Darroch Ball MP

Spokesperson for Social Development
27 JULY 2016

Govt Killing Off Successful Youth Course

The government plans to completely shut down the highly successful Limited Service Volunteers (LSV) youth programme in Christchurch and the entire South Island, says New Zealand First.

“Exclusive information obtained by New Zealand First reveals the government’s plans to shut down another LSV site despite previous guarantees by Social Development Minister Anne Tolley that this would not happen,” says Darroch Ball, New Zealand First Spokesperson for Social Development.

“Since 2015 the government has made huge cuts to LSV funding, massively downsizing the course, shutting down the site in Wellington, and selling the site in Auckland – all against Ministry officials’ advice.

“The course in Christchurch has been overflowing with demand. In fact each of the programme intakes last year had to expand by over 30% just to handle the demand.

“Minister Tolley needs to explain why this course has been cut when statistics and reports demonstrably show a huge demand for it. This is a unique service with an undeniable success rate above many other youth courses.

“The only reason for the cuts and selling of facilities is gross underfunding by this government. This comes at the expense of youth who need help.

“Once again young people are being ignored and regional New Zealand is being neglected, meaning more job losses, more disengaged youth and more services lost.

“The government needs to be accountable for this massive U-turn – they campaigned hard to expand the course in 2008 and now they are breaking it apart,” says Mr Ball.

ENDS

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