Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Rich Katherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:610;Page:7142] 
8.  
KATHERINE RICH (NZ National) 
 to the  
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: When did the chief social worker Shannon Pakura commence working in her office as a private secretary and what specific tasks has Ms Pakura undertaken in that position? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF)) 
 on behalf of the 
Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Ms Pakura is not a seconded private secretary. She has been working an average of 8 hours a week in the Hon Tariana Turia’s office since 30 June 2003. Her task is to confirm for both the department and the Associate Minister the skills knowledge and competencies required for the private secretary’s role. This work is expected to be completed at the end of the month when a seconded private secretary will be appointed. 
Katherine Rich 
: Who first proposed that Ms Pakura work in the Minister’s office: the department or the Minister; and why? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I understand that the chief executive of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services approved the temporary appointment of Ms Pakura to that position as it was determined within the chief social worker’s job description that that was appropriate for both the department— 
Opposition Members 
: Answer the question! 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Wait until the Minister has finished. 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: It was determined appropriate for both the Minister’s and the department’s requirements. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The question asked who initiated this particular issue. The Minister may care to comment on that part. 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: There was a vacancy in the office. The chief executive is therefore responsible for filling that vacancy. It was determined by both the Minister and the chief executive that the temporary appointment of the chief social worker to determine the competencies required was appropriate. 
Hon Mark Gosche 
: In the light of the fact that Ms Pakura is the chief social worker what is the number of cases unallocated for longer than 6 months? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Can I firstly advise the House that it is not the direct responsibility of the chief social worker to have direct accountability for such operational issues as unallocated cases as has been alleged by the member asking the primary question. However given the supplementary question I can confirm that as at 30 June 2003 I am advised that for the first time in the history of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services there are no cases unallocated for longer than 6 months. 
Deborah Coddington 
: Does she agree with the fears voiced by the Commissioner for Children Roger McClay that his monitoring of the Department of Child Youth and Family Services could be compromised by this situation; and in particular his concern that the report on the Masterton girls murdered by Bruce Howse will be subject to political interference in the same way that the report on James Whakaruru’s death was edited by Ministers; if not why not? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: No I absolutely reject that consideration by the commissioner. 
Katherine Rich 
: Noting that even with the intervention of the Speaker the Minister did not answer the question I ask again: who first proposed that Miss Pakura work in the Minister’s office—the Minister or the department? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I can confirm that it was an agreed decision. I am unable to confirm whether it was initially proposed by the Hon Tariana Turia or the chief executive—and frankly I am not sure why it is relevant. 
Hon Roger Sowry 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That is exactly the reason that the Government I am sure wished to have the question transferred and it is the reason that we ask you to consider these transfers very carefully. It is clear that the Minister who is answering the question after having it transferred to her would never be able to answer questions with that amount of detail. The Minister in whose office this employee is working should be prepared to answer those questions because she is the only person with that detail. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister did answer the question but I will have a look at the transcript of this whole area. 
Katherine Rich 
: When the Minister has over 1900 children’s cases that have yet to see a social worker a nationwide recruitment and retention problem of social workers incidents of kids prostituting themselves on the streets and overdosing on datura and only a few days ago— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Please come to the question. 
Katherine Rich 
: —a case of a 14-year-old abused child placed in care with other abusers how can she defend distracting the chief social worker from her primary tasks to be a private secretary—as listed in the ministerial phone list—developing a job description for what is a well-established role? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: As I explained earlier to the House the chief social worker is not responsible for the front-line delivery of Child Youth and Family Services. That is the responsibility of two general managers of social work and community services who share the responsibility for regional delivery of contracting all service delivery functions as well as for national services such as funding or contracting adoptions residential and care services programme implementation and service coordination. I say that undermining the organisation in the way the member has implied—by repeating incorrect assertions to the House—is not helpful. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is going too far.