Ardern Jacinda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ardern Jacinda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 07 February 2012. Volume:677;Page:92. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
11. 
JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development 
: Has she read the Children’s Commissioner’s newsletter  
Children and poverty: moving beyond rhetoric 
? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development) 
: 
 Yes. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Does she agree with the statement contained in the report that “low income families have increased risks of other adverse features … such factors as: … higher rates of child abuse and neglect;” and therefore “appropriate policies to address these issues are through various policies aimed at reducing these inequalities.”; if so what proposals in her Green Paper for Vulnerable Children address child poverty? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Actually we have a Ministerial Committee on Poverty which my colleague has set up which is addressing those issues. The paper goes through quite a lot of different thought-provoking opinions on poverty. I think that they are of interest and they certainly will be taken into consideration when looking at the green paper.  
Jacinda Ardern 
: Has a draft of the white paper on vulnerable children been prepared; if so has she seen it? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I have certainly seen no draft of any white paper following the green paper. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: When will the white paper on vulnerable children be drafted and submitted to Cabinet? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: After submissions have closed and when consideration of them has been taken on board. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Does she agree with the feedback raised no less than four times at one of her green paper public meetings that the response to the issue of child welfare should be developed across parties; if not why not? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The member and I have had correspondence around cross-party processes and what needs to be done there. The Labour members themselves said that they were not wanting to engage in the green paper process. I would see— 
Hon Member 
: Really? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Well it is in your very own manifesto. So if the party would like to relook at that then I am sure it is a first step to opening up discussions. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Why when Labour is willing to put aside issues with the green paper process will she not accept our offer to work with her on child welfare policy? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Because I note that on page 1 of the Labour Party’s children’s policy and I quote from it it says: “We don’t need another lengthy green paper process: we need good policies and we need them now.” and that Labour does not support the green paper so it has been quite obvious. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question explicitly stated that Labour has— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am on my feet. Questions cannot state things; questions have to ask things. The member asked the Minister why she was not following a certain course of action and the Minister answered.  
Jacinda Ardern 
: I seek leave to table the correspondence between the Minister and me offering Labour’s assistance on child welfare policy and her response. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those documents but you have not specified the dates. It would be helpful if the House knows—is there more than one document? 
Jacinda Ardern 
: There are two documents: the first is the letter from Labour dated 26 January; and the second is the response from the Minister dated 2 February. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those two documents. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.