National Sitting On Chuff As Aussie Job Growth Booms

new-zealand-labour-party

Fri Mar 15 2013 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

National Sitting On Chuff As Aussie Job Growth Booms

Friday, 15 March 2013, 9:23 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Grant
ROBERTSON
Employment spokesperson

15 March 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT

National Sitting On Chuff As Aussie Job Growth Booms

The news that Australia has seen record job growth in the past month should be a wake-up call for a National government asleep at the tiller on job creation, Labour’s Employment spokesperson Grant Robertson says.

“Figures just released show that in February Australia had the biggest increase in job growth in a decade, with 71,000 jobs created and unemployment at 5.4% despite an increase in people participating in the workforce.

“The contrast could not be starker in New Zealand. Over the last year 30,000 jobs have been lost while unemployment is at 6.9%. And that that would be 8.4% if more than 30,000 people had not given up on finding work.

“The government has failed New Zealanders with its hands-off-the-wheel, leave-it-to-the-market approach.

“No wonder the Ernst and Young survey of more than 200 businesses released last week showed that 70% of businesses here rated the government’s record on job creation at average to very poor.

“This is a government whose only plan for the economy is to sell assets.

“What is needed is a hands-on approach where the government rolls up its sleeves and gets alongside businesses and workers to help create jobs.

“That is what Labour would do. We would pull the big levers - like changing monetary policy and giving Kiwi firms a fair go at government contracts - and the small levers, such as more support for businesses to take on apprenticeships and for small businesses to grow.”

“Unless this government gets off its chuff we will be waving goodbye to tens of thousands more New Zealanders as they head to Australia.”.

labour.org.nz

ENDS

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