Ardern Jacinda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ardern Jacinda: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:654;Page:3863] 
12.  
JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Youth Affairs 
: Does she stand by her statement that the Prime Minister’s Job Summit “demonstrates the power of working together to find creative solutions and it demonstrates the power of taking immediate action.”? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister of Youth Affairs) 
: 
 I am afraid that the member has misquoted me; that quote was with regard to the Job Support Scheme. With regard to the Job Support Scheme I certainly say that it demonstrates the power of working together to find creative solutions and that it demonstrates the power of taking immediate action. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Why then given the Minister’s belief in and response to the development of new policies around joblessness—and as she stated the power of taking immediate action—has she not announced a plan or invested in any new initiatives to address the problem of youth unemployment despite an extra 10300 20 to 24-year-olds becoming unemployed in the March quarter alone and almost one in five 15 to 19-year-olds being unemployed? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I am pleased to stand up and talk about what we are doing on youth unemployment— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I prefer that the member answer the question. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The member asked about youth unemployment and I am very happy to stand up and talk about that. The Mayors Task Force for Jobs is a good example of a budget allocation being increased for assistance. McDonald’s and Work and Income have just signed an agreement for a partnership that will bring in 6000 new jobs over the next 3 years. At the Job Summit Work and Income talked to TradeMe and they have an agreement that at the end of each week the jobs from TradeMe are downloaded and go directly to young people that need jobs. I tell members to watch this space for more that we will do. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Will the Minister adopt any ideas other than those generated by McDonald’s such as those ideas generated by the Youth Jobs Summit I hosted last week including greater investment in skills and training lifting the cap for tertiary education and introducing a guaranteed employment or training scheme for the long-term unemployed under the age of 25 years given that the Minister sees the power of working together to create creative solutions? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The member keeps getting the quote wrong but we will just go with that. The Opposition has been very critical of the Job Summit as being a talkfest but faced with the success of the Prime Minister’s Job Summit and the 13 regional job summits which more than 1700 people attended Labour is starting to change its tune. Unfortunately Labour’s Youth Jobs Summit was a bit of a fizzer: contrary to Ms Ardern’s press release only 20-odd delegates were not Labour Party people. Actually those delegates were seen to be complaining at the lack of— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think the House has heard sufficient. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: I seek leave to table the full list of those who were registered and attended the Labour Youth Jobs Summit which includes over 60 delegates— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought—[ 
Interruption 
] There will be some silence in the House. I know that today has been very testy but there will be a little decorum. Has the member sought leave to table a document? 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Yes Mr Speaker—a document listing the registrations of those who attended— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought— 
Jacinda Ardern 
: —including a representative— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: When leave is sought to table a document once the document is established there is no need to add further to it. The member will do well to learn that. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Don’t yell at women members! 
Hon Member 
: He’s got to go for that! 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am sorely tempted. Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry to interrupt but can I just confirm that the member will be tabling a document that gives the names and addresses of all the attendees? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The House gave leave for tabling a document and that is the end of the matter. 
Simon Bridges 
: Can the Minister give an example of initiatives that demonstrate the power of working together to find creative solutions and of “taking immediate action.”? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I certainly can. At the time of the Job Summit Work and Income and TradeMe began talking about how to better connect people to the jobs that are advertised out there. They agreed that TradeMe would send Work and Income a weekly list of all of their vacancies broken down by region. Work and Income would then forward those vacancies directly to unemployed beneficiaries for them to follow up. As a result we are seeing more jobs filled by people on the unemployment benefit.