9. Job Creation and Employment—Bay of Plenty Fruit Picking and Hawke's BayHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of EmploymentJob Creation and Employment—Bay of Plenty Fruit Picking and Hawke's Bay9. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Minister of Employment: How many unemployed people are there in the Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay?Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): As of March 2018 there are 9800 unemployed people in the Bay of Plenty and 5900 people unemployed in the Gisborne-Hawke's Bay region. Statistics New Zealand does not publish a breakdown specifically for the Hawke's Bay.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he stand by his statement of 13 February we still have 343000 workers who want more work but can't get it."; if so does he think unemployed New Zealanders who can pick fruit should?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Yes I do stand by my statements on 13 February. In terms of unemployed New Zealanders picking fruit it's not so simple. There are a number of complex reasons why people are not picking fruit. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! Can I ask members on my left to settle down please—especially members not very far to my left who are quite noisy.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: It's not just about getting a big bat and whacking people and telling them to go out and pick fruit. There are lots of circumstances that come into play like accommodation like family obligations like community obligations. It's not about using a big-bat approach all the time.Hon Paula Bennett: Does he think that it might be difficult for people to come from the Pacific Islands to a country they don't know stay in a region where they don't have family get up every day and pick fruit yet they're able to do it yet he doesn't think New Zealanders should?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Obviously it's hard for some of our Pacific Island brothers and sisters but this Government is clear that we are committed to employing and increasing the workload for our people. We want to get New Zealanders first into this industry rather than go down the easy route that the National Party did for nine years. They never put a plan in or any organisation with regards to seasonal workers. We only have to go back to 2009 when John Key talked about a plan for seasonal workers and we got nothing.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I appreciated the Minister answering my question but felt that the bit about the National Party was unnecessary and going on.SPEAKER: Well the member will now stand withdraw and apologise. I've made it clear to the Deputy Prime Minister earlier in the day that the responsibility for the length of answers and their quality is mine. He was punished and the member will withdraw and apologise—Hon Paula Bennett: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: And with a light punishment.Hon Paula Bennett: If unemployed New Zealanders in the Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay that are on an unemployment benefit are asked to do work and don't show up should they be sanctioned?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We're still going through that process at the moment. This is not a punitive Government. Our Prime Minister has made it very clear that we are a caring Government we are addressing that issue right now and we won't be punishing everybody who mucks up like the previous Government.Tamati Coffey: What is the Minister of Employment doing to improve employment in the Bay of Plenty and the Hawke's Bay region?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: What a great question.Hon Simon Bridges: You wrote it.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Ha!SPEAKER: I did not.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We are investing in our regions. We're investing in our young people with He Poutama Rangatahi. We have Government initiatives like the Sector Workforce Engagement Programme who are specifically working with key stakeholders in the horticulture and viticulture industry and we have industry partnership engagement through the Ministry of Social Development—so much going on at the moment. We've got a plan in place in terms of what's happening in the Hawke's Bay at the moment. We won't go down the easy route and just hire foreigners all the time. We'll do the business right now to fix the problem but our overall goal will be to employ New Zealanders."