Warren-Clark AngieANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour): Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. It's a great pleasure to rise and speak on this very long-named KiwiSaver (Foster Parents Opting in for Children in their Care) Amendment Bill. I would first of all as has every member here tonight acknowledge the member Hamish Walker who is not a parent who has very courageously brought this bill and raised the matter with this House. I thank you for that and I thank you for the intent behind this bill.I am not a member of the Social Services and Community Committee and so I have not had the benefit of listening to the submissions and sitting in. However I have had a look and a read of the submissions and I've looked at the proposed changes and the final report by the select committee. What I can say is that this is a small matter in terms of the number of children that will be affected but it is actually really important.I want to acknowledge also—before I talk some more about the bill—those foster parents out there who are doing an amazing job. I would like to acknowledge them and also a little somewhat selfishly acknowledge my own mother Linda Hahn who has been a foster parent for a long time. She is what we would probably call a kin carer in that we have a whāngai brother who has been with us since childbirth and then latterly as he is now a grown man we have had other children in my mother's care. I know of the care and the energy and the love that is put into those children on behalf of the State while their parents cannot care or are currently unable to care. So I do want to acknowledge those foster parents out there and I also want to very quickly just acknowledge the Homes of Hope in Tauranga. Hilary Price and her team work absolutely to keep groups of siblings together. They do some amazing work and I want to acknowledge them for the work that they do. Now Madam Deputy Speaker back to the bill—thank you for allowing that. This bill in its original form had the purpose of enabling 16- and 17-year-olds along with a guardian or a carer to enrol themselves as one of the aspects and the second aspect was it was proposed that children under the age of 16 would have the opportunity if one guardian or foster parent chose to enrol them. The Minister has just mentioned about the erosion of the rights of guardianship so the report that returned was most certainly narrowed and changed the full gambit down to including about 500 children who would be affected by this. This gave the 16- and 17-year-olds who have a guardian appointed the ability themselves alongside a guardian to enrol so that gave those young persons the opportunity to have some control. The second aspect was to enable those children under the age of 16 along with one guardian. Now the reality is that the natural guardians—and I'm not sure but people may understand that when a guardian is a natural guardian they are the parent at birth. So that's very often mum and if dad is present at the birth also the father. That is an innate right as a guardian and guardians have very important rights. However when the State intervenes and appoints additional guardians there are additional duties. But the original guardians do not lose their rights and that is the point that Minister Tracey Martin was making. The parent most importantly still retains their right and therefore it is so very important because State care is not something that we hope that our children stay in. It is not a destination. State care is something that we hope will be a short term and small part of this child's life. If it continues in that child's life then obviously guardianship is appointed. So the reality is that the shaping of this bill has been to still ensure the rights of the natural guardian alongside those guardians who are appointed and it is very important that we do that because we recognise absolutely that the family member—the natural guardian—needs to retain their right. Now KiwiSaver is a great initiative. Debate interrupted.The House adjourned at 10 p.m.