Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Shearer David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Sitting date: 14 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6574. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
2. 
DAVID SHEARER (Leader of the Opposition) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: Does he still think his Government is “on the right track”? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister) 
: 
 Yes. 
David Shearer 
: Is he satisfied that there are only five countries with a worse record in the rate of increase in unemployed numbers and that they include Greece Spain and Ireland; if not does he not think it is time to change track? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: As the member will have heard in answer to question No. 1 no I do not think it is time to change tack. Secondly that is coming from a completely different base. But let us just understand whether the following would do anything in terms of economic growth and that would be to ban sea-mining for minerals oil and gas; ban fracking; put a tax on aquaculture; ban all coalmining; and have a mineral export tax. That is a remit at the Labour Party conference this weekend. 
David Shearer 
: Is he satisfied that under his Government there has been an 80 percent increase in the numbers of unemployed more than twice the rate of Australia; if so does he think it is time to change track? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: No. Of course we are not satisfied when someone loses their job but let us understand what is happening in Australia. In Western Australia the last time I looked—it may have changed in the last few weeks—the growth rate was 14.5 percent. The growth rate in Northern Queensland where mining is substantially active was 9.5 percent. The fact is that there has been a recession on the East Coast of Australia for quite some time. So let us ask the following question: can you run a mining operation if you have a minerals export tax going through the roof where you have a ban— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Prime Minister’s job and a Minister’s job is to answer the question not to start asking them in the middle of question time. I thought you would have stopped him when he said that. “Let’s ask ourselves a question”—well that is our job at the moment and his job is to get up there and precisely and tersely answer the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member’s point is reasonably made except in so far as the question did ask whether the Prime Minister believed that given certain events it was time to change track. The Prime Minister was identifying possibilities of changing track that he did not believe would work. But the member is correct. It should not be posed as a question because Ministers are meant to answer questions. But I think the Prime Minister had finished had he not? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: The parts of the Australian economy that are booming are the parts of the economy that are related to mining and at the Labour Party conference they want to ban mining and they want to join forces with the Green Party which wants to ban mining. I will bet you Damien O’Connor does not go down there on the West Coast— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The Prime Minister has no responsibility for Damien O’Connor. 
David Shearer 
: Does he stand by his statement “While unemployment remains high it is absolutely critical that we provide young people with adequate development opportunities. If we don’t we risk diminishing the potential of an entire generation of New Zealanders and I won’t accept that.”; if so why has the number of Modern Apprenticeships dropped by 2500 since he made that statement? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Firstly I cannot accept the member’s number because I do not know whether it is correct or not in the way it was measured. And the history of this House indicates that numbers that come from that side are not always accurate. But there are just under 7500 fees-free Youth Guarantee places at tertiary institutions at the moment. There are 2800 fees-free places in 43 trade services. There are over 10000 fees-free places for 16 and 17-year-olds. A great deal of work has been done when it comes to young people— 
David Shearer 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That question directly asked about Modern Apprenticeships. If he has all the information about everything else except Modern Apprenticeships that is a bit strange. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! The member should know that actually he does not interject during a point of order especially a point of order by his leader. The Leader of the Opposition is correct. His question asked specifically about Modern Apprenticeships. If the Prime Minister had that figure it would be helpful but I think he has indicated that he does not have it. Therefore that should be the end of the answer. 
David Shearer 
: Is not Fran O’Sullivan right on the unemployment statistics when she says “For Key to simply shrug his shoulders on this score doesn’t cut it. … We owe it to the young people who are yet to even get on the employment ladder to be less ostrich-like as a nation.”; when will he change track to grow jobs? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Three things. Firstly when it comes to young people the Government is engaged in a number of activities to support young people and that includes things like the 90-day probation period and the youth minimum wage which certainly help make them more attractive in the workforce. Secondly making sure their educational skills are better is critically important and we know that that was something that the Labour Government did not care about. Making sure that we have a number of programmes for them is critically important. We have been doing that whether it is through the Youth Guarantee or whatever it might be. Thirdly we know the Labour Party is not to be believed when it comes to youth unemployment because in the weekend Megan Woods was out there telling people that a quarter of all young people were unemployed. That is factually incorrect. And the fourth thing I would say is that I do not know whether the member saw—because he wants to quote Fran O’Sullivan—The Standard yesterday afternoon but on The Standard yesterday afternoon it said that if Fran O’Sullivan comes out and endorses David Shearer it will be the kiss of death. Well guess what was in the  
New Zealand Herald 
— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I call the Leader of the Opposition. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I have called the Leader of the Opposition. 
David Shearer 
: Is the Prime Minister aware that Modern Apprenticeships have gone down on his watch and why is he not aware of that? 
Rt Hon JOHN KEY 
: Because they have gone into a variety of other different courses.