3. Child Poverty—KidsCan Funding and Better Public Services TargetsHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister for Child Poverty ReductionChild Poverty—KidsCan Funding and Better Public Services TargetsHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National): Thank you sir. My question is to the Minister responsible for Child Poverty: Does she consider material—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Whole title?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Sorry?Mr SPEAKER: Responsible for Child Poverty—Hon PAULA BENNETT: Poverty Reduction—sorry sir.Mr SPEAKER: Thank you.3. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction: Does she consider material deprivation as an important indicator of children in poverty; if so will her Government use it as one of their measures to show any reduction in child poverty?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Minister for Child Poverty Reduction): Yes and it is my intention that material hardship be used as one of the measures we hold ourselves to. I have today in fact signed and delivered a letter to Mr English with these details and others for the child poverty bill which I'm very hopeful we'll have cross-party support for in this House. Hon Paula Bennett: In light of that will she then sign a letter and deliver it to KidsCan to give them some assurances that the $350000 that they have been told from senior officials will be cut from their funding will in fact be delivered when they actually do so much for children in material hardship?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: They were not told that by officials. I'm advised that that is not what they were told. What I can say however is that the $350000 they were receiving was time-limited because the last Government said it would run out in June 2018. In fact the last Government also cut over a million dollars from their Nit Busters programme as well. This Government however has not yet made a decision on KidsCan funding because we haven't made any of our Budget decisions yet and it is still something that Ministers are considering. Hon Paula Bennett: In light of the fact that KidsCan has provided over 168000 children across 700 mostly low-decile schools why can the Minister not find a measly $350000 to give them some certainty so they can make a real difference in these children's lives?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I've said—[Interruption] As I've said a decision hasn't yet been made on KidsCan funding.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can I ask the members behind the Prime Minister to be a little quieter. They are coming through her microphone and that means we are having trouble and the public is having trouble hearing her.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: A decision has not yet been made on KidsCan's funding. As I understand officials had a conversation with KidsCan but it was not one that had been brought to Ministers' attention. We haven't made any Budget decisions yet. What I will say is that that funding that was being received wasn't for food. The last Government cut their funding for food programmes some time ago.Hon Paula Bennett: So can the Minister confirm that Government funding for the KickStart programme is in jeopardy; and if not can she confirm if its funding will continue for four years?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: If the member is referring to the food programme that led to KidsCan's programme being reduced then again as I say we haven't made any of those decisions yet. That is all part of Budget 2018.Hon Paula Bennett: With the Minister's commitment to reducing child poverty will she maintain the Better Public Services targets which are tailored to reduce hardship by using a multi-agency approach?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We are setting ourselves the most robust targets on child poverty that will ever have been set by any Government. I am proud of that and I am seeking that member's support for that to be something that is set in legislation for future Governments as well because unlike the last Government we are determined to reduce inequality.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: A point of order—the Hon Paula Bennett who's standing as opposed to the member who's sitting and taking her call.Hon Paula Bennett: Thank you sir. My question was particularly around the Better Public Services targets and if the Government would be keeping them and the Minister didn't actually answer that in any way.Mr SPEAKER: And I think I'll get the member to repeat her question without the preface which was out of order.Hon Paula Bennett: Certainly. Can I ask if the Minister will maintain the Better Public Services targets which are tailored to reduce hardship by using a multi-agency approach?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That Government never set a Better Public Services target to reduce child poverty and in fact that is what this Government wants to do.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. She still hasn't answered that question—Mr SPEAKER: No. [Interruption] The member will resume her seat. The question was certainly addressed.