Collins Judith: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Collins Judith: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Volume:647;Page:15977] 
JUDITH COLLINS (National—Clevedon) 
: 
 I rise to speak to the report of the Social Services Committee on the Families Commission. To many people the Families Commission has been somewhat of a disappointment—certainly to many families in New Zealand who thought that it meant they would have advocates who would represent them and particularly to parents. The Children’s Commissioner says that she represents children but many parents want a Families Commission that recognises the role of parents and actually values them. 
What we have is a Families Commission that at the moment is spending an awful lot of money. It would be great if it were spending that money on parenting programmes such as the Home Interaction Programme for Parents and Youngsters or Parents as First Teachers; if it were spending it on the sorts of things that parents want to know about such as the best way to bring up their children. I do not know of any parents who do not want to be good parents. I certainly know of some parents who do not know how to be good parents but I have never come across parents who when their children are born in their heart of hearts do not think they will do a better job than their own parents did. Often they do not but certainly all parents try. 
Yet we have a Families Commission that has unfortunately been spending an awful lot of taxpayer money on finding out how to spin its message about how valuable it is. It is spending $883000 which is almost $1 million on a programme called Valuing Parenting—something that the commission itself has described as being pretty self-evident. The programme tells parents that we should be valuing them. Well as a parent let me tell the commission that it is not a mystery. We parents try to do the very best job that we can. I think that in many ways the Families Commission has been a huge disappointment. 
I remember that it went through all sorts of angst about what a family actually was. Well anyone involved in a family knows exactly what a family is. It is whatever we think it is frankly. If we have a family of mum dad and two kids then that is a family. If we have a family of mum and two kids then that is a family too. A family is whatever we think it is. For kids it does not really matter what we—I you or somebody else—think a family is; it is what that family thinks a family is that is important. 
That particular organisation has become obsessed with spin. The number of people employed in the communications department staggers belief. It is almost as bad as the situation in some of the big Government departments. For instance why did it appoint a public relations company to “review the Families Commission’s reputation and communications as part of its planning for a new approach to public relations for the Families Commission”. Why did it do that? Why did it spend that sort of money? Why is it worried about that? Why is it not worried about parenting and children and about helping parents to do the best job they can? Why has it spent tens of thousands of dollars on a website called The Couch in order to find out what families want? It got about 2500 replies. Actually my  
Celebrating Families  
website page has a database of about 3000. I would have given it to the commission for nothing. But unfortunately the commission is spending taxpayers’ money and for many families whose taxes pay the bills of these communications experts it is a waste of money. 
I think many people in this Chamber would think that the $9 million that the Families Commission gets each year could be better spent. By the way it cannot spend it because it does not have enough to spend it on; in fact it gave some to the Children’s Commissioner last year because she has so much to do all around the world. People would like to see a lot better spend in relation to parents and to what works in helping parents to be good parents. It is not a mystery. All the commission has to do is to start to look at the really great research that is already being undertaken at Otago University and Canterbury University and that is now being undertaken at Auckland University as well. The longitudinal studies have shown what works for children and for families and what they need. You know it is not much more than good common sense. It is about parents putting their children first about helping their children get a good education about good health outcomes about not being violent towards our children and about putting them first. 
Report noted.