Phil Heatley MP National Regional Development Spokesman

26 January 2004

Government failing on basic services

National Party Regional Development spokesman Phil Heatley says that while Labour is promising all sorts of party tricks for business it can't provide even basic services.

He says that while the Privacy Act requires police to complete employee vetting within 28 days, police are struggling to keep up with demands and, as a result, employers are being forced to wait up to 50 days for police checks. "Delays are affecting many. From your local GP and schools all the way through to real estate agents.

"Businesses want to employ able and honest people.

"But how can they recruit competent staff when they have to wait so long?

"By asking applicants to wait for weeks while vetting drags, employers lose not only good potential staff members, but also business opportunities. "The Government has got to give police the resources to allow them to meet their obligations under the law," Mr Heatley says.

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