SpeechHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Children): Kia ora Madam Chair. Thank you very much. It's a great privilege to rise and speak in the Estimates debate because what it talks about—it is interesting and I acknowledge the member who's just resumed her seat the Hon Louise Upston. I don't doubt some of the figures that she's put out. I do doubt the reason behind them that she's articulated but I don't doubt some of the figures because what this Government brought to the people of New Zealand many of them who were desperate—who were desperate—was actually hope. The reason why the waiting lists grew for housing was because they knew that under the previous Government—I know in Warkworth for example home builders in Warkworth just used to tell people Don't bother putting your name down on the waiting list for housing under a National Government because they're not going to provide you with housing." The reason why people have come out for food finally is because they know that this Government will make sure that it is provided to them. They were hopeless under the National Government and the National Government was hopeless at supporting them but now they have hope and we're actually seeing the depredation left behind after nine years of a Government that cared more about dollar signs than they did about people.But I want to talk about Oranga Tamariki. I want to talk about the work that was begun by the expert advisory panel in 2015 and the legislation that was put in by the honourable member in the Chair by the commitment made by this country to change from a child crisis service to a child protection service. I want to acknowledge that the expert advisory panel always said that the work begun by my predecessor the Hon Anne Tolley and picked up by myself was going to take a minimum of five years. The expert advisory panel also said that it was going to take a Government that was prepared to invest the dollars needed to truly support change—$1.1 billion was invested by this Government into the change for Oranga Tamariki. We have entered into strategic partnerships making sure that we have recognised the responsibility of the chief executive under section 7AA. I will put it on the record: I believe every chief executive in Government should have a 7AA clause that they are responsible for and accountable to.So as we move we now have four strategic partnerships working with iwi in that prevention and early intervention space. The $1.1 billion committed by this Government to the change needed—Brett Hudson: Could the Oranga Tamariki Minister be talking about working with iwi? Because they don't see it that way.Hon TRACEY MARTIN: —for a true child protection service in this country. Mr Hudson probably doesn't really care but there are a lot of people who truly do care. The reason why $1.1 billion was invested by this Government into the operating system of Oranga Tamariki was because we need prevention and early intervention as recognised by the previous Minister and as recognised by the previous Government actually—not sure whether Mr Hudson was up to speed on it but it did come out of the previous Government.Prevention and early intervention with systems designed to support families—and so we come full circle. It was recognised that the families of New Zealand before they reach crisis need to be supported by their Government. That is why this Government makes sure that they do get food parcels when they don't have food to put on the table. That is why this Government says "Come out and make sure we know if you have housing issues because we're going to do our damnedest to make sure that we can support you." We are going to work with iwi and hapū and urban Māori organisations to make sure that there are services designed and delivered by Māori for Māori. We're going to work with our ethnic communities and our Pasifika communities to make sure that before they end up in crisis where Oranga Tamariki has to step in and actually work with them to place their children into the care of others—remembering that at least 70 percent of the Māori children in the care of Oranga Tamariki are still with whānau but are supported by Oranga Tamariki—that still is not the preferred option for this Government. We want to stop our families coming into crisis and in this Budget that is exactly what we invested in.It was predicted and requested by the expert advisory panel. It was acknowledged by the previous Government. This Government had the hutzpah to say "We're going to put our money where our mouth is. We're going to"—Brett Hudson: No no. Putting other people's money where their mouths are.Hon TRACEY MARTIN: —"invest in our children. We're going to invest in our families." Mr Hudson is currently taking issue with the fact that we're investing in our children and our families but this Government does not resile from it. No matter how many times Mr Hudson shouts out that we should not be investing in prevention and early intervention we will continue to do so because we will continue to make sure that we fulfil the vision of the Hon Anne Tolley of that part of the National Government that actually knew there needed to be change and thank goodness Mr Hudson wasn't there because obviously he would have been unsupportive."