Adams Paul: Families Commission Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Procedure 
Adams Paul: Families Commission Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:614;Page:10296] 
PAUL ADAMS (United Future) 
: 
 Sometimes some of the words I hear spoken in this Chamber absolutely amaze me. Judith Collins asked whether we had a vision. If she would like to go back to my maiden speech she would see that one of the things I said in it was that I wanted to see the hearts of fathers return to the children and the hearts of children return to the fathers. The family was very seldom mentioned until United Future came along. We recognise the importance of the family unit. Therefore we have been very pleased to come forward with the Families Commission. 
Every member of United Future is married. Every member of United Future has children. But we are well aware that many children in this nation do not have the same sorts of family relationships. As I look through the streets of this fine nation I see some of the circumstances that some children are brought up in. I am one who with every ounce of my being believes that a family unit of a mother and a father is by far the best unit in which to bring up children. I believe that the Families Commission as it researches things will begin to produce statistics that show that. Yet I do know that children do not choose their parents. Therefore children in this nation—whatever colour whatever creed and whatever religion they are—deserve to have a commission that will take the time do the research and study what the best set of circumstances is to bring them up in. With regard to the small percentage that have same-sex parents did those children choose to have same-sex parents? No they did not but that is what they have. Therefore somebody needs to love them enough to take the time to help them work through real-life situations. 
Much has been said about fathers. Fathers in this nation are under tremendous pressure these days. The expectations on fathers are unrealistic in many cases but I agree that fathers need to be encouraged to be great fathers. These days when a mother has her first child—especially now that there are many mothers who do not have an extended family or close family members around them—who is there to help her? What information does she have when her baby begins to cry in the early hours of the morning? I have four children myself and I know what it is like. Will the mother know whether the crying is normal whether it is just part of what a young child does as it grows up? Who will give the mother the information? 
I believe that the Families Commission will research things. It will start to say: “This is the best pattern. This is what has worked best.” United Future members stand proud of the Families Commission Bill because we are concerned about all the families of this nation. Yes we have an understanding of what we think the perfect family is but not everybody is living in a perfect family. When something has to be rebuilt one has to start with where it is now and to work on what is at hand to make it as best as one can. There must be research and this is what the Families Commission will do. It will look at the whole range of families and will come up with the finding that some families are not producing the results that others produce. Therefore— 
Peter Brown 
: We already know that. 
PAUL ADAMS 
: Members may already know that but at least there will be a Families Commission in place that will focus on the families of this nation. I am pleased that United Future is in the situation where we are working on that. 
Many have said that they have worked for years with children. Well I have worked for years with children. I have worked with my own children. I have worked with children in the community who are not in the same sort of family as I have. What I have discovered is that all children and all families have the same basic requirements but not all families have the ability to find out what works for them. The Families Commission will help them—whatever sorts of families they are. It will give them information and situations that will help them bring up their children so that family units in this country can become far stronger and far greater. If this country does not rebuild families we are in deep yoghurt.