Ardern Jacinda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeArdern Jacinda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 05 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14321. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) to theMinister for Social Development: Does she stand by her statement onQ+A in relation to child poverty that “So why do an official measure that then by very definition still has quite frankly you know it’s sort of wherever you put the measure you’re always going to have people in poverty …”?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development): Yes but I think I put a bit of a different emphasis on it. Look we have a number of measures. We report on them both domestically and internationally but making one measure official will not make a difference.Jacinda Ardern: Why will she not adopt the strong recommendation by the Children’s Commissioner’s expert advisory group to measure and set targets to reduce child poverty?Hon PAULA BENNETT: We do measure poverty. In fact as I say there are a number of measures. We use them domestically. We actually report internationally on them. What we do not agree with is that you need to have one official measure and that is because we think what the children need most is action. They need action on the ground and you can see that in what we are putting in. We are putting more than $15 million into the Children’s Action Plan and $188 million has gone into welfare reforms. We are seeing more than 7000 sole parents going into work more recently and that makes the biggest difference for those children.Jacinda Ardern: What are the five measures of poverty that the Children’s Commissioner’s expert advisory group has recommended that the Government adopt?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I do not have them in front of me right now.Jacinda Ardern: Is she embarrassed that her Government’s refusal to measure child poverty officially means that the Children’s Commissioner has had to get money from a charitable trust to do the job himself?Hon PAULA BENNETT: There are plenty of measures out there. The Children’s Commissioner is independent. If he wishes to do that then he is perfectly entitled to. I want to commend things like the $377 million going into State housing for more bedrooms and to make sure that we have got extra room for those kids and the clean-upthat has had to be done on those State houses because they were neglected for so long which led to unhealthy children. For under-6-year-olds we are seeing care for them 24/7 now and we are addressing rheumatic fever. There is an emphasis on early childhood education for those children who were the most disadvantaged and were not getting it. That is just the start. When we talk about the economy and the difference it is making in jobs we see an emphasis on business so that businesses can employ more people and so that those children are living in a household with more income. The support for hardship assistance is at more than $266 million. The list is long. That is what children need.Jacinda Ardern: If the Government measures child poverty as she claims can she tell the House how much she has reduced it by; if not why not?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I stand by my original comment. You are more interested in the measures on the other side of the House—Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am interested in holding the Government to account on its progress. I asked a straight question: if she measures child poverty then how much has she reduced it by?Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: And the member has answered her.Jacinda Ardern: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If I could ask that question again because I think you would find it is not in the transcript.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Well then ask the question again.Jacinda Ardern: If the Government measures child poverty as she claims can she tell the House how much she has reduced it by; if not why not?Hon PAULA BENNETT: The member can get on her high horse as much as she likes but the reality is—Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: A point of order—[Interruption] Let the member finish.Grant Robertson: The point I want to raise is that the Minister having been asked a straight question began her answer in a way that attacked the member. That has previously been ruled by Speakers to be unacceptable.Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: I accept that point of order. The member should not have been so derogatory. Just let us answer the question.Hon PAULA BENNETT: Getting on your high horse is now derogatory so that is all right then particularly on Melbourne Cup day. [Interruption]Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!Hon PAULA BENNETT: Oh this is ridiculous! To the member right? I think that what we are doing here is fundamentally making a difference. I do not have the numbers in front of me as the member says. She asked for those measures. I think that what the kids need most is action. That side of the House is more interested in counting it. We are interested in making a difference on the ground and that is what those children need.