There is one issue that comes up at almost every meeting, in every town that I have visited in this election, and that is Jobs. Either the general lack of them, or the kinds of jobs that might bring home the children(and grandchildren) that have left, and seem unlikely to return.
Today Labour released our plan for jobs. Its six points and it brings together some key strands of our policy that we believe will drive job growth. The six areas are
• A savings scheme that will provide new investment for New Zealand businesses;
• Support innovation to develop new products to sell to the rest of the world;(including restoring the R and D Tax Credit)
• Change monetary policy to support exporters against a volatile New Zealand dollar;
• Help unemployed youth into training and apprenticeships;
• Stimulate the economy by putting money into the pockets of those who need it;
• Making Kiwi jobs a consideration when issuing government contracts.
The details behind each of these policies is in the attached document. This is about an active government that works with business to create jobs instead of sitting on the sidelines. Its an important building block to owning our future.
Posted in Jobs. |
When MAF made the announcement of the loss of 241 positions, that will end up putting 144 people out of work, it was a continuation of this government’s policy of putting more than 1500 people out of work in the public service. In my media release I made the point that those put out of work are real people with families and themselves to look out for.
That hit home to me yesterday when the daughter of one of the women who found out she was losing her job visited me in my electorate office yesterday. She was upset. Her mother is in her early 60s, and faces the prospect of trying to find work in an environment where jobs are few and far between especially for someone of her age. She has written a letter to John Key. She asked me if I thought he would actually get to read it. I said I didn’t know, but I want to make sure people get to know the real impact of losing jobs. Here are some extracts from the letter.
My mother who raised her children on her own and started work part time when my younger brother started school has worked her guts out for her family and paid tax to a government that has basically shitted on her.
She also lives on her own in a small privately rented one bedroom flat. Now faced with unemployment and the prospect of having to move out of the flat that she will no longer be able to afford and go on the unemployment benefit and move into a state flat.
The reality is employers are not looking for workers of her age the the prospect of her getting a decent paying job is very slim. This has terrified her and she is in turmoil and worry about her future something that a woman of her age does not need in her life. My mother is a loving and vibrant woman who now seems depressed and anxious.
I know from talking with other people facing the same issues that she is not alone. People in this country continue to struggle to buy food and clothe their children or themselves.
Cutting the public service is not the answer. People’s livelihoods depend on their jobs and the retail sector depends on people spending their money. This government should be creating jobs which I do not see them doing. When cutting budgets and jobs is the only method a government has to reduce debt that government will not survive in an election.
She goes on in the letter to talk about some of her personal circumstances which I won’t put in the public arena. But the reason she wrote was not for herself, but for her mother. Its a real story about the real impact of unemployment, and I think it deserves to be heard.
Posted in Public Services and Jobs. |
The thing that depresses me the most about National’s so-called welfare reforms is that they are fuelled by outdated Tory thinking. Here was me thinking that the ‘modern’ National Party was not bogged down in ideology, and was focused on “what works”. But no, it is a “kick in the pants” and time to stop “living the dream”. For National unemployment is the fault of the unemployed, and if only they pulled their socks up everything would be all right.
I have said before on this blog that I, along with most people, am appalled if people rip off the system. Where that happens we should crack down. But let’s also not accept the myth that the current system is all carrot and no stick. At the moment people on the unemployment benefit have to be seeking work. Work and Income monitor benefit recipients closely. It is true that there is no work test for DPB recipients. So much for family friendly National. I am anxiously awaiting to hear of the thousands of jobs conveniently timed for 9-3pm that have flexibility over sick days.
The experience of Trevor in the Dominion Post is much more like the reality of the people who I have seen in my office in recent months. They want to use their skills. They, and we as taxpayers, have invested in their skills, but the jobs are not there for them at the moment.
A kick in the pants might sound good, but in the end if we are to actually move people off benefits and into work it requires a constructive, active approach to go with clear rules. Most other countries we normally compare ourselves to had massive investments in job creation through the recession. We had a cycleway.
The reality is this policy does not have any vision for how we move more people into work, because it is not about helping to create jobs, or to find ways to work with long term unemployed. It is straight out dog whistle politics that seeks to re-inforce an image of ‘bludging no hopers who are a drain on resources’. No matter the evidence of the thousands of people who lined up for jobs at a supermarket in Auckland recently. If it plays well with some prejudices that might exist in the electorate then it seems National want to go there.
Posted in Unemployment, Jobs and Inequality. |
Today there has been a deluge of statistics on unemployment, and they make depressing reading for sure
- Unemployment at 6.5%
- 150,000 Kiwis out of work, up 12,000 over the past three months
- Highest unemployment in 15 years
- Unemployment up 37% since National came into office
- Maori Unemployment up from 12.6% to 14.2%,
Ugly numbers, but for many people it is so much more than just numbers, it is reality. In my electorate office, and I am sure in other electorate offices across the country, I have had a number of people badly affected by the loss of jobs. The woman who lost her public service job, at the same time as her son’s company that she had been a guarantor for went bust. The manager in his 50s who unemployed for the first time in his life was spiralling into depression. The graduates applying for, and missing out on, cleaning and retail jobs.
The statistics might show we are coming out of a recession but that is meaningless to those who have lost their jobs, and to the families that are affected.
The government is still to show us the plan to invest in people who have lost their jobs. In Australia there have been large scale investments in skills and training, and in research and development. In New Zealand we have seen cuts to adult and community education and research and development tax credits.
National used to talk a lot about the wage gap between Australia and New Zealand. Well here is another gap. New Zealand went into the recession with a lower unemployment rate than Australia. Australia’s unemployment rate is now 5.7%, stable this quarter. Our is now 6.5% up .05% this quarter.
Maybe Rodney is right, when it comes to jobs this is a do nothing government, seemingly without a plan.
Posted in Economy and Jobs. |
The staff at Parliament are a fantastic bunch. They are incredibly dedicated and helpful, and actually play a really important role in keeping our democracy going. There are two collective contracts running at Parliament one for MPs staff and the other for all the administrative, security, messengers etc. The latter contract is up for discussion at the moment and the staff are taking industrial action in the face of an effective pay freeze and an attempt to clawback on their redundancy conditions.
There was a rally today at Parliament which a number of Labour MPs attended to show our support for the staff who work hard to keep us safe, informed and happy. These staff are aware of the economic conditions the country is facing, but they deserve the respect not to have their pay and conditions dictated to them, and to have the opportunity to sit at the table and negotiate a fair deal.
Posted in Union, Redundacy, Public Services, Deomcracy and Jobs. |
