PM Press Conference: Welfare Reform | SkyCity | Banks/Dotcom

Monday, 7 May 2012, 8:11 pm
Article: Mark P. Williams

The Prime Minister used today’s press conference to make further announcements about the new Welfare Reforms. He was joined by the Social Development Minister Paula Bennett who announced a number of details of the new measures including: paying up to $6 per hour - for up to 50 hours per week - towards child care for young single parents, to enable them to enter education, employment or training; and $10 per week incentive payments for completing courses on budgeting and parenting. She emphasised that the support was being targeted where it was most needed and talked of overcoming the barriers to people getting access to education, employment and training. The Minister said, “We have been very clear: youth are the main focus of the first part of welfare reform.”

Included in the Youth Services was $1m for approved, long-acting reversible contraception for young people; this will later be extended to the wider beneficiary population.

Questions on Welfare Reforms
• The Minister was asked whether she thought the contraceptive provisions were excessively targeted on too narrow an age group; she responded that they were aimed very specifically at the age group most at risk of becoming welfare dependent
• The Minister was asked whether such extreme targeting might lead to people slipping through the gaps in other areas; she responded that the measures were unapologetically targeted at those not in education, employment or training
• The Minister was asked about the extent to which these measures were aimed at Maori and Pasifika parents; she responded that since 56% of teen parents are Maori this package was aimed at those parents
• Asked whether the changes would mean that less funding would be available for other areas in early childhood education in particular, the PM responded that that the emphasis was for new money, “reprioritised money” to be focused on targeting low socio-economic groups which are dominated by Maori and Pacific peoples so other areas would not be receiving “new money”.

Questions to the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister then outlined his week ahead in brief and took questions form the press gallery. These questions included:
• The Prime Minister was asked whether he was concerned about the future of the ACT Party whether he would have any problems working with John Banks in 2014; he responded that the government dealt with parties rather than people and he had worked very well with the ACT Party
• Asked whether he would consider working with Colin Craig and the Conservative Party and responded that it was a matter for the electorate to decide
• He was asked several times whether he had any concerns with the answers given by John Banks last week; he responded that he was only concerned with the categorical assurance that Mr Banks had complied with the Local Government Act
• Asked whether he had personally spoken with John Banks yet, he responded that he had not; he added that his office had spoken to Mr Banks on his behalf—the PM declined to comment on Mr Banks’ statements to the media
• The PM was asked about increases in problem gambling surrounding SkyCity; he said that he felt SkyCity had become far more sophisticated in spotting the signs of problem gambling but that this did not necessarily indicate that there was an actual increase in the actual level of problem gambling, only in awareness of it
• He was asked about the “sinking lid” on overall numbers of pokie machines around New Zealand and whether it would indicate fewer machines in Auckland
• Asked about the recent death of a 12 year old boy from inhaling butane, the PM emphasised that the responsibility for retailers to monitor the sale of substances
• The PM was asked detailed questions regarding Simon Power’s role in the Kim Dotcom case and the level of information exchanged regarding the case
• The PM was asked his response to the recent leaks regarding the leaking of a cabinet paper from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; he said he was disappointed and felt that someone in the organisation had severely “let down” the Ministry
• The PM was asked when we might expect a resolution on questions about SkyCity and whether he had an idea of the precise number of pokie machines

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Mark P. Williams

Political Journalist and Independent Academic Researcher

Journalist and independent academic researcher with primary interests in politics and literature.

As a researcher I am a contributor to various academic publications, including Alluvium journal of 21st century literature, The Literary London Journal, The Irish Journal of Gothic and Horror Studies, and Critical Engagements: Journal of the UK Network for Modern Fiction Studies (UKNMFS).

As a journalist, I have worked as Parliamentary reporter for Scoop Independent Media and International editor for the Scoop Review of Books.

Contact Mark P. Williams

• Website - MarkPWilliams
• Email - mark@scoop.co.nz