King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:660;Page:8728] 
4. 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: My question is to the Minister for Social Development and Employment—[ 
Interruption 
] She is answering it already. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Just ask the question. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: What action if any is she taking to address unemployment? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 This Government has made unemployment our No. 1 priority during the course of this recession and has implemented a balanced responsible and successful plan to steer New Zealand through the global economic crisis. 
Hon Annette King 
: Can she confirm that the number of people going on to the unemployment benefit increased by 2000 in January alone—a figure she quietly slipped out yesterday—if so when will all the amazing and comprehensive policy initiatives she has been talking about start helping the 168000 New Zealanders who are now out of a job? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The January figures for the unemployment benefit were released publicly last week— 
Hon Annette King 
: No they weren’t. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: —yes they were—along with the household labour force survey. The number of people on the unemployment benefit did go up by 2000 in the month of January which we were expecting. But equally 3180 people came off the unemployment benefit in that month alone and went into jobs. 
Hon Annette King 
: Does she stand by her statement “Let’s not panic. There are jobs out there.”; if so why cannot 16000 new job seekers find them why cannot 168000 unemployed people find them and why is the chief economist for ASB saying that he cannot find them either? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: What we saw for the last quarter of last year was a 5 percent increase in the number of jobs advertised. We are seeing more jobs come into Work and Income than ever before. A third of job applicants are still being triaged away and are going into jobs. This is what happens in the lag of one of the worst global recessions that we have seen. Things are tougher out there but this Government’s plan is implementing more jobs. 
Katrina Shanks 
: Why is the Minister particularly concerned about the increasing number of people who are unemployed for more than a year? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: This year the Government will spend $7.6 billion on benefits. That is more than $20 million a day. With an ageing population rising levels of long-term welfare dependency have serious consequences for future taxpayers. It is our children who will bear the cost unless we do something about it. 
Hon Annette King 
: If she is so concerned about long-term unemployment is she aware that the number of long-term unemployed has soared in the 15 months that she has been the Minister from 14800 to 40500 today? I thought that these were the people whom John Key was going to get off welfare dependency. You have just added Minister— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! 
Hon Annette King 
: —about 30000 more to it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I call the Minister to answer I just ask the member to remember that when she says “You have just added” she is referring to the Speaker. I would remind members of that. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I think that the member struggles to understand what happens in a global recession and the effect that it has on jobs and employment. What I can say Mr Speaker—and I do not want to raise your ire in the first question time—is that there is a long long list of initiatives that this Government has implemented that are making a difference including $1.1 billion in broadband; nearly 30000 home insulation cases; Job Ops which is being expanded because it is so successful; and Community Max which is already signed up. I could go on but I shall not. 
Hon Annette King 
: Can she confirm that funding for Job Ops and Community Max has almost run out; if so will she be putting in additional money in this financial year to help more New Zealanders into work? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Job Ops is doing fine. We have already put another 2000 places into it. We have not started on those 2000 yet so I am fairly confident that we will be able to keep up with the demand for Job Ops. Community Max is getting close to being fully done but we announced just this morning that we will expand that slightly so that more people can go on it.