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Media statement

For immediate release

Thursday, 11 October 2012

Dunne: White Paper – the proof of the pudding will be in the eating

UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne has congratulated Paula Bennett and the Government for the development of the White Paper on Vulnerable Children. However, he remains concerned about the ability of government agencies to deliver on its intent.

“The Vulnerable Children paper looks like offering a useful start, but making sure we break down silos and join all the dots will be the real test which will determine its overall success,” said Mr Dunne.

“The proof of this pudding will very much be in the eating.”

“It is impossible to fault the intention behind the White Paper or the will of Paula Bennett and the Prime Minister to tackle the issue of child abuse. However, I do remain sceptical as to the effectiveness of government agencies to work together and with others to deliver the goods.”

“There is still far too much patch protection going on within the delivery of social services in this country. There is jealous competitiveness between government agencies and an invisible wall between those agencies and the NGO sector that needs to be broken down.”

“I hope the importance of this White Paper and Paula Bennett’s enthusiasm for it will lead to a significant culture change, not only among our families and communities, but also within the agencies tasked with rolling it out,” said Mr Dunne.

ENDS

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