The education that my family had worked so hard to provide for me meant I understood that completing my tertiary education was an investment in our family's future. With the help of the Edmonds whānau, I completed my law and arts degrees in 5½ years. By the end, Chris and I had four children and we were expecting our fifth. Like my father, my family depended on me. Failure was not an option. It was tough. Self-inflicted, of course, but still tough. We only had $8 in our hand at the end of the week as Chris worked as a low-paid timber machinist. That meant we had no cushion if our car broke down or it failed its warrant or if I needed an additional textbook. Our financial situation only improved in 2006 when a much-needed boost arrived through an increase in Working for Families. We were one of those families whom the Helen Clark - Labour Government assisted out of relative poverty and into a life of opportunities and choices. It made a real difference to our family. 