Martin TraceyHon TRACEY MARTIN (Minister for Children): Kia ora Mr Speaker. Thank you very much. The level of energy in the room belies the passion I think that is being expressed around this piece of legislation. We are political animals whether we like it or not. I want to acknowledge the Hon Alfred Ngaro—three minutes and 27 seconds to get to a political statement. But can I acknowledge the Hon Michael Woodhouse—seven minutes 15 seconds. Look we are political animals. That was not to detract; that was to say that that is actually what we are. That is what this place is and we're all here to make a difference.Dan Bidois: And it's taken you 30 seconds.Hon TRACEY MARTIN: Absolutely. I own it Mr Bidois. Thirty seconds. I'm there. Can I also say though to the Hon Michael Woodhouse that he made a statement—he said that we differ on the path. Can I just correct him with regard to Oranga Tamariki and the work that the previous Government did and the work that the Hon Anne Tolley did setting that pathway—we do not differ. She absolutely—the Government absolutely made the right decisions and set up the right framework with regard to Oranga Tamariki. I hope with the decisions that are going to be made and announced in the next couple of weeks that not only will she see but that the members that were in that previous Cabinet and previous caucus will see that I have done them justice with the pathway that they envisaged and that they were on with regard to the children that Oranga Tamariki must commit itself to. So while often there is politics in this place—it is a political place—we don't always disagree on the pathway just to make that acknowledgment.I do rise to speak on the Child Poverty Reduction Bill. I do want to start by thanking all the New Zealanders the individuals and the groups that participated and submitted on the bill. There were 632 submissions and 49 submitters gave oral evidence. I want to acknowledge the members of the Social Services and Community Committee. I want to acknowledge those as has been mentioned earlier members across the Parliament that came together outside the select committee and inside the select committee to work to make this bill a Parliament's bill. As we have noted we hope that David Seymour will come down. The people of Epsom care about children just as much as everybody else. I'm sure Mr Seymour does. If Mr Seymour would come down and cast his vote in favour of this bill then we will have a Parliament's bill.SPEAKER: Order!Hon TRACEY MARTIN: I beg your pardon. I do beg your pardon. So let's hope that that might eventuate. We've said before and it's been said again today that children shouldn't be a political tool. This is an example today of where the majority of us have actually decided that we will honour that statement.Can I just make a little comment about Whānau Ora. I'm not sure whether people—they may not—remember but actually the Rt Hon Winston Peters implemented when he was Minister of Māori Affairs I believe a programme called Ka Awatea. Ka Awatea if you go and have a look at it was the precursor to Whānau Ora. So I'm not quite sure what people are concerned about—what the Hon Alfred Ngaro is concerned about—but the Hon Peeni Henare is doing a review of Whānau Ora to ensure that those who need the benefits of Whānau Ora are receiving them. There is certainly no intention by any member of this Government to stop what we believe is vital and important work happening that is being delivered by the Whānau Ora navigators and by Whānau Ora providers. But as the Hon Michael Woodhouse said and the Hon Alfred Ngaro said when you are talking about taxpayers' dollars when you are talking about spending a dollar to make sure that it affects the child in a positive way one must every now and then go back and make sure that that is happening. So that's all that this Government is doing. I think there needs to be no fear in that place.The other thing I think that's really important—for me anyway—about this day is the fact that this is actually a reset moment for our nation. This will be the second reset moment in my lifetime. The first for me was back in the 1980s when—regardless of one's belief in reasons why or that things had to change—there was a massive change in the way that Government operated back in the 1980s and it had an incredible downstream flow-on effect to all of our citizens. I would say that what we are doing here today is trying to turn back some of the effects of what happened in the 1980s. So this is a reset moment. This is us as mostly a Parliament saying things have happened in our nation that we no longer accept.I am the Minister for Children and I've been working with the Prime Minister—we are both joint Ministers on the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy—and I try to explain it in this way to people that I go and talk to: the vision for me and the vision that we are trying to attain is that this is a line that we will not allow our people to fall below. Children do not live in isolation; they live inside a whānau family iwi or hapū. They live with others who care for them. But if this is the line that we will not allow our people to fall below when one of our children is below it we need to do whatever we must do to bring them at least to the line. This is the start of that reset. This is the start of a different way of thinking. This is not about stigmatising those who may be below the line. This is saying that as a nation we will take responsibility and we will lift you up.New Zealand First is thrilled to see a statement around the practical commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and it is because it is those words practical commitment". For us it has always been about this: a relationship upon which a nation was built. This is a relationship between two parties and others have joined us but there were two parties that signed that Treaty to treat each other respectfully and care for each other. So we are thrilled to see a practical commitment to the Treaty. It must not be tokenism; it must be real. That is why with Oranga Tamariki they must—under new section 7AA inside legislation put in by the previous Minister and even over the year that they have been setting themselves up—create those better working relationships true co-design relationships with iwi and with Māori for Māori children. Because regardless of a Treaty the majority of the children that Oranga Tamariki have that need our support are Māori. So if we focus on what is the need then we will provide. That is what I hope we are establishing here today. That is what I believe we are establishing here today.My ultimate goal is if I can leave this a place where every Minister regardless of their stripes asks themselves this question before they make a decision: how will this decision affect the well-being of children? Then we will have succeeded in shifting the conversation of this nation. But I'd like it to go beyond these doors. I would like every corporate every power company every bank and everybody else when you are going to make a decision ask yourself—before you turn off the power before you send in a bailiff—how will this decision affect the well-being of children? If we ask ourselves that question around every decision what would the difference be to the decisions we make? This is not about free rides. This is not about anybody getting something for nothing. This is about us deciding as a nation that we will care. We will lift up people. We will take people with us and if you are in need we will stand for you and we will come and support you.So I didn't use any of the notes that I actually brought so I do apologise for that. Perhaps I can use them again in another speech some other time. This is a moment—this is a moment—and I want to honour everybody that is going to stand and speak on it and everybody that is in this House because regardless of who sits on which side of this House this is going to set us on a pathway that will be better for our nation. So to honour you all and all those that are here in this moment we commend the bill to the House.SPEAKER: Just before I call Denise Lee I am going to do something quite unusual and compliment the member for staying within the Standing Orders and speaking to notes or very slightly to notes in a way which I think enhances the mana of the House because members speaking from their hearts does make a difference."