National to decide fate of families commission soon

NATIONAL BUSINESS REVIEW: National says it has made a decision on the future of the Families Commission should it win this year's election.

But it won't say what that decision is yet.

In a speech, to a forum where politicians talked about family issues held in Auckland today, National leader John Key talked about what his party would do to help families.

He also said: "Labour's stock answer to social problems is to employ more and more bureaucrats in Wellington to tell us what we already know."

Mr Key repeated National's position of capping bureaucrat numbers. "...and additional public spending will be focused on frontline services like those in our schools and hospitals. National will focus the funding where it really makes a difference".

Also at the forum United Future outlined its family policy which included retaining the Families Commission.

The commission's establishment was a key condition of the United Future Party's support agreement with the Government after the 2002 election.

National has repeatedly criticised the commission which started work in July 2004. Concerns were raised over a $50,000 golden handshake, money spent on a study that was not used and money spent on advertising and travel.

Before the 2005 election United Future made retaining the commission a bottom line.

Just before the election then-National leader Don Brash said it would preserve the Families Commission, although it might be merged with the Office of the Children's Commissioner.

At the time Mr Dunne said he would not support any downgrading of the commission but thought the Brash proposal was workable.

National welfare spokeswoman Judith Collins told NZPA today that the party had made a decision about the commission but that would be announced closer to the election.

"We would like to see the Families Commission become more relevant," she told NZPA.

"It's been far too political; its lost relevance for most families."

Ms Collins said National wanted more funding to go into frontline delivery of services.

Former Families Commission chief commissioner Rajen Prasad is a Labour candidate for the forthcoming general election and , at No 12 on the party list, is virtually assured a seat in Parliament.

An United Future spokesman said it was too early for the party to set bottom lines for this election.