Tolley AnneHon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Children): I thought I would take a call at this point to address a few of the issues that have been raised. First of all I want to talk about the Green Party member Jan Logie's speech where she talked about the concern that some submitters had on this bill around the certainty of existing law. I want to say to her that there is one certainty of the existing law and that is that it does not serve well the young people for whom it was designed and for whom it should be operating to protect and enhance. I have that on good advice from the young people themselves. So that was the certainty that we entered into this discussion. And yes I know it is always difficult for lawyers when we change the law but too bad. They are going to have to get used to a new law that actually focuses on the children first—on their needs on their views and on what is best for them—and they are going to have to come along with this.The second thing I want to say to that member is: why are we scared in this Committee to talk about the fact that every child is entitled to be loved? Actually I am not scared to say that and I have put it in the legislation: every single child is entitled to be loved. One thing is very clear: we are not afraid to say that that is their right. They have the right to a safe stable and loving home at the very earliest opportunity and this legislation is designed to get in and work with families as early as possible. I refer a couple of the members to a very very important clause. It is in Part 1 clause 8 amending section 5(1)(c)(i) of the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act: the primary responsibility for caring for and nurturing the well-being and development of the child or young person lies with their family whānau hapū iwi and family group:". That underpins the legislation. That underpins the reason why we are changing the legislation to include everything from prevention through to transition into adulthood. The core of our communities is family. The earlier we can get in and work with and support families the more chance we have of realising my vision for this service which is to have no children needing to be in State care. That is what this whole Committee wants. That is what these young people up in the gallery want. It is their lives we are talking about not any of ours. It is their lives we are talking about and those of the young children to come. So let us be very clear.Secondly I want to talk to the previous speaker who resumed his seat Aupito William Sio. He said: "Why didn't this Minister get all the parties agreed?". My question to that member is: which parties is he talking about? Actually it is not about us in this House. It is not about politicians; it is about young people and children. That is who it is about. We have gone to extraordinary lengths to make sure that their voices have been involved in the development of this legislation and we have legislated to make sure that their voices are involved in the development and the operation of this new ministry. We have put legislation in place to say that they are entitled to a say in what happens to them as individuals and what happens to this organisation that is being set up to work with the most vulnerable in our communities. Let us not be afraid to talk about the most vulnerable because they are among us. Yes we have over a million children. They do not all need the State in their faces. They do not all need the State looking to support them. But some of our children do need extra special support for them and their families and we should not be embarrassed about saying that. I do not understand why we want to coat it in sugar-coating and dress it up as something else. There would be 800000 or 900000 children who do not need the State anywhere near them and their families but there is a significant number that do need that extra support and this bill is about how we provide that in order to make their lives successful and give them the opportunity.I absolutely reject—and it is a 30-second soundbite to say that we have removed the principle of whānau first.Hon Members: You have.Hon ANNE TOLLEY: It is absolutely embedded into this. It is absolutely embedded into this the principle that I have just expounded. I have just said it.Jacinda Ardern: Which clause?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Part 1 clause 8: "primary responsibility for caring for and nurturing the well-being and development of the child … lies with their family whānau hapū"—Jacinda Ardern: That's already in the legislation.Hon ANNE TOLLEY: It is not. That is new. Do your homework. Do your homework. That is a core part of this piece of legislation. The core part is that when a child has to be removed from their family first of all you have to make sure that they are safe. If you listen to the young people they say that the next thing they want is to be with their brothers and sisters. They want to keep their brothers and sisters alongside them. The next part they say is that they want to know who they are and where they belong. So if they are Māori they want to know their iwi their hapū their marae their whakapapa. They want to know that because it is part of who they are and we have put that in this bill.Hon Member: Where?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Read it. Read it. It is there. And to the previous speaker Mr Sio I would say that it is there for the Pasifika as well. It is an essential part of what makes up the identity of young people. I say to the Opposition: get on board. We are determined that young people and their views and their interests are at the centre of everything that happens in this ministry. And you have got to put aside your adult agendas and get on board with these young people and make sure that we support them and we give them every opportunity for a great life."