Time for Maori Party to stand up
new-zealand-labour-party
Fri Jul 24 2009 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)
Time for Maori Party to stand up
Friday, 24 July 2009, 10:15 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
24 July 2009
Media Statement
Time for Maori Party to stand up
Labour is challenging the Maori Party to say whether it supports Labour’s call for families suffering a redundancy to get more financial help and to take a stand on the Don Brash appointment, say Nanaia Mahuta and Mita Ririnui.
“Labour this week announced it was developing policy which would remove the spousal income test for the unemployment benefit for a limited period of time. This is a recession policy developed in response to mounting unemployment which last week saw over 1,300 additional people sign up on the dole,” says Labour’s Maori Social Development spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta.
“Maori unemployment is growing faster than the non-Maori rate and our families are likely to be particularly hard-hit by the recession.
“The median income for Maori is less $30,000 a year and many families rely on two incomes to pay the bills and feed their whanau. But if one partner is earning about $13.50 an hour or more, the other won’t be entitled to the benefit. Labour believes the Government should offer more support during the recession.
“The Maori Party has been silent on this issue and I’m challenging them to take a stand and get John Key to listen to some sense. Tariana Turia says the Maori Party is deeply distressed by the fact that one in six New Zealand children are living in poverty and is determined to alleviate it.
“She says her party “doesn’t have the final say” on some issues and disagrees with some of John Key’s decisions. Well, it’s time she came out fighting and she should start by backing Labour’s recession policy, which is all about addressing poverty here and now,” Nanaia Mahuta says.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
List MP Mita Ririnui said the Maori Party should also be loudly opposing the decision to appoint Don Brash to lead the productivity taskforce.
“Dr Brash’s appalling failure to understand issues important to Maori and to appreciate the terrible impact of the policies of the 1990s on Maori – policies which he continues to champion – mean this appointment is terrible news.
“Dr Brash’s beloved privatisation agenda brought widespread joblessness and widening of the gap between rich and poor in the 1990s. The Maori Party knows this and once again, it should speak up and make its voice heard if it wants poverty eliminated for Maori,”said Mita Ririrui.
ENDS
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from New Zealand Labour Party on InfoPages.