12. Employment Minister—Statements and Targets for Young People Not in Employment Education or TrainingHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of EmploymentEmployment Minister—Statements and Targets for Young People Not in Employment Education or Training12. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Employment: Does he still stand by all of his statements?Hon WILLIE JACKSON (Minister of Employment): Yes Mr Speaker absolutely in the context that they've been made.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Regarding his statement to the House on Tuesday I'm a person who's been intimately involved in charter schools and I've seen the strengths and sadly there's a few weaknesses that we have to address." does he think the charter schools he's been intimately involved with have done a better job than equivalent mainstream schools at reducing the number of their students not being in education employment or training after school?SPEAKER: I was going to rule the question out other than for the fact that there was an interjection from the Government bench and therefore I'll allow the member to rephrase it going to the responsibilities of the Minister of Employment. If he makes statements outside his areas of responsibility that's not a matter for a question.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well the end of the question was about "neets" which is very much his area of involvement.SPEAKER: I think the member will get to the Minister's responsibility early in the question rather than just putting a phrase on the end in an attempt to get there.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well regarding his statement to the House on Tuesday that "I'm a person who's been intimately involved in charter schools and I've seen the strengths and sadly there's a few weaknesses that we have to address." does he think that the number of students becoming students not in education employment or training after school has been reduced by the efforts of the charter schools that he has been intimately involved with?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: No.Hon Paul Goldsmith: When he told a press conference on Tuesday regarding charter schools "All the Māori side of things and perspectives can be accommodated under the new model." is that his primary consideration as Minister of Employment?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: No.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Well trained. Regarding his statement this week "I will be an employment Minister who is intent on coming up with an employment strategy for all New Zealanders" 3½ months into the role when does he plan to come up with that strategy?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We're at the moment rolling out the strategy and I'm really pleased with the response from unions—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Table it.Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Oh well we'll be tabling it shortly but we have just got our first tranche of funding $13 million from Cabinet where we'll be supporting young people in the regions and we're going to start an employment strategy which the Opposition forgot all about.Tamati Coffey: Does the Minister stand by his statements about why rangatahi continue to be at the forefront of his employment strategy?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Kia ora. Yes definitely. Rangatahi are the future of our economy and it's vital that we invest in their skills development now so that in the future the economy also works for them. To that end I'll be starting next week with a series of hui and meetings in the regions that will be the commencement of a very proactive Labour Party and Government employment strategy. All the regions—Hon Simon Bridges: How many are you going to?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: You can't come because you'll be fighting for your life. Good luck to you though Simon. Good luck to you—we need a Māori there.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Having said that the unemployment rate is not the real indicator of success in helping New Zealanders into work how exactly will he measure success: is it the number of hui that he is attending?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: We'll be measuring success by reducing the inequity for so many groups who've been forgotten about by the previous Government: Māori whose unemployment rates are sadly at 9 percent and underutilisation at 21 percent; women who are lagging behind; Pacific Islanders who are dragging in employment. This Government is very proud to see the unemployment figures at 4.5 percent but there's always a story within a story and that's the story that the previous Government forgot all about. Hon Paul Goldsmith: What does he think is a reasonable target to reduce the number of young Kiwis not in education employment and training by the next December quarter?Hon WILLIE JACKSON: Well we've got over 80000 young people not in education employment or training out there and so we'll be working hard to reduce that. This is a compassionate Government and I totally support our Prime Minister who has made that clear—made it clear at Waitangi. It's a Government that's working away at things. We're hoping to get to a couple of thousand with our first tranche of funding. We've been very clear about that and we'll be reducing things as we go along. Can I just take the opportunity again to wish Simon Bridges all the very best from Ngāti Maniapoto—kia ora Simon—even though they disowned you.Hon Paul Goldsmith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked what he was going to reduce it by and the answer was "as we go along". I didn't think that was a response to the question.SPEAKER: I think it's fair to say that it might have been slightly circular but the member did address the question.Hon Tim Macindoe: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Given that the Minister indicated in one of his answers to my colleague's questions that the Government is currently rolling out his employment strategy could I ask that he table it now?SPEAKER: Well the member can ask but I'm not going to put it to the House because clearly the member wasn't quoting from a document."