8. HEKIA PARATA (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What reports has she received about the Government’s Job Ops scheme?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
I am pleased to announce that we have achieved well over 1,000 Jobs Ops: 1,158 to date. These job opportunities are making a real difference to the lives of many of our young people. Of these newly created job opportunities, we have already filled 497 with young people who would otherwise be out of work and on the unemployment benefit.
How is the scheme assisting young people to come off the unemployment benefit and into employment opportunities?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Job Ops is doing what it was set up to do: it is enabling employers to give these young people a go. Here is an example of what we are getting pretty much daily these days: a 19-year-old from Upper Hutt who, without any previous hospitality experience, is now working as a front of house assistant for an executive catering firm. As a result of getting in touch with Work and Income, the employer now has a young person to work for it.
Jacinda ArdernDid the Minister talk to mayors or councils about the detail of her Youth Opportunities policy before she announced it, given that a quarter of the package relies on them—
Mr SPEAKERIf I am to apply the Standing Orders I must tell the member that she cannot make an allegation when she asks her question, as she was doing then—she was proceeding to make a certain allegation in her question. She may ask a supplementary question without the allegation.
The allegation inserted information that may be challengeable. She may ask her supplementary question.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Ever since I have been a member of Parliament, members have, by way of supplementary questions, added information that, if it was in a primary question—
The member will resume his seat. If members wish to trifle with the time of the House in the way that they have today, then I can apply the Standing Orders. The member needs only to read the Standing Orders to see that supplementary questions must not contain injected information—or assertions of information—that is debatable.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I just want an assurance that you will apply this ruling in the same way to the Government. Today you objected to my interjecting on Hekia Parata, but when Chris Finlayson did the same thing to Annette King you just let it go.
I choose to ignore the member. Jacinda Ardern may ask her supplementary question if she wishes. We will go on.
Did she consult mayors or councils on the detail of her Youth Opportunities policy before she announced it, based on the fact that a large proportion of that package that relies on them for its implementation; if not, is this one of the reasons why the take-up for the Community Max scheme sits at less than 3 percent?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Yes, I spoke with the mayors task force before announcing the policy. We have had a tremendous response from mayors throughout New Zealand. They are very keen to get on board. They have been liaising with their employers. They have been designing Community Max programmes themselves. We are 6 weeks in, so we are seeing those Community Max programmes coming through and being highly successful. They are very exciting and they are moving ahead at great rates.
Hon Annette KingI seek leave to table a press release from a well-known right-wing social commentator, Lindsay Mitchell, who said this programme is distorting the value of labour with subsidies that are probably not the answer and—
It is a press release—I told you that. Mr Speaker, I told you it is a press release from a well-known right-wing social commentator, Lindsay Mitchell.