Bakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBakshi Kanwaljit Singh: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 30 March 2016. Volume:712;Page:10004. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]2.KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the Prime Minister’s statement that “building a strong economy that … creates more jobs will remain front and centre of the Government’s agenda”?Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance): Yes. Under the Government’s economic management we have seen higher incomes and more jobs for New Zealand families. In the last 3 years there have been 175000 more jobs and forecasts of slightly less than that number over the next 3 years and unemployment is currently at 5.3 percent having been quite a bit higher. Average annual wages have now reached $58000 around $11000 higher than in 2008.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What is the Government’s approach to supporting more jobs and higher wages for New Zealand families?Hon BILL ENGLISH: We focus on working with businesses and with employees to ensure that there is an economic framework that encourages businesses to invest another dollar and employ another person because that is at the heart of growth. I have to say that we are not sitting around planning for the mass loss of jobs because we believe that businesses with confidence in an economy will shift their investment in a way that ensures that there continues to be more jobs created for people despite the fact that some will be lost in some industries.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What specific steps is the Government taking to support employment through skills and trade policy?Hon BILL ENGLISH: As a direct link between trade policy and job creation we could end up with fewer new jobs if there were no new free-trade agreements such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership which means better access to 800 million customers which accounts for 36 percent of global GDP. We are also supporting employment for a range of initiatives that allow particularly young New Zealanders to find a pathway between secondary school and the world of work Māori and Pasifika trades training ICT graduate schools trades academies increased access to workplace literacy and numeracy and working towards ensuring that all young people regardless of where they start can find themselves on a pathway to employment.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What support does the Government give to those New Zealanders who are looking for jobs but who are currently unemployed?Hon BILL ENGLISH: The Government provides an effective minimum income for New Zealanders particularly those who are currently without work and on 1 April this year benefit rates for families with children will rise by $25 a week after tax. So the minimum income for those people without work and with children will rise by $25 a week just next week. Around 110000 families with 190000 children will be better off. We are also very focused on training to support people moving from benefits into work. All the evidence is that where there are clear pathways and strong incentives people find work. In fact we are not facing a situation where because jobs are disappearing we have large numbers of people on the unemployment benefit.