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The Government has welcomed the report from the Expert Advisory Group on Family Violence released today.  The Expert Advisory Group (EAG) was tasked with providing independent strategic advice to the Government to assist in determining key priority actions to address family violence in New Zealand.

Associate Minister for Social Development, Tariana Turia says that the report is comprehensive, covering key elements crucial in any discussion on family violence issues and solutions. 

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says people and families in need of social housing will be better supported by the Government’s investment of $95.7 million of new money over the next four years.

“We want to ensure those with a genuine social housing need are in the right house, for as long as they need it.  Some people may simply need some extra assistance to access housing in the private market.  This will free up social housing for people that really need it,” says Mrs Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says a new in-depth report released today shows welfare reforms are saving New Zealanders billions of dollars.

Today the Ministry of Social Development published the 2013 Benefit System Performance Report, the first internally produced actuarial report on the lifetime cost of New Zealand’s benefit system.

Canterbury residents impacted by recent flooding will now be eligible to apply for funding through the Government’s Temporary Accommodation Assistance (TAA) programme, it has been confirmed today.

“While analysis is yet to determine the extent to which flooding is related to earthquake issues, it is clear that some residents would not have suffered the severity of flooding they had if the earthquakes had not occurred,” Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says.

Children and young people will be supported to speak up about family violence with a new resource launched by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett. 

The ‘Jade Speaks Up’ package developed by Violence Free Waitakere aims to keep children safe and gives them a range of strategies to use when faced with family violence.

“Family violence is a serious and harmful problem in New Zealand, with over 100,000 children a year, that we know about, in some way affected,” Mrs Bennett said.

I am thrilled to be with you tonight; at this very important launch – and to celebrate with you and congratulate you on an amazing milestone in reaching thirty years.

I’ll let you into a secret too – I’ll go out of my way to be in the company of such beautiful kuia as Aunty Kiwa (Hutchens) because she does so much for our wairua just learning from her example in life.  She has had a huge impact on me.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed the passing of the Vulnerable Children Bill into law ensuring that New Zealand’s most at risk children get priority in accessing services and support.

“With more than 30 specific initiatives contained within the Children’s Action Plan, this new legislation provides a solid platform of accountability and monitoring never before seen in child protection to underpin the plan,” says Mrs Bennett.

Mr Speaker, I move that the Vulnerable Children Bill, the Children, Young Persons and Their Families (Vulnerable Children) Amendment Bill, and the KiwiSaver (Vulnerable Children) Amendment Bill be now read a third time.

In this country, from the moment a child is born the Government is there to provide support – for them, their parents, and their wider family.

We have free education, and our schools are the envy of many countries.

A new campaign aimed at helping young New Zealanders stop sexual violence is being launched today by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“The campaign ‘Are you that someone’ will encourage young people to identify the signs that someone may be at risk of sexual violence, and find ways to safely step in early,” says Ms Bennett.

Almost one in three women and one in 10 men in New Zealand will be victims of a sexual assault at some point in their lives.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has praised the efforts of Work and Income Case Managers with a number of recent examples illustrating the difference they are making alongside Welfare Reforms.

“The flexible and tailored assistance provided by Work and Income is making an impact and since reforms were introduced in July last year an average of 1600 people are coming off welfare and into work each week,” says Mrs Bennett.   

Budget 2014 will make it much easier for sole parents to move off benefit and into full time study announced Steven Joyce, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment and Paula Bennett, Minister for Social Development.

The Government is investing between $18 and $24 million over four years to implement three policy changes that will align the student support system for sole parents with the benefit system.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced the appointment of Mr Haami Piripi to the board of the Families Commission.

Mr Piripi is a former Chief Executive of the Maori Language Commission, and is nearing completion of his third term as Chair of Te Runanga O Te Rarawa.

“Mr Piripi has a detailed understanding of the social sector, and the delivery of services by both government and non-government providers,” Mrs Bennett said.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Child, Youth and Family and Ngati Kahungunu.

