Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumePeters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19033. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]5.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First)to the Prime Minister: Is the Government “working for New Zealand”; if so does that apply to all New Zealanders?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):Yes; and yes and that is why the Government was smart enough to support a situation where we would allow Coasters to be working and where we would ensure that wind-blown timber was actually harvested. We are amazed that some political parties oppose that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If “working for New Zealand” applies to all New Zealanders then why has the unemployment figure in this country increased by almost 60000 people under his leadership since 2008?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: As the member will be aware New Zealand went through the global financial crisis and the like. But our unemployment rate is 6 percent it is on track to go down to 4.4 percent and the participation rate is I think pretty much the highest in the developed world at 69.3 percent. But if the member is worried about creating jobs then I would have thought his party would be out there supporting jobs on the West Coast of the South Island to process timber that was blown over in a natural disaster.Rt Hon Winston Peters: How has the Government been working for New Zealand and all New Zealanders when almost one in four young Māori and Pasifika aged between 15 and 24 years of age looking for work is still without a job?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I am glad the member asked that question because the Government has been putting a huge—Rt Hon Winston Peters: No you’re not.Rt Hon JOHN KEY: Well no I am actually delighted. The Government has been putting a huge number of resources into Māori and Pacific trade training. Actually only last Friday I was out at WelTec visiting the Māori and Pacific trade training. What was remarkable was how well it is doing. I think 100 of its students have just gone down to Christchurch to be part of the rebuild. We are seeing an increase in the rates of Māori and Pasifika success at school. The member measures the small group of Māori youngsters who are not actually in training or employment or other forms of work.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If the Government is working for New Zealand and if that was a fact why is the Government expanding student visa work rights to 79000 international students in direct competition with Kiwi students desperately needing work to keep their student loans down?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: We know the member does not like foreigners but I hate to point out to him that it is an industry that is worth about $2.5 billion or $2.6 billion a year to New Zealanders. We get 28000 people employed as a result of that. If the member does not like foreigners he should just get up and continue to talk about it and hark back.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If the Government is working for New Zealanders then why would National’s plan to spend over $2 million on election campaign propaganda be needed to convince New Zealanders that that is what is going on?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: We will obviously be running a campaign. I have got a feeling that actually it is going to catch on because every single question from New Zealand First has been about our slogan—“Working for New Zealand”. So I am happy to spend a few moments talking about that if he likes—about the way the Government is working for New Zealand in creating infrastructure making sure our health system is working efficiently and making sure that New Zealand is delivering for this country. But if the member wants to talk about our campaign we are happy to do that.Rt Hon Winston Peters: If the Government is as it claims working for New Zealand and New Zealanders then can he explain how export education works when 79000 international students get to pay for a New Zealand education with income from the New Zealand economy? How does that work?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: For a start off when people come to New Zealand as part of export education they actually pay to be here. That is why it is worth about $2.6 billion. Secondly there probably are a few students who come to New Zealand and who choose to work in restaurants and bars and cafes and motels and all sorts of other things. That just shows how industrious they are. But if the member would prefer that no one comes to New Zealand then he is harking back to a day when moa used to freely walk through the forests of New Zealand. I know that is an era he looks back to with great—Mr SPEAKER: Order!