Speaking in reply to Prime Minister Helen Clark’s statement to Parliament signalling the opening of the Parliamentary year, Mrs Turner, United Future’spokeswoman for social services, and child and family affairs, said the Government needed to encourage communities to meet their own needs where possible.

“We need to make sure that we don’t do for them what they can and should be doing for themselves,” she said.

“What we need to identify is where family and community bonds are weak or no-existent.”

The Families Commission, a United Future initiative that will come into being in July next year, will serve that purpose, she told Parliament.

“It will have the potential to discover and suggest areas that need targeting.”

However, there are plenty of examples of family and community strength, she said.

“Last weekend I attended a Gold Star Award night put on by my local volunteer fire brigade for two men in recognition of the 25 years’ service they have given to this vital community organisation.

“This brigade (like many others) is a community of families who train together, work together and socialise together. They are ordinary New Zealanders who have discovered that there is something intensely rewarding in helping others, and have built a small community around it.

“They get called out at all times of day and night; they often arrive at dangerous or tragic situations and have witnessed some horrific scenes. But they support each other through those times. The richness of camaraderie further enhances the quality of their family lives.

“Several days later I saw the same characteristics of care and support at a local marae, as a community grieved the loss of a young man through an accident. The pulling together that families can depend on when the going gets tough is the hallmark of the Aotearoa, New Zealand, that I want to live in,” Mrs Turner said.

Ends.