8. Question No. 8—Social DevelopmentHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social DevelopmentQuestion No. 8—Social Development8. Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development: Is the Government considering changing the principles of the Social Security Act 2018 which include the principle that the priority for people of working age should be to find and retain work"?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): As I told the member last week in the House the welfare overhaul work programme will include a review of the principles and purpose of the Social Security Act in response to the recommendations in the Welfare Expert Advisory Group report. This Government does believe that for those who are able finding a job that is sustainable and meaningful is important for long-term wellbeing. So we do celebrate the fact that unemployment is at an 11-year low of 3.9 percent. There have been 92000 jobs created since we came into Government and the NEET rate has dropped by 19000 to 69000. This Government has an economic plan that will deliver jobs for New Zealanders and we are investing more in breaking down barriers and supporting people into employment.Hon Louise Upston: Is the Government planning to make it easier for beneficiaries to choose not to work by removing the drug-test sanction?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: This has been traversed over the last two weeks in the media. We have made no changes to this particular sanction. Under the previous Government there were very few people who were actually diagnosed with having drugs in their system and it remains the same for us. In the last year there were 38000 drug tests undertaken and of the 38000 72 resulted in sanctions. That goes a long way to dispelling the myth that that side has always tried to perpetuate that beneficiaries are on drugs. In fact they are not.Hon Louise Upston: Does she agree with the Prime Minister who said—and I quote—"Drug tests are a blunt instrument. They fail to differentiate between recreational substance use and problematic substance use."?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I do believe that they are a blunt instrument and I do believe that that side of the House overinflated the drug problem that beneficiaries have in this country. On this side of the House we are absolutely focused on the fact that the vast majority of people who are in the welfare system are actually wanting to work and we're here to support them to do that. I do want to focus on the fact that one of the shortcomings of the previous Government was actually their lack of investment in upskilling and training which was pointed at very clearly by the former Business New Zealand chief executive Phil O'Reilly who stated very clearly that a large number of people coming into the welfare system were failed previously by the education system an education system that was overseen by that side of the House.Hon Louise Upston: Does she have an expectation that those employed in her office do not come to work under the influence of drugs and if yes what's the difference between that and the expectations on those receiving a taxpayer-funded benefit?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I absolutely have that expectation. I will say that I also do understand that I think the welfare system has a role to play with interacting productively with the public health system because we do recognise that there are some New Zealanders that face addiction problems. So we do want to make sure that we are also putting measures into place that aren't just punitive to ensure that we help them address the addiction problems so that they are able to contribute meaningfully as New Zealanders.Hon Louise Upston: Isn't the real reason why her Government has allowed the drug-test sanction to remain as she answered in the question before because she knows the sanction actually works?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Can I just say reflecting on that sanction and reflecting on her time in Government that that side of the House made out that they would have to put millions and millions of dollars towards drug testing made out that they were coming down hard on beneficiaries who were under the influence of drugs put a stigma out there that New Zealanders in the welfare system are all on drugs. The reality is that in the last year 38000 undertook the drug testing and 72 had sanctions imposed. That dispels the myths that that side of the House like to perpetuate."