The Families Commission Amendment Bill was sent to select committee on Tuesday Evening.
The Families Commission Amendment Bill folds the commission down to a single Families Commissioner and other members, amends some functions of the Commission and provides for the appointment of a Social Science Experts Panel to provide academic peer review and guidance.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said the changes would make the Families Commission more relevant and it would also gain a unit which could assess what worked in social policy and social policy delivery and what did not.
Labour MP Rasan Prajad said Labour would support the bill to a select committee. He said National had attacked the commission in the past, taken money from it and it was no surprise that it was now being restructured to resemble a Government Department.
United Future Leader Peter Dunne, who had the Family Commission set up under a deal with the previous Labour Government, said that Labour had tried to “white ant’’ the commission from the beginning and the restructuring would put it on a new footing.
The bill was sent to the Social Services Committee to be reported back by November 27 by 97 to 23 with Greens, NZ First, Mana opposed.
MPs began the first reading debate on the Companies and Limited Partnerships Amendment Bill
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