Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeMacindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:11852. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West)to theMinister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: What progress has the Government made on its Better Public Services target of increasing the proportion of 25-34 year olds with a Level 4 or above qualification?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment):Very good progress indeed. In 2012 52.6 percent of all 25 to 34-year-olds had achieved an advanced trade qualification diploma or degree at level 4 or above on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework. This is up from 51.8 percent in 2011. That means over 8100 more 25 to 34-year-olds gained qualifications at level 4 or above last year than in the previous year. The Government is working very hard to meet its target of 55 percent by 2017.Tim Macindoe: What signals indicate the Government is on track to meet its target?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well for this target the number of 22-year-olds achieving level 4 or above qualifications is a very important indicator for the progress towards the overall target of 55 percent. That is because of course people who were 22 last year will turn 25 in 3 years’ time. In 2012 34 percent of 22-year-olds had completed a qualification at level 4 and above in that year. That compares with 30 percent 4 years ago in 2008 so that is encouraging progress. I am particularly pleased with the increase in achievement forMāori and Pasifika students. In 2012 22 percent ofMāori 22-year-olds achieved a qualification at level 4 and above compared with 15 percent 4 years ago in 2008. In regards to Pasifika 26 percent of 22-year-old Pasifika students in 2012 had completed a qualification compared with only 14 percent in 2008. So we are not there yet but we are making very good progress.Tim Macindoe: Why is the Government focusing on increasing the number of 25 to 34-year-olds with a level 4 or above qualification?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: For several reasons: firstly level 4 qualifications are the minimum standard of competency for many vocational occupations and increasing the number of people with level 4 or above qualifications increases the skill levels in New Zealand workplaces and contributes to economic growth. A level 4 or above qualification also has a significant impact on an individual’s income for them and of course for supporting their family. For example the median weekly income for 25 to 34-year-olds in 2011 when they had level 4 to 7 vocational qualifications was $106 more a week than for 25 to 34-year-olds without those qualifications. And of course a higher-level qualification also means people tend to be employed stay employed and spend less time on the unemployment benefit than those who do not have qualifications.Grant Robertson: Can the Minister confirm that the 52.6 percent result he is trumpeting today means that we are now just about back to where the percentage was in 2007?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well I do not have the percentage that the member has in 2007 but like most things tertiary education was running off the rails in the latter half of the previous Government’s job so we had to turn it round and get some decent results particularly with the money that was being wasted with all the “bums on seats” programmes.Grant Robertson: In order to be helpful to the House I seek leave to table this table from the State Services Commission that shows that it has just about reached the 2007 level.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? There is objection.Hon Shane Jones: [Interruption ] Suck it in Steven.Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member will just ask his supplementary question.Hon Shane Jones: Why does he think it is agreeable for members of his department to come to theMāori Affairs Committee after having promised to provide a written briefing about the chief executive officer appointment process of one of New Zealand’s most significant tertiary institutions only to provide absolutely nothing and to be sent away as an ill-prepared bunch of overpaid officials?Mr SPEAKER: Order! It is a question that is very wide of the original primary question. That is the difficulty.Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. This is the Minister responsible for a wide-ranging level of responsibility. This is an incident that took place at a significant select committee. It is not unreasonable for us to ask him to give us his view.Mr SPEAKER: That is not an unreasonable point but a supplementary question must be related in some way to the substantive question that has been asked. The way the supplementary question was asked seemed to me to be a long distance away. If the member can sharpen up his supplementary question so that it is connected to the primary question I am only too happy to assist.Hon Trevor Mallard: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I apologise to my colleague for interrupting. This is one of the broadest primary questions available. What progress has been made and how they are going to do it are clearly going to be a responsibility of a chief executive about which the questioning is now happening.Mr SPEAKER: No I think that particular point is a good try but wide of the mark. I will give the member the Hon Shane Jones the—Hon Shane Jones: The primary question reflects the words “Better Public Services”. It is in the context of Better Public Services. How—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I am trying to assist the member. I am giving him a chance to ask a supplementary question related to this primary question and I hope it is in order for his sake and mine.Tracey Martin: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Kia ora. Just some clarification Mr Speaker: my understanding of the original question is that it was around the Minister reporting on a university that delivers education at level 4 for 25 to 34-year-olds. If that was the case would that not make it relevant to the primary question?Mr SPEAKER: No I do not think it does because the second question was then around the employment of a chief executive of a particular tertiary education institution.Hon Shane Jones: How does the conduct of his officials in preparing for a briefing to theMāori Affairs Committee on one of our significantwānangas contribute to the Government’s progress on Better Public Services targets?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: My view is that their level of preparation obviously contributes to the targets. I think it is important that they prepare well and that they understand the various institutions and who has what responsibilities in the sorts of questions that they are asked. My understanding is that they may have provided that information to the committee accordingly.