New Green MP lands hefty portfolios

SIMON EDWARDS

It's going to be a busy year for new Greens MP Holly Walker, allocated five portfolios when her party shared them out before Christmas.

The Petone-based first-termer is the Greens spokeswoman on housing, electoral reform, children, arts, culture and heritage and youth and students.

"Believe it or not, that's quite a light load for a Green MP," she said last week, slipping back into work to prepare for the resumption of Parliament in the first week of February.

"We try to cover all portfolios and when we had nine MPs, they had a higher load than that. Now we can spread things between more MPs [14]."

Ms Walker is pleased there's some "really substantial" responsibilities in her allotted roles and is particularly excited to be the spokeswoman for children.

A major policy plank of the Greens campaigning was to lift 100,000 Kiwi kids out of poverty by 2014, at an estimated cost of $360 million. Then an adviser to the Greens, Ms Walker conducted much of the research underpinning that policy.

"It's an honour for me as a new MP to take on that one."

Asked what the National Government could do to make a difference in this regard, Ms Walker said reinstating the full training incentive allowance (TIA) for sole parents could be an immediate and useful step. The allowance is still available for polytechnic level study, "which is great", but was axed for university study.

"It was a really backward step.

"It's just a total no-brainer. If you're interested in getting sole parents off the benefit and into work, clearly higher education is an important way to do that.

"There's lots of research to show children do much, much better, the higher the level of education their parents have."

The Greens say the Ministry of Social Development's own research shows people who receive the TIA move off the benefit six months earlier, on average, than those who don't. And the party argues the estimated $40 million expense would be largely cost neutral because of the savings generated by people moving off the benefit faster.

National's Minister of Social Development Paula Bennett used the training incentive allowance to go to university, as did Green's co-leader Metiria Turei.

"They've both done incredibly well," Ms Walker says. "I think the difference is that Metiria and the Greens Party are trying to ensure that support is available to other mothers in the same position.

"It seems like Paula Bennett is happy to take that advantage but not sustain it for others."

In terms of the housing portfolio, Ms Walker says she is keeping a close eye on Housing NZ's Pomare redevelopment. The Greens argue New Zealand should begin an ambitious state house building programme, with spin-offs for employment and skills development.

Ms Walker also intends lobbying for minimum standards for private rental accommodation, including insulation.

"That links with child poverty as well. We know that so many children are living in substandard rental accomodation that makes them sick, and we could do a huge amount to help with their outcomes educationally and health-wise."

Previous Greens housing spokesman Gareth Hughes has already done work on minimum standards, with a particular focus on student accommodation.

"I'd like to broaden that focus out," Ms Walker says.

- Hutt News