1. Question No. 1—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Prime Minister1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and actions? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes. In particular I acknowledge today information that the unemployment rate sits at 4.2 percent the third-lowest in a decade and below I note the 4.7 percent we inherited. That shows employment growth at 6000 in the last quarter. It also of course captures that the underutilisation rate is at 10.4 percent down from 11 percent and the lowest since June 2008. This is a Government focused on making sure that everyone who wants and is able to be is earning learning caring and volunteering and making sure we're making the most of everyone's potential. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that Government policy should include a time limit on the dole for those under the age of 25? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: You'll find under this Government that we're focusing on getting every young person into training education and work. In fact you can see that in what we've been doing with Mana in Mahi: 2000 places made available to incentivise employers to take on young people and get them into apprenticeships. We've got to make sure that those opportunities are available—that we remove the barriers to training and education through policies like fees-free. These are all things that make a difference to young people getting into work and training. The member on the other hand is using tired old policies that haven't worked in the past. SPEAKER: Before the member asks I have received quite a lot of criticism for the volume of interjection in the House particularly from the Opposition. But I do want to say to Government Ministers including especially the finance Minister that he should not encourage the Opposition by assisting the Prime Minister with his comments. Hon Simon Bridges: Does her Government have a target for getting people off a benefit and if so what is it? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: This Government doesn't want anyone who is able to be working to be on a benefit. That has to be everyone's goal to get them into meaningful employment. Of course we have to recognise two factors with any country that has a safety net and that is that some people will not be able to find available work that they can do and others just won't be able to work through reasons of mental health issues or physical disability but this Government has a goal of getting everyone who is able to into work. That is why we have employed an extra 263 front-line staff to ensure that we are case-managing and working alongside those on benefits. That last Government decreased and did not increase the number of people working alongside those on benefits. Hon Chris Hipkins: Does she believe that encouraging young people into vocational education and training is going to give them better prospects—Hon Nikki Kaye: More money in. Hon Chris Hipkins: —for the future than labelling them pretty damned hopeless" as the last Government did? SPEAKER: No no. Before the Prime Minister goes which member interjected then? [Interruption] Thank you. Right. Carry on Prime Minister. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Absolutely and that is why we've not only done things like remove barriers to training and education; we have also added those incentives so that employers have the extra support both financial and pastoral to take on people as apprentices because of course we have a skills gap. We need those young people to be training. We need them to be earning and learning. Hon Simon Bridges: Are her Government's social welfare policies working? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. Hon Simon Bridges: Why then are there 22000 more on unemployment benefits today than when she started as Prime Minister? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That member well knows that in the areas where we have seen impacts in terms of downturn—our manufacturing sector in particular has felt the effects of what is a global downturn—they are the areas where traditionally you will see those who are on Government support moving on and off. So that's an area where we will see the effects of global headwinds. Hon Simon Bridges: Is it acceptable to her that the number and proportion of Māori on the unemployment benefit continues to go up so that there are now more Māori on the benefit than at the height of the global financial crisis? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: One thing you'll find with this Government is that rather than labelling people we are actually doing something about it. Everyone who finds themselves in need of Government support also deserves opportunities support and assistance to get into work. That not only means creating jobs—and of course we've had 81000 created since we took office—it also means having work brokers there to help train and support people. Twenty-five thousand people on benefits last year were upskilled and trained by this Government. That's something that we're proud of and we've invested $26 million to support into employment people with disabilities or health conditions. Rather than label people we actually get on with supporting people. Hon Simon Bridges: Why is unemployment today up? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I note that while it's at 4.2 percent we actually inherited a rate of 4.7 percent. So if that member wants to claim that that's high he might want to—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Stop whining. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —reflect on his own record. Hon Simon Bridges: Is it Government policy that if a New Zealander can work they should work? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We want everyone who is able to be working to be working. You need to acknowledge it is social security. It's a net that exists also for people who are unable to work—those with physical disabilities; increasingly we do see people with mental health issues through our support systems. All of them should be supported to meet their full potential. Hon Simon Bridges: Why then in light of her earlier answer about the many more staff at the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has MSD recently reported it's spending much more time on hardship grants today than on getting people on unemployment benefits into work? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The audacity. That Government stripped back the number of people who are able to be working on case-managing people who are unemployed. They reduced front-line support. Secondly we are a Government who pledged to get people out of cars to stop children having to read by torchlight because they didn't have housing and to make sure that families got the support they needed. That is what Work and Income is for. So yes we will have case managers helping people who are in financial distress because that's what the system is there for. Hon Simon Bridges: Is she proud that she has overseen 22000 more on the unemployment benefit including many thousands more Māori and that today unemployment is up and job growth is significantly down? SPEAKER: Any one of the four. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Unemployment is lower than when we inherited it under that Government and I'm proud of the fact that we are actively working to get people into work and 81000 jobs have been created."