11. Question No. 11—Social Development and EmploymentRICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 11—Social Development and EmploymentSPEAKER: Question No. 11 in the name of Ricardo Menéndez March—Feliz Navidad. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green): Feliz Navidad Mr Speaker.11. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What if anything is she doing to end poverty for people receiving a benefit as we head into the holiday season?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Our Government will continue to make benefit and tax credit payments over this time and in April main benefits will be increased through the adjustment by the cost of living. This change will protect the real incomes of benefit recipients while putting the benefits system on a more sustainable footing. This early decision is expected to mean that main benefits will be higher next year than they would have been if we had retained the current index to wage growth. Assistance through the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) will continue over the Christmas period to ensure that people can contact MSD if they need support. This Government's view is that the best route out of poverty is through paid employment. My officials have already begun work on how we can better support people off welfare and into jobs.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she agree with recent analysis that found that changes made to benefits will mean that over 300000 people already living below the poverty line will be up to $3120 worse off per year by the end of this decade?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I agree with indexation of benefits to the Consumers Price Index (CPI) which means that the real costs that people face on welfare will be taken care of. And I agree that during this dire cost of living crisis the Government's focus and priority will be how to alleviate that to reduce people's hardship.Ricardo Menéndez March: Will she continue implementing any of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group recommendations such as a recommendation to index income support to movements in average wages or prices whichever is higher and if not why not?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: This Government has made an early decision as I said in my primary answer to index main benefits to the cost of living. This is to adequately reflect the costs that those on benefit face.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she believe that people receiving income support deserve to live in poverty and if not why won't she lift benefit levels above the poverty line?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: This side of the House doesn't want anyone living in poverty which is why we absolutely have a relentless drive and focus on getting more on welfare into work where they will have higher incomes more opportunities and choices and I will never ever make any excuse for that.Hūhana Lyndon: Is she aware of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and their report that has shared that they're seriously concerned at the disproportionate number of tamariki Māori and Pasifika experiencing food insecurity and housing deprivation in Aotearoa New Zealand and if you are will you lift main benefits above the poverty line?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: This Government's very clear focus is supporting individuals and families into work which will lift their income and lift them out of poverty. Sixty percent of the children currently living in material hardship are in benefit-dependent homes so we will focus on how we support more people off welfare and into work. It benefits them; more importantly it benefits their children.Hūhana Lyndon: What is she doing to ease Christmas pressure on our front-line community services such as Whangārei's own 155 Whare Kai social supermarket where the CEO said to me—and I quote—Whānau are going hungry. Kai continues to be our highest demand. Our 155 Whare Kai supermarket is booked through to February already. It is very sad and it's getting worse in our community."?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I met with organisations in the Food Network just yesterday and acknowledge the work that they are providing on the ground across New Zealand and I also acknowledge that this is an incredibly challenging time because of economic mismanagement by the previous Government that has driven the cost of living higher for longer—SPEAKER: That's enough. That's enough thank you.Ricardo Menéndez March: Point of order. I don't believe the question was addressed. The question was in relationship to actions—[Interruption]SPEAKER: Sorry—points of order are heard in silence. Please start again.Ricardo Menéndez March: Thank you Mr Speaker. I don't believe the question was addressed. The question was in relationship to actions not in relationship to the past Government and at no point did she talk about or mention any points of actions that she would be taking in relationship to the quote that was given.SPEAKER: Well previous Speakers' rulings do allow a Minister to refer to circumstances in their current portfolio that may lead to difficulties for them because of previous Government actions. So I don't know that that was particularly out of scope.Ricardo Menéndez March: Speaking to the point of order the question was none the less asking about what she would do in relationship to the quote. I take your point that she can point to previous conversations but she did not address the one and only leg of the question which was about what she would be doing.SPEAKER: Yes I know but the Minister is a Minister of the Crown a Minister of the Government. They don't act individually; they act collectively."