Beyer Georgina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Beyer Georgina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:629;Page:1227] 
7.  
GEORGINA BEYER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What reports has he received on the Government’s progress at moving New Zealanders off benefits and into work? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 The latest quarterly figures prepared by the Ministry of Social Development show that in the year ended December 2005 the number of working-age New Zealanders on benefits dropped by a further 17600 or 6 percent. There are now almost 100000 or 25 percent fewer New Zealanders receiving assistance than there were under National in 1999. This graphic representation may help members understand the magnitude of this achievement. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What reports has the Minister seen specifically about the numbers of people receiving the unemployment benefit? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Unemployment has dropped by 70 percent under Labour. In 1999 there were 161000 New Zealanders in receipt of the unemployment benefit; the latest quarterly figures show that that number is now just over 51000. 
Sue Bradford 
: When will the Government announce details of the planned new core benefit system and can the Minister assure the House that there will be no benefit cuts under the new regime he has planned? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Those decisions are to be coming to Cabinet in the next months and the member will know that I am on record as saying that we will not adopt a punitive approach to these matters. 
Judith Collins 
: How many of the 123000 sickness and invalids beneficiaries moved off benefits into work last year? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: In the latest year ended December the growth rate of the sickness benefit had fallen to just 3 percent. It is important for that member to be aware of the fact that sickness and invalids benefits grew at a rate of 69 and 84 percent respectively under the National Government. Again I state that we are getting on top of a trend that was out of control under National. I stress that these are the headline figures. Which part of “good news” does the member not understand? 
Judith Collins 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The member might like to reflect on that question. We do not want to have him trot down to the House in a few hours’ time to correct himself. He has in fact implied that the figures for sickness and invalids benefits went up under National when actually for 2 years they went down in the late 1990s—a point that he constantly ignores. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member for that information. [ 
Interruption 
] Silence please! Members will be leaving this Chamber if they are not silent during question time. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: What advice will the Minister be giving to the 27 staff the majority of whom are Maori who have now been made redundant after fire destroyed an Otaki plastics-recycling factory and who were given public assurances by Work and Income New Zealand staff at two meetings that they would be available to help staff retain their jobs? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Work and Income is available for that purpose. I have already agreed to a meeting with the manager of the factory in Wellington next week and will certainly try to provide what assistance I can. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What reports has the Minister seen that might explain why there are so many fewer people on the unemployment benefit? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I have seen one report from the Paul Holmes breakfast radio show on 2 February this year in which his guest explained that this drop was best explained by there having been jobs for Africa under Labour and I quote: “It would be very foolish to say that there haven’t been jobs for Africa in the last so many years and of course there have been.” That was of course National’s welfare spokesperson Judith Collins.