12. Question No. 12—Social Development and EmploymentJOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 12—Social Development and Employment12. JOSEPH MOONEY (National—Southland) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has she seen on the jobseeker support benefit? Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): According to the latest benefit numbers released by the Ministry of Social Development in November there are currently 182340 people on jobseeker support. This is an increase of over 11000 people this year alone. In total there were 61614 more people receiving the jobseeker support benefit during Labour's time in Government.Joseph Mooney: What have the labour market conditions been over the past two years?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: Over the past two years the employment market has been one of the tightest in recent memory with employers everywhere crying out for staff. However this opportunity was squandered by the previous Government and unfortunately this has led to an increase of over 60000 people on the jobseeker benefit.Joseph Mooney: When is the jobseeker support benefit expected to peak?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: The tough economic conditions that our Government has inherited mean that the number of people on the jobseeker benefit is expected to keep rising until January 2025. The latest figures released in the Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update forecast the number will increase to 197400 New Zealanders.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: How does the proportion of working-age New Zealanders on jobseeker benefit now compare to the same period of time post - global financial crisis under the National Government's watch?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: What is relevant today is the increase in number that that Government when they were in charge for six years oversaw; a massive increase in the number of people on the jobseeker benefit. When the unemployment rate was low nearly 3 percent higher were on the jobseeker support benefit.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The question was actually relatively specific. If the Minister doesn't know she can simply say I don't know" but it's not an open invitation to attack the person asking the question.SPEAKER: Well it may not be but remember too in discussions we've actually quite recently had where there is a clear political point being made in a supplementary question—which I think it was in that case—then it's reasonable that you're going to get a different type of answer.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. There was absolutely no political statement in there. It was asking the Minister to compare one period of time with another period of time. What was the political statement?SPEAKER: I took it that by the member asking firstly a primary about the—the primary relates to what reports has she seen on jobseeker support benefit and then it morphed into what's different to what was happening six years ago. I think there was a point trying to be made. However in good faith let's have Carmel Sepuloni ask another question—might be a similar one—and see what the Hon Louise Upston can say in reply.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: I'll ask a different one. How many of the 180000 New Zealanders on main benefit now are on benefit because they have a health condition or disability?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I think that member is getting her numbers mixed up. The 182000 are on the jobseeker benefit. That is not the total number on main benefit—that is a lot higher.SPEAKER: Point of order Chris Bishop.Hon Chris Bishop: Were you going to call the end of question time?SPEAKER: No I was going to take Joseph Mooney who was on his feet.Hon Chris Bishop: Oh OK. I was going to wait until the end of question time. I'll do it now.SPEAKER: Well no we can wait until the end of question time. Joseph Mooney: How many more young people were on jobseeker benefit under the Labour Government?SPEAKER: No the question's out. Sorry."