Ngaro AlfredALFRED NGARO (National): I rise to take a call on the Children Young Persons and Their Families (Advocacy Workforce and Age Settings) Amendment Bill in its Committee stage. We had the report from the expert advisory panel (EAP) and some of those findings in that report were quite significant. Hence in response to that the first phase of changes to the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act is quite important. The previous speaker Jan Logie in her comments talked about in a sense the legislation as it stands and some of the challenges. We do not disagree with that. In fact it is out of the EAP and we think that is important.The expert advisory panel report was significant because what it did was raise a number of significant things. There had previously been 14 different reviews. What was a point of difference for the Minister for Social Development and her leadership but also for the Social Services Committee was around looking towards overhauling the system. Inside of that there was no disagreement that there needed to be some change. There needed to be change that was significant in a number of different ways hence the reason for the first part of those changes through this bill.The first change that was significant was in regard to the raising of the age and extending the State's responsibility for the care and protection of a vulnerable young person until the person's 18th birthday. In fact I can remember—it might have been in 2012 or 2013—I was at an event for the Dingwall Trust I think it might have been. Ms Ardern was there. I remember the young people who got up and shared their stories about their transition from State care the challenges that they faced and the trauma at times in regard to having a place of lodging and accommodation—they had already been through a traumatic experience themselves which led them to their current circumstances. They pleaded they encouraged and they challenged the system that at that time it was important that we needed to have that change. So I believe that this is important. We also heard in submissions from those same young people about this. In hearing that this change is actually quite significant for those young people. The extending of State responsibility is critically important to that as well.The second part that I think is important to the changes is ensuring that vulnerable young people are able to express their views. We know that inside the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act itself—we have talked about the paramountcy foundation clause that exists. That is to ensure that we have the voice of the children—that the concerns of the children are taken into account—but what we have not always factored into that process is where you include the voice and the concerns of children. Part of the EAP's work was to ensure—and the Minister had commissioned it—that there would be a youth advisory panel as well. What was quite interesting in the panel's responses was around the needs expressed by them—that they were not always taken into account. They said that what was critically important was to ensure that they had a stable place of lodging rather than being transitioned from one home to the next. That was quite a common story that was expressed.Ensuring that they have a voice for their concerns and issues but also opportunities is critically important hence the reason why inside this bill we ensure that the voice of children is included. That actually is consistent. When we talk about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child we talk about the other jurisdictions internationally that also have attempted to include the voices of children hence the reason why the youth advisory panel was significant and important as well.The third thing that I believe is important is the establishment of a youth advocacy service. The important role that that plays is to ensure that—a variety of services are needed. They may not always be social work practices and they may not always be those that are therapeutic services such as counsellors psychotherapists and the like but there are a range of other youth advisory support services that exist. That service is critically important. We believe that that component is important as well. We know that the EAP said that the system does not place children at the centre and does not meet the needs of vulnerable young people. It is fragmented. It lacks clear accountability. It is not organised in a way that we believe is consistent and also has the best outcomes of the young people and their whānau at heart. We believe that these changes have been important—we heard from submitters inside the select committee as well.It is encouraging to see that the majority of the House is actually in support of this legislation especially its first phase of changes which are coming back. I commend this legislation in its Committee stage to the House.