Ngaro Alfred: Vulnerable Children Bill Children Young Persons and Their Families (Vulnerable Children) Amendment Bill KiwiSaver (Vulnerable Children) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingsText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNgaro Alfred: Vulnerable Children Bill Children Young Persons and Their Families (Vulnerable Children) Amendment Bill KiwiSaver (Vulnerable Children) Amendment Bill — Third Readings[Sitting date: 19 June 2014. Volume:699;Page:18748. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALFRED NGARO (National):I am honoured to rise and take a call in the third reading of the legislation arising from the Vulnerable Children Bill but also too to take the opportunity to balance the conversations and the debate in this House. There has been lots of talk about the intent of the legislation but I want to bring it back to the intent and the purpose of the legislation. The legislation is part of a series of measures that National is introducing to protect and improve the well-being of vulnerable children. Last night I was speaking to a number of young leaders and one of the questions that came from the floor was this: how do you know when you are in politics that you are making a difference? I would like to answer that question that was asked last night this afternoon. I believe that I can say that about this legislation and I know that we can say that here both in this Government in the National Party which is supporting it but also too those in the Labour caucus who are supporting this legislation. Why? Because we know it is making a difference.We know it is making a difference because from the submissions that we are hearing we are really clear that it is putting children at the heart of our legislation and at the heart of our concern and our intent as a Government—children. That is simply what this is about. It is about children—vulnerable children children who through no fault of their own are in circumstances where they cannot protect themselves or cannot provide for themselves hence the reason why the State must intervene. However at the same time what this legislation also says is that the answers do not lie with the Government alone. The answers lie with shared responsibilities with those who are the carers those who provide services schools parents and the State as well and other surrounding services that wrap around to support that.I want to make some comments because there has been lots of talk about other things that impact children which are not the intent of this legislation. This legislation is about protecting and providing that which is needed. There has been talk about poverty. We know that there are a number of children and families who are in hardship. We do not disagree with that. But can I remind members of this. Hēnare O’Keefe who was one of the candidates for Ikaroa-Rāwhiti following the death of the late Hon Parekura Horomia told the story at a Whānau Ora conference that when he was growing up in Ruatōria there were dirt floors. They had very little. They had to boil their water they had to go outside and they had to hunt for things. They had very little and a large family. But here is the powerful thing that he said at that Whānau Ora conference: poverty is no excuse for abuse; poverty is no excuse for failure. What he was saying is this: you may have hard times you may have difficulty but you do have an opportunity to be able to do the best for your family and for the people who are around you.Andrew Little: But it is an explanation. Bury your head in the sand.ALFRED NGARO: Mr Andrew Little may barrack along but to his own supporters who are out there I say that poverty is no excuse for abuse.Andrew Little: But it is an explanation.ALFRED NGARO: What this legislation does Mr Little is protect children who are vulnerable.Andrew Little: Disgraceful!ALFRED NGARO: There is nothing disgraceful about this. Just this week I was at Tick4Kids. It was run by Unicef and this is what it said. It asked this question: can we ensure that children are at the heart of our legislation and policy-making? So this is what I can say we are doing as a Government. Part of this legislation is ensuring that we have a Children’s Action Plan and more social workers in schools and hospitals. We have increased funding and services for children in care. We have Children’s Teams in Rotorua and Whangarei that have been operating. We have a national children’s director who coordinates those Children’s Teams. We have Child Protect line the Vulnerable Kids Information System and the Vulnerable Children’s Board of chief executives who share accountability and responsibility. We are putting children at the heart of policy and of legislation because that is what this legislation is about.I want to clearly say this: this legislation has got action to it; it is not just about talk. For all the rhetoric that it talks about things that we can do this legislation is staying true to its intent—that it is protecting children who are vulnerable and children who need our support to protect and provide for them. This is not the perfect legislation. This is not the answer to all the challenges but it is the answer to one thing. When the State needs to intervene when it needs to ensure that children are protected and provided for then that is what this legislation does. I absolutely support this legislation and its third reading but most important I support this legislation as it goes out to the communities to the homes and to the places in which this legislation will ensure there is shared accountability and responsibility to protect our children who are vulnerable in New Zealand. Thank you.