Macindoe Tim: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Macindoe Tim: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:674;Page:20439] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I am very pleased to speak in this debate. I am a bit surprised to hear how few members opposite are interested in doing so; I think it is probably because we actually have a very good track record to talk about in this area. I do not think that any member of this House fails to care about these issues or is lacking in real passion about youth development matters but I pay tribute to our current Minister for Social Development and Employment Paula Bennett because she rolls up her sleeves gets stuck in and just does the job. As I listened to what Metiria Turei was saying I thought that a lot of the principles she was talking about were the right ones. It is about talking about what works and what will make a difference—and we are doing that. I am very pleased to have this opportunity to tell Metiria Turei exactly what we are doing. 
We have heard some bizarre contributions. I was very disappointed with John Boscawen’s contribution earlier as he talked all around the issue but did not actually get stuck into what we are doing. I remind Mr Boscawen that he is a member of the Government; he is not a member of the Opposition. One would have thought he was having a bob each way. Mr Boscawen and Ms Turei both need to be reminded that young New Zealanders in particular have been really hard hit by this recession. There is no question of that. They are the ones who will find it hardest to get jobs and they are the ones who most need the support of the Government to get training to get an education and to get a head start. Getting the first step on the ladder is often the hardest thing to do. That is why we have put in place opportunities like Job Ops like Community Max and like the Limited Service Volunteers scheme. It was very disappointing that Mr Boscawen did not talk about any of these things because in fact they have made a huge difference and I am happy to give him some of the figures on that. 
The Limited Service Volunteers scheme is a $55.2 million package and it is a really important part of our work to build skills and knowledge and build the stronger economy that we all want. That stronger economy will come when young people are engaged focused and motivated and have a sense that they can get ahead in the modern economy and have an opportunity to become self-reliant and build a better future for themselves. 
The Skills for Growth package provides a $5000 subsidy for employers to employ and train young people in high-demand industries. That is what we need. Last Friday I was in my electorate in Hamilton and was able to acknowledge some young people—and some not so young I have to say—and present them with certificates. As part of an industry training organisation scheme they have had the courage to go back after in some cases years out of education and get some training. In this case it was training with regard to double-dipped galvanised products. They got themselves some qualifications and what a fantastic thing it was to see those people realising they could lift their qualifications become a bit more adventurous in what they are doing become infinitely more employable add value to their company and also have the opportunity to make some decisions for themselves. These things are good and about a thousand young people a year will benefit from the good job and industry-specific qualifications that this Government of which Mr Boscawen is a part is offering. They will cost $7.2 million over 4 years. 
The Job Ops programme I think is one of the most fantastic things that this Government has offered. It incorporates a flexible $5000 subsidy as has been said that can be used for both wages and training. That flexibility is really important. The programme costs $13 million—or it will do over the next financial year. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: Yeah—really works in Murupara. 
TIM MACINDOE 
: From August 2009 I say to Mrs Chadwick through to the month ended 31 March 2011 over 10000 young people were placed in employment through Job Ops. Is that not worth celebrating? I can see how excited Mrs Chadwick is—over 10000 young people had an opportunity through Job Ops. Well done Minister! Well done the National Government—what a fantastic record that is. 
As I said the Limited Service Volunteers scheme—and there is Mrs Chadwick shaking her head—gives an opportunity to provide some of our most challenging young people with a really life-changing experience. I am so passionate about the Limited Service Volunteers scheme that I want it to be in every town and city in the country. I certainly want it to be in my electorate because—let us be honest—the young people who are being catered for by the Limited Service Volunteers scheme are pretty challenging. They are not exactly the people who are starting ahead of the pack. They need all the help that we can give them and they need to have some life-changing experiences. The Limited Service Volunteers scheme is a fantastic programme for doing just that and I say the Minister should go for it and keep delivering it. We know that it will make a long-term impact and I will back it all the way. I think it is fantastic. 
I tell Mrs Chadwick that the number of young people in work has risen by more than 5400 over the last year to June and the percentage of young people not in education employment or a training scheme has fallen steadily from 10.7 percent to 9.8 percent. Throughout the whole of this debate we have not heard much about the statistics; it is worth hearing them now.