Fairbrother Russell: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fairbrother Russell: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:637;Page:8040] 
2.  
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What reports if any has he received on the Government’s further progress at supporting New Zealanders into work? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 I can advise the House that this Government continues to have great success in supporting New Zealanders into work. As members will be aware unemployment benefit numbers have fallen from 161000 under National to just under 40000 last year. I advise the House today that with further job-search support services provided through Work and Income unemployment benefit numbers have fallen even further—reducing by 5000 in the last month alone. The number of people on the unemployment benefit has now been further reduced to 32000 which is the lowest level since 1982. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: How are total benefit numbers tracking? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: In the last year the number of working-age benefit recipients has fallen from 293000 to 269000. That is a fall in 1 year of 24000. That equates to 66 people a day every day who are no longer reliant on a benefit. In the last month alone all benefit categories saw a reduction. Sickness and invalids benefit numbers fell by 40 domestic purposes benefit numbers fell by 850 and unemployment benefit numbers fell by 5200. 
Hone Harawira 
: Kia ora Madam Speaker. Kia ora tatoui te Whare. Is the Minister aware of the comments of one of his predecessors the Hon Rick Barker who said in December 2003: “Of the 8055 Maori unemployed for more than 6 months who achieved stable employment outcomes in the year ending June 2003 3556 had re-enrolled by November 2003.” and does he agree that nearly 50 percent of the unemployed going back on the dole within 6 months confirms the widely held view that this Government’s grand plans to get Maori into work have been an abject and miserable disaster; if not why not? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I am certainly aware of the excellent efforts of my predecessor in part of this portfolio—and I compliment him on his timely arrival in the House. I say to that member that he seems to have missed one important fact which is that Maori unemployment reduced by 70 percent from January 1999 to January this year—from 15174 people to just 4525. 
Judith Collins 
: Why is the Minister planning to bring in thousands of unskilled foreign seasonal workers to pick fruit when thousands of able-bodied working-age people are sitting on the unemployment benefit in Hawke’s Bay and the Bay of Plenty right now? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I am sure the member is only too aware of the fact that New Zealanders especially the unemployed have first call on those jobs. I will read to her the words of Peter Silcock from Horticulture New Zealand in a press release dated 7 March: “The industry and government have been working together on ensuring enough seasonal labour is available in Hawke’s Bay and around the country for a number of years. The industry is very pleased with the effort government has made to help industry meet its expanding labour needs.” 
Russell Fairbrother 
: In addition to the reports the Minister has already told us about what other reports has he seen concerning benefit numbers? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I have recently seen an extraordinary report that inflates the number of people on a benefit by 10 percent by sourcing the statement from old 2005 data; that pretends there has been no change to the number of long-term unemployed when in fact that number has reduced from 70000 under a National Government to 13000 today which is an 80 percent reduction; and that claims that New Zealand unemployment and incapacity benefits are tracking in the same way as those of Australia and the UK when in fact New Zealand numbers are reducing at least four times as quickly as those of those jurisdictions. Those comments were made by John Key on the  
Agenda 
 programme on Saturday and show his now characteristic disregard for the facts. 
Hone Harawira 
: Kia ora Madam Speaker. Kia ora tatoui te Whare. I thank the Minister for his positive remarks about Maori unemployment. Does the Minister agree that unemployment rates for Maori still being three times higher than those for non-Maori highlights a massive and ongoing failure in the Government’s ability to support Maori into work; and is the Government willing to admit its mistake in shutting down the closing the gaps policy just as the Ministry of Education admitted yesterday that it had made a mistake in removing the Treaty from the curriculum? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: No and no. What it shows is the good sense of the high priority this Government has given in the past and continues to give to unemployment issues. 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: Could the Minister—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Madam SPEAKER 
: When a member of the Opposition was asking a question he sought silence. When a member on the other side of the House is asking a question that member should not be shouted down. So would the Minister please ask his question. 
Hon Parekura Horomia 
: Can the Minister confirm that Maori are going into work five to six times more quickly than any other race in this country? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Yes I can confirm that success. Of course when one starts from a higher percentage of unemployment even greater success takes a long time to benchmark out. 
Judith Collins 
: I seek leave of the House to table a report headed “Fruit left to rot as growers face major pickers shortage”; it is in relation to the Hawke’s Bay and fruit pickers. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I seek leave of the House to table a release dated 7 March this year from Horticulture New Zealand in relation to Hawke’s Bay’s seasonal labour needs that says exactly the opposite. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection.