Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:14795] 
3.  
SUE BRADFORD (Green) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What are his plans for the future of the Community Employment Group? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 The Community Employment Group is currently under review and I will be happy to advise the member when the review is complete. 
Sue Bradford 
: Is it correct that a paper is being presented to Cabinet very shortly possibly next Monday that canvasses options for the Community Employment Group; if so can the Minister assure the House that these options have been discussed with the community and voluntary sector? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: All I can confirm to the member is that the group is being reviewed as the member knows. A paper is not due in Cabinet on the deadline that she suggested. I am sure that she will be pleased to have a chat about it once the review is available. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What contribution does the Community Employment Group make to encourage people to enter the labour market? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I am sure every member in the House has a good example of what the Community Employment Group has done to assist disadvantaged groups in their electorates but I will pick out just two starting with one from the north. The Community Business and Environment Centre—CBEC—in the far north focuses on long-term unemployment. It works through the Trees Company Nursery the Kaitaia swimming pool the Slash Trash campaign Jobs New Zealand and CBEC recycling. In Otago Presbyterian Support Services operate YouthGrow which operates a plant nursery that provides employment on-the-job training opportunities and mentoring for low-skilled youth who are disadvantaged in the labour market. Many of these examples exist around the country. 
Katherine Rich 
: When will the official reviews into the hip hop tour the Maori television station in Northland and the capacity-building initiative grant under external review by KPMG be completed and when will these reports be made public given that his colleague Ruth Dyson offered a cast-iron guarantee of greater accountability when it came to Community Employment Group grants? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: As soon as possible and they will be made available to the member. 
Sue Bradford 
: Why are those parts of the community economic sector that he has just mentioned not being consulted for the review or the field staff who have been involved in this for many years? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: If the member would like stakeholders to be consulted they will be but it is important of course to have something to consult them about first of all. 
Sue Bradford 
: Given the wonderful examples of community economic development supported by the Community Employment Group that the Minister has already given how will he ensure that that assistance for this type of social enterprise will not be downgraded or lost altogether in the restructuring or destruction of the Community Employment Group that appears to be on the books? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: It is certainly in the Government’s interest to maintain those kinds of programmes and as I said stakeholders will be involved. The member is one of those stakeholders and I am sure she will make that case. 
Sue Bradford 
: Is it correct that some of the functions of the Community Employment Group are to be taken over by something called the Work Opportunities Group or WOG for short; if so does he believe that this title is an appropriate name for a Government agency that works in part with refugee and migrant communities? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: The member raises a very very interesting point and I would refer her to that hot-blooded male Mr Paul Swain who is the Department of Labour Minister.