Bennett Paula: General Debate 
Bennett Paula: General Debate 
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Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 In that speech from the Hon Phil Goff we saw the negativity of the Labour Party. We saw the  
Hobbit 
 haters the Rugby World Cup droppers the people who do not like to celebrate New Zealand for all that it is and for all that it achieves. 
I proudly stand here as an Aucklander and as someone who is proud of our city and what it achieved on Friday night. It was an outstanding match. It was an outstanding Rugby World Cup opening. The people there had smiles on their faces pride in their country and pride in what they were achieving. They are proud of themselves and of what they are doing and we stand next to them as the National Government in that. Aucklanders are proud of their city. Yes they have a waterfront that they want to show off and be a part of. I think that is fantastic. 
This Rugby World Cup has brought aspiration hope and pride to New Zealanders. That is something we should be celebrating—celebrating the successes. But instead all we hear repeatedly from the other side of the House is just the relentless negativity of what is wrong what is wrong what is wrong. Those members will talk it up and talk it up as much as they possibly can. I say paint it black and I say be proud of our rugby team; be proud of our country and be proud of what we can achieve. Although there are lessons to be learnt there is one thing that is absolutely sure and that is that New Zealanders are ready to learn them and they are ready to do better—because we can. 
We see it in employment as well. We constantly get: “It is dire it is negative nothing is happening.” and it suits Labour to talk that up completely that there are absolutely no jobs for anyone. Does Labour count the 7225 people who went off the benefit just last month—just last month—to go into jobs? 
Jo Goodhew 
: How many? 
Hon PAULA BENNETT 
: Yes 7225 people went off the benefit just last month to go into work. Does Labour count the more than 7000 young people in net numbers who have gone off the youth unemployment benefit in the last 18 months to actually get into jobs? What we saw during the 2000s under that previous Government was young people coming out of school into jobs that were not sustainable. As soon as things got rocky and as soon as things got tough they fell out of those jobs. 
Until that side of the House stands up and says sorry the reality is that the rest of New Zealand has not just got its phone off the hook but does not even know those members’ names. That will be the case until that side of the House actually stands up and takes up the responsibility for what it has done and for how out of touch it has got with New Zealanders and the real issues that affect them and actually understands families and what happens in a household and what their requirements and their needs are—how they actually have the ability to stand up for themselves—instead of constantly seeing them as victims and consistently putting them down leading them to being dependent on a Government like we saw in the 2000s when we saw them falling out of the few opportunities that they had. 
One in five young New Zealanders leave school unable to read and write at the capacity they need to get on and get jobs. The jobs we saw created for those young people were not sustained when the economy got incredibly wobbly. The jobs were not there for them and there is a reason for that. They did not have the skills and they did not have the abilities to stay in those jobs. As far as I am concerned members on that side of the House should be ashamed of that and should actually stand up and apologise to New Zealanders then just maybe—just maybe—they might start listening at some stage. 
We are seeing more young people taking up training opportunities. We are seeing more young people staying in school longer and I think it is fantastic to see the growth in the number of young people who are staying in school and coming out with more qualifications. I certainly think the trades academies that this side of the House has introduced will make a massive difference for those young people. Let us see whether Labour members will stand up and say they will support those semi-retired older people who want to go into our schools and teach trades—those panel beaters who want to go in and give young people a hand. Let us see Labour actually recognise that for all it is worth. I am proud to be a New Zealander proud to be an Aucklander and that is where this side of the House stands.