The commission’s founding father, Mr Dunne, admits he had hoped the commission would be more vocal on family issues. Stuff Article.

But he does not agree it has been given too wide-a-brief, or is replicating work. “We worked very hard on the definition . . . It’s important — it seems to me — for a body like this, it cannot be too exclusive.”

He said goodbye to the commission on the day it was launched, but “like any parent whose kids were leaving home, you hope that they did the right thing”. That includes making more of an impact on the public. “I think that it’s proved its worth . . . It now needs to be prepared to move forward — there will be a lot of issues coming up over the next few years that they need to be critically involved in and taking a stand on.”

I think that it’s proved its worth . . . That was an expensive thought, wasn’t it.