David Shearer
Labour Leader

6 September 2012

Key gives up on jobs for Kiwi workers

Tens of thousands of Kiwis are losing their jobs because of National’s abysmal economic record and it’s only going to get worse given today’s dire warning that export conditions are as bad as they’ve been in living memory, says Labour Leader David Shearer.

“Kiwi workers across the country are being forced to join the dole queue because John Key has failed to create an economic environment that grows jobs. Forget the brighter future he promised. He has given up altogether.

“Under National, there are now 57,000 more people unemployed – a total of 162,000. In the past three months alone, another 2000 workers have registered as unemployed. With more than 1000 Kiwis are leaving for better prospects in