Sabin Mike: Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Sabin Mike: Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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MIKE SABIN (National—Northland) 
: 
 I am delighted to be able to speak to the Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill and as a member of the Social Services Committee I also want to acknowledge the tremendous work courage and focus shown by the Minister for Social Development in this bill and its rhetoric of hope—rhetoric of hope.  
Let us drill down a little bit into what this bill is all about. There is not a rising tide of welfare dependence; there is something of a tsunami. I have heard from the other side conversations about blame the small number of people on benefits and the myth of dependence. Let us peel back the layers and see what we are really talking about: 351000 New Zealanders. That is 13 percent of the working-age population of New Zealand. Small numbers? A myth of dependence? I do not think so.  
We also hear much from the other side about the fact that there are no jobs; there are no jobs for these young people. Well Statistics New Zealand’s household labour force survey found that 62000 jobs were created over the past 2 years and the  
ANZ Job Ads 
 report for January showed jobs were on offer in every region of the country with 30000 positions available—30000 positions available. If you look at Work and Income it receives 1300 to 1500 vacancies a week. On average it has some 3500 jobs on offer. Perhaps we should turn to TradeMe. Some 10500 jobs are available on TradeMe today as I speak. SEEK has some 15000 jobs. I notice members on the other side are a little reluctant to provide the details on that. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: Are they in the far north? 
MIKE SABIN 
: Yes the far north does come into the conversation does it not? Far too many young people in the far north have been thrown on the scrap heap. I believe our region epitomises everything that welfare dependence has created and will continue to perpetuate.  
It is a welfare trap. It is not enough that we simply throw more money at the problem and hope that it will go away. This was a tactic of the previous Government. It does not support them into work and it comes at a cost of some $7 billion a year to the taxpayer none of which provides the hope and the ability for these young people in particular to find their way towards the opportunities and towards their potential. Moreover there are— 
Darien Fenton 
: But where are the jobs? 
MIKE SABIN 
: Do you want me to read out the jobs again? Would the member like me to tally them up? There are 30000 positions available. I could go on.  
I want to focus on one particular point that this bill is seeking to address and that is the area of youth. This has to be a significant focus for welfare reform because there are an incredible number of people in the pipeline to a long time on welfare dependence. What we know is that there are some 14000 teens in New Zealand who are currently not in employment education or training. There are another 3000 16 to 17-year-olds or mothers between 16 and 18 years of age who are on a benefit and 90 percent of this considerable number of people the young people the future of New Zealand—90 percent of them statistically—will go on to an adult benefit at the age of 18. I say we can and must do better and that is exactly what this bill is aimed at achieving.  
What will the changes for young people do? Let us think about the support that they do not have that we are looking to put in place and that this bill will remedy. Youth support providers will work with young people to get them into education and training. That is called mentoring and is something many of these young people have lacked. Young people will be required to attend their classes and attend budgeting and parenting courses. Again these are skills they lack and support they need. Youth support providers will manage young people’s benefits and help to pay those essential bills that so often get young people into trouble—their rent their power and so on. A payment card will be provided that will not facilitate the purchase of such things as cigarettes and alcohol. The State is not there to provide assistance in these ways.  
This bill is the first step and a very necessary step in this nation’s need to reform welfare. I commend this bill to the House.