4. Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 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?

Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Verbal and written.

Hon Annette King: 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: 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 Goodhew: Can the Minister give an example of ministerial consultation?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: 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.

Hon Annette King: 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: 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.

Hon Annette King: 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: 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.

Hon Annette King: 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 SPEAKER: The 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.

Hon Annette King: 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: 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.

Hon Annette King: 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—

Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is no objection.

• Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.