Labour's employment policy includes one concept, which is guaranteed to create jobs, said the Hon Roger Sowry, Minister of Employment.

The party has promised to create 62 new ministerial portfolios, ministries, offices and funds - meaning hundreds of new jobs for chief executives, advisers and public servants.

"Of course this would be good news for Wellington, where most of these new jobs would be created – and paid by taxes drawn from around the rest of New Zealand," Mr Sowry said.

"Some of these new industries would focus on particularly important areas, such as the Advances for Major Home Repairs Programme, and the Rethink Working Time Unit."

"And I'm sure that the Local Economic and Employment Task Force and it's cousin the New Local Economic Assistance Fund would have no trouble thinking up more areas where new jobs could be created."

"I just hope it wouldn't create too much work for the new National advisory committee for the new Minister of Disability Services, the Employment Relations Commission or the new Employment Equity Office."

Mr Sowry said Labour's plan would see hundreds of new bureaucrats moving to the Capital. "However I guess it would create a mini-property boom, and people on low incomes should consider saving up for rental property to take advantage of the market."

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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>>