Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 13 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6490. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
2. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he stand by all his statements on jobs and employment? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes and in particular I stand by my statement that printing money allowing more inflation in the economy putting a capital gains tax on every business in New Zealand and the other irresponsible policies of the Opposition would cost a huge number of jobs. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement “Our plan is working” when according to the household labour force survey the standard internationally recognised measure of employment there are now 70000 more people unemployed than when he took office? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Yes. There are a few things I would point out. Firstly it is good to see the Labour Party in Parliament now claiming the household labour force survey is the statistic to watch because for months that has not been the one it has chosen to use. Secondly I would simply just make the point that the household labour force survey is by definition a very broad definition of who is unemployed. It could be somebody who is in education and is looking for a job. Interestingly enough the last time the unemployment rate was at 7.3 percent in this country in 1999 150000 were on the unemployment benefit. Today that number is under 50000. Given the conditions that is not too bad. 
David Shearer 
: In light of his last answer which statement does he stand by: that the household labour force survey is “Just that a survey that bumps around quite a lot. It is notoriously volatile.” or his statement that the household labour force survey is the standard internationally recognised measure of employment? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Both. It is the standard recognised and it does bounce around quite a lot as does the support for David Shearer at the moment. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement: “I don’t think we should change course. I think we’re on the right track.” and how much higher does unemployment need to go before he changes his policies? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I definitely think we are on the right track. We grew at 1.6 percent for the first half of this year. As the Minister of Finance has said this is a Government that has had to endure the worst global financial crisis in two generations and pay for the Christchurch earthquake. The question of what track we are on when it comes to jobs is “Who is going to be the leader of the Labour Party?”. 
David Shearer 
: Why was he “surprised” at the recent unemployment figures given that unemployment has been rising every quarter since December 2011? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I was surprised because the consensus of economists including Treasury was that there would be a fall in those. I was surprised because the numbers we see on the unemployment benefit have actually been reducing. I was surprised because the view of the Reserve Bank is that Auckland has been pretty strong—as we are seeing with the housing market starting to move—and that is the area that according to the household labour force survey is demonstrating the highest increase in unemployment. 
David Shearer 
: Has the number of people enrolled in Modern Apprenticeships increased or decreased since he became Prime Minister? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I do not have that exact number to hand but what I can say is the Government has been committing huge resources in the area of training particularly in Christchurch. 
Michael Woodhouse 
: What reports has he seen of comments in support of certain jobs in New Zealand? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: I have seen the rather startling and I think very direct statement from Grant Robertson about the leadership coup this weekend: “I am backing David 100 percent.” The question is : “Which David?”. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I apologise to the member. A point of order has been called and it shall be heard in silence. 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You have previously—and particularly on Government questions from Government members—indicated that they are not an appropriate vehicle by which to have political attacks across the House. I can go on to explain why that was an incorrect and totally false one but you would sit me down. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Indeed I would—indeed I would. The member makes a perfectly reasonable point that it is not reasonable to use questions from members’ own parties or from the governing party’s own support parties or support to attack other members of the House. The question on the face of it was an acceptable question: what reports has the Prime Minister seen— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: You knew where it was going. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And it is true that—members should not interject—it is not hard to probably pick where it is going but the dilemma is one cannot stop it just because one thinks it might go there. At least it was mercifully brief. Had the Prime Minister gone on I would have certainly sat him down as I did previously when he started to—[ 
Interruption 
] Order! When he started to criticise Opposition parties’ policy previously I sat him down. As much as I would like to try to get it right all the time it is very difficult when members do it very rapidly.