Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:655;Page:4888] 
11.  
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Youth Affairs 
: What examples can she give of new youth-focused programmes? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister of Youth Affairs) 
: 
 On Tuesday I met with a group of young people from On the Edge Trust. Those young people drove the iCAN initiative which in just 1 month collected over 54000 cans of food from school students which were eventually donated to the Salvation Army and city missions. They also set a world record for the biggest canned-food structure. I commend those motivated young people who took the initiative and got it all off the ground with no Government funding but who received heaps of community support. 
Tim Macindoe 
: Can the Minister give more examples of communities getting behind programmes they value? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Yes. Today is a big day in Opotiki which is a place I call the youth mural capital of New Zealand. It is a big day because the mural museum exhibit is opening three new murals are being launched the mayor is handing out certificates for the young artists and a film is being made of the day’s events. A cake stall last week raised $1300 to pay for a book about the murals. Although I am pleased that this project got under way with Government funding I am even more delighted that the community says that the funding ending has inspired the whole town to get behind this very special project and to make it its own. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: What youth programmes will the Minister call for the introduction of to assist the 32000 unemployed young people in New Zealand; or does she agree that the stalled emissions trading scheme and the Resource Management Act are sufficient given that these were both used by the Prime Minister as examples of the Government’s action on youth unemployment? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I know that that member has already proven to the House that she likes to pluck numbers out of the air so I certainly dispute her figure of 32000 young people who are unemployed. We currently have over 15000 young people though on the unemployment benefit. Those are young people aged under 24 years. This Government is certainly committed to engaging them. We have already seen a number of initiatives and industry partnerships and they will continue. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Does she agree with the Prime Minister who when asked for explicit examples of what the Government had done to address youth unemployment stated that one of the fastest ways to see youngsters get an opportunity was the introduction of the 90-day probationary employment period; if so by what percentage can we expect unemployment to decrease as a result of this initiative? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Yes I certainly agree with our outstanding Prime Minister. I say that we are in a global recession and unfortunately what happens at such times is that unemployment goes up. Let me say that I have no doubt at all that the 90-day probation period gives a number of young people an opportunity to get into employment that they would have not had otherwise. We would have more young people on the unemployment benefit if it was not for that fantastic initiative. 
Tim Macindoe 
: What other reports has the Minister seen about youth programmes? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The  
Sunday 
 programme recently highlighted the Otorohanga trades training programme that the mayor and the town passionately support. Despite the impression given in that item the trades training project has secure funding from this Government until December and they had already been told that they would be funded until June 2010.