand who have a legal parent or guardian. At this point I want to acknowledge the efforts of a number of very special people: a group of individual foster parents who have been working with not-for-profit KiwiSaver provider Simplicity and talking with the Government and various departments about how this can be achieved. I want to acknowledge the leadership of the Minister for Children Tracey Martin who has welcomed this approach and also the Minister of Revenue Stuart Nash. I want to acknowledge the support of VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai the not-for-profit agency which aims to speak for and represent the interests of young people. Unfortunately all these people have received pushbacks from those in Government departments who say it's too hard. To those who are worried about the costs or the admin challenge I can give you my assurance that this is already taken care of. Not-for-profit KiwiSaver provider Simplicity—and it's great to see Sam the founder of Simplicity here tonight with his kids Ben and Emma; great to see you—has already committed to set up a KiwiSaver account for each and every foster child in New Zealand who wants one waiving all admin fees membership and trustee and custodial fees for at least the first five years.I ask every member of this House to agree to this very simple request to enable our most vulnerable children to have the same right to access KiwiSaver as any other child in New Zealand. I accept that this bill should go to the select committee for consultation and I look forward to hearing from foster parents and foster children.I want to finish by thanking a young person who will remain anonymous in this House who has allowed me to read this poem explaining their identity dilemma:So you've asked what it takes - to get an IDTo prove I exist - that I am the Real Me"I can't get a job - because IRDNeed to give me a number - to prove I'm the "Real Me"!So I'm told by social workers - "well you don't have a birth certificate"Which in your adult world - kind of makes me "illegitimate"There is a copy on file - but they say it's not "the real McCoy"So the lawyers say we have to go - and pay for one more!So the powers that be - fill in an applicationTo get a new birth certificate - so I'm part of this nation!In the meantime they tell me - "not to worry it will be cool"But after 5 months - they must think I'm a fool!I'm not a fool just powerless - relying on adultsI still can't have a bank account - never mind a bank balance!I can't get youth rates - to get the bus and train to courseI have to pay as an adult - as there's no other recourse!So 5 months later - I am still waiting No updates or news - it's really so frustratingYou expect me to be patient - do you not think I have beenTry living my world - not sure you'd be too keen!So this is my plea - for all of those teenagers in "care"Can you sort this shit earlier - I wonder if you dareThe lack of these basics - is contributing to my stressIs it any wonder - I am a teenage mess?I hold on to "hope" - that somebody will listenBut frankly - it all seems to be too much of a mission!Just get me my ID - so I can join the adult worldAnd don't blame me - for what is quite absurd!You just don't make it easy - everything's so toughThe process is humiliating - it's really shit and roughBecause I don't exist - as I cannot prove who I amMaybe this has come from no one - do you know who I am?I move this bill."