O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Thank you very much Mr Chair. Look there's obviously been a lot of argument discussion and I don't know barbs flying across the House so I'm going to put a suggestion forward. I haven't tabled it as an amendment yet and it's probably more of a concept to put to the member in the chair Hamish Walker to understand. There's obviously a disconnect between the original intention of the bill which has been very clearly articulated by the member that this is to empower foster parents to support their children and we're talking around 6000 young people. Through a select committee process we've ended up with a situation where in effect the dynamics have not changed. It's been as I mentioned earlier some changes of name but in effect it's up to the guardian which more often than not is Oranga Tamariki and I understand—and the member will correct me if I'm wrong—it's effectively the chief executive; she or he may be able to delegate that power. But a suggestion perhaps for us moving forward is: how do we in effect still allow a foster parent to apply on behalf of or at the request of the child that they are fostering? Could they in a sense get a checkbox a permission a letter that they have to reference Oranga Tamariki—in other words the foster parents are still able to act in the best interest of the child and I would stress probably at the request of the child. I've heard the member in the chair speak this afternoon. He's been very very clear that this cause is not coming from foster parents per se nor is it coming from politicians; it's coming from the young people themselves. So is there an opportunity—Hon Tracey Martin: That might be misleading.SIMON O'CONNOR: We're just going to keep that very clear on record but I—Hon Member: Just ignore it.SIMON O'CONNOR: No I've chosen not to ignore it because I'm very happy for this to remain on the Hansard. So we have a situation where there's been an argument that the rights of the guardian are not being respected if we actually allow the foster parents to act in the best interest of the child that they're fostering which I might put by nature is the whole point: they're there to foster to enact—I won't go into my normal Latinate discussions but they're there to foster nurture and look after the child. Is it possible—is it possible—that this House can find a way forward to say actually—Hon Alfred Ngaro: Come on—give us a bit of Latin.SIMON O'CONNOR: I'm not going to give you any Latin Alfred Ngaro—not tonight. Well actually you might get it later tonight. What we have is a situation where the foster parents can apply. Maybe they send an email a letter an indication to the guardian—that being Oranga Tamariki—who with just a quick form of process is able to actually say This is perfectly fine." To that extent we end up solving three problems: firstly the desire of the young person to have a KiwiSaver; secondly that we have a foster parent whose rights in regards to their foster child have been respected; and thirdly we have the guardian rights those primarily of Oranga Tamariki respected.I know there's been a lot of talk about the full set of rights those of the biological parents. I sort of understand that—Hon Tracey Martin: Watch out.SIMON O'CONNOR: —to a degree but I think—you know I won't so much watch out Ms Martin but I think it is a delicate delicate area. But if of course we're to put children at the centre of all things it's the child's right which comes first and the fact that the rights of the child have to be expressed outside of that of their biological family begins to raise questions about why they had to be separated from them and there are a whole lot of consequences logically and legally that flow on from that.I'd be interested too whether the member in the chair wishes to or not—of course we have a whole lot of cultural relationships as well and how they are being rightly exercised. In fact I think there are discussions at the moment both in this House and without about the rights of cultural needs over the children and how if you will that's to be respected. So the suggestion is relatively simple: is there some way that the foster parents can be brought back into this bill as has been suggested in the Supplementary Order Paper but a means—an openness if you will—for the House to actually see Oranga Tamariki able to tick the box in their guardian duty but allow the foster parents to do their best by their foster child?"