Abolish Yourself, ACT Tells Mayors’ Taskforce

Abolish yourself! That was the message from ACT Finance Spokesman Sir Roger Douglas when speaking to the Mayors’ Taskforce For Jobs Core Working Group in Wellington this afternoon.

If the Mayors were serious about tackling youth unemployment, Sir Roger told his audience, they should support his efforts to reintroduce a youth minimum wage and then focus on getting their own houses in order – by demolishing them.

“The Taskforce has not created any jobs; in fact the money it has diverted from the taxpayer – money that could have been spent on something productive – has undoubtedly itself cost many potential jobs for youngsters. The best thing the taskforce can do to remedy this is to disband immediately. If it is unwilling to do this the least it should do is come out strongly in support of youth wages,” Sir Roger said.

“Youth unemployment has skyrocketed since the youth minimum wage was abolished in 2008. University of Canterbury economist Eric Crampton has calculated that that law change has led to 12,000 fewer jobs for young people.

“If the Taskforce is really interested in helping young people into jobs the answer is clear: stop holding meetings, stop wasting substantial amounts of money and get back to the basics,” Sir Roger concluded.

ENDS

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