2. Question No. 2—Prime MinisterHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 2—Prime Minister2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's actions policies and statements?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that under the previous Government job creation was at 10000 per month yet in the last three months job growth has fallen by 4000—that is it's gone negative?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I notice that the member has very specifically drawn on a quarter-to-quarter comparison because what he doesn't want to say is that the unemployment rate as it's being announced today is at 4.2 percent the second-lowest level in 10 years. What he doesn't want to say is that wages grew 3.4 percent over the year; that the underutilisation rate—again we want to make sure that people when they're in employment are working as much as they want to be working—fell to 11.3 percent the lowest underutilisation rate since December 2008; and the NEET rate fell—not as much as we'd like but it has fallen—and the number of employed people rose 38200 from a year ago. The member has compared one quarter to the next because that was the only number that he felt comfortable raising in this House.Hon Simon Bridges: So will she answer the question: does she accept that under the previous Government job creation was at 10000 per month yet in the last three months job growth has fallen—that is has gone negative—by 4000 people?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: For the quarter yes. However if we're looking at the average change in employment it is of course in the positive and over 10000. Again I notice that the member when he was in Government tended not to use quarter-on-quarter either.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she know that the reason Statistics New Zealand gave for the unemployment rate falling in the last quarter was because people were deciding to leave the labour force—that is to go on a benefit?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is actually not correct. If someone goes on a benefit by default they are termed unemployed and would show up in the unemployment statistics which have gone [Interruption]—if surveyed they would indeed be regarded as unemployed and the unemployment rate has gone down. Secondly I also acknowledge that when the numbers came out Statistics New Zealand said they saw a rise in men aged over—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Don't just make it up.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: —this is actually from Statistics New Zealand Mr Brownlee if you'd like to tune in—55 leaving the labour force in order to go into leisure time—perhaps a suggestion Mr Brownlee.Hon Gerry Brownlee: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]SPEAKER: Order! I think the member has a right to make a point of order. Hon Gerry Brownlee: Oh I just want to express to the House how overcome I am by the kindness of the Prime Minister. SPEAKER: Well I thought the member was going to say he wouldn't notice any difference. Hon Gerry Brownlee: We really should get our two back. SPEAKER: Fair enough—fair enough. Hon Simon Bridges: How does she explain unemployment down but benefits strongly up? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes there's been a variation of 0.2 percent in the benefit numbers. Again however when we look at the percentage of those of the working-age population receiving a main benefit even where it is now in the March quarter which is at 9.5 percent that is lower than it was in every year from March 2014 2015 2016 and 2017 under the last Government. So yes of course we want to keep those numbers coming in a different direction but again—relative to the last Government—in better shape. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she accept that under the previous Government 60000 people came off benefits yet in the last 12 months there were 13000 more people on the benefit? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yet I say again despite that we are still at a lower rate than under the last Government. Of course we maintain the aspiration that we want to see people in work. That's why we have Mana in Mahi where we are supporting those who are on unemployment benefits to go into work and supporting employers to take them on in apprenticeships. That's why we've got our driver-licensing scheme where those on youth payments are eligible for free driver-licensing to help them get into work. And it's why just this week Ministers announced the work they're doing with the building and construction sector. We do want people in meaningful work and we're taking meaningful action to make it happen. Hon Simon Bridges: Why are there 13000 more New Zealanders on the job seeker benefit under her watch? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Of course I prefer to use the proportion of working-age population but again even then I have said there has been a 0.2 percent increase. We have seen according to the Ministry of Social Development some softening in the areas around construction from memory. So those areas where we have seen problems around our sector is where we've seen also job issues and that's why we're doing the work to try and make sure those individuals have the skills to go into those areas of work. Jami-Lee Ross: Why is the country still waiting for the Government's response to the inquiry into mental health and addiction when the Minister of Health said in November January and February that a response would be delivered in March and in March he said that it would be only a few weeks away? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I did add clarity to our expectation around when that report would be released on Monday at post-Cabinet. The Minister had indicated it would be released by the end of April. As we worked on the final response from the Government what became apparent was that so much of the response was tied up with the Budget and tangible announcements of our health service delivery would change under this Government. The view was that bringing closer proximity therefore to the actual announcements at Budget time and the Government's response would be preferable. So we're asking members to wait a matter of weeks. Jami-Lee Ross: Will the Government be adopting a suicide reduction target? