Sio William: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sio William: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 12 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:7702. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
9. 
Su’a WILLIAM SIO (Labour—Mangere) 
 to the  
Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment 
: Does he stand by his Government’s 2011 election promise of “170000 more jobs”; if so why have a net 30000 New Zealanders lost their jobs over the past year? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment) 
: 
 In answer to the first part of the question yes and it is important to point out of course that that was no more and no less than Treasury’s forecast for job growth at the time— 
Hon David Parker 
: It was the advertised TV promise. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: —which was the Treasury forecast at the time which I appreciate Mr Parker disagrees with. The latest household labour force survey shows the unemployment rate falling from 7.3 percent to 6.9 percent but it also does indicate a job market that is still tough which reflects the ongoing impact of tough economic times globally. But it also demonstrates the volatility of the quarterly employment data which continues to move around. Illustrating this point you have the quarterly employment survey that came out 2 days previously—which the member may recall was lauded by his party as the best measure of jobs in the economy—which shows there have been 54000 new jobs created over the last 2 years. 
Su’a William Sio 
: Given the size of his ministerial workload which includes economic development tertiary education skills science and innovation Novopay the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment merger resource extraction plans and the Skycity convention centre does he believe that over the past year he has given the employment portfolio the full attention and focus that it requires? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Absolutely—it is one of the most crucial aspects of this Government’s Business Growth Agenda. Could I refer the member to the  
Building Skilled and Safe Workplaces 
 programme which we released late last year with some 50-odd initiatives including comprehensive programmes around vocational training tertiary education and educational standards and achievement. In fact since that report has come out we have of course launched the New Zealand Apprenticeships scheme and the apprenticeships reboot which I know the Opposition values so much. 
Su’a William Sio 
: Does he take responsibility as Minister of employment for the 30000 jobs that have been lost over the past year; if so will he step aside as Minister of employment so that this important portfolio can receive the attention and energy it deserves? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am confident that I give this particular portfolio great energy and enthusiasm. I would point out again for the member that the quarterly employment survey shows an increase of 54000 new jobs over the last 2 years. It is also important to point out to the member the decline in the unemployment benefit over the last year and important to point out to the member that actual PAYE numbers collected by the Inland Revenue Department or in other words actual tax paid on income has gone up 6 or 7 percent in the year to date. So yes the household labour force survey has one view and I am not belittling it because the job market is still challenging but there are also other views of the job market that suggest a more mixed picture. 
Su’a William Sio 
: Can he explain to the 440 workers who lost their jobs at Solid Energy in December the 190 workers who lost their jobs at Alliance Meats in October and the 90 workers who lost their jobs at the Hillside railway workshops in November why he believes that the drop in employment in the latest household labour force survey is due to volatile statistics and not to actual job losses? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Well that is because actually there is a very large number of jobs created and lost in every year. It is always very difficult when somebody loses their job and I understand that but we have about a quarter of a million jobs created and about a quarter of a million jobs lost in any 1 year in the New Zealand economy. The member is quite welcome to quote obviously situations where companies have lost jobs but there are also plenty of situations where companies have created jobs—just off the top of my head I think of organisations like Orion Health Tait Communications Douglas Pharmaceuticals and so on. The important point is that often some of those are in different areas than the areas of those who have lost their jobs which is why the skills training part is very very important and why the Government is putting such a big focus on that. 
Su’a William Sio 
: I would like to table a document from the Parliamentary Library—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! A point of order has been called. 
Su’a William Sio 
: I would like to table a document from the Parliamentary Library that shows— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is it available to all members? 
Su’a William Sio 
: I am not sure because this was requested by us. So it would not be available to all members. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: I think the easiest way to resolve that is— 
Su’a William Sio 
: It shows the loss of 30000 jobs December 2011— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: OK I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table this document prepared by the Parliamentary Library for the member. Is there any objection to that being tabled? Any objection? There is objection. 
Su’a William Sio 
: Why if he is doing such a great job as Minister of employment are there so few jobs available that 1000 people queued for just 70 jobs at a Mitre 10 store in Rotorua before Christmas? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Again I am sure the member could pick any number of examples where people are applying for jobs. I can also point out to the member some of the indicators that we have in terms of say online jobs which have been up significantly over last year and so on and so forth. I think though that the point is well made that we do have an emerging potential skills challenge and skills matching challenge in the New Zealand economy which is why we have to remain very very focused on skills training and vocational training in tertiary education. This Government has put very big efforts into that and not only that—not just actually creating the positions—but encouraging performance in those positions as well. So we are very very focused on giving as many New Zealanders the opportunity as we can.