Upston LouiseHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō): I want to start by thanking the Minister for Social Development the Hon Carmel Sepuloni for continuing this important work and for recognising the huge significance of the use of data and evidence to change people's lives and for supporting the incredibly important work of the Social Investment Agency. I will come back to that.Madam Deputy Speaker—as we transition to Mr Assistant Speaker—I do also want to put on record my thanks to the Hon Anne Tolley for starting this process. So for those of you who have just tuned into this debate on this third reading this is of course legislation that repeals the Families Commission Act of 2003. There have been a number of changes in this space of very important research into children and into families. It was originally the Families Commission and then over time the change was made for it to become the social policy evaluation and research unit or what we commonly called SuPERU. Then as the previous Government geared towards social investment as the vehicle for changing people's lives the Social Investment Agency was born. So as a result of a number of these changes it's important to have legislation that repeals the initial legislation and is then responsible for the decommissioning of the Families Commission and of SuPERU.But I do want to reassure members that the critical work that's been started—a lot of the research that's been undertaken—hasn't been lost; it will be held. It is really critical in terms of the ongoing work that this House has committed to that the former Government committed to and that the new Government has picked up which is about improving the lives of all New Zealanders with a particular focus on families and children.I wanted to talk just a little bit about one of the pieces of work that is being handed over and that the Ministry of Social Development will now look after and that is the Growing Up in New Zealand study. We should be particularly proud in New Zealand of this study because it is seen as world-leading research. It was started in 2008—7000 children and their families have been studied. One of the things that's unique about it was that it started with work with parents before the children were born. It's looking at a range of family dynamics recognising that what was once a nuclear family is quite different now. It looks at the natural parents subsequent partners of parents that are involved in the children's lives and it focuses on the children before birth at nine months at two years and at four years. The intention of the study is to follow those children and those families until the age of 21.There are 16 Government departments that are involved in that study—involved in terms of the provision of data—and the research and the interviews that are undertaken provide critical guidance for the Government of the day for policy making and decisions for New Zealand families from one end of New Zealand to the other. So I'm very pleased that the Government has continued with the Social Investment Agency and that the Government has continued with the place-based initiatives. Place-based initiatives are a really important piece of work that really looks at local communities and social issues or challenges within those communities and hands them more of the decision making using data and using evidence to be able to have the greatest impact on some of the very challenging areas that affect local families and children in particular.So I'm thrilled that the Government has picked up that work that was started under our time that the Growing Up in New Zealand study is going to be carried on under the responsibility of the Ministry of Social Development and that the place-based initiatives which embrace social investment around changing lives and creating opportunities will be continued. I do want to finish my contribution not only by thanking the current Families Commissioner Len Cook but former Families Commissioners who've been involved in really critical work setting up the next phase of opportunities for New Zealand children and also too the SuPERU board members Professor Sir Peter Gluckman Dame Tariana Turia Jo-anne Wilkinson and Haami Piripi. They have done substantial work for New Zealand. We owe them a huge gratitude for what they have brought to our conversations around social investment and around improving the lives of every young New Zealander. Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker.