Bob Simcock
National Social Services Spokesman

11 December 2000

No need for Government to import workers

The only consistent things about this Government are its astounding hypocrisy and its ability to send out mixed messages, National's Social Services Spokesperson Bob Simcock said today.

"We have the Minister of Social Services pretending that the unemployed must take up whatever jobs are available or lose their benefits.

"On the other hand, the Minister of Foreign Affairs says we should allow more Pacific Island people into the country because 'There are jobs in New Zealand that New Zealanders do not want to do'.

"Mr Goff's argument could only be taken seriously if New Zealand were to experience some kind of full employment nirvana, an unlikely prospect under a Labour-Alliance administration.

"We have employers looking for unskilled labour all over the country. For example, last summer we saw tonnes of apples rot on the ground as Hawke's Bay orchardists failed to recruit sufficient fruit pickers, yet long-term unemployment numbers were up.

"How can growing long-term unemployment figures be turned around when the Government doesn't expect people to work if it is inconvenient?

"We don't need to import workers when there are plenty of able New Zealanders to fill the vacancies. We just need to stop making excuses for them," Mr Simcock said.

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