Hayes JoSocial Development and Housing SectorJOANNE HAYES (Chairperson of the Social Services Committee): I stand to make this speech on the Appropriation (2015/16 Confirmation and Validation) Bill social development and housing sector. The 2015-16 period has been a very active time for this Government by supporting low-income families.In the 2015 Budget we saw $790 million invested into the child hardship investment which came into effect during that period. For the first time in 43 years we saw a $25-per-week increase in benefits to the many people who are on benefits and that is a historical event for this country—the first time in 43 years. We saw Working for Families increase between $12.50 and $24 per week for low- and very low-income families and we saw child support and access to it also be made more available for low-income families.Under the social investment approach to welfare working in the 2016 Budget there was $111.5 million set aside over a 4-year period. This was to help New Zealanders to come off benefits and $41 million of that went into Youth Service so that they could receive specialist services through—The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): I am sorry to interrupt the honourable member but the time has come for me to leave the Chair for the dinner break.Sitting suspended from 6 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.JOANNE HAYES: Following on from my speech before we rose I want to take some time to talk about the overhauling of the care and protection system because this is a massive piece of legislation. What it has done is it has looked at Child Youth and Family and the way that that system has worked and it has developed a new system that has set up the Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki. What that does is it places the child at the centre of everything around their needs and supporting them so that they can thrive in a society where they were a little bit—well not a little bit but where some of them actually did not thrive. The establishment of this ministry as I said has also worked in helping to set up a new independent advocacy service called VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai meaning Listen to me." "Listen to me" is the catchcry for the young people who will come in under the Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki. This piece of legislation has also overhauled the age at which young people can stay within the service so that a young person can stay in the service up to the age of 18.This is as I said a massive piece of legislation. There is $347 million for the care and protection of vulnerable children and young people of which $140 million will actually go towards the front line—the pressures that this piece of legislation is developing. Also $200 million of this is going to be used to help transform the system for young people. As I said this piece of legislation actually fits in with all the other areas of the social development and housing sector.Along with the areas within sexual violence and family violence this is another piece of major legislation that we have also been working on over this 2015-16 period. With family violence we are looking at an integrated safety response budget of $1.4 million to start to get things rolling. Just recently the Government announced a $680000 boost to the Canterbury Integrated Safety Response pilot.Sexual violence is hideous—hideous it makes me sick just having to think about it—but it is one of those things that have actually affected many many mainly women in New Zealand. Our response of $46 million of operating funding over 4 years has actually helped to put in crisis support services and has also put in a 24/7 sexual violence helpline which is something that women will be able to access that they have not accessed in the past. It also—[Bell rung]The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): Order! [Interruption] Order! Does the member want another call?Joanne Hayes: Oh sorry.Hon Ruth Dyson: Got a minute and a half on the clock.The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): No. I told her how much time she had. I am calling Denise Roche."