Sio William: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSio William: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 06 November 2014. Volume:701;Page:703. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.Su’a WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Māngere)to the Minister for Pacific Peoples: Does he stand by his statement “that Pacific people are attaining success and achievement under this Government”?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Minister for Pacific Peoples):Yes I definitely do.Su’a William Sio: Why is he trying to bury the fact that Pacific unemployment was 7.8 percent when his Government took office and is now 11.7 percent a more than 50 percent increase; that Pacific youth unemployment is now at 26.7 percent the highest of any ethnic group; and that Pacific unemployment is rising again because the recovery has already come and gone for most Pacific people and that this is all happening under his Government’s watch?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: It is true that Pacific unemployment is 11.7 percent but it is also true that in quarter 1 of 2009 the Pacific unemployment rate was 13.1 percent. So I say to that member that Pacific people are doing better under this National Government than they were under Labour at quarter 1 of 2013. Furthermore in the last year alone 10100 more Pacific people have been employed so they are better able to look after their children their families and their communities.Hon Members: Shame!Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Those members may say shame to the 113000 Pacific people who are currently employed today but I say shame on them as a Labour Government.Su’a William Sio: How can he claim Pacific people are attaining success and achievement under his Government when median incomes for Pacific people adjusted for inflation have fallen by $52 a week from $512 in 2008 to $460 in 2014?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: I do not have those figures to hand but what I can say—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. If I get that level of barracking from members to my left-hand side they will immediately be leaving the Chamber.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: What I can say and I—Rt Hon Winston Peters: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I apologise. I have a—well I hope I have a point of order.Rt Hon Winston Peters: You have a point of order and it is this. If that was a fair warning to this side of the House why was there no admonition to that side of the House when he finished his last answer?Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will resume his seat. The level of interjection coming from a particular member here was totally unacceptable to me and to this House. I have made my ruling. I hope it is clear even to the senior member.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: The figures I have to hand say that average hourly wages rose 2.3 percent over the last year and average weekly wages rose 1.8 percent compared with inflation of only 1 percent. Pacific people are beneficiaries of that increase in average wages.Su’a William Sio: I wish to table a document that shows Pacific median weekly income—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just describe—[Interruption] Order! The member has described the document enough. I now just need to know where it is from and the date and I will put the leave. It is not an opportunity to make a political statement.Su’a William Sio: I was about to.Mr SPEAKER: I am pleased the member is getting on to it.Su’a William Sio: The source is a 2014 New Zealand income survey from Statistics New Zealand and it is not readily available. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am going to accept the member’s word that it is not readily available. I will therefore put the leave and the House can decide. Leave is sought to table that particular hard-to-find Statistics New Zealand information dated 2014. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: I would like to table a document that shows that the unemployment rate—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I equally need to know the source of the document.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Oh it is Statistics New Zealand but it has gone down under our Government.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not think the Minister is going to claim that it is hard to get hold of that information.Su’a William Sio: I tabled it because he did not know the answer.Mr SPEAKER: Order! Throughout this week we have had very unhelpful starts to some supplementary questions from a number of members to my left. I have warned that in future if it continues I will just cease that line of questioning. Since it is Thursday and we are about to embark on an adjournment I will give the member the benefit of the doubt on this occasion.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I acknowledge the ruling that you have just made. I will certainly be talking to my colleagues about ensuring that that is complied with. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is a point of order.Chris Hipkins: What I would like to suggest to you Mr Speaker is that you apply a similar ruling to Ministers who begin their answers with an insult to the member who has asked the question.Mr SPEAKER: And I do.Su’a William Sio: Does the Minister’s definition of success and achievement for Pacific peoples include the 30 percent of Pacific children living in poverty under his Government’s watch?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: My definition of success for Pacific children includes the increase in the number of Pacific children participating in early childhood education from 84.4 percent in 2008 to 89.9 percent in 2014. My definition of success includes National Certificate of Educational Achievement level 2 achievement which under Labour was 51.3 percent and under National is now 71.4 percent. I go further. I go further. One more please Mr Speaker—one more. I have got a long list here but I just want one more.Mr SPEAKER: Just quickly finish.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: The number of Pasifika students enrolled in qualifications at bachelor level or higher has increased 41 percent from 8935 to 12650. Clearly—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The answer was long enough.Su’a William Sio: How will outsourcing Pasifika programmes and making about 40 Pasifika broadcasters redundant from Television New Zealand (TVNZ) attain success and achievement for Pasifika broadcasting?Mr SPEAKER: In so far as the Minister has ministerial responsibility.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: My learned colleague the Hon Amy Adams answered this question last week but for the member’s benefit today: TVNZ has made assurances that staff jobs are not on the line. It is an operational decision. Independent production shows that this is an excellent opportunity for our talented Pacific producers to maintain and grow content for Pacific audiences. I also understand and the member knows this that New Zealand On Air funding is still available for these types of programmes. The member knows that production is possible by Pacific producers. We know that funding is available. We know there is talent out there and Pacific television production companies can deliver the content.Su’a William Sio: How will empowering employers to legally opt out of bargaining and not negotiate in good faith and removing smoko breaks attain success and achievement for Pacific women who are in casual part-time jobs and earning the minimum wage?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: I fundamentally disagree with the assertion made by the member in that question. But what I can say about Pacific women is that the unemployment rate for Pacific women fell 6.2 percentage points from 24.5 percent to 14.3 percent and 3700 fewer Pacific women are now unemployed. That is what this National Government is doing for Pacific women.