Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:656;Page:5537] 
5.  
Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Labour—New Lynn) 
 to the  
Minister of Finance 
: Does he stand by his statement that “For most people the measure of a recession is whether they have a job”? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Minister of Finance) 
: 
 Yes. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: Does the Minister consider that the 6 percent unemployment recorded in today’s household labour force survey is acceptable; if so why; if not why does he not have a credible plan to manage the economy through the recession? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: No it is not acceptable. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: If that is not acceptable what does the Minister consider has caused New Zealand’s unemployment rate to leapfrog that of Australia; does he consider that Australia faces it as well and does he consider it relevant that the Australian stimulus package exceeds 5 percent of GDP and that his Government’s package is only 3.5 percent now less— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I apologise for interrupting the honourable member but I say to both sides of the House that the level of interjection has become totally unacceptable. I could not hear. I invite the member to repeat his question—but please do not make it too long. 
Hon David Cunliffe 
: I will repeat it without addition. What does the Minister consider has caused New Zealand’s unemployment rate to leapfrog that of Australia and does he consider it relevant that the Australian stimulus package exceeds 5 percent of GDP and that his Government’s is now only 3.5 percent less than the 4.5 percent put in place by the outgoing Labour Government? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The biggest difference is that the Australian economy has basically kept going while New Zealand has had 18 months of recession. It would be severely delusional on his part to believe that the previous Labour Government had put in place a stimulus package before it left. It left a whole lot of unfunded promises and a stack of press releases that it called an economic programme. 
Amy Adams 
: What are the main causes of the current rise in unemployment? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: One of the reasons New Zealand is in a different situation from Australia is that the New Zealand recession began in January 2008 as a result of 7 or 8 years of economic mismanagement by the previous Government. Then the global recession hit in October last year and the combination of the two has unfortunately meant that people were relying on jobs that they thought were sustainable but they have turned out not to be. 
Jacinda Ardern 
: Will he guarantee that no young New Zealander will be denied access to the unemployment benefit until he or she is supported into full-time work or training given that youth unemployment has not been as high as this since 1994 and his youth jobs package will help only 14 percent of unemployed young people? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: The youth unemployment package is pretty extensive; it is going to help well over 10000 young people to keep in connection with the world of work and skills. We believe that it reflects the right balance of fiscal cost and short-term assistance for young people who need work. 
Sue Moroney 
: How will women measure the performance of his Government given that 15000 out of the 24000 people thrown out of work in the June quarter were women—that is 62.5 percent of those who have lost jobs are women—and that his Government has no plans for job creation in the areas of the economy where women work? 
Hon BILL ENGLISH 
: They will judge the Government by our efforts to rebuild our economic strength so that they can get their jobs back. That is how they will judge it and that is why we are pressing on with urgency to undo the damage done by the last Government and get this economy back on its feet.