SpeechSocial Services and Community SectorCHAIRPERSON (Hon Anne Tolley): Members I understand that the responsible Ministers are available—thank you Minister—to speak to the Votes in the social services and community sector (B.5 Volume 10). The question is that Vote Arts Culture and Heritage; Vote Housing and Urban Development; Vote Oranga Tamariki; Vote Pacific Peoples; Vote Social Development; Vote Sport and Recreation; and Vote Women stand part of the Schedules. Good morning Minister. I call Gareth Hughes.GARETH HUGHES (Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee): Kia ora Madam Chair. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. Kia ora. I rise as the chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to kick off this Estimates debate into this sector. Can I first up thank committee members. It's an absolutely wonderful committee to work on and I think the four parties' representatives clearly and strongly articulate their views but do so in a positive and collegial manner. I've enjoyed chairing it and I thank members for surprising me with a vegan cake yesterday to acknowledge my departure.Estimates questions hearings consideration and deliberation of reports all are a significant time investment by this committee. We scrutinise the largest share of Government spending with superannuation benefits housing and other forms of social support which are so important to our society. The Estimates we reviewed were social development; housing; urban development; Oranga Tamariki; arts culture and heritage; Pacific peoples; women; sport and rec; Estimates for appropriations within Vote State Services supporting implementation of a social wellbeing approach; and Estimates within Vote Internal Affairs that are the responsibility of the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector and the Minister for Ethnic Communities. Can I just also take the opportunity to thank the Ministers their officials and the excellent Office of the Controller and Auditor-General's advisers as well as the select committee staff.Within Vote Social Development the appropriation proposed in the main Estimates for Vote Social Development totalled just under $34 billion. Of that 89 percent is for benefits and related expenses. A major point of discussion as no one would be surprised to hear was the response to COVID-19 and in particular the wage subsidy scheme which has seen billions paid out to support Kiwis in work. As we see in other countries when people have difficulties with their job or have lost their job and the public health challenges that arise when they're forced to go into some unsafe environments I think is a good example of how fortunate we are in New Zealand to have had such a successful scheme. Members questioned the Minister around timing for main benefits which rose by $25 a week from 1 April 2020 as part of the Government's COVID-19 economic response package. We also heard that Budget 2020 allocates $250 million over four years for an additional 807 full-time equivalent staff to support the ministry in their work for COVID-19 in the response. Carmel Sepuloni is also the Minister for Disability Issues and is responsible for the appropriation in Vote Social Development promoting positive outcomes for disabled people. Again COVID-19 was a major focus for the committee with our discussion along improving the distribution of funding and uptake of support for Māori and accessible housing options.The Minister for Seniors the Hon Tracey Martin is responsible for two appropriations within Vote Social Development. In November 2019 the Minister launched the Better Later Life—He Oranga Kaumātua 2019 to 2034 strategy replacing the previous New Zealand Positive Ageing Strategy.The Minister for Youth the Hon Peeni Henare is responsible for the appropriation in partnering for youth development and we questioned him on youth unemployment. We heard of He Poutama Taitamariki as a joint pilot project with the Ministry of Social Development. It seeks to improve employment outcomes for over 750 young people—and I'd note 82 percent Māori 46 percent female in Northland which we found incredibly promising. In this short contribution I won't have time to cover each of the Votes that we scrutinised but I would like to acknowledge my colleague the Hon Julie Anne Genter the Minister for Women. We heard the ministry has developed an action plan to support the Government's target of having women make up 50 percent of State sector boards by 2021. We heard that this year it's reached in fact 49 percent. We also heard that the ministry is now collecting data on the ethnicity of those boards for the first time. We also heard of work to address the gender pay gap and supply period products in high schools. Vote Arts Culture and Heritage is administered by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and the Prime Minister is the responsible Minister. For our Estimates hearing we met with the Associate Minister the Hon Grant Robertson and the Minister of Broadcasting Communications and Digital Media the Hon Kris Faafoi who's responsible for one appropriation under this Vote. Again COVID-19 was a major focus and we asked questions around the $304 million response and recovery fund foundational package $50 million media support fund Creative New Zealand's $29 million emergency response package to buffer and support the arts as well as other significant investments in Māori and Pasifika arts.I want to thank all members involved with this important governance role the select committee plays in scrutinising Government spending at a time of global pandemic and economic challenge. I'm proud of the team of 5 million" approach our country has taken and the public spending we've all contributed towards to supporting Kiwis to get through COVID-19. Kia ora koutou."