Fairbrother Russell: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Fairbrother Russell: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:646;Page:15075] 
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) 
: 
 That last speaker spun spin. That speaker can sit in the Social Services Committee hear half an hour of a submission and before the witness has finished whip out and issue a press statement that takes out of context one line of the witness’s evidence. She does that without even challenging the witness by saying: “I’m going to report you in this way. What do you say?”. The witness at the select committee leaves the committee only to hear on the radio that what was said has been taken out of context. Talk about spin! That lady defines it. If that lady spun a web we would all be fighting for our existence. She spins like any campaign spin doctor. 
What she forgets to tell members is that the increase in the Public Service is because by 1999 the previous National Government had run our Public Service so low that this Labour Government could not operate efficiently. Our infrastructure was virtually non-existent. It has taken moderate and reasonable growth to bring the Public Service to a level of efficiency. 
That same speaker as the deputy chair of the Social Services Committee signed off the financial review report of the Ministry of Social Development which we are debating today with nary a negative comment. She made not one negative comment so she endorsed the committee’s review of section 59 of the Crimes Act—the new law. Section 59 gives an example of the slip slip slipperiness of the National Party leader. He brought about the compromise on section 59 without telling his caucus. When we listen to the National caucus members we realise that they do not like it. They talk behind his back about it. They undermine him about it. They do not like the deal he struck because they know that it is slip slip slippery. 
The report we are confirming today which was signed off by the deputy chair of the select committee tells us: “The new law has not resulted in an increase in notifications to CYF.” The committee also indicates that it is pleased with the increased funding for the SKIP programme. We know because the committee has endorsed it that the increase in the SKIP funding goes in well with the section 59 amendment—which was foisted upon the last speaker by her leader with his deceit of his own caucus members in that slip slip slippery method of his of getting it done without telling them—and there have been no increases in notifications to Child Youth and Family. 
That takes me to the endorsement by the National Party including the last speaker of the moves to reduce the level of violence in this community. The select committee reported on the moves to reduce violence and the previous speaker endorsed the committee’s appreciation of the increased awareness in the community of family violence. That speaker endorsed the work of the Ministry of Social Development to bring about a less violent community. The report states: “We are pleased to learn that the case conference method has fostered inter-agency co-operation producing better outcomes for families.” What that speaker was saying when she put her pen to paper to endorse the report was that the Government departments are working very very well. Those public servants that her slippery leader is attacking anonymously and without specific detail are working well and that was endorsed by the National members of the Social Services Committee which noted that inter-agency cooperation is bringing about a reduction in violent offending in our community. That is the reality; those are the specifics of what we talk about. 
I want to take that last speaker and her colleagues to what has happened with youth on the unemployment benefit. In 1999 there were 17000-odd youths on the unemployment benefit. These days the figure is about 300. That is a reduction of over 90 percent. More significant the number of people receiving the independent youth benefit for more than 13 weeks is so small that it is barely worth mentioning. But did the last speaker dwell upon that? Of course she did not because she would not want to recognise the huge successes of this Government in the realm of unemployment—particularly in regard to the independent youth benefit. But the report which was signed off by the National Party members acknowledged the great success of this Government and the Public Service in that area. We are working well to reduce youth unemployment. We have to accept that our unemployed youth are a danger to the future safety of our society. If we can keep the youth unemployment rate down and have our youth working we will build a strong and healthy society. The select committee in the review we are discussing effectively endorsed that. 
I thank the deputy chair of the committee for her cooperation. When the rubber hit the road she had to front up and agree that those were the results. It is easy for her to stand here and spin away as she does with the media by misquoting what goes on in the committee but when push comes to shove she knows that we are doing a very good job.