Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Norman Russel: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Sitting date: 14 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4301. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
3. 
Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment 
: How many New Zealanders are unemployed and by how many has that number increased since the quarter immediately before National came to power in 2008? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment) 
: 
 The household labour force survey released last Thursday estimates that there are 156400 unemployed. That is a difference of 62500 from the third quarter of 2008. It is important of course to note that one or two things have actually occurred since then: the small matter of the global financial crisis the fact that we inherited an economy already in recession before the rest of the world was and the large earthquakes in Christchurch. I add those things because I would not want the member to end up on “Planet Labour” by mistake. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Given that before National came to power New Zealand had the eighth-lowest unemployment in the OECD and it has now slipped to 14th why does the Government claim that New Zealand is doing relatively well compared with other developed countries when in fact we are actually declining relative to other developed countries? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Again unfortunately it appears that the member has taken a wrong turn and ended up on “Planet Labour” because the member neglects to note that the Canterbury earthquakes have had a significant impact on the New Zealand economy and that is to be expected. We have also had the global financial crisis and a number of other challenges in fact including the Psa crisis. Despite that the economy has added 77000 net new jobs since 2009 and has been steadily growing despite the earthquakes and the global financial crisis. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Why is the Key-Banks Government spending 75 percent of its transport infrastructure investment on new motorways when studies show that public transport generates twice as many jobs per dollar spent compared with motorway building and has much better economic and environmental returns? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The obvious reason would be that people use roads and they have to be paid to use public transport. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Why is the Key-Banks Government fixated on risky deep-sea drilling as a jobs creation scheme when mining is a very poor job sector—it employs only 6000 people—while the Government is neglecting the jobs-rich manufacturing sector which employs 247000 New Zealanders and has shed 25000 jobs under the Government’s watch? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The member really does need to grow up a little bit. The reality is— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The question did ask why and therefore it is seeking the Minister’s view but that is not an acceptable way to commence an answer. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I was just pointing out that the member says that the mining sector is bad for the New Zealand economy except that if you look at the unemployment rates by region around New Zealand you find that the lowest unemployment rate is in a region known as Taranaki which currently has a 3.8 percent unemployment rate. And if you want to look across the Tasman the lowest unemployment rate is in a state called Western Australia which happens to be very focused on mining and resources. So if the member wants to say that he is concerned about jobs for New Zealanders he needs to turn round and go to some of these regions where the Greens have been protesting against opportunities for New Zealanders to have jobs and renege on what he said previously. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Should not a Government that really wants to increase jobs be fixing the broken monetary policy to give our exporters and domestic manufacturers a level playing field against their international competition and focus its efforts on industries that create jobs for New Zealanders rather than profits for foreign investors? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The member seems to be advocating as his economic policy New Zealand taking a one-way bet against world currencies. Well that generally ends in tears. If the member is actually concerned about jobs—actually concerned about jobs—he should visit places like Northland which has the highest unemployment rate hold a public meeting and demand they support mining and exploration in Northland. He should go to Gisborne and tell them to support oil and gas and mineral exploration. He should support the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill in the House today. He should support the Government building transport infrastructure he should support our changes to the emissions trading scheme and he should support our efforts to attract— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The answer is not an opportunity for a speech. 
Su’a William Sio 
: Does the Minister accept that he is responsible for New Zealand’s continued high unemployment rate despite thousands of Kiwis heading to Australia and a reported rise in job vacancies because of his failure to provide skills training opportunities for New Zealanders? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: As I was saying to the other member if the member is concerned about job opportunities for New Zealanders in this country rather than Australia he should join the Government in promoting the opportunities for growth in this country instead of as Labour and the Greens are doing opposing the opportunities for growth opposing a convention centre in Auckland opposing oil and gas exploration and opposing the intensification of agriculture. Those are the things that create jobs. 
Su’a William Sio 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am able to repeat the question again and you will find that I do not believe that the Minister took the time to consider what I have asked for. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The honourable Leader of the House knows he should not be interjecting when a point of order is being considered. I think the question was seeking a Minister’s view on a certain matter asking why certain things were happening. The Minister in his answer indicated that in his view one of the reasons was a lack of support for some things that he believed were creating jobs. Whether or not that is the answer the member was looking for—it may not be the answer the member was looking for—it is an answer to the question. 
Dr Russel Norman 
: Why does this Government feel that it has any expertise or authority to lecture anyone on job creation when under its watch 65000 New Zealanders have been thrown into unemployment New Zealand has declined from the eighth-lowest unemployment in the OECD to the fourteenth-lowest unemployment it promised to deliver 36000 jobs last year and delivered half of that and we now have the highest number of unemployed since 1994? On what basis does he have the right to lecture anyone? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am assuming I will get a little bit of time for the answer Mr Speaker. The only person doing the lecturing in this Chamber is the Green co-leader Russel Norman who sits there and says that the only way to create jobs is to take taxpayers’ money and subsidise things that are not happening anyway and in the meantime stop every economic opportunity that would help New Zealanders have jobs in this country. He would prefer to see their jobs exported to Australia and then whinge about it. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Question No. 4 the honourable—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! The House has let off a bit of steam but I want it to come back to order.