4. DAVID BENNETT (National—Hamilton East) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
What were the objectives of the Prime Minister’s recent Job Summit, and is he satisfied that it was a successful event?
Hon BILL ENGLISH (Deputy Prime Minister) Link to this
The Prime Minister’s Job Summit was designed to be a forum for generating new ideas for maintaining and creating jobs during this recession. The event was a success. It brought together more than 200 representatives from businesses, unions, local authorities, community organisations, and Government. The participants demonstrated a serious commitment to working together to protect and create jobs. The result of their working session was a list of ideas, out of which the summit selected its top 20.
The Government will respond positively. We are looking very thoroughly at the 20 ideas that the summit chose, fleshing them out, looking at whether those ideas can be properly costed and implemented, and weighing them up against other Budget proposals. We have committed to continuing discussion about these ideas with those who proposed them.
Hon David Cunliffe Link to this
What was the net number of jobs created in the week of the Job Summit and since then, given the 180 jobs lost at Sealord, the 120 jobs lost at Irwin Industrial Tools in Wellsford, the 70 jobs lost at GE Money, and the 29 jobs lost at CWF Hamilton; and can the Prime Minister confirm how many job losses have been announced in the 3 days since the Job Summit?
Mr SPEAKERThe member seems to misunderstand how an economy works. A discussion about what the Government can do to prevent the loss of jobs and to create new jobs does not automatically head off decisions that may have already been made before the summit. I think just about everybody there recognised the huge challenge of dealing with sharply rising unemployment in New Zealand. The member can go around saying that the summit should have stopped this or that, but the best thing we can do for all those people who have actually now lost their jobs is take every possible step to give them confidence that at some stage they will be able to get another job.
Hon Darren HughesThe Hon Laila Harré, from the National Distribution Union, said: “I think it will certainly achieve something; I think it already has. It’s brought a sort of new approach to looking at what is a fast-moving and changing environment … sitting through the summit I found it difficult to imagine the Labour Party under Helen Clark really taking a risk like that, which was to give a group of people an open brief in a very public way to propose some ideas and solutions.”
Hon David Cunliffe Link to this
Speaking of former members, I ask what the Government will do to ensure that banks play their role in helping households and businesses through the recession, as outlined by Dr Alan Bollard when he stated: “… they have profited from good times in this economy, and we expect them to be there for the tough times too.” Is he concerned about reports from the New Zealand business community that it is finding it more difficult to obtain commercial credit than previously, and will potentially find it more difficult than its Australian competitors?
Yes, the Prime Minister is concerned about any reports that credit could be more difficult to obtain. At the Job Summit there was a vigorous public discussion between banks and others interested in their policies, and the banks—to their credit—have made some proposals about how they can work with the Government to alleviate a situation that could be potentially quite damaging in New Zealand. But, as the member will know, in a recession some businesses are just less creditworthy, and that is one reason they may find it harder to get credit.
Hon Jim AndertonIs the Government seriously considering a cycleway as a strategic answer to the greatest financial crisis the world has faced since the Great Depression; if so, has it given consideration, given its disinvestment in rail, to turning the railway system in New Zealand into a cycle track so that everyone can join in?