Ngaro Alfred: Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNgaro Alfred: Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 01 April 2015. Volume:704;Page:2862. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALFRED NGARO (National): I rise and take a call. First of all can I again acknowledge my friend and colleague Tracey Martin. Both of us have worked in our first term as first-term MPs and the work that we did actually with kin carers and on the specific task force that was to look at the very funds that have now become the Extraordinary Care Fund is supporting some of the benefits that we know that kin carers grandparents raising children actually absolutely need. I think that throughout that process we heard some of the concerns but also too I know that Mrs Martin was very clear that that process was not about the clothing equity that was needed in regard to kin carers. At my standing I do not want to talk for too long but I want to do this because I want to acknowledge the fact of the journey that we took together to make sure that those kin carers and those grandparents who are out there are acknowledged for the work that they are doing. I think that again as I have often said for any member of Parliament to have their member’s bill drawn—in fact Mrs Martin I do not know what it is but you have got the lucky wheel because you have had another bill drawn again so you are very fortunate to have had two in this period of time.In regard to the Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill for kin carers and orphans I just think that this bill is important. With regard to the previous comments by Ms Ardern in regards to the time frame I think we have worked together collectively and collaboratively to get the balance right. I think we came to a point where we realised that at the moment the Extraordinary Care Fund was important to see us through to a point where we could then also look at the commencement date and so that has been in negotiation with us and I think that is important.I just want to finish off by saying that last Monday I was with the Hon Jonathan Coleman and we were up in Kaitāia. We just happened to be in a great place. Great people up there. [Interruption] OK. Some people call it tiger country but I think it is a wonderful place to be—a wonderful part of the world to be in. We just happened to be at Ōturu School. Some of you may not know that place because many of you have never travelled there but I was there with the Hon Jonathan Coleman and at Ōturu School the principal Fraser Smith was there. He talked about the wonderful things that they were doing in that school. They had won this environmental award and in that school they had just pressed 200 tonnes of olives into olive oil. They had honey bees and they had a whole variety of things there that they were working collectively on. It is a low-decile school.He then said to me that the demographic profile of their school is that one-third of the children there come from solo parents; another one-third come from grandparents raising grandchildren; and as for the others they do have a mixture of families that are supporting them. He said to me that this is one of the absolute challenges especially when grandparents are coming forward and talking about the challenges that they have. It was also a great example of how the school was working collectively to be able to have its own community garden where actually people could be involved in meeting some of the challenges that they faced as well. But the point that I wanted to make in this is that when I told him about the work and about this bill he began to see the importance of how this could meet some of those needs. So I just wanted to give a small practical example Mrs Martin of how this bill will definitely meet some of the needs of the families that I have seen up in the far north in Kaitāia at Ōturu School where Fraser Smith is the principal—and the work that they are doing as well.So I just want to commend you for the work that you are doing. I think this is a bill that we in the Government worked collectively on with New Zealand First and with you Mrs Martin and I believe that this truly does make a difference to our families. So on behalf of the Government and on behalf of myself as well I just want to commend this bill and congratulate you on the work that you have done as well. Thank you.