te Heuheu Georgina: Commissioner for Children Bill — Second Reading 
te Heuheu Georgina: Commissioner for Children Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:613;Page:9821] 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU (National) 
: 
 I am pleased to speak on the second reading of the Commissioner for Children Bill and I start by following a previous speaker—and no doubt others did as well—in commending the work of the previous two Commissioners for Children the late Laurie O’Reilly and the recently retired Roger McClay. I think we have shown good foresight in setting up that position. It is a pity that under the tenure of both those men we have seen an increase in child abuse and poverty among children. We have seen children come into enormous difficulties in our country. This underpins exactly why the bill is important and why it is proper that we add some statutory functions for the commissioner. National will support the bill for these reasons. 
We have recently seen in the last 2 weeks what enormous pressure the Minister Steve Maharey’s department is under. Frankly we have seen the chief executive of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services step down. No doubt she felt bound to do something because nobody else seemed to want to take responsibility or the rap for what has been happening in that organisation over the last 2 or 3 years. It seems entirely unfair given Jackie Pivac’s very open and honest comments about the enormous difficulty she was under in trying to discharge responsibilities with her team of people. This seems to be a situation where the Minister weakly stands across the House preens himself and smiles in the way he smiles as though everything is going nicely and is hunky-dory while in effect we have a Government agency in free fall. It is a great pity that the chief executive has had to take it upon herself to more or less take the blame for what has been happening in that department while the Minister Steve Maharey stands clear. He is letting someone else take the rap for the appalling things that have happened in the 2 years that he has taken to get this tiny little bill—tiny in size but very important in its aims and objectives—to the House. It has taken him 2 years to start to move this bill on and of course that is a disgusting and appalling state of affairs. 
Our children of course are our future. I know we all think that and we all say that. Maori often refer to our children as being taonga and precious and of course they are precious because in them we invest all our hopes and dreams for the future and we like to think that in whatever we do we are creating a better world for them. But as I say recent events have shown us that New Zealand children are among the worst-off in the world in terms off poverty abuse and the violence they have to suffer. We have a Government that likes to say that it is here for all the ordinary people and we have a Minister who likes to stand there weakly and pretend that everything is fine in terms of his own responsibilities but he has been shown to be talking through a hole in his head quite frankly. 
It is unfortunate that we have some examples to refer to. There was the case of the little girl in the Wairarapa recently. Her father Mr Burrows made that call to the Department of Child Youth and Family Services. What happened? Nothing. Then finally he lost his little girl. There was also the example of the two other little girls up there and so on and so forth. How much longer will it be before Minister Maharey actually wakes up steps into the real world and really shows that he cares for the children of New Zealand? When will that Government show that it really cares for the children of New Zealand? As long as those members sit there in power with the power to do something about it and we get these appalling things happening to our children— 
Mark Peck 
: Say sorry. 
Hon GEORGINA TE HEUHEU 
: Listen to that member! I do not know what he is suggesting that I should say sorry for. He is sitting in a Government that appears to be doing nothing absolutely nothing for the children of Aotearoa.He should be ashamed of himself.He should say he is sorry. He has been sitting in Government now for 4 years. What has he done to protect our little ones? Nothing. It is all very well getting into power but members actually have to show that they can exercise the responsibility that comes with that power and do something that makes a difference for the children of New Zealand. That is what Government members are meant to do. If they have not learnt that then they should not be sitting on that side of the House. 
I come back to our children—New Zealand children—and to the responsibility incumbent on all members of this House to show not by words but by deeds that we actually do care about these little ones. Thank goodness that the Commissioner for Children will be getting new functions but as I said it is sad to see the department that has primary responsibility for children the Department of Child Youth and Family Services under the severe pressure it has been under for the last 2 or 3 years and we have to wonder how genuine the members of the Government are. It is a shocking state of affairs when we have the kinds of results and statistics we have which show that our children are the least cared for in the world. Our children are the least cared for in the world—that is very hard to say actually. It is very hard to say that but it seems to be the case. 
Unless Minister Maharey steps into the real world takes some responsibility for what has been happening to our children in the last 4 or 5 years takes some responsibility for starting to dig into the underlying problems that beset families in this country—which then result in the kinds of things we have seen over recent years—then he has failed the children of Aotearoa. He has no right to come into this House weakly sit there stand there in his smug way and pretend everything is all right—because it is not. 
As I said I commend the work particularly of Roger McLay. I have been in this place during his tenure and I think he did a sterling job trying to look out for our children particularly those who are in difficult circumstances. He did a great job as did the commissioner before him. I do not know Cindy Kiro personally. I have not met her but I am certain that she will have her heart and soul in her kaupapa which is looking after our children. I just hope that she will have the proper support from this Government. I hope this Government will get off its chuff and properly support and resource the Department of Child Youth and Family Services so that it can do a better job for our children. Steve Maharey should get on and enlarge some of the things we did when we were in Government.