Helen Clark

New Zealand's Working for Families programme gives Clark's administrative politics a concrete shape: tax credits, help with housing costs and childcare support brought together in one package announced in 2004. Paid parental leave was another achievement of her coalition years, developed with colleagues including Laila Harré and Ruth Dyson. These choices make her useful for readers interested in how family policy is assembled across departments. Examine who qualified for assistance as closely as the headline promise of helping families.