King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:655;Page:4928] 
3.  
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What steps is this Government taking to address the growing number of people who are now unemployed? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 We are concentrating on providing a stable economy where employment growth can improve as the recession abates. My focus is on ensuring that those who are in genuine need get the assistance they need to get back into work. 
Hon Annette King 
: Why is the Minister refusing to provide weekly updates of the unemployment benefit figures that she receives? Is it because she does not want Kiwis to know that last week alone 1342 people went on the dole? Why is she trying to hide that fact? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: There is no hiding of the figures; this Government has been presenting them sooner than the previous Government did. There is no doubt about that. In fact that the figure of 1342 is out there is evidence that figures are being reported on a weekly basis. Since we are talking figures I add that last week alone 1557 people went off the benefit and into work. 
Katrina Shanks 
: Has the Minister seen any reports of responses to rising unemployment in previous years when the Budget has been tight? 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry to raise it after the member’s question but I have been thinking very carefully about the Minister’s reply and I want to take some care here. She said “the benefit” referring to unemployment benefits. She could not possibly have been correct. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member must not do that. He must not litigate answers like that in a point of order. The matter can be followed up with further supplementary questions but certainly not by way of—[ 
Interruption 
] Members will not interject while I am on my feet. 
Katrina Shanks 
: Has the Minister seen any reports of responses to rising unemployment in previous years—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I ask members to show a little courtesy to the member asking a supplementary question. She is towards the back of the House and the interjections are flying across the front. I cannot hear her. 
Katrina Shanks 
: Has the Minister seen any reports of responses to rising unemployment in previous years when the Budget has been tight? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Yes. In fact I have seen a report that states: “In reality there are no quick-fix solutions or easy answers. Unemployment has to be addressed at a number of levels.” and also that benefits in terms of jobs are much longer coming— 
Hon Annette King 
: “A number of levels.” Very good! 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: The member who interrupts the Hon Annette King was the author of that report. 
Hon Annette King 
: Is it a measure of the success of her unemployment policy that only 1245 people have benefited from the much-hyped ReStart package which is fewer than the number of people who went on to the dole in 1 week? Is the fact that so few people are getting this assistance an indication that this assistance is not much help at all? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I am sorry I did not hear the member’s number but just to be clear I say that to date a total of 3690 people have been granted ReStart assistance. Every single one of them is grateful for that assistance over 16 weeks which helps them through a pretty tough time of redundancy. I am quite proud that we have been able to offer that assistance to those people. 
Brendon Burns 
: What does the Minister say when due to a lack of Government response to rising unemployment in Canterbury which is now seeing 4000 people on the unemployment benefit a private initiative has today been launched in the Christchurch  
Press 
 specifically to combat youth joblessness which is soaring? Will her ministry support the Christchurch youth compact? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Unlike the previous Government we support private initiatives the non-governmental organisation sector stepping up with initiatives and Government initiatives. We are pretty keen to see people taking the initiative in terms of what works best in their communities and we certainly back them to do that. I would be interested in hearing more. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister started her answer in quite a political way but putting that issue to one side the member for Christchurch Central Mr Burns asked the Minister a very specific question about her department and about a specific programme. The answer canvassed all manner of things but did not come back to the point that Mr Burns asked about which was that programme in Christchurch. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: At the beginning he asked about a particular private enterprise that was running in Christchurch and I addressed that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I accept that the question asked by the member was a pretty straight question. The only dilemma is that being a supplementary question it is possible the Minister may not have specific information on that particular scheme. But because it was such a straight non-political question if the Minister has any information on the particular Christchurch proposal I ask her to answer that part of the question. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: As I stated I do not think that the Government alone has solutions to what is going on. We support private enterprises and we support non-governmental organisations coming up with initiatives. I have not had a full briefing on that particular initiative but I am certainly happy to listen. 
Katrina Shanks 
: Has the Minister heard of any other sensible ideas to address unemployment? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I have heard a number of reports this week but no sensible ones from the Opposition—that is for sure. Labour’s big idea to put hundreds of thousands of middle-class people— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am sorry to interrupt the Minister but she has no responsibility for what ideas she may have received from the parliamentary Opposition. She has an entire department that she is meant to be responsible for and we have questioned her on those matters. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I accept the point the honourable member makes. The Minister does not have any responsibility for Opposition policies. I invite the Minister bearing that in mind to answer the question. 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I have been reading the paper and seeing reports that talk about hundreds of thousands of middle-class New Zealanders going on to welfare which we believe is impractical unaffordable and unfair. But a headline today says that “Goff backtracks” because he is not sure whether that is a good policy. So it would be fair to say that I have seen no sensible ideas this week. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Will the Minister answer the question the Prime Minister did not answer which is: does she believe that if a person is made redundant that person should not be eligible for any financial assistance for job search or retraining if his or her spouse happens to still be earning just $26000 a year? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: I think the Leader of the Opposition does not understand that although that person will not be eligible for a main benefit he or she could be eligible for special grants some training incentives or child support payments—[ 
Interruption 
] Opposition members should calm down; they asked the question and I am just giving the answer. Such people could actually be eligible for other assistance and I suggest they contact Work and Income because we would like to help them if we can. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: You don’t believe it. You don’t believe they deserve any support despite the fact you had it— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Leader of the Opposition must not interject “you” did this and “you” did that because the Speaker was not involved. 
Kelvin Davis 
: What initiatives is the Minister implementing in Te Tai Tokerau to address the problem of the dozens of Maori becoming unemployed there each week? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Unfortunately unemployment numbers are going up throughout the country. There is no doubt about that. But we are still seeing a triage rate happen in those areas. A number of people who are walking into Work and Income offices and expecting to go on a benefit are actually walking out not on one because they are able to secure jobs or further training opportunities through Work and Income. I am proud to say that there are more people on the front line working with the individuals who need it most. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does the Minister agree with Wanganui Work and Income regional commissioner Gloria Campbell that the number of young people going on to the unemployment benefit is of “great concern”; if so what specific initiatives is she taking to get them and the rest of the 3000 people in the Whanganui area on the unemployment benefit back to work? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Yes. I am pleased to hear that the regional commissioner thinks that is of great concern. It is certainly of concern to this Government as well. For the year ended 30 June we processed a total of 131164 student allowance applications and 249822 student loan applications. This is an increase of 28.6 percent and 14.64 percent respectively on the previous year. I think a number of youth are moving into those training incentives which is where we are supporting them as well. 
Hon Annette King 
: I seek leave to table a letter from the Minister to me in which she refuses to provide the weekly unemployment benefit figures she receives. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is none. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.