Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Parker David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 13 November 2012. Volume:685;Page:6497. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
Hon DAVID PARKER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: Does he stand by his statement in September 2010 that “there is no doubt that unemployment has peaked”? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 Yes I do stand by that statement. 
Grant Robertson 
: Really? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes I do. Although the household labour force survey measure of unemployment has remained higher than anyone would have liked the number of people actually receiving an unemployment benefit did peak in 2010. Currently 50000 people are receiving the unemployment benefit which is 13000 lower than in September 2010. 
Hon David Parker 
: How does the third consecutive quarterly increase in the unemployed to 175000 New Zealanders a 12.4 percent increase in just a year show that the economy is in good health? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The figures on the household labour force survey reflect the weakening of the economy over recent months and that is now widely seen as driven significantly by the state of the world economy. However the number of people on an unemployment benefit has continued to drop. I will repeat what I have said to the member before. Currently there are under 50000 people receiving the unemployment benefit which is 13000 lower than in September 2010. But both of these measures of unemployment indicate that it is hard for people to find jobs when they lose jobs. That is why we need to focus even more strongly on supporting businesses to hire more people. 
Hon David Parker 
: Why did he not advise the Prime Minister that unemployment was on the rise given that ANZ National Bank and Business and Economic Research had both predicted it would rise to 7 percent? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I am always discussing these matters with the Prime Minister but I do not think that even ANZ or Labour’s favourite forecaster Business and Economic Research forecasted that the household labour force survey would show a large increase in unemployment in Auckland at the same time as the number of people on a benefit in Auckland continues to drop. Nevertheless the economy is weaker than we would want to see it and I hope that the Labour Party will support the Government’s efforts to get behind businesses to help make it easier for them to create more jobs and pay higher incomes. 
Hon David Parker 
: Does he stand by his acknowledgment that National promised that if it was elected there would be 170000 more jobs? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Yes. 
Andrew Williams 
: Was the Prime Minister correct to say to media last week that “we’ve grown 57000 jobs in the last 12-18 months.” given that the Minister of Finance then told  
3 News 
’ Duncan Garner on Friday that the number of new jobs created in the past 2 years is in fact 26000? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: Well I would need to verify just what the member is quoting from but there is no doubt that there have been fewer new jobs created than was expected. I think that is pretty clear. For people out in the market it is pretty tough trying to find a job. I would hope that that party will also get behind the Government’s efforts to assist businesses and to make it easier for them to hire more people because that is actually where new jobs come from. 
Andrew Williams 
: I seek leave to table a document prepared by the Parliamentary Library that contains a quote from the Prime Minister stating that 57000 new jobs have been created in the last 12 to 18 months. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Andrew Williams 
: I also seek leave to table a document prepared by the Parliamentary Library that contains a quote from the Minister of Finance stating that only 26000 jobs have been created in the past 2 years contradicting Mr Key’s claims. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is. Just before I call the honourable member it just seems odd to me to have documents prepared by the Parliamentary Library that allegedly contain just one statement. That sees somewhat odd but anyhow it is up to the House whether it— 
Andrew Williams 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Just to clarify these were media things that were then confirmed by the Parliamentary Library and parliamentary research—parliamentary research. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! That was probably the very issue I was trying to get at. We have managed to get rid of seeking leave to table press clippings and that kind of thing. Dressing them up as reports from the Parliamentary Library will not do in the future. 
Le’aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor 
: What is the unemployment rate for Pacific Island people in the latest household labour force survey and does he agree that this is an appalling figure? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: I think it is around the 15 percent mark and it is an appalling figure. That is why the Government is focusing very strongly particularly for young Pasifika people on attainment in secondary school—that is getting more students through National Certificate of Educational Achievement level 2. The Minister of Education is visiting schools and discussing with them how to get particular numbers such as 17 or 25 more of Pasifika students through level 2. We have then put in place a wider series of options and pathways for those students who choose not to go to university and want to find their way into the kind of training they need for further employment. We believe we are making significant progress in assisting precisely that group to increase its employment rate. 
Le’aufa’amulia Asenati Lole-Taylor 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was actually asking what the unemployment rate is and I did not hear the unemployment rate in the answer. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No no. Order! I apologise to the member because what is unfair is where a member from the back of the House is asking a question and there is too much interjection from members from a party that was not involved in the asking of the question. It is very hard for the member to hear. The Minister actually from memory said “15 percent” and he agreed that it was appalling which is exactly what the member asked so I believe her question was answered. But I do ask members to be more reasonable when a member from another party is asking questions.