Lee Melissa: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Lee Melissa: Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 26 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8917. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
MELISSA LEE (National) 
: 
 It is a great pleasure to rise in support of and talk in the first part of this legislation the Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill. I would just like to address a couple of things that Opposition members have actually raised. I think Ms Moroney actually talked about what a shame it was that people are lining up for jobs. I say good on them. They are encouraged. They are actually out there looking for work. What does that member suggest those people do? Sit at home and do nothing? I do not think so. 
It was Phil Goff who actually wanted to talk about the records of unemployment numbers. Can I actually quote numbers from 2000 to 2008 when the Labour Party was in Government? Sickness benefit numbers rose 51.6 percent invalid’s benefit numbers rose 47.2 percent and domestic purposes benefit numbers rose by 8.5 percent. 
 Guess what? The Minister of Social Development and Employment at the time said that the rise for the two quarters in unemployment numbers was “Not bad actually”. I am sorry but that was the best of New Zealand’s economic times not during a recession or when we are recovering from the recession that globally the world is struggling with. In New Zealand with the leadership of our Prime Minister John Key and the Ministers we are actually growing. It is a very small number compared with Australia maybe. I think the recent number I saw was 3.1 percent growth in Australia. I think we lag just behind on 3 percent. But Australia has mining. My goodness! 
The Opposition asks: “Where are the jobs?”. Whenever this Government puts forward agendas for job growth and economic growth and policies to get people more jobs the Opposition is completely against it. Opposition members stand in this House—the hypocrites stand in this House—asking: “Where are the jobs?”. Actually my learned colleague Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga looked at 3 o’clock today on—what was it— 
Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga 
: SEEK. 
MELISSA LEE 
: On seek.co.nz there were 16000 jobs available at 3 o’clock this afternoon. There are jobs if people want to go and get them. 
Actually I was walking around the businesses on Rosebank Road on Monday and I was talking to employers in manufacturing. They told me they struggle to find good workers with the right attitude who are willing to get up in the morning and actually work. Sometimes they have to get rid of some employees because they fail their drug tests. I wonder why they did that. They did that because their workers are dealing with laser cutters and heavy machinery. Of course these people have to be off drugs. I understand that there are times when people have to lose jobs but we are creating more jobs our manufacturers are creating more jobs our employers are creating more jobs and our farmers are creating more jobs. I looked at a website just before when Opposition members were speaking. There are plenty of farming jobs available. I think one member opposite talked about the right kinds of jobs. What is “right”? There are 220000 children growing up in benefit-dependent homes. I would have thought that when you provide for your child the best example for your child is for the parents to be not at home on the benefit but out working. 
One other thing that really upset me during the debate on the whole social welfare reform issue was when people said women like me who leave children in early childhood education centres and work full time are bad mothers. I beg to differ actually. I think I am providing good role modelling for my child. I think parents who work and are responsible for their children and for themselves and who are growing their businesses growing the economy and setting a good example for their children cannot be bad parents. So let me say this: please do not scare New Zealanders into thinking that getting a job is a bad thing. 
Le’aufa’amulia 
 Asenati Lole-Taylor 
: They’re already scared. 
MELISSA LEE 
: I am sorry but this bill is encouraging people. It says it is OK; social support is there from Government social welfare has always been there and we support it but get a job.