Foster-Bell Paul: Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFoster-Bell Paul: Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 03 June 2015. Volume:706;Page:4322. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]PAUL FOSTER-BELL (National): Tēnā koe e te Mana Whakawā. Just to advise you Mr Assistant Speaker that this is a split call with my colleague and may I request a bell at 4 minutes?The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): You will have a bell at 4 minutes.PAUL FOSTER-BELL: Thank you very much Mr Assistant Speaker. That is very kind of you. I am not on the Social Services Committee at Parliament but I specifically asked whether I might take a call on this bill and our very gracious whip granted me that privilege because of a personal interest that I have in this particular subject. I want to begin before getting on to that by congratulating the member Tracey Martin. She is a member whom I have enormous respect for and she has brought a matter before the House that is of great significance to the 12000 or so families who have a situation of kin carers caring for family members. We have heard from colleagues that 6000 or so of those particular families are grandparents caring for their own grandchildren and my family fits into that particular situation. My parents relatively late in their lives when they thought they had got beyond caring for children once we had grown up and left home found themselves in a situation where my little brother ended up having an accidental pregnancy situation with his girlfriend and they stepped up and took responsibility for that when my brother was not able to.So I have got a beautiful niece who is now nearly an adult herself who has succeeded in life and had the best possible opportunities because she was fortunate enough to have had grandparents who could step in when her parents were not able to take the sort of responsibility that is needed for a child. So can I congratulate the member Tracey Martin on bringing this measure forward because it is something that we on this side of the House do agree with. We agree with the intent and I am very grateful to the member for the constructive way she has worked with Government Ministers to actually enable this bill to be implemented.In terms of the implementation date we have heard some rather spurious arguments from some that we are somehow trying to hold this up. Whether this bill is passed today tomorrow in a week or in a month it actually takes effect on 1 July 2018 and that is to ensure parity and alignment with other measures including school and year start-up payments that may no longer be available at that stage. So well done Tracey Martin for taking the initiative and bringing this before us. In relation to the $10 million capped fund that we introduced via the White Paper for Vulnerable Children measures we believe that these changes are able to be made within a fiscally responsible cap. That is on top of all the other support that this Government is providing to vulnerable children including the $790 million extra benefit payments to those children who are the very most vulnerable.But something of particular relevance to grandparents that I would point to is the significant increases in superannuation that have been available to them over this term of the Government. In fact since 2008 we have had more than a 30 percent increase in the rate of national superannuation and just this week there will be an $11 per week increase in national superannuation for married couples and a $7.59 increase for individuals. There has been over the course of this Government a 30 percent increase which is way in advance of the 15 percent increase in the cost of living over the same time.This bill is one measure that actually adds to some of those other measures that we on this side of the House have been working on. It brings parity for kin carers in particular grandparents—I am delighted about that—and it does address some of those issues that children face when they already have the stigma attached of being an orphan. I and many members of this House I am sure do not attach a stigma to being an orphan. It is something beyond the control of any child whether their parents have passed away or have been imprisoned or simply have not been able to take the responsibility to care for their children as the vast majority of parents in New Zealand do. There are additional stigmas that can be attached: for instance if they have been brought up by grandparents who do not have the financial means to give them the fashionable clothes or the treats in their lunchbox that the other kids have at school or to allow them to go on the music or sports trips and to play the part that we want all young New Zealanders to play—to grow up to be strong productive and contributing citizens to our great country. For these reasons I think this is an excellent bill. Tracey Martin is to be congratulated once again and I commend the bill to the House.