• Pathways To Opportunity
• Children's Commissioner
• Liable Parents Payments
• Visit Of Sir Tony Atkinson
• Nzqa Board Appointment

PATHWAYS TO OPPORTUNITY
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey released a Government statement on the development of the social security system last week. Pathways to Opportunity: Ngä ara whai oranga offers a new approach to social security for people of working age in New Zealand. The publication sets out the contribution a social development approach can make to the development of an innovative economy which can create jobs and provide opportunities for all New Zealanders. It outlines the Government's moves to rebuild the social security system around a social development model. A social development approach:

• assists people to gain the skills that lead to a sustainable job;
• provides effective support to keep them in work; and,
• makes sure that taking a job leaves people and their families better off.

The Government wants to build the skills and talents of all New Zealanders to ensure they have an opportunity to succeed. Helen Clark said the $5.4 billion New Zealand spends each year on benefits should not only provide security, it must also be an investment in people's potential. "The First Labour Government established the present social security system in 1938. It now falls to the Labour-Alliance Government to build on that proud past and have social security making a full contribution to New Zealand's economic and social development this century," she said. Steve Maharey said the Pathways statement describes the beginnings the Government has made and the steps now in train to realise this goal. The Government wanted to move past the unproductive "more versus less" argument which has dominated the political debate around social security. The system needs to evolve as a carefully considered social investment to lift people's capacity. The Government's approach to reforming New Zealand's social security system focuses on six key components:

• building a simpler benefit system - moving towards a social security system that is both more easily understood and easier to deliver;
• making work pay and investing in people - ensuring that a move into work is worthwhile financially;
• supporting families and children - having a system that supports families and children through difficult times, especially when there is no one in paid employment;
• building partnerships with the community - it is only by joint action ? with the voluntary sector, with local government, and with business ? that lasting change will take place;
• outlining mutual responsibilities - the Government will help those struggling to find paid work. However people must be prepared to take opportunities offered to them, and be aware of reasonable sanctions if they do not; and
• tackling poverty and social exclusion - We are addressing issues that trap people in poverty and prevent their full participation in society.

Pathways to Opportunity: Nga ara whai oranga is the first of a number of documents relating to social policy to be published over the coming month.

Others are a report on social indicators, and the framework to be used to co-ordinate whole-of-government responses to social exclusion in our society.

* copies of Pathways to Opportunity: Nga ara whai oranga can be ordered or downloaded from www.executive.govt.nz and are also available from Mr Maharey's office, phone (04) 470 6552

CHILDREN'S COMMISSIONER

New legislation to significantly increase the roles, functions and powers of the Commissioner for Children is to be introduced to Parliament this year. The legislation, to be introduced in September, will strengthen the Commissioner's powers, give better effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC) and increase the independence of the Commissioner. The bill incorporates Select Committee recommendations on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Children Bill, a members bill currently before the House introduced by Alliance MP John Wright.

Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said the bill would give the Commissioner a greater ability to be an effective advocate for children and young people. Labour and the Alliance committed to increasing the Commissioner's powers in their pre-election policies.

The Bill will include the following new functions and powers of the Commissioner:

• raising awareness and understanding and of children's rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC), monitoring the implementation of the Convention and advocating for children generally;
• the power to present reports to Courts, on their request, where there are issues relating to UNCROC or the interests of children generally; promoting the participation of children in the making of decisions that affect their lives;
• establishing of an accessible and effective complaints mechanisms for children and monitoring the nature and level of complaints;
• extending the Commissioner's current investigative function beyond the present limitation of coverage to the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 is removed and cover 'rights' as well as 'interests and welfare'; and,
• the right to report, with or without request, directly to the Prime Minister on matters affecting children's rights.

It will not make the Commissioner for Children an Officer of Parliament. Submissions received by the select committee on Mr Wright's bill generally did not support this proposition.

Additional funding of $2.8m over four years for the Commissioner's Office was provided in the Budget to enable him to take on the expanded role envisaged in the bill.

LIABLE PARENTS PAYMENTS
Legislation increasing the minimum rate of child support to be paid by liable parents was given its first reading in Parliament last week. The Child Support Amendment Bill increases the minimum rate from $10 a week to $12.75 a week or $663 a year from 1 April 2002. The minimum rate has not been adjusted since it was set in October 1990. The increase reflects the actual and expected movement in the Consumer Price Index from March 1990 to March 2002. In the future the real value of the minimum payment will be automatically maintained. About 79,000 liable parents would be affected by this change.

Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said the Bill reinforced the Government's firm view that all parents had a responsibility to contribute to the financial and emotional support of their children.

The bill will also require liable parents with higher incomes to make a more appropriate contribution towards the cost of raising their children. From 1 April 2002, the maximum annual income level for assessment of child support will increase from twice to 2.5 times the yearly equivalent of the average ordinary-time weekly wage, at current rates from $67,569 to $84,461. This change will affect around 3,200 liable parents. For example, a liable parent with an income of $85,000, living alone and liable for two children, will pay $78 more a week.

VISIT OF SIR TONY ATKINSON
Sir Tony Atkinson, Warden of Nuffield College, Oxford, begins a visit to New Zealand today to brief ministers and government officials on trends in European social policies. Sir Tony is at the forefront of international economic research, advice and analysis of social policy in Europe and the United Kingdom. Much of his work has been concerned with social policy issues in the United Kingdom and Europe. He has also written extensively on public sector economics, taxation, poverty and income distribution, and explored the relationship between a strong welfare state and economic growth.

NZQA BOARD APPOINTMENT
Epsom Girls Grammar School Principal, Margaret Bendall, has been appointed to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority Board. NZQA provides qualifications quality assurance, assessment, and examination services in New Zealand and overseas. Ms Bendall has an extensive career in education and a record of leadership in the development of curriculum, teachers, and principals.