Ngaro Alfred: Estimates Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeNgaro Alfred: Estimates Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 01 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19113. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]ALFRED NGARO (National):It is an honour to take a call in this estimates debate around social development. The best description I have been given about the election period is that it is an opportunity to bring out the score card. In other words you go out to the communities in our cities and in our urban and rural parts up and down the country and really it is a chance to actually show the nation what it is that we have been doing. We know that New Zealanders are looking for a Government that they can trust that keeps its promises and that works together with New Zealanders to make a difference in their communities.So for all the talk and all the rhetoric that there is and for all of the people who are inflating the stories around the hardship and the difficulties that we know are there in our communities when it comes down to it for all of the talk we need to actually get down to the action. What is it that we have done as a Government to care for those who are vulnerable who need our support?I just want to go back to one point. We have often been told that we are beneficiary bashing and that we do not care for those in need. We provide social obligations for those who are receiving a benefit so they can return to work. I just want to go back to the Social Security Act 1964—initiated in 1938 and reformed in 1964. Under section 1B of the principles of the Act it states: “(a) work in paid employment offers the best opportunity for people to achieve social and economic well-being: [and] (b) the priority for people of working age should be to find and retain work:”—Dr David Clark: Where are the jobs?ALFRED NGARO: And Mr Clark it says: “(c) people … should be assisted to prepare for work in the future and develop employment-focused skills:”.This is really clear about the fact that we know that people who can work should work. This is about social obligations. These welfare reforms that we have had have not gone away from the key principles—yes and they were established in 1964. In fact in 1938 Michael Joseph Savage and others set up these reforms. They were about caring for people. Here is what it says: work provides the best opportunities. That is what we have done. So when we talk about social obligations those who can work should work. It is really simple. Most New Zealanders get it right? Those opportunities are there.Dr David Clark: Where are the jobs? When will you get back to Labour levels of employment?ALFRED NGARO: Mr Clark keeps on going on about the jobs. In fact he keeps banging on around that. The problem is he actually does not want to hear the statistics and the facts. I am going to give Mr Clark a few statistics so he can go away. I have a few little takeaway points for you Mr Clark and here they are: an extra 84000 jobs were created in the year to March and Treasury forecasts 172000 being created over 4½ years. There you go—84000 jobs. The cost of living increases are low and inflation was just 1.5 percent—Mr Clark will get this—in the year to March well below average weekly wage increases of 3.2 percent. So what we are saying to Mr Clark to others and most important to the Kiwis who are out there listening is that this is a Government that has delivered. When it needed to do the things that are important to care for the nation that is what it has done. Average wage increases—The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch): Order! Sorry to interrupt the honourable member. The time has come for me to report progress.Progress reported.Report adopted.