3. Question No. 3—Prime MinisterCHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 3—Prime Minister3. CHRISTOPHER LUXON (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes particularly this Government's Mana in Mahi programme as is continues to go from strength to strength with 5000 job seekers supported into jobs exceeding the 4000 target. Mana in Mahi supports individuals through pre-employment training it can pay a wage subsidy provide support while they're employed or cover the industry training course fees. Members opposite would be pleased to learn that there is also an incentive payment to the employee. Mana in Mahi along with the Government's suite of employment programmes have helped to support our recovery from COVID-19 and remain a critical part of our plan to support more New Zealanders into work. As testament to that record low levels of unemployment and particularly record low levels of unemployment for Māori and Pacific. Christopher Luxon: Does she accept that Mana in Mahi is not doing much for long-term job seekers when just 14 percent of participants had been on a benefit for a year or longer when they entered the programme?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I totally reject the idea that Mana in Mahi is anything other than a successful programme. Two examples of that: over 60 percent of those involved are young people; secondly 90 percent of them aren't going back on to benefit. Thirdly the member will find that the majority of young people are on a benefit for less than 12 months. You wouldn't know that by the way he characterises them. Christopher Luxon: Why at a time of labour shortages in almost every sector are there 50000 more people on the jobseeker benefit today compared to when she became Prime Minister?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again here I think it pays to compare the two periods when we have had significant economic disruption. COVID-19 and the pandemic I would say probably outstrips all other examples and the percentage of New Zealanders on a main benefit is 11 percent lower than in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. We also despite that have record numbers of people coming off benefit which demonstrates the programmes we have in place are working.Christopher Luxon: What does the pandemic have to do with the fact that right now when there are plenty of unfilled jobs in almost every sector and region there are still 50000 more people on jobseeker than when she took office?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member has chosen particularly to hone in on young people and so I will do the same. We know that young people in this pandemic and in this economic crisis have been in the roles hardest hit by the pandemic—in areas like tourism hospitality. Just last week I met a Mana in Mahi participant who was made redundant from their job and moved into a new role because of Mana in Mahi. That is the reason why we have seen record levels of young people move off a benefit and into work at a rate of over 35000 young people in the last year. My final point to the member: I see from his announcement that he's drawn on a number of initiatives that he believes would be successful. If the member took any time to look at our existing programmes he'd know that all of them are already in place so I can only then lead myself to believe that this is about the politics not the policy.Christopher Luxon: Does she think there are too many people on jobseeker considering there is no shortage of job vacancies in most sectors?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I want everyone seeking work to find work but the member does not take into account that many people experience barriers to employment. Seventy percent of entry-level jobs require a driver licence so what are we doing as a Government? Supporting them into driver licensing. Of course there are circumstances where young people may need extra support and mentoring so the member will be heartened to know we already use coaching services. You would think that the member would know that because last week he visited VisionWest where the Government funds that very thing.Christopher Luxon: Why is the number of people on jobseeker now 77000 higher than the number of unemployed people according to Stats New Zealand when for most of the last decade the difference was less than 5000?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I bring back the member to the raw numbers and in comparison to our population growth we have a lower level of people on main benefits now than we did even after the global financial crisis (GFC). And we have record numbers of people going off benefit into work. One of the reasons for that is because as a Government we supported an increase in case managers at the Ministry of Social Development so that they spent more time supporting people into work. I note that his deputy leader is now criticising that spend.Christopher Luxon: How does she reconcile the view of Labour MP Ginny Andersen that We've got some of the best stats we've ever seen for getting young people into skilled paid employment" with the fact that there over 34000 eighteen- to 24-year-olds on jobseeker—up 49 percent since she took office?SPEAKER: I'm going to ask the member to rephrase the question going to what the Prime Minister's responsible for.Christopher Luxon: Does she agree with the view of Labour MP Ginny Andersen that "We've got some of the best stats we've ever seen for getting young people into skilled paid employment" with the fact that there over 34000 eighteen- to 24-year-olds on jobseeker—up 49 percent since she took office?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I can also add that the number of people moving young people moving from benefit into work is 56 percent higher than when National were in Government.Christopher Luxon: Why is the number of 18- to 24-year-olds on jobseeker for two to five years up 134 percent since she took office?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again I come back to the point that I made at the beginning of my questions: an economic crisis affects population groups differently. Young people Māori and Pacific have tended to bear the brunt of economic crisis. Under the GFC I note that we saw unemployment levels double than what the national levels were. Contrast that to now—unemployment levels at 3.3 percent and for Māori at 5.5. We have not seen a closing of that difference—the likes of which we have never seen before. It is significant and it is because we have active employment policies and the other reason is because we don't write people off.Christopher Luxon: Why are dead people receiving the cost of living payment?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member is well aware from answers in this House that when the Department of Internal Affairs receives information that an individual is deceased that information is shared with IRD and then that means that those individuals do not receive those payments. If there is no notification that cannot occur."