“This is a significant milestone for both Ngati Kahungunu, which is the third largest iwi in New Zealand, and Child, Youth and Family,” Mrs Bennett says.

Around 5,000 children are in the custody of Child, Youth and Family at any one time, and at December 2013, 286 of these children were affiliated with Ngati Kahungunu.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says a rewrite of New Zealand’s Social Security legislation is necessary and long overdue.

The Government plans to introduce a Bill by the end of 2015 to rewrite the 1964 Social Security Act so it is easier to understand and better reflects modern welfare assistance in New Zealand.

“The Act needs updating. It was originally passed in 1964 and since then there have been multiple amendments which means it’s dis-jointed and lacks coherency,” says Mrs Bennett.

I acknowledge firstly, Pastor Kenneth Fuliese, for blessing our fono with your presence and your gift of words.

Thank you to our accomplished Master of Ceremonies – Memea - and I am always happy to be in the company of Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira who has provided such fine leadership to the work of the Pacific Advisory Group and in particular the evolution of the Pasefika Proud fono.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced the locations of eight new Children’s Teams that are rolling out over the next year to help transform New Zealand’s child protection system.

Mrs Bennett says Children’s Teams are a key part of the Government’s Children’s Action Plan to reduce child abuse and neglect. They bring together professionals and NGOs from across all the sectors to address the needs of vulnerable children and their families.

The Government’s commitment to protecting children from abuse and neglect has been further strengthened with $33.2 million in operating funding in 2014/15. 

“On average there are around 22,000 cases of abuse and neglect of New Zealand children each year,” Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.

“More than 50 children have died in the past five years because of extreme abuse, and one child aged under two years is hospitalised every five days.

The Government is investing more in social housing, including $77.5 million of new operating funding and $18.2 million of new capital funding over the next four years, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.

“This will provide more families with access to affordable rental housing,” she says.

Last month, the Ministry of Social Development took over responsibility for housing assessments, tenancy reviews, managing social housing providers, the waiting list, fraud investigation and debt recovery.

The Government is extending the parental tax credit to help many lower- and middle-income families at a time when they most need it - the birth of a new baby, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett and Revenue Minister Todd McClay say.

Budget 2014 includes the following changes:

The Government’s commitment to supporting people to get off welfare and into work is continuing, with new operating funding of $100 million over the next four years.

“Welfare reforms have already made a huge difference for tens of thousands of New Zealanders and their families,” Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.

Talofa lava, Kia ora, Fakalofa lahi atu, Aloha, Ni sa bula, Malo e lelei, Kia orana, Taloha ni, Halo olaketa.

I am so pleased to be here tonight to celebrate with you the diversity, the resilience and the splendour of tagata o te moana nui, the peoples of the Pacific.

Thank you Reverend Tokerau Joseph for opening this fono with your blessing for our day.

As we gathered together in silence, I thought of a Native American verse, which in less than twenty words challenges us to focus on what we know to be right:

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the nation’s nits epidemic will come under attack thanks to a new Government initiative to provide free head lice treatment to families in low decile schools.

Mrs Bennett joined KidsCan at Russell School in Porirua today to announce that the Government is providing funding of nearly $1 million through the Ministry of Social Development to KidsCan to tackle nits. 

The Government is continuing to invest in psychosocial services and support for temporary accommodation services in Canterbury, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.

“Canterbury people have been incredibly resilient, but the pressures associated with the rebuild and temporary accommodation arrangements continue to be major stresses for many,” she says.

The Government is providing further support for the Canterbury rebuild with $3.5 million of new operating funding for 2014/15 in Budget 2014 to assist beneficiaries to take up work in Christchurch.

“We’re offering up to 1,000 beneficiaries a one-off payment of $3,000 each if they have a full-time job offer in Canterbury and are ready and willing to move there,” Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says.