1. Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has she received on the performance of the Community Max scheme?

Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) : I have received many reports on the success of the Community Max programme, and I will quote four of them: “It would be good to find a way to keep similar programmes going. There’s a real gap there that needs to be filled.”; “the Community Max scheme that I visited in Thames demonstrated positive gain for the community and individuals involved,”; “a step in the right direction”; “Any initiative that creates opportunities for young people is to be welcomed,”. Those are all direct quotes from Opposition members.

Hon Annette King: Was one of those successful Community Max programmes in the Kaikōura electorate where the National member of Parliament Colin King claimed yesterday that 90 percent of the young people involved in that programme moved into full-time work; if so, why did she refuse to listen to her colleague when he asked for it to continue and said: “my argument with the Minister for Social Development and Employment fell flat.”, with the funding being removed; and do not the young people in Mr King’s electorate deserve the same support?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: Let me be quite clear that the member came to see me. He specifically asked for a meeting to talk to me about that issue and I listened. Yes, his request for Community Max to continue in that area and have additional resources—of course, nothing had been cut; it was simply that the time and the money were up—did fall flat. To put it in perspective, 81 young Māori people are on the unemployment benefit, not just for Blenheim but for Blenheim, Nelson, and the whole of the West Coast. As the member would be aware, there are about 21,000 of them throughout New Zealand. So some other areas are in more need.

Hon Annette King: What checks have been put in place to ensure Community Max projects using subsidised workers on short-term contracts do not undercut successful and legitimate existing businesses, putting them at risk of having to lay off permanent staff?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: There is always some tension there, particularly when one is going into a programme. But as the member’s own colleagues have identified, this has been incredibly successful and has been very, very well-received in communities. There are some questions around contracts, in so far as how we make sure they are community-based programmes and that they are doing stuff that would not normally be done. Certainly the reports I have seen to date have had positive results, and it has been positive in that area.

Hekia Parata: Can the Minister comment on the impact Government programmes like Community Max and Job Ops have had on youth unemployment?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: The programmes are having an effect and in some areas it has been quite significant. For example, in the last 7 weeks the number of young people on the unemployment benefit in Auckland has reduced by 7 percent. That may not sound like much but when unemployment is going up in other areas and for other groups, that is incredibly positive and is the result of Job Ops and Community Max.

Hon Annette King: What has been her response to Mike Tāmaki, who operates the Tāmaki Heritage Group in Christchurch, who wrote to her recently telling her that the Community Max programme there has put at risk the employment of his employees, undercutting his successful business of 25 years, and how can she claim that Community Max is a great success if all the scheme does is to employ 10 young people for a short term but throws 10 permanent, loyal people on to the dole?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: Yes, I have seen that letter from Mr Tāmaki. I think there is room for 10 extra young people in Christchurch to be doing cultural activities and to be learning on the ground. I think that there is room for that, and I will encourage it. A few weeks ago this scheme was the greatest thing and we were being asked why were we not extending it, and today it is not successful and Labour thinks it is the worst thing, so I cannot quite work where Labour stands on it.

Te Ururoa Flavell: Has she visited or received any visit from young people enrolled on the Community Max scheme, and what has been their experience of the programme?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: Actually, a fine member of Parliament in this House corralled me about 2 months ago and wanted me to meet some young people who were here and who were seeing successes from the Community Max programme. That member was the member who asked the question himself, Te Ururoa Flavell. There were 100 young people from the Ōtaki area who were here, and the light was going on for them. A real difference was being made in their lives, and positive effects from that, and the representations from the member and his party meant that we extended the programme.

Hon Annette King: If checks do exist, could the Minister explain why a community project in Ōpōtiki received considerable funding to build what has been called “an unsightly zigzagged path” up Makeo Mountain, sacred to Ngāti Rua hapū, with no authorisation from the hapū and no authorisation from the landowner, who was forced to take out trespass notices to stop the project?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: To put that one into perspective, we are talking about four young people and a supervisor. I will not get involved in local politics in a small area like that and make a judgment call on who did or who did not. I will say that that particular programme has finished; it has been completed. It went on for 6 months, and all four of those young people are in work.

Hon Annette King: In light of that answer, what has been her response to Ngāti Rua, who wrote to her on 8 July—and as of 2 days ago she had not responded to them—setting out their concerns for her, including asking for accountability for the damage done, the illegal removal of flora and fauna, the remains of an unsightly path, desecration of a sacred site, and the lack of respect shown for the hapū and the community in that area; has she responded, and does she intend to?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: That letter was received in my office on the Monday that has just been. I am advised that the department met with the parties involved yesterday, and that it has been resolved and they all feel they have had a satisfactory outcome. They are all pretty excited that four young people who did not have opportunities are now in work and are moving ahead. That is the advice I have been given.