SpeechHARETE HIPANGO (National): I take this call on behalf of the National Party and as spokesperson for children in Oranga Tamariki and also as a voice representative of the very children who have lived in abused care have experience of the very submitters in this child-care and welfare protection sector whose voices were lifted in volume at select committee and have been extinguished. I rise I take this call and I make this stand against this Government where a legislative statement has been delivered where that statement and the expressions articulated on behalf of the Minister convey how disconnected how detached and how dysfunctional this Government is—extinguishing the voice the faces and the views of the people who've been most affected by the State welfare ill-care system. I take this call in dismay in despair and in disgust of this Government and how this Government has dispensed with the voices and the views of those who have lived in State-abused welfare care and have the experience that was shared with and expressed to this Government.In speaking to the two bills now originally presented as one now divided which is quite depictive and representative actually of the Government stance that has been taken in terms of the divisiveness that has been created by this bill now divided into two parts the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System Bill and the Children and Young People's Commission Bill I say that this depicts the fact that one bill divided into two is representative of how this Government has dismissed dispensed with and treated not only the submitters to the bill but public opinion. There's a sense of divide conquer and this being a done deal as I've always stated where the Government went through the pretence and the facade of consulting and engaging with our public.I heard the Minister speak to the written statement in saying that this has been a long journey since 2017. The Government's dismissed dispensed with the life-long journey of the victims and survivors those abused in the State ill-care welfare system. There is a royal commission of inquiry that commenced in February 2018 is due to conclude in June 2023 and it was always stated at select committee by my colleagues in the National Party my parliamentary colleagues in the Green and the ACT Party in opposition—and for the Minister in reading the legislative statement to say that not just those on the other side of the House don't support this bill or these two bills I remind the Minister and the Government actually that the opposition comes from the New Zealand public who have been dismissed. There is so much to cover that time will not indulge and other members will address that but it is important that I talk about this bill being divided into two. What happened to the Government taking heed of what public opinion and voice is which is called democracy? And so it is important—important to stress and emphasise that the Office of the Children's Commission and the Commissioner made submissions to the select committee. Totally dispensed with and ignored. And I quote That democracy how can we trust our democratic process when people's voices are ignored?" That is a quote from the Commissioner for Children Judge Frances Eivers the advocate the face the voice the representation of New Zealand children's State in care welfare experienced voices. I also quote as having been mentioned at the second reading when I stood to say "Take care of our children. Take care of what they hear take care of what they see take care of what they feel for how the children grow so what will be the shape of Aotearoa."—Dame Whina Cooper. This Government has totally ignored the voice and the view of our children. And how disconnected how misrepresented to say that this Government has engaged and listened to the voices of our children when the very advocacy group and representative voice for children VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai voices of young in-care experienced were not consulted with by this Government at the crucial stages. They lifted their voice and raised that at select committee and attempted to—to have that just quelled and extinguished. What's interesting also again is another quote from the Prime Minister in the Speech from the Throne on 8 November 2017 a commitment: "This Government will put child poverty at the heart of Government policy development." There's a poverty of spirit from this Government to ignore and extinguish the voice and the views of our children their interests their concerns which have not been centred at the heart of these two bills. Again I quote the Prime Minister: "To deliver genuine change for children transparent mechanisms are needed to hold the Government to account". Every effort from Opposition importantly from our New Zealand public and those voicing the concerns of our New Zealand children and State welfare care ill care those who've been abused—transparent mechanisms? I think not. I quote again from the Prime Minister: "If we put child well-being at the heart of what we do then the well-being of all New Zealanders will be lifted."Again I reiterate that this Government has ignored the views of child representatives of the social child-care and protection sector of specialist psychologists who work in child welfare legal practitioners former social workers who have left Oranga Tamariki because of the dismay the despair the disgust at what's happening within the organisation and the fact that this Government thinks that this oversight which totally overlooks the importance of those who are experienced in this specialised area of care and protection—lawyers the New Zealand Family Law Society legal academics former police youth justice youth aid officers social sector agencies health practitioners teachers. However this Government knows better and best than anybody.Democracy is meant to be about listening to the power and the voices of the people. New Zealanders in particular those who have worked in this sector—the fact is that those very persons are giving evidence before the royal commission of inquiry which this Government has totally dispensed with and said "It's not relevant; we will pick up the pieces later." Yesterday the chief executive of Oranga Tamariki gave evidence continued that today. There was a total of some 43 witnesses in this oversight care and protection system which this Government for some reason has turned a blind eye and a deep ear to in listening to the power the significance the relevance and the importance of their evidence to say to this Government: take heed take heart. The interesting factor is that the royal commission of inquiry is listening to and striving to make recommendations after hearing evidence for some three to four years based on the lived experience of survivors and victims. I turn to my parliamentary colleague Karen Chhour. We spoke briefly before I gave this address to the House and I sensed—[Time expired]."