Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRobertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 28 May 2014. Volume:699;Page:18393. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]7.GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) to theMinister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: Is he satisfied that the Government’s policies have contributed to fair employment outcomes?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment): Yes in the context of a challenging world environment and the twin shocks of the global financial crisis and the Christchurch earthquakes. Against that backdrop 84000 more New Zealanders are in work this year compared with a year ago which is the fastest job growth in a decade. Wages are increasing faster than inflation. Average weekly earnings rose 3.2 percent over the last year. The Budget forecasts show 172000 more jobs in the economy by 2018 with average annual wages continuing to rise well ahead of inflation to almost $62300 which is up from $48700 in 2010.Grant Robertson: How is it fair that unemployment among Pasifika New Zealanders is still double the rate of unemployment among the rest of the population and that according to the Salvation Army report released this week a staggering 26 percent of young Pacific women are not in employment education or training?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I acknowledge for the member that Māori and Pasifika unemployment rates are higher—as I think unfortunately they have always been—than for those in other ethnic groups in our society but rather than shut them out of the country my preference is to get them into higher education and tertiary education. We are doing very well. We have had significant increases in the numbers of young Māori and Pasifika studying at degree level and higher in New Zealand over the last 5 years. It is something like about 4000 for Māori and about 3000 for Pasifika and we are achieving far better course completion and qualification completion rates for young Māori and Pasifika than they have ever had before. It is not perfect but we are making good progress.Grant Robertson: How is it fair that since 2007 earnings for Pasifika workers have increased by an average of $2 per week when the cost of living has increased far in excess of that during that time?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I am not sure exactly about the numbers that the member raises but there is no doubt that actually since 2007 this country has experienced two big fiscal shocks—firstly the global financial crisis and secondly the Canterbury earthquakes—and those things have had an impact on everyone’s earning ability. The challenge here is to lift the skills of Pasifika people particularly of young Pasifika people. This Government has a far better record on that than any previous Government and in particular the previous Labour Government.Grant Robertson: In light of the Minister not being aware of the statistics I seek leave to table the section of the Salvation Army’s report that shows that average earnings—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The document has been described. I will just ask the member has—Grant Robertson: Supplementary question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have not put the leave yet.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just think it would be helpful if he actually tabled the whole report which includes the big lift—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I appreciate the point. The more important thing is that I think that that document has already been tabled in this House. To move it forward I think the easiest way forward accepting the point is to ask the member whether he is happy to move the tabling of the whole of the Salvation Army report.Grant Robertson: Yes sure.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Grant Robertson: Does he think it is fair that in the period his Government has been in office pay rates for chief executives have risen to be 26.4 times the rate of pay for an average employee or is he satisfied about the gap between the rich and the poor getting wider and wider?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Unfortunately the second part of that member’s question is wrong. Under any independent assessment of the New Zealand economy in the last few years there has not been a widening of the gap between rich and poor and in fact—Andrew Little: Yes there has been.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well the members can say it if they like because they read the British Labour Party newspapers but the reality in this country is that it has not occurred.