12. Question No. 12—EmploymentDr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister of EmploymentQuestion No. 12—Employment12. Dr SHANE RETI (National—Whangarei) to the Minister of Employment: What groups do his employment programmes target and against what outcomes will he measure their performance?Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): I want to thank the member for the opportunity to reinforce what I said yesterday when answering the exact same question and that is that the employment programmes that I am responsible for primarily focus on young people who are not engaged in education employment or training alongside members of our communities who have had historically poor employment outcomes. To answer the second part of the question last year I launched the Government's employment strategy which focuses on delivering a productive sustainable and inclusive New Zealand. I measured the outcomes of our programmes through the objectives of the strategy which include building a skilled workforce supporting thriving industries and sustainable provinces supporting an inclusive labour market preparing for a changing nature of work and building modern workplaces for a modern workforce. For example through the lens of an inclusive labour market I'm looking to see if there are improvements for those who have had historically poor outcomes. Over the past 2½ years we've seen the lowest unemployment rates for Māori in over a decade a clear indication when measuring outcomes against the strategy that our programmes are making a difference.Dr Shane Reti: Does he stand by his response to written question No. 10272 this week that Mana in Mahi is available to all ages?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Yes in fact we've just made some changes today—I'm glad that the member is following my press releases. Today we announced an expansion of Mana in Mahi funded through Budget 2020 which increases the length of the programme from 12 months up to 24 months increases the wage subsidy rate up to 16000 for the first year and up to 8000 for the second year supports employers to pay for industry training courses fees pays for extra education support such as literacy and numeracy training. In terms of the numbers can I remind the member that Mana in Mahi is one of a suite of Government employment programmes that are happening at the moment and all the Ministers are delivering: Minister Hipkins here Minister Sepuloni Minister Robertson Minister Twyford Minister Davis. The employment kaupapa is a team kaupapa it's not just one Minister and I'm proud of the work we're doing in the employment area driven by a great group of Ministers—and of course Minister Jones. I see Minister Peters looking at me—Minister Jones has done some terrific work in the provinces provinces that were starved of funding and resourcing—SPEAKER: Order! Order! The member will resume his—no. I was waiting in vain for the question to be addressed and I'm going to invite Dr Reti to repeat the question and invite the member within the first half minute or so to actually get to the issue he's been asked about rather than a general treatise on employment programmes.Dr Shane Reti: Does he stand by his response to written question No. 10272 this week that Mana in Mahi is available to all ages?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Well Mana in Mahi is going really well at the moment. As I said we put a press release out today that covers all areas and in terms of the question yes I stand by that answer.Dr Shane Reti: Why then when we made a phone call to Work and Income at 11:20 a.m. this morning and checked with a senior person did staff confirm that people over the age of 24 definitely cannot enrol in Mana in Mahi?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We'll have to follow up on that. As I said I'm not responsible for people who make mistakes. You have to understand we've made changes in the last couple of days. I know you find that hard to understand because you keep putting up the same questions but I'll be—SPEAKER: Order! When I stand up the member sits down and I certainly didn't put up any questions.Rt Hon Winston Peters: In his employment programme's target how many dollars exactly did Dr Reti get from him for the four projects beginning with the four-lane highway Whangārei to Warkworth the floating dock in Marsden moving the navy to Marsden Point and moving the Auckland port to Marsden Point that he claims in a Whangārei advertisement he is doing right now?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I believe he got nothing.Dr Shane Reti: Can he identify one Government website that states people over age 24 are eligible for Mana in Mahi?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: I'll be very clear to that member again. The focus of Mana in Mahi has been on 18- to 24-year-olds. That has been the focus. We are now opening it up and broadening the whole Mana in Mahi site. We will get to the websites—you have to be a little bit patient—but you can ask another question tomorrow and we'll have an updated answer.Matt Doocey: Take it up again.Dr Shane Reti: Supplementary.SPEAKER: No whose interjection was that one? Who just interjected then? Stand withdraw and apologise.Matt Doocey: Withdraw and apologise.Dr Shane Reti: Can he name one of his six employment programmes that is suitable for a non-Māori and unemployed 30-year-old hairdresser living in Northland?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Mana in Mahi He Poutama Rangatahi—there's two for you. These are not Māori-specific programmes.Marja Lubeck: How does he use the employment strategy to measure the Government's overall approach to employment?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: What a wonderful question. The employment strategy encompasses the broad spectrum of employment offerings this Government has. For example supporting thriving industries and sustainable provinces encompasses the Provincial Growth Fund and the $1.1 billion investment to create 11000 environment jobs in the regions. Building a skilled workforce is supported by the $1.4 billion apprenticeship investment this Government is making. Building modern workplaces for a modern workforce is supported by the recent announcements investing into research and development. Supporting an inclusive labour market is supported by the programmes I'm responsible for such as He Poutama Rangatahi and Mana in Mahi ensuring we take all New Zealanders with us. The changing nature of work is supported by our recent announcements for the fund which is being set up to provide incentives and grants to encourage e-commerce and train more digital advisers. So the employment strategy encourages a whole-of-Government approach that provides—SPEAKER: Order! Order!Marja Lubeck: Supplementary.SPEAKER: You're not serious! Marja Lubeck.Marja Lubeck: How are his employment programmes contributing to positive outcomes for New Zealanders?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Kia ora. What another great question. Prior to COVID19 New Zealand's labour market had been responding and growing in a positive manner in comparison to our major overseas counterparts. We had experienced the lowest unemployment rate in over a decade the lowest Māori unemployment rate in over a decade the highest employment rate for Māori since records began—SPEAKER: OK the member will resume his seat. He's had a good start at the question he didn't get close to addressing it. Time for oral questions is now concluded.Hon Stuart Nash: Supplementary.SPEAKER: I'm sorry I called the end of it and frankly I think most of us have had enough.