Dunne celebrates Families Commission Bill

United Future New Zealand leader, Peter Dunne, said today the introduction to Parliament of the Families Commission Bill represents the highly satisfactory culmination of years of effort by party members and hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders.

"It is with great pleasure that I can say to all those thousands of concerned New Zealanders who responded positively to United Future's message at the last election of making families the cornerstone of New Zealand society that this Bill is a giant step forward to making that dream a reality," he said.

"From July 1 next year, we will have an Commission capable of advising the Government with authority on policy relating to the New Zealand family in all its diverse forms; a Commission that will undertake significant original research into family issues with the goal of making this a better society."

Mr Dunne paid tribute to the Labour-Progressive Government and the officials who had worked in a co-operative and helpful manner with United Future in making progress on the Families Commission.

"The $27 million of funding means the Commission has a realistic, without being profligate, four-year budget that will allow it to plan its work in a commonsense manner.

"In the years ahead," he predicted, "we will wonder why we took so long to recognise the value of a Commission like this. Our goal is healthy kiwi families, meaning strong vital communities and a progressive, healthy, prosperous New Zealand. With the establishment of the Families Commission, we will have taken the first vital steps towards that aim."

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