King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:675;Page:20724] 
4. 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Does she stand by all her answers to Oral Question No 7 yesterday? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 Yes. 
Hon Annette King 
: In light of her answer yesterday that the Government has announced radical changes for young people and “We will be intervening.” what led her to make that decision? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Concerns for 16 and 17-year-olds who are not in education employment or training and also a real level of concern for teen mothers some of whom get some great education through the teen parent units but others do not and it felt really unequal and uneven. We felt that we could put better support around them as well. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does she believe that the use of a special credit card for people on a benefit that prohibits the purchase of alcohol and tobacco would require the Crown to make moral judgments about individuals’ decisions; if not why not? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I see the fact that they cannot buy cigarettes or alcohol to be quite honest as quite a side issue. It is more that we are paying their rent directly so that they have a roof over their heads. I see their being able to have utilities the use of a payment card and an in-hand allowance on top of that as being quite a responsible thing to do for teenagers as young as 16 and 17 years old. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does she believe that the sort of oversight proposed by the Prime Minister on Sunday would be highly intrusive and rob individuals of their freedom of choice; if not why not? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Actually in some respects yes; I do think it is quite intrusive and I do think it is quite hands-on. But we are talking about young teenagers and we are talking about in general ones who have had pretty rough upbringings at times. Some really do not know what to do. If they were my kids then I would actually be wanting to wrap more support around them and to put a few more controls in place so that is what we are doing. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does she believe that this kind of oversight spread across the benefit system would impose an enormous administrative burden and cost upon Work and Income? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The policy announced was for 16 and 17-year-olds and some teen parent 18-year-olds not across the whole benefit system. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does she believe that because a small minority of income support recipients do not use their moneys prudently this should lead to changes to the way in which welfare is paid or assessed; if not why not? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: It is less about whether they are using their money prudently and more about offering them the sort of support this package will offer. The other part of it is that they have to be attached to a non-governmental organisation that wraps support around them. That could be a Maori organisation that stays with that young teenager for some time as they go through a period of adjustment or it could be not as hands-on as that depending on where they are at. 
Hon Annette King 
: Did she send a letter to a businessman on 14 March this year saying a payment card for people on a benefit that forbade alcohol and tobacco purchases would require moral judgments by the Crown would be highly intrusive would rob individuals of freedom of choice and would impose an enormous administrative burden on Work and Income and there was no need to change the way in which welfare is paid or assessed? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Yes possibly. What the member has not picked up is that actually the policy is for 16 17 and some 18-year-olds. I have said that I do actually see it as intrusive. I do think the administration that comes with it is worth it and I am backing these young people into a better life. 
Hon Annette King 
: I seek leave to table a letter addressed to a businessman dated 14 March from the Minister for Social Development and Employment in which she rejects the idea of changing the way welfare is paid or assessed. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: 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. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Question No. 5 Louise Upston. [ 
Interruption 
] We have dealt with that question and that issue. I ask for some courtesy from the Labour front bench.