Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
28 FEBRUARY 2017

Drug Use Claim a Cover-up for Migrant Labour Preference

National’s immigration addiction is robbing more young job seekers of a job than failure to pass a drug test,” says New Zealand First Leader and Member of Parliament for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Prime Minister Bill English is seriously misguided and out of touch if he thinks 91,000 young people not in employment, education or training can’t get a job because they’re on drugs. It’s just a pathetic excuse.

“Immigration is at an all-time high. The latest net gain under National is 71,300, or 1370 people a week, most of whom are looking for jobs. How can young people trying to find their feet in the job market compete with that?

“Thousands of young people have missed out on jobs and training opportunities for the Christchurch rebuild because National’s policies favour foreign workers and cheap labour.

“In the last two years, 29.5 per cent of Filipino migrants, 22 per cent of Irish migrants, and 27 per cent of British migrants, granted work visas for the Christchurch Rebuild were unskilled.

“We challenge Mr English to explain how these large numbers of unskilled migrants granted work visas reconcile with the large number of unemployed New Zealanders.

“Perhaps he will realise that many of the challenges faced by those struggling to find a job can be attributed to his government, not just drugs.

“New Zealand First has a member’s bill, the Youth Employment, Training and Education Bill, awaiting introduction to Parliament. It sets up a state-funded full-time employment programme in the army for these young Kiwis,

“It provides employment, education and training for youth who drop out of school and need an alternative trade-based education,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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