Muller Todd: Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMuller Todd: Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 25 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1978. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]TODD MULLER (National—Bay of Plenty): I would like to speak to the Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Bill. It is nice to be able to speak on such a positive bill and to be able to talk around an area where we have got broad agreement. Certainly over the last few hours we have had examples of where perhaps members on both sides of the House do not agree. It got pretty heated there and perhaps unfortunately a little bit personal in my view. It is nice to be able to have a conversation here around a piece of legislation that by all accounts we have significant alignment on.I do want to acknowledge Tracey Martin as has everybody else who has got up to speak on this bill this evening. Mrs Martin is clearly someone who has a huge passion for those people in our society who are vulnerable and I suspect it has been quite a journey for her in terms of designing this proposed bill initially and ensuring that it reflects values that are important to her. Then of course once it gets pulled out of the ballot it goes through the journey of negotiation and compromise working with both sides of the House through its introduction. Then it goes to a select committee and it is now back here for its second reading. That takes tenacity. I think it also shows judgment around when to call an agreement so I do want to acknowledge that. Perhaps I might even say I am slightly surprised Mrs Martin that such a good idea could come from your side of the House and potentially even you because in my experience to date which I acknowledge in this esteemed Chamber—with so much experience both surrounding me here and also on the other side of the Chamber—you could perhaps somewhat generously be described as a typical Opposition contributor with your sharp and frequent barbs although it would be fair to say that your voice never fails to reach this side.Chris Bishop: We hear it up the back.TODD MULLER: We certainly do—right up there we hear it every day. So at least audibly it reaches its target if nothing else.Because we are getting very close to 10 o’clock—and if Mr Assistant Speaker can just bear with a novice—I will say that I was out in the Ayes lobby before talking to my son when we were two members’ bills back. The passions were high and Mrs Martin was in full flight if I could describe her like that and I am sure that we can all understand what that was like. I was talking to my little boy on the phone. I was trying to talk to him about how his day was as it had been swimming sports and he said: “Daddy who is that lady in the background?” and I said: “Oh that’s one of the MPs.” He said: “She sounds nice. Is she one of us?” and I said: “Well yes she is nice in a sort of broad generic sense and who knows if she is one of us.” but—The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): I am going to encourage the member to come back to the bill I think.TODD MULLER: Yes OK right. I will return to the bill and thank you for your generosity Mr Assistant Speaker.This is a fantastic bill and as I said it is great to be able to stand here and support it and support Mrs Martin who has promoted it. It is good to identify the inconsistency between funding for foster children and funding for unsupported children and orphans. Clearly it made no sense to have funding for a clothing allowance for one group—in this case foster parents—and not for the other group. National supports this sensible solution as our speakers have already said. It is aligned with our philosophy in terms of our ongoing improvement in social delivery. It is aligned to part of our additional $10 million investment which has been touched on before and that of course came out of our White Paper for Vulnerable Children and the Children’s Action Plan which I may get on to shortly.In the context of this bill I do actually want to acknowledge grandparents in particular who spend time looking after their grandkids. There are some big numbers here in terms of this kin carer space in New Zealand. There are 12000 New Zealand children being cared for by wider family members because of the death of a parent or a family breakdown and half of the 8600 who are caring for these children are grandparents who are by and large of limited income. When we think of grandparents and we have all had them—I had two very special ones—there is this sense of them being part of your lives. For those of us lucky enough to have good relationships with grandparents they step into your life. You have a great period of time with them for a day or two or a night or two and then you step back and you get handed back. You go back to your parents and that is probably a relief in some cases for the grandparents; certainly it has been a relief for the parents to have a little bit of a break. But what an extraordinary effort it is from the grandparents.As we have heard in the scenarios expressed this evening and also I understand in the very moving scenarios that were spoken of at the Social Services Committee there are grandparents who find themselves in a situation of needing to step forward and I think make pretty much an ultimate sacrifice—it is right up there in terms of an ultimate sacrifice. Now that their own children are not in a position to care for their own children the grandparents step in to provide support. In many respects they have already done that right? They have reached the quieter stage of their lives and no doubt have other priorities but they give up their twilight years to help out for the family’s sake and for the children’s sake. That is a huge personal sacrifice. I have never met a grandparent who would not put up their hand for some babysitting but as I said they are pretty pleased to be able to flop back into a chair when that is finished. But what an extraordinary commitment to be in the twilight of your life and to say: “I’m going to stand here and provide unconditional love day in day out. Even though my energy reserves might be low even though to be honest in my heart I wouldn’t mind playing bowls instead I’m going to be here and I’m going to be here for my children’s children.” It is really hard work and I do want to acknowledge those who do that.Chris Bishop: Bowls?TODD MULLER: I have not played it. Have you Mr Bishop? I could imagine it is very popular in the Hutt.Hon Member: You will be.TODD MULLER: I suspect I will. But it is hard work and I think we do need to acknowledge it. I would like to acknowledge tonight not only grandparents but kin carers generally who are giving up an extraordinary part of their lives to be able to provide that love and support.We have introduced a lot of initiatives to be able to support this general theme particularly around greater parenting support. My colleague Alfred Ngaro mentioned it earlier but it think it is worth repeating further that in partnership with the Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust and The Parenting Place we have developed a tailored tool box specifically for kin carers at a cost of $600000 a year. I think that should be acknowledged. In my earlier context in respect of grandparents putting up their hands at a time in life when perhaps they are not attuned to being parents in the modern world I think the refresher course that is being provided to provide insight into how children’s early experiences might be affecting them now and into the future and giving them tools to be able to be as good parents as they possibly can be is a practical example of actually standing beside families who are needing support when this challenge arises. This takes the form of videos manuals informal discussions and tool boxes often delivered in someone else’s home over six sessions. Clearly the feedback we have had—and I understand we got this back through the select committee—is that this example of our support is working very well.Another example and I may not be able to get to expand on it tonight is the work we are doing in our Children’s Teams. Obviously Rotorua and Whangarei are now well established.Debate interrupted.