Golden opportunity to walk the talk

new-zealand-labour-party

Thu Nov 01 2012 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Golden opportunity to walk the talk

Thursday, 1 November 2012, 3:12 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Megan Woods
MP for Wigram

1 November 2012

Golden opportunity to walk the talk

Labour is encouraged by the extra funding the Government is putting into skills training in Christchurch, but hopes it will translate into some real action.

“Unfortunately it is not clear whether the $28 million is genuinely ‘new’ money or yet another re-announcement of previous funding, Wigram Labour MP Megan Woods says.

“The Government likes playing games with numbers. Gerry Brownlee can talk all he likes about funding ‘commitments’, but we know that of $42 million committed to the Skills for Canterbury programme, only $8 million has been spent so far.

“And $16.7 million of that $42 million came from TEC baseline funding, while $11.7 million was reprioritised by ITPs.

“That isn’t new money; it’s a money-go-round.

“Mr Brownlee also claims the package provided 1187 additional training places in 2011. The reality is that since the funding was announced in 2011 only 657 additional people have gained training under Skills for Canterbury.

“That’s a squandered opportunity. Let’s hope what we’re seeing today is a real commitment.

“But the Government also needs to think on a different scale. We know that up to 30,000 workers are needed for the rebuild, yet another ‘big’ Government announcement today is about a scheme that hopes to recruit just 900 workers.

“There are some 84,000 young New Zealanders not in any form of training, work or education.

“They want to be working, and they are exactly the people Mr Brownlee and his colleagues should be providing opportunities for.

“Talking is one thing, walking the talk is another,” Megan Woods said.

ENDS

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