Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey has weighed in behind a Venture Southland initiative taken to promoting employment in Southland.

The initiative involves a newspaper supplement that will be inserted into North Island daily newspapers on the 31st of October.

“All New Zealanders have cause to celebrate the fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate since 1988. In some regions this is presenting new challenges as employers face difficulties in recruiting skilled staff.

“The Government is committed to playing a role in partnership with local government, business and all members of the Southland community. That commitment is demonstrated in the $10,000 financial contribution that the Department of Work and Income, now part of the Ministry of Social Development, has made to the Venture Southland initiative.

“There are a number of other concrete measures that the Labour Alliance Government has taken, including:

- introducing the Modern Apprenticeship Programme and significantly lifting funding of industry training

- funding Regional Commissioners to ensure that the particular challenges of regional and local labour markets are addressed

- working with Southland mayors on a number of joint initiatives through the Mayors Taskforce for Jobs

“My commitment as the Minister of Social Services and Employment is to work with all Southlanders to ensure that we realise the economic and social potential of the region. I know that my Labour and Alliance colleagues share that commitment, and I will work with any Member of Parliament who has the best interests of the region at heart,” Steve Maharey said.

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>