King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:662;Page:10317] 
6. 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister responsible for Whanau Ora 
: What progress has been made towards the establishment of the 20 Whanau Ora contracts expected to start in July 2010? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA (Minister responsible for Whanau Ora) 
: 
 A Government group has been established to facilitate the implementation of Whanau Ora and provide leadership and coordination across Government agencies and stakeholders. 
Hon Annette King 
: Will any of the 20 Whanau Ora contracts be located in the 58 areas that have Strengthening Families which is a programme that the Minister for Social Development and Employment Paula Bennett said is Whanau Ora or in the 13 areas where Early Years service hubs already exist which are coordinating services where 98 percent of its families are Maori; if so will these existing programmes cease or have their funding reduced? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Strengthening Families focuses on better coordination of roles between agencies when supporting families. Whanau Ora seeks to better position w’anau to take responsibility for their own futures. 
Hon Annette King 
: What plans are in place to evaluate the Whanau Ora programme using such methodologies as randomised control trials to compare the outcome of whanau receiving Whanau Ora - based services with an equivalent group that are receiving existing services? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: There will be research running alongside of Whanau Ora but it will not be to compare them with existing failed services. 
Rahui Katene 
: What does she expect will be achieved through a Whanau Ora approach? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Essentially we expect that w’anau will be empowered to deal with the issues that confront them rather than be trapped in an environment of crisis. A Whanau Ora approach will enable people to focus on their own potential and opportunities to improve their situation. Some w’anau will continue to need the support of service providers and also agencies to make that transition. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does she agree with the Prime Minister that after spending over $1 billion on Whanau Ora if it does not work “we will try something different”; and because there is a large amount of funding at risk when will she be in a position to present an initial statement on the success of the Whanau Ora - based approach compared with the outcomes from existing provisions? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: After 30 years of failed provisions I think I can safely say— 
Hon Members 
: Oh oh! 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: Do those members want to hear the answer? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Speaker wants to hear the answer. 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: I feel very confident because right throughout the country the whole non-governmental organisation sector is so excited and highly motivated to make this work. The Labour Party members might laugh but in the next election we will see how excited they are. 
Hon Annette King 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That might have been a nice answer to clap for but it certainly was not an answer to the very direct question that I asked. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: As I recollect the member’s question it was a fairly direct question that asked the Minister when she might be in a position to report on assessment of the success of a programme. I invite the member to repeat the question. 
Hon Annette King 
: I asked whether she agreed with the Prime Minister that after spending over a billion dollars on Whanau Ora if it does not work as he said “we will try something different”; and because there is a large amount of funding at risk when will she be in a position to present an initial statement on the success of a Whanau Ora - based approach when compared with outcomes from existing provisions? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: At present we do not have an outcomes measurement in existing programmes. In fact what is measured is a lot of outputs and activity. I think that after a year we will be able to give some really good outcome measurements that show we are making progress with families rather than counting numbers and money. 
Rahui Katene 
: How will providers find out what will be required with Whanau Ora? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: The three key agencies—the Ministry of Health the Ministry of Social Development and Te Puni Kokiri—are engaging with providers through a series of hui across the country in coming weeks. This will ensure that providers are well informed about Whanau Ora prior to the expression of interest process. 
Hon Annette King 
: In light of the Television One poll last night which showed that 63 percent of New Zealanders do not feel they have a good understanding of Whanau Ora does she believe that 10 meetings over the next month will be enough to improve that understanding; and who has been invited to these meetings? 
Hon TARIANA TURIA 
: We can look at these polls and interpret them the way we like because 57 percent of New Zealanders support Whanau Ora. I apologise; I cannot remember the second part of the supplementary question. [ 
Interruption 
] It is a little bit more than 8 percent. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am not sure the supplementary question was quite so specific. Does the member wish to seek a further supplementary question? 
Hon Annette King 
: No no I was— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is this a point of order? 
Hon Annette King 
: Yes. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do not believe that the Minister addressed it. I asked in light of the fact that 63 percent in the poll having said they did not have a good understanding and the Minister saying on television last night that she intended to hold 10 meetings over the next month whether that was enough to improve understanding and who had been invited. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member asked a question in light of certain polls last night and in her answer the Minister gave figures that perhaps question the selected polling information the member used. To ask the Minister to be more precise on that kind of question is a little bit difficult. I have already asked the Minister to be more precise on one answer for the member. If she has further supplementary questions I invite her to pursue them.