Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 26 February 2013. Volume:687;Page:8154. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
4. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment 
: Does he agree with the Prime Minister “the number one thing New Zealanders need to rely on is that they have a job so they can provide for their families”; if so how many New Zealanders are currently unemployed? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment) 
: 
 Yes I do agree with the Prime Minister’s statement and that is why the Government is working very hard to provide the conditions for businesses to invest and grow jobs in the New Zealand economy. There are a number of ways to measure unemployment. For example benefit numbers show that the number of people on the unemployment benefit dropped by more than 13000 from 67000— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I am having trouble hearing the answer to this part of the question. 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: For example benefit numbers show that the number of people on the unemployment benefit dropped by more than 13000 from 67000 in December 2010 to 53700 in December 2012. Another indicator is the household labour force survey the latest of which estimated that 163000 New Zealanders are unemployed which is 10000 fewer than in the previous quarter. That is a drop in unemployment from 7.3 percent to 6.9 percent. 
Grant Robertson 
: Is it correct that there has been a net loss of 30000 jobs since he became the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No I do not accept that number because actually the quarterly employment survey the latest of which came out a couple of days before the household labour force survey showed a net increase of 54000 new jobs across the country over the last 2 years. 
Grant Robertson 
: Is it correct that the household labour force survey which the Minister described as “the standard internationally recognised measure of employment and unemployment” tells us that there has been a net loss of 30000 jobs since he became the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Well there has been an increase actually in the number of full-time jobs but a decrease in the number of part-time jobs according to the household labour force survey. But I think it is important to point out to the member because he is new to the portfolio that there are a range of measures to determine the health of the economy and the creation of jobs. He mentioned the household labour force survey. The quarterly employment survey of course showed a net increase of 54000 new jobs over the last 2 years. The numbers on the unemployment benefit are an important indicator of jobs in the New Zealand economy. PAYE taxes collected by the Inland Revenue Department are also important and job vacancies are important as well. I note that the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment online survey released last week showed that skilled vacancies were up by 8.5 percent on the same time last year. 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a very specific question. It included the idea that it was the household labour force survey that was suggesting that there had been a net loss of 30000 jobs— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! It was a specific question and I invite the member to repeat that question. 
Grant Robertson 
: Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Is it correct that the household labour force survey which the Minister has described as “the standard internationally recognised measure of employment and unemployment” tells us that there has been a net loss of 30000 jobs since he became the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: As I said in my previous answer I was not aware of the exact number but I do know that there has been a decline in part-time jobs and an increase in full-time jobs. I said I did not know the exact answer. But I also point out to the member—and I think it was helpful—that there are a range of measures and I am happy to go through them again for the member because there are different indicators of the number of jobs in the New Zealand economy. 
Grant Robertson 
: To assist the Minister I seek leave of the House to table a document prepared by the Parliamentary Library on the basis of the household labour force survey that shows a drop— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Whom was the document prepared for? 
Grant Robertson 
: It was prepared by the Parliamentary Library. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No whom was it prepared for? 
Grant Robertson 
: For me Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection to that? There is objection. 
Grant Robertson 
: Is the Minister prepared to advocate for a change to monetary policy to give exporters a fair go and help New Zealanders find jobs so that they can feed their families? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No although it is interesting to see the member going down the line of printing money. But the important thing is that on the one hand the member is arguing for artificial depreciation of the New Zealand dollar and on the other hand Mr Parker will be along shortly arguing for closing the income gap between here and Australia which of course an artificial reduction in the New Zealand dollar— 
Grant Robertson 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Point of order Grant Robertson. 
Grant Robertson 
: He has sat down now but that would have been the point of order. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Has the member got further supplementary questions? 
Grant Robertson 
: Supplementary question Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Then ask them. 
Grant Robertson 
: Who is correct: the Prime Minister who said today about the high dollar that “Even for a lot of manufacturers it’s a big help.” or Keith Whiteley from HamiltonJet Gordon Sutherland from A W Fraser Mike Eggers from Pacific Helmets and all the other manufacturers who have said that the high dollar and the Government’s monetary policy are strangling their business and stopping job growth? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: The Prime Minister is correct and I will point out for the member— 
Grant Robertson 
: Oh the manufacturers know nothing? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No I will point out for the member that he needs to go and look at something called the  
TIN100 
 which is the index of high-value manufacturing companies in New Zealand—which again he may not yet be aware of—which shows the companies that are doing very well. Different companies are struggling and different companies are doing very well and the reality is that companies gain also from the benefits of imports from input prices— 
Grant Robertson 
: So the manufacturers know nothing? They know nothing do they? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: No Mr Robertson it is pretty obvious that you are the one who knows nothing.