4. Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What consultation did she undertake with Ministers before making changes in Budget 2009 relating to the Ministry of Social Development?
Did the Minister consult the Minister of Māori Affairs on cuts to the Step Up Scholarships and merit-based scholarships, all of which encourage a level of self-responsibility and provide opportunities for Māori; if so, what was his response?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
There was high-level consultation with all of our coalition partners on all decisions around Budget 2009, and I am sure that that was part of it.
Jo GoodhewHon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Yes. After 9 years of strategising and consulting, the previous Government pretty much delivered nothing for our disability sector; we have already established a high-level Ministerial Committee on Disability Issues to provide leadership and improve decision making across all of the Government. It is unprecedented that senior Ministers regularly meet specifically on disability issues.
Did the Minister consult the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, the Hon Tariana Turia, before drastically reducing over the next 4 years the training incentive allowance, a programme that has given a hand up to many people on the domestic purposes benefit; if so, what was her response?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Yes, I did consult. Let us be clear here with the facts: people will still be eligible for the training incentive allowance; it is only the level that we are restricting.
Did the Minister consult the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment on the impact of closing Child, Youth and Family service centres in 10 areas around New Zealand; if so, did the Minister assure her that cuts in social worker numbers would not lead to cases like the tragic case reported in the paper this week of a young wheelchair-bound boy, who was alleged to have been beaten, burnt, and starved because social workers took 4 months to respond in Manukau, one of the areas that is to be closed and lose 24 staff?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I am sure that as a previous Minister that member will be very careful of making assumptions about children in the department’s care given via the media and reported purely there. As far as consultation is concerned, that has certainly been widespread and made in conjunction with my Associate Minister.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question asked whether the Minister consulted and whether she gave an assurance. She did not answer that question.
Mr SPEAKERThe member knows that when she puts more than one question into a supplementary question, the Minister has to answer only one of them. I believe that I heard the Minister answer one of them.
Why did the Minister say that she had consulted the Minister of Māori Affairs about cuts in the Budget to the funding of the enterprise and community initiatives, when Minister Sharples has categorically denied that any such briefing took place; and will she give a guarantee that all the consultation she has claimed took place actually occurred?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
As previously stated, there have been high-level discussions with the Māori Party on all Budget decisions. Certainly, there has been consultation between our offices on all of the changes within that. When it comes to Budget 2009, I have heard from the Māori Party how delighted its members are to see $10 million going in, over the next 2 years, to the Māori Economic Task Force, and how delighted they are to see $400,000 going into strengthening relationships between the Government and community voluntary organisations.
I seek leave to table an answer to a written question to the Hon Pita Sharples, in which he says that he has received no briefing on funding cuts to the enterprise and community initiatives, although the Minister said in the House—