“If Work and Income has a database of 106,000 people who claim to be ‘work ready’ why is it advertising on the radio and Facebook for people to fill jobs?” asks ACT’s Social Development spokesperson Karen Chhour.

“There are sponsored advertisements on Facebook that read “Looking for work? We need great people to fill thousands of jobs all over Aotearoa. There are a range of jobs available in all sorts of industries. Talk to us about what you’re after and we’ll find the job for you.”

“Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni needs to answer why her department is competing with the private sector to find people to fill roles when its role should be to place people who are on welfare in jobs.

“In Parliament last week Sepuloni told me “We also need to begin from the starting point of assuming that the vast majority of people who are on benefit do want to work. MSD's job is to support them into the job opportunities that are available.

“She also said “staff are more proactive with clients and offer more phone engagements.”

“If staff are being proactive and people want to work, why do they still need to advertise?

“Sepuloni needs to tell us how much these adverts have cost and what she’s doing to ensure the ‘work ready’ people on benefit can fill these jobs. People looking for work who aren’t on welfare should be of no concern to MSD.

“The Ministry of Social Development should stay in its lane. Its focus should be on ensuring people on the benefit who can work find themselves in employment – it shouldn’t be working as a recruitment company – the private sector already caters for that.”

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