2. Hon PHIL GOFF (Leader of the Opposition) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Does he stand by his statement that “This Government is not prepared to turn its back on our most vulnerable citizens when they most need our help.”?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Acting Prime Minister) Link to this
Yes, that is why this year’s Budget maintained entitlements to welfare benefits, New Zealand superannuation, and Working for Families, despite Government revenue falling by billions of dollars. That is why we have just announced a $152 million package to create opportunities in work, education, and training for young people, who are particularly vulnerable during this recession.
Why, then, did the latest Budget cut $2.5 million from our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children—those who have major disabilities—who rely on that support to stay well and to continue at school?
As the member will be aware, in fact in the Budget the Government committed an increase of $51 million over 4 years to special education, to allow around 1,000 extra children to access special education funding. With regard to the particular issue the member raises, I am advised that some schools got considerable amounts of funding. Other schools with children with similar needs did not receive any additional funding. The Ministry of Education is working with the 23 schools that are affected by the change. It specifically intends to consult with those schools and parents in the upcoming review of special education.
What does the Prime Minister say to the parents of those children, who are so vulnerable, when they ask why the Government cannot afford just $2.5 million to give them essential therapy treatment, when the Government can afford to give $35 million to the most advantaged children in private schools?
The Ministry of Education is undertaking detailed work with those 23 schools. I am advised that to provide a similar level of assistance for all children with similar needs could cost about $30 million. As the member will know from his time in Government, everyone understands the complex needs of those children; the challenge in Government is to make sure that all children with special needs, and their families, get as much support as the Government can reasonably provide, while being fair to all those who are affected.
Chris TremainI have seen a number of propositions about how to use any public money that may be available. The reports from the Labour Party indicate that actually it would not spend extra money on those children. It would spend it on providing welfare to millionaires whose spouses have lost their jobs.
Does he accept the concerns of the parents of children with major disabilities like muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy, that the removal of that funding will compromise the well-being of their children and their ability to stay at school; if not, why does he reject the advice of both the schools and parents in that regard?
The Government does accept the concerns of those parents, and those children will be eligible for Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme funding in the same way—
—they will be—as many other children are. The Government is always listening to parents who express need in a vigorous fashion. That is one of the reasons that, in the Budget, the Government allocated an extra $51 million. Ongoing discussions between the Ministry of Health and those schools will be aimed at addressing the concerns of those parents where it is feasible.
Rahui KateneWhat specific initiatives is this Government supporting to respond to the disproportionately high numbers of Māori and Pasifika youth job seekers, who together comprise 47 percent of all young people receiving the unemployment benefit?
I think it is well understood that Māori and Pasifika youth are overrepresented in the unemployment figures. The Government expects that the $152 million youth opportunities package that was announced over the weekend will pick up significant numbers of Māori and Pasifika youth. In particular, the Community Max policy offers opportunities for grassroots Māori and Pasifika groups, including marae, iwi, and land incorporations, to provide work for their own youth on community projects. Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs will work with those communities to ensure that young people take up those options. We would expect to see Māori and Pasifika young people overrepresented in those projects.
Will the Prime Minister accept the invitation he has received from schools and parents to visit schools to see the work being done with children, to see the challenges that those children and their families face daily, to hear from them that he is absolutely misinformed when he says that there is some compensatory funding that they will get out of a different pool of money—because they will get none—and to hear from them the consequences those cuts in funding will have on those children?
Obviously, I cannot answer that supplementary question on behalf of the Prime Minister. The Associate Minister in charge of special education has undertaken to go to each school and meet with those parents. I also point out to the member that we, as MPs, meet with parents whose children get no resources because they did not qualify under his Government for the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme. The $51 million announced in the Budget will enable another 1,000 families who have children with special needs to access the kind of Government funding that those children ought to have.
Does the Prime Minister disagree with the statement made in the New Zealand Herald today in the editorial: “Society should seek to provide every opportunity for those unfortunate enough to have been born disabled. When a small sum is delivering immense improvement and clearly providing value, there is no reason to discontinue it.”? If he does agree with it, will he reconsider the decision to cut the funding; if he does not agree with it, why not?
Where small amounts of funding make a big difference, of course any Government would target them as a priority. As the member will know from his time in Government, the challenge in those cases is to get fair treatment across the wide range of needs and the wide range of families who need considerable support. The Associate Minister in charge of special education is visiting each school. Ongoing discussions with the Ministry of Education will lead, I am sure, to a better understanding of their needs and how they can be met.