Duncan Helen: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Question No. 3 to Minister 
Duncan Helen: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Question No. 3 to Minister 
[Volume:617;Page:13311] 
6.  
HELEN DUNCAN (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What reports has he received on the number of people receiving the unemployment benefit? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 As at last Friday the number of people receiving a statutory unemployment benefit dropped below 68000. This is the lowest level since July 1987 and it is less than half the number of people who were on an unemployment benefit in May 1999. That phenomenal drop in the numbers on the unemployment benefit demonstrates the dividend of sound economic management and job-rich growth. 
Helen Duncan 
: What reports has the Minister seen about alternative ways of getting people into employment? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have seen suggestions that unemployed people should queue outside post offices on a daily basis I have seen suggestions that superannuation cannot be relied upon for people under 50 so they will have to work forever and I have seen suggestions of time-limited benefits. In the meantime this Government believes in getting people into real jobs as proved by the 193000 more people who are in real jobs whereas the National Party continues to hide behind policies that simply did not work in the 1990s and will not work now. 
Katherine Rich 
: With regard to the numbers on the unemployment benefit does the Minister know of any cases where hikoi marchers accessed special-needs grants or benefits as a result of their taking part in the hikoi and does he think it OK that his associate refuses to ask the Ministry of Social Development to do the necessary collation of information so that reports that people on the hikoi were accessing additional benefits can be confirmed or denied? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I am aware there were suggestions that two or three people who found themselves in emergency situations because arrangements to return to the north fell through may have accessed benefits and I am making sure we track down that information exactly. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Why does he not admit that the two significant factors relating to the current unemployment benefit figure are first a reduction in immigration and second the skyrocketing numbers of sickness beneficiaries in this country—a device to hide unemployment figures in New Zealand? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I cannot admit to that because both claims are wrong. 
Judy Turner 
: Has the Minister read a report in the Christchurch  
Press 
 that cites a general practitioner Dr Andrew Causer who claims that Work and Income clients visit his practice as casual patients on almost a daily basis expecting to be diagnosed with stress or depression so they can be put on a sickness benefit when 95 percent of them are fit to work and is he concerned that the number of unemployed transferring to the sickness benefit for these reasons has doubled since 1999? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I am aware of that report and I was so concerned by it I asked that Work and Income approach the doctor. I understand that the doctor has made it clear that his views were misrepresented in the media. 
Helen Duncan 
: Can the Minister tell the House what reports he has seen on employment prospects? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Job vacancies as measured by the  
ANZ Job Ads 
 series are running at a near record level nearly 10 percent higher than a year ago—evidence that the New Zealand labour market remains strong. Ten percent more people are now employed than when the Labour-led Government took office—that is 193000 more New Zealanders are in work—and with our sound policies of a regional development policy to stimulate job growth expansion of education and training opportunities and the quality employment focused through the Work and Income regional offices I am looking forward to even more New Zealanders enjoying having a real job. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. An interesting issue has come up that I feel requires your investigation. In answer to written parliamentary questions the Associate Minister Rick Barker said that he would not ask the Ministry of Social Development to collate the information required to find out whether some hikoi marchers accessed special benefits or grants. Today the Minister has said that he is willing to do that and that he will look into it. I am interested in your view Mr Speaker on the difficulty of reconciling those two answers. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I cannot look into that. My job is not to judge the quality of the answer. There is nothing for me to rule on because there is not really a point of order. 
Katherine Rich 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If we have an Associate Minister who says he will not answer but the Minister says that it is fine and he will go ahead and sort that out then we are getting mixed messages through the written questions process versus the oral questions process. Something is not reconciled on that side. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Yes but that is a complaint about inconsistency and the member has highlighted it. There is nothing for me to rule on. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In response to an answer by the Minister I wish to table two sets of documents. One set proves that the latest immigration figures are significantly down. The second set proves that the number of sickness and disability beneficiaries is up dramatically. 
Documents not tabled. 
Judy Turner 
: I seek leave to table the article from the  
Press 
 entitled “Big rise in stress beneficiaries”. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.