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I won't make that announcement here today but what I will highlight is one of the vexed issues that we've had is that on the one hand the inquiry did recommend that a target be adopted and on the other the various members of this Government are on record talking about a view that of course we should have no tolerance and targets suggest tolerance. We've grappled with that as a Government but we'll be making an announcement in its totality when the response comes out. Hon Simon Bridges: Will the Government's $1.5 billion mental health package be announced pre-Budget or on Budget day? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: All Budget announcements of course sit with the Minister of Finance and the Government. We don't give time lines on what is in and what is out and nor am I going to confirm the totality of those Budget amounts. Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree that it's a failure that the Ashburton District with an unemployment rate of 1.8 percent saw a 20 percent increase in the number of people on the job seeker benefit in the last year? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Again my preference would always be to look at some of that individual regional data myself because sometimes it does give us patterns around what's happening for industry areas. Of course we don't wish to tolerate growth in any of those areas; that's why we're taking very specific initiatives in very specific regions and employment areas in order to try and turn such numbers around. I would again say though this is a day where we've again had the second lowest unemployment rate in a decade matched only by the lowest in a decade which we achieved two quarters ago. This is a time for celebration for the country that we are doing well in the face of some international headwinds which are not positive.Rt Hon Winston Peters: With all of these questions about employment when unemployment is at a most commendable rate of 4.2 percent could nevertheless one professional position be facing unemployment?SPEAKER: Well there'll be one facing underemployment.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I wouldn't want to speculate but given how tight the labour market is at the moment I imagine prospects would be good no matter where anyone went.Hon Simon Bridges: If unemployment being down is so good why are benefits up 13000 people?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I've given multiple answers to this question. Regardless again of those rationales we are taking individual efforts to make sure that in those areas where we have job need we are matching those on a benefit in a way that we just did not see under the last Government. And that is the right approach to get our benefit numbers down.Hon Simon Bridges: Does the Welfare Expert Advisory Group report due to be released on Friday recommend the removal of most or all benefit obligations and sanctions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look I welcome the question from the member because I've noticed some statements being made around sanctions which are just not accurate. There have been no changes to the sanction regime. We have however ensured that Work and Income is following the existing policy. So I cannot make any statements around whether or not that kind of rigour was applied to our system before but it is being applied now. The sanctions themselves however have not changed. The second point is that the Welfare Expert Advisory Group—you'll be able to discuss and debate their recommendations once they're released.Hon Simon Bridges: Will her Government not only remove excessive sanctions in the welfare system" but as the Speech from the Throne states also "go further"?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We have been very open as a Government around some of the discomfort we've had with some of the sanctions that exist; for instance the naming of children—the penalty that applies for particularly women in those circumstances. That's something we've been very open about. With sanctions of course we've always been mindful about the impact of them on children in particular. But again in terms of any announcements you'll have to wait until the Government formalises its response.Hon Simon Bridges: If she and her Government have made no secret of the fact that they're uncomfortable with the sanctions and obligations why have no changes been made and will changes be made when the Welfare Expert Advisory Group report and the Government's decisions come back?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I was simply flagging a particular sanction that at least Labour and the Greens have been on record on for a number of years. When it comes to announcements the member will have to wait.Hon Simon Bridges: So can I confirm that she is uncomfortable with the sanctions and obligations that are in place on benefits today as she I think just said?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No. The member completely misinterpreted my statement and he knows it.Hon Simon Bridges: Is the current system and what we've got in place right now—SPEAKER: Order! Order! I'm just going to remind the Prime Minister that she cannot accuse a member of deliberately misleading the House and I think she just did.Hon Simon Bridges: Is she then saying that the benefit arrangements around obligations and sanctions today are fine as they are?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We have not changed them—they have not been changed. We're just making sure that Work and Income applies them appropriately.Hon Simon Bridges: Well what's the point of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group then?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member will see the results in due course."