Bennett Paula: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBennett Paula: General Debate[Sitting date: 04 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15237. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development): I want to address the reforms the way we are working with young people and the difference that we are making in their lives. We have heard a lot of rubbish from the Opposition today about how we have seen the demise of young people how dreadfully they are all doing and how it is everyone’s fault of course except theirs—and mainly ours. Well I want to stand up here today and say that I actually think young people are thriving and doing incredibly well. They have an awesome future and the ones whom I meet if our handsare in theirs I think we are going to be pretty much all right. There are some things we can do better and you have already heard from previous speakers from this side of the House on where that attention is going where the resources are at and how we are targeting more to those who need it most. I stand here certainly myself and I am proud of the fact that we get the right information on the right people so that we are able to make sure the right resources are getting to them.If ever there is an example of where that is happening the most it would have to be in youth services within our welfare reforms particularly for those young people aged 16 17 and 18. Let us cut to the facts of what we did not know before but we do know now. Of those aged 30 to 39 years old who are currently on a benefit 60 percent went on as a teenager—of those currently aged 30 to 39 who are on a benefit 60 percent went on as a teenager. Of young beneficiaries 43 percent will still be on a benefit 15 years later. Of disengaged 16 and 17-year-olds 90 percent will go on an adult benefit at age 18 or 19 unless we intervene differently.So of course that is exactly what we did. We went out there. We contracted. We got all that new money in the Budget of 2012. We then implemented our youth services and we see substantial differences for these young people. Of those who were not in education employment or training—so those who were “neets”—we now have 59 percent enrolled in education another 17 percent in training and another 4 percent in work-based learning. That is outstanding. We have 1300 who are on the new youth payment which are those 16 and 17-year-olds. Of those 1300 71 percent are in education—71 percent. I can tell you that that number was pretty much zero before these reforms came in. But—and it will not surprise many in this House—the ones who really get me going the most and who I think are making the biggest difference are those teen parents. Of teen parents aged 16 17 and 18 years old we have got 1400 who are on a young parent payment. Of them 70 percent are in education 13 percent are in training 48 percent have done a budgeting course and 44 percent have done a parenting course.But there is a reason I got into politics and I have been reminded of it this week. I get to indulge myself in the general debate which is a pleasure we do not often get in this House. I am thrilled to say that I had a young woman who wrote to me and said: “Because I was now single with no income I had to apply for a solo benefit. I went to Youth Service to sign up for the youth benefit. I had absolutely no levels from school as I had dropped out so young at 14. Basically I had nothing to offer my girl. When I met the Youth Service officer they made me go into education and told me I wouldn’t get a benefit unless I was enrolled in some type of course.”She then goes on further. She says: “They were all absolutely welcoming to me and absolutely loving and caring. I had to break the habit of staying home all day long to actually get up early and do something with myself for the day. After the first term was over and the second term started I was still not attending regularly so my teacher spoke to me and told me I had to attend at least part time if I wanted to keep getting paid my youth service benefit. That was when my life practically changed. I didn’t want to struggle with a baby so I carried on at TPU the teen parent unit. The second term at TPU was the best time I had in a long time. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. School was always hard for me to attend but now I am achieving.”I had another one who wrote to me and said: “Before I started at the TPU and was made to go I only had level 1 Achieved. I didn’t actually realise I had any NCEA credits. But now since the teen parent’s coming to an end with only 6 weeks left I have level 1 2 and 3 and only need 11 more credits to complete university entrance.” I have another young woman here who told me that the reality for her was: “I have gained level 2 while I have been here and am 10 credits away from completing level 3. I havealso put credits towards university entrance. The TPU and the girls here have motivated me so much to make a better change for myself.”That is why we come into Parliament—to change these girls’ lives to see them get educational achievement and to see them grow into who we know they can be. This side of the House backs them.