Harawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is subject to correctionHarawira Hone: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 07 November 2013. Volume:694;Page:14495. Text is subject to correction.]12.HONE HARAWIRA (Leader—Mana) to theMinister of Finance: What is his budget plan if any to immediately address growing poverty in New Zealand which has got so bad that charitable organisations have today said they are expecting an influx of more than 40000 struggling families for Christmas dinner because they can’t afford to put food on the table?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Associate Minister of Finance) on behalf of theMinister of Finance: The Government has a very strong track record in protecting the most vulnerable New Zealanders. It is worth noting that the inequality gap as measured by the annual Ministry of Social Development household incomes report has narrowed in recent years after peaking around 2004. This year’s Budget included more than $900 million to help vulnerable families through a significant investment in a range of programmes: $189 million to assist people from welfare into work; $377 million to build 3000 new State house bedrooms and 500 new two-bedroom homes; $100 million over 3 years for the Warm Up New Zealand programme; the KickStart breakfast which was expanded to five mornings a week in decile 1 to 4 schools; $21 million over 4 years for rheumatic fever prevention; $15.7 million for the Children’sAction Plan; $172 million in new investment in early childhood education; and $7 million to increase the coverage of B4 School Checks on health and development. Nobody is saying it is easy for those who are in vulnerable positions but the Government is doing its bit by investing in services to support those who need them.Mr SPEAKER: Before I call the member for his supplementary question can I ask the interchange between my right-hand side and my left-hand side to cease.Hone Harawira: Will the Government use any surplus funds to reduce the crippling unemployment figure of 150000 plus the 4000 people who lost their jobs last month by initiating a comprehensive Government job creation programme to put Kiwis back to work in their communities until such time as the private sector has picked up the slack or is it the Government’s intention to use such surpluses to simply continue to subsidise the likes of Rio Tinto banks finance companies Skycity Casino Warner Bros and wealthy property developers?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Actually the unemployment rate—the member may not have noticed—dropped again yesterday and employment is growing.Hon Shane Jones: Not in Kaitāia.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: The other member raises a point about Northland that I think is very important. Both of those members could be of assistance to the Government as we seek to increase job opportunities in Northland. For example they could support the exploration of minerals in Northland which I know that Mr Harawira does not support. They could support and encourage the resolution of Treaty settlements to make assets available for iwi in Northland. That has been very successful in creating economic activity and job growth elsewhere. They could also perhaps assist with the primary sector productivity work being undertaken by my colleague the Hon Nathan Guy. They could also support the Pūhoi to Wellsford road which would provide a huge amount of access to that Northland area from the biggest city in New Zealand to its south. All of those things would support employment and job creation opportunities in Northland.Hon Shane Jones: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I realise we are at the end of question time—going on for 3.30 p.m.—but can you please ponder as to why it has been necessary to castigate this side of the House in terms of the length of questions and yet you have let the Minister get away and take responsibility for my views on mining which are already well-known.Mr SPEAKER: I can certainly ponder the point that the member is making.Hone Harawira: Will the Government use surplus funds to support a living wage for the nearly 50 percent of Kiwis earning less than $25000 a year or to feed the 270000 children still registered as living below the poverty line or is it the Government’s intention to simply throw another $40 million after the $80 million already squandered on a yacht race for the greedy and the gluttonous?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Steven Joyce in so far as he has ministerial responsibility.Hon STEVEN JOYCE: With the greatest respect to the member if he actually made more effort in assisting with job creation in Northland then we would actually have a lot better outcomes rather than just sitting here bagging people who are interested in job creation for New Zealanders including all the companies that he has mentioned so far. In relation to the living wage I would draw his attention to the Treasury report that points out that the living wage would have very little impact on inequality or poverty measures and that most people affected are actually those who are single adults or couples with no children and not the families earning below a so-called living wage of $18.40 an hour.