Opposition Leader Todd Muller wants National’s $10,000 JobStart programme in place within weeks.

JobStart, released yesterday, provides a $10,000 cash payment to businesses for each hire they make. It is the first part of National’s plan to deal with the looming unemployment crisis, after job numbers collapsed by a record 37,500 in April.

The scheme was strongly welcomed by the business community as a positive measure to get Kiwis back to work and support businesses that are prepared to risk taking on new staff.

As outlined yesterday the scheme would kick off on 1 November 2020 and run through to 31 March 2021, with money available to create up to 50,000 new jobs.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said he is prepared to consider the proposal, which means this policy could be introduced before the proposed 1 November start date.

“Small business owners who give their newly unemployed neighbours a job before Christmas will be the heroes of the economic crisis, the way that our nurses and doctors, and all five million of us who stayed at home, were the heroes of the health crisis,” Mr Muller says.

“As the Minister, Mr Robertson can direct officials to fine-tune the policy and implement the administrative details to get this up and running immediately. I have offered to meet with the Minister to share National’s insights and analysis on which JobStart is based.

“National sees saving jobs and getting newly unemployed New Zealanders back into work as soon as possible as our overwhelming immediate priority.

“I said the very day I became Leader that I am here to help New Zealand’s families and communities, and not for opposition for opposition’s sake.

“If National’s JobStart scheme can be delivered early on a bipartisan basis to urgently address the unemployment crisis and create new full-time jobs, no one would be more delighted than the National Party,” Mr Muller says.

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