National tries to gloss over benefit numbers

new-zealand-labour-party

Tue Mar 08 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

National tries to gloss over benefit numbers

Tuesday, 8 March 2011, 12:49 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

The National Government is attempting to put a favourable gloss on what is yet another extremely disappointing set of benefit figures, Labour employment spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.

"Benefit figures always dip in February as students head back to university or polytechnic, so this is not the good news that Paula Bennett is claiming it as. There are still nearly 8000 more people receiving main benefits than this time last year," Jacinda Ardern said.

"It's concerning that with an additional 9000 people expected to lose their jobs because of the earthquake that the Government has no plan of action on unemployment.

"We need the Government to be doing everything it can to get people back working, not simply trying to hide and gloss over its failure on unemployment," Jacinda Ardern said.

"Compared to last year fewer people this February found opportunities than for the same period last year. These figures show the unemployment situation is not getting better no matter how much gloss Paula Bennett tries to put on it.

"Anecdotally we are also hearing increasing numbers of complaints from people around the country that WINZ is simply refusing to offer help to people asking for assistance.

"The reality is that unemployment is still high and the National Government has still done nothing about it. That lack of action has seen more than 50,000 additional Kiwis unemployed since 2008," Jacinda Ardern said.

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