8. Child Poverty—Families PackagePRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Social DevelopmentChild Poverty—Families Package8. PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development: Will the Families Package help the Government achieve its goal of lifting children out of poverty; if so how?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): Absolutely. The Families Package will make an estimated 385000 families with children better off by an average of $75 a week in 2020-21 when the package is fully implemented. This Government recognises that for too long too many New Zealand children have lived with the burden of poverty. Under the Families Package there will be a winter energy payment to help people on a benefit or superannuation including sole parent families; a Best Start payment that gives families with a baby born or due on or after 1 July 2018 $60 a week until their first birthday and up to age three for lower-income families; a boost in Working for Families; family tax credit payments; and increases to the accommodation supplement. This package recognises that caring for children is one of the most important things families can do. It helps families provide for their children.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just wanted to get some clarification. Yesterday—and just check that we're not being misled in the House—I asked questions because Treasury have had to redo the numbers of children that are going to be lifted out of poverty—SPEAKER: And if you—[Interruption] No the member will resume her seat. If she thinks I'm being misled as I've advised other members—or the House is being misled—there's a very definite process for dealing with that and it doesn't involve bringing it up in this way. There are other points of course: if the member is convinced there's an inaccuracy in the answer she can take it up with the Minister and the Minister can come back and correct it. The difference between the two is whether it is accidental or deliberate as I think the experienced member knows.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: What feedback has the Government received on the impact that the Families Package will have on poverty?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The Families Package has been widely welcomed by organisations who work with and for families and children on a daily basis. UNICEF told media that they were thrilled that it felt like a Christmas present for every family across New Zealand. Major Campbell Roberts of the Salvation Army said that the $60 grant is a terrific payment and I think it will make a real difference." while his colleague Ian Hutson said the package was exactly what was needed to deal with the poverty they were seeing every day. The Child Poverty Action Group called the package a sea change for children saying the Prime Minister is to be applauded for prioritising child poverty reduction with this package. When the very same people who have been fighting to improve the well-being of our children for years support our initiatives I am confident that we are on the right path.Hon Paula Bennett: In light of Treasury having to redo the numbers for both last year's Budget and the mini-Budget under this currently can the Minister please tell us what the numbers are that will be reduced of children in poverty because of the mini-Budget package last year?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Treasury have made it very clear that the error that they have cited will have no impact on the actual numbers of people receiving extra benefits in the package or their amounts of extra income and that's what I alluded to in my answer to the initial question.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: What other action is the Government taking that will complement the Families Package in respect of lifting children out of poverty?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: New Zealand has the opportunity and the moral obligation to ensure children are free from the burden of poverty. Our Families Package will increase the incomes of many families by meaningful amounts and children will be much better off through our commitment to restore funding in education and health while also growing the economy. Just yesterday the Prime Minister announced the Child Poverty Reduction Bill which will drive a significant and sustained reduction in child poverty that lasts beyond successive Governments.Hon Louise Upston: Did the Minister cancel her plans on sanctions that remove the father's financial responsibility from the Families Package because the cost is estimated at over $100 million or has she just realised it's a bad idea?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We have made a commitment to removing section 70A of the Social Security Act but at no time have we set a time frame for doing that."