Beaumont Carol: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is subject to correctionBeaumont Carol: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 07 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14491. Text is subject to correction.]9.CAROL BEAUMONT (Labour) to theMinister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: How does women’s participation rate of 1 percent in building and construction industry training assist with the Christchurch rebuild?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment): I think all participation is helpful in the rebuild. It would of course be good to see more women involved in building and construction in Canterbury. There is of course no practical limit on the number of female building and construction trades apprenticeships. There are places available right now and I would welcome more women to consider taking up those career opportunities. It is worth noting that the proportion of female industry trainees has been trending upwards over the last 7 years. It was 31 percent in 2012. The proportion of female trainees in the five key building construction and infrastructure industry training organisations is also trending upwards around the country including in Canterbury although it has to be said that this is off a low base.Carol Beaumont: How does a woman’s participation rate of 4 percent in the boatbuilding industry 5 percent in the infrastructure industry or 7 percent in the electrical supply industry help with the Better Public Services goal of increasing the number of people with advanced trades qualifications?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: It is true that in some areas women have less participation in training; in other areas the rates are higher—for example in the area of universities and tertiary education generally more women are involved than men. You cannot say that that is necessarily a bad thing but there are initiatives that we can take. It is good that the member raises the Electricity Supply Industry Training Organisation. The organisation has got more initiatives. One is called Ultimit and encourages women to apply for trade and technical roles in their sector. There are things like the Top Female Trade Student Award at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology which was announced today too. That is also designed to raise the profile of women in trades.Carol Beaumont: What initiatives has he put in place to lift the participation rate of women in industry training which has decreased from 30 percent in 2010 to 28 percent in 2013 noting that he conveniently talked only about 2012?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: My records here are 31 percent in 2012. But the member makes a very interesting point. I do think it is fair that we consider more policy options because as well as trying to lift the participation of women we could perhaps restrict the participation of men until the participation of women gets to the same level. I think that is what is colloquially known as a man ban. I think that could be a way in which we could achieve—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! That answer is not going to help you. [Interruption] Order! Is there a supplementary question?Carol Beaumont: Getting back to the matter in hand—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Carol Beaumont: How successful does he believe the initiatives he has worked on with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs like the research project showing there is a pool of women available to assist in the Canterbury rebuild or the research following nine women—that is right nine women—in the electrical supply industry have been in lifting women’s participation?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Well they have had some success but I stand by my view that there are perhaps more policy options that we could consider. But I think it is important that if we did consider those policy options they were of a bipartisan nature because some of those are quite challenging. So for example if we decided to introduce let us say a man ban—Mr SPEAKER: Order!Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister is diverting from the answer. He was asked about—Hon STEVEN JOYCE: No I am not.Grant Robertson: No he is. He is diverting from the answer. He is not addressing the question.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I do not need any assistance. No the Minister was not diverting from the answer until the very moment the member rose to his feet so he has got supernatural powers to know that the words “man ban” were about to be used. At that stage I said to the Minister the answer was concluded. We are in agreement but on this occasion the member was almost too quick on his feet.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I do think it is entirely fair. If you are dealing with gender equality issues one option is such a thing as a man ban. Many organisations have considered that. It is quite a genuine policy option. I was debating it in this House as an answer to a question.Mr SPEAKER: The member has a right to raise a point of order. I will determine whether it is a point of order and on that matter I do not need assistance from this side of the House. The question was about how successful the Minister’s initiatives have been and the Minister answered that by saying that there has been some success.Carol Beaumont: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister did not answer the—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I have—[Interruption] Order! I have only just finished ruling that the Minister did address the question that the member asked. I invite the member later on today to have a look at her question and the answer. It was without doubt addressed by the Minister.Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am not contesting the last ruling that you have made but I do note the difference in your response to Carol Beaumont challenging your ruling and Steven Joyce who was allowed to speak for some time before you stood up. That is an issue for us on this side of the House.Mr SPEAKER: I appreciate that point but when I have just finished ruling that the question was addressed and I used that in an answer to addressing the point of order raised by the Hon Steven Joyce it is absolutely fruitless and pointless for the member to stand and then say that the question had not been addressed when I had just returned to my seat having said it was.Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I think the point we are seeking to make without creating any further trouble is that when you shout it brings disorder to the House.Mr SPEAKER: I thank the member for his incisive point of order. When the member continues to shout as he has done throughout question time that also assists in bringing disorder to the House. Both the Hon Shane Jones and I need to be more careful in not raising our voices.