Ngobi TerisaTERISA NGOBI (Labour—Ōtaki): Talofa Madam Speaker. Can I first just acknowledge the Hon Louise Upston's contribution tonight—that was really fantastic. I also want to acknowledge someone else's contribution tonight across the way over in ACT there. I just wanted to say thank you to Simon for acknowledging the mighty and beautiful Ōtaki electorate in your contribution. Certainly the Ō2NL as we call it in the Ōtaki electorate or the Ōtaki to Levin State Highway 1 upgrade that this Government is making sure goes ahead which is fantastic. But I also want to just say thank you again for acknowledging Davey Hughes. If you are from the Ōtaki electorate you know that Davey is a great local employer in Levin in the Ōtaki electorate and also another FYI—I don't know if the House knows—is he's also the uncle of another great Labour MP Darren Hughes. So that's another little tip in there. And he does fantastic work in supporting people into work: a lot of our wāhine from all ranges and he even has certain hours for people depending on your circumstances. So thank you for brining that into the House as well. But I also want to acknowledge as others have as well the Minister the Hon Kelvin Davis—Kieran McAnulty: Top bloke.TERISA NGOBI: —and definitely a top bloke—for bringing this mahi forward and of course the former Minister who started this mahi as well the Hon Tracey Martin. Then the biggest acknowledgment I want to give is to the 15000 caregivers—or heroes I would say—in Aotearoa who have stepped in and provide love and care to our tamariki through whatever it is they need at that time. I know it's not an easy job but yes I really want to acknowledge those 15000 caregivers out there that are doing that great mahi for our babies. Currently we know that there's inequality actually in the payments if you're a caregiver outside of State care. That's essentially what this bill looks to ratify or to amend to ensure that regardless of if you're a caregiver a foster parent or part of Home for Life with a State care child you're also able to access the allowances for Christmas presents and birthday presents for the tamariki that you care for. We know how important it is for every kid to open a Christmas present on Christmas morning. You know regardless of whatever the situation is in the house that Christmas morning rustling that present—you know shaking it the look on those tamariki faces is priceless. We all know that and certainly in the Ōtaki electorate just to mention a crew that I'm able to work with: Terese Apitu senior practitioner for Orangi Tamariki Sergeant Beth Purcell the police in Ōtaki electorate and Christine McDonald former Strengthening Families coordinator and counsellor got together about eight years ago and saw the need to ensure that all caregivers and parents could access or get Christmas presents to their tamariki on Christmas day. Because of some people's situations that wasn't always possible so they devised what we call now Fill a shoebox" and I'm really privileged to be part of that crew. Last year we delivered 1500 presents in the Ōtaki electorate to many tamariki caregivers as well as parents in and out of State care caregivers and I can tell you that the looks on those tamariki faces of excitement when you show up with the sack from the community I can't even describe. But it's also the look on those parents' and caregivers' faces. It's a look of relief to be honest and it's also a look of gratitude because you know that maybe for Christmas that time it was going to be "Can we just get a Christmas kai in." So to be able to know that when they wake up those kids are going to be to unwrap those presents and don't know what's in them and have that excitement is amazing. I think that's something that every child has the right to have regardless of their situation. So also sitting on the Social Services and Community Committee as well and hearing the 31 submitters—amazing submissions—and I know my colleague went right through the list so I won't go through it again. [Interruption] I don't have enough time to be fair. We'll leave it out tonight but I know that listening to the submitters everyone was in agreement—just like across the House—that this makes sense that we want to make sure that like I said every caregiver has the financial means to go out and buy that Christmas present or that birthday present. So yes I just really wanted to thank the submitters that submitted and also the work of the select committee in that space as well and of course our chair Angie Warren-Clark as well who was fantastic. Glen Bennett: Shout out.TERISA NGOBI: Yeah what about the deputy—oh you know Glen did a good job too. And we know our caregivers do an amazing job. We know that they provide that beautiful love a safe space for our tamariki but we also know that some of our caregivers are short-term caregivers so they might not go through the 12 months. They might only have say a child in their care for eight months and at the moment as it currently stands that child that you have care of if their birthday falls in that time that you had care for them or if you have a child even if it is for six or eight months over the Christmas period you're not entitled to the Christmas allowance or the birthday allowance. So we've also looked to remove that 12-month rule so that regardless of a short-term carer or any carer in and out of State care they get the financial means to be able buy a Christmas present and a birthday present for that child if they're in their care at that time. I have worked at Work and Income and Oranga Tamariki albeit in a contract space and in our community for a really long time and I can tell you I have seen the work and the commitment that the caregivers do. I've been really privileged to go to some of the caregiver Christmas do's and just be part of listening to their kōrero and them sharing what happens and some of the really hard stuff that they go through like the Hon Louise Upston also talked about. Unfortunately some of these tamariki that do need that care and love at that time they don't just come with maybe a bag they come with some other stuff as well. While our caregivers are amazing—they're there to give love and provide care and safe space and day to day care for our tamariki—they're not all counsellors or professionals in that. That work needs to happen as well for our tamariki. So our caregivers—make sure they can get them along to that to be able to make sure that their wairua is right as well.Just talking on that I want to also acknowledge again in the Ōtaki electorate—we've got lots of great examples where I come from—my auntie and uncle who are grandparents raising grandchildren. They love their moko and while in their time of life they didn't expect to be raising their moko they're really committed and they're actually really active and loving grandparents. They're involved in taking their moko to the Halberg Games in Auckland. They're involved in making sure that their moko goes to wheelchair basketball in the mighty Palmerston North. They also make sure that their moko gets to do their strength training in the mighty Ōtaki electorate and so really active grandparents really active in their moko's kura in the kura community but it is a stretch. You know they are grandparents. They've done the raising of their children and now here they are starting again as grandparents. And while I can tell you they love their moko it is a stretch it is a stretch to the budget at times. So as grandparents although they'd find the money whichever way they could anyway this change where they're Home for Life grandparents raising grandchildren means that they going to get just that little bit extra to be able to make sure that their moko has that birthday present and has that Christmas present. I know that difference that's going to make to them.Can I say just to end it was a real privilege as the Hon Louise Upston talked about to work in the select committee where we were all wanting the same outcome. This bill was an easy one. The submitters were all agreed. Across the parties we all agreed. We all know the difference this is going to make and we know it's about equity eh? And so I'm really proud. Another great initiative from this Labour Government to make sure that everybody is equal that all caregivers get the same access. Kia ora.Motion agreed to.Bill read a second time."