Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 29 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4861. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development 
: Why is the Government making changes to the welfare system? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development) 
: 
 We believe that work is the best path out of poverty—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise to the Minister. Look the noise is unreasonable today. The Minister had not even started to say a word and there was a barrage of noise from the Opposition benches and that is not reasonable. I ask members just to be a little more reasonable—that is all. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: We believe that work is the best pathway out of poverty. That is why more than 88000 people cancelled their benefit last year to go into work. That does not count those—[ 
Interruption 
] It is in your own time. But that does not include those who have travelled overseas. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Yes it does. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: No it is those who left welfare to go into work—more than 88000 people. It is well and truly in line with the recent Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty report which says: “Research indicates that a parent obtaining full-time paid employment is the most important event to lift children out of poverty.” [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Before I go to Tim Macindoe I say in fairness to the Hon Trevor Mallard that the level of interjection is just unreasonable. The continual yelling across the House is not necessary during question time. Interjections can be made but that is just unreasonable. I call Tim Macindoe. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! How does that help? Tim Macindoe. 
Tim Macindoe 
: What do we know about—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Look the House has had a bit of fun today but it has got totally unreasonable and some members will have an early shower if we do not get this under better control. Let us just take a deep breath and get this under control. We are meant to be grown up. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think that seeing as the public are watching this someone should rush to say that on this side of the House we have a shower in the morning; we do not come here unclean. I cannot speak for the other side over there. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I think none of this is terribly helpful. We must get on with question time. It is not fair to the public if there is too much noise because they cannot hear clearly and that is simply not fair. I ask members to show a little more respect. 
Tim Macindoe 
: What do we know about the outcomes for families and children who are welfare dependent? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: There are people in work who struggle to make ends meet and there is no doubt about that but all research indicates that paid work is generally not just good for your bank account but also good for your mental and physical well-being and that is why this Government has a clear focus on the benefits of work for those who are welfare dependent. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Question No.—[ 
Interruption 
] Supplementary question Tim Macindoe. 
Tim Macindoe 
: I am sorry Mr Speaker. There was a member opposite in the House and I was offering her a chance. How will an investment approach support the Government’s welfare reforms? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: We currently put 90 percent of our employment assistance funding into the unemployment benefit yet the expert advisory group highlights that sole parenthood is a major factor of poverty. Surely then it makes sense to redirect support where it is needed most and the investment approach will do that. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Does she believe that there is a period when a child will be better off with their sole parent at home caring for them; if so up to what age? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I have seen research that actually shows indications that in some instances it is for short periods of time and for other parents it is for different and longer periods of time. So I do not put an actual month or year date on it. I think that it is different for different families and that they should have that choice.