Luxton JoJO LUXTON (Labour): Thanks for the opportunity to rise to take a short call on this member's bill the KiwiSaver (Foster Parents Opting in for Children in their Care) Amendment Bill under the name of Hamish Walker. I too want to congratulate Hamish Walker on having his bill drawn out of the ballot.I'd like to begin by quoting where the Opposition benches last ended their contribution when this bill first came to the House on 8 August. The member Dan Bidois said to the foster parents in New Zealand—and I quote—You are doing a great service to our community and to this Government and for the National Party you are a priority to us." Well where was the priority during their nine years in Government? This bill is a good idea despite a few reservations but is this their definition of priority? I mean don't get me wrong—this bill is a good idea and it does deserve to go through the legislative process and be consulted on in good faith. But I question the demand for this bill in light of what I have heard from foster parents and carers themselves which I will touch base on a little bit further towards the end of my contribution.In essence this bill will make it possible for any foster parent or kin carer who has the proof of their foster responsibility to approach a KiwiSaver provider to open an account for a foster child in their care. On that basis and in principle this side of the House will support it through to the select committee albeit with some reservations.There's no denying the importance of KiwiSaver not only as being vital to the financial health of New Zealanders but also to society and it's equally important to ensure as many Kiwis as possible have access to it regardless of what one has had to go through. I absolutely take my hat off to families and carers that open their arms and their homes to a foster child or children. I believe they've done so with the intention of providing love care stability support and an opportunity to set them up for life going forward.In relation to this bill we on this side of the House do have a couple of reservations. One: what happens to accounts with little or no money in them when they accrue fees? Long term do we want our young people with KiwiSaver accounts in deficit? And then what happens when the child in care turns 18 and is no longer a child in care? Let's not forget that when a person starts working from the age of 18 they're automatically signed up to an account and enrolled in KiwiSaver so I kind of question the sense in opening one so young and having a zero balance.It's questions and reservations such as these that I'm hoping the select committee process will be able to provide some answers for. What I'm also relying on from the select committee process is that foster carers and parents come in and make it absolutely known that there is a demand for this bill. I say that because actually—and as I know a few of my other colleagues on this side of the House have already said at first reading—I'm yet to come across someone who has said that as a foster carer or a parent this is a priority. But what I do know is a priority for those raising foster children is the associated costs and this should be no burden to those families who choose to take in a child.Three years ago Minister Martin put forward a member's bill on the issue the Social Security (Clothing Allowances for Orphans and Unsupported Children) Amendment Act 2015. Again this year the Government provided $104.9 million of new funding over the next four years to provide a clothing allowance for those on an orphan's benefit or unsupported child's benefit.I worry that the member and the Opposition have perhaps somewhat missed the boat with their focus on children in State care. We currently have 6000 children in State care and 60 percent of those children are in fact Māori and that's really really alarming. I acknowledge and appreciate that this bill is well-intentioned but we do have some reservations on this side of the House—but I do commend this bill to the House."