The social welfare policy, Whanau Ora, is being praised by the retiring Te Tai Hauauru MP, Tariana Turia, as one of her greatest achievements, while in parliament.
Tariana Turia Photo: RNZ
The scheme, which is a Maori approach, aims to support a whole family rather than just a troubled individual.
Mrs Turia said that although it seemed like a radical and complicated concept to most people in 2008 when she introduced it she couldn't think of anything more simple.
She said it seemed such an easy thing to put in place a practise to restore the rights, responsibilities and obligations of whanau to care for one another.
Tariana Turia said Whanau Ora was about resourcing families to care for themselves so they were not dependant on the state and all its agencies to be the solution.
She also believed that her Whanau Ora legacy would carry on because it was a practice that was not only appropriate for Maori, but for non-Maori too, who could see the benefits of families working together to support one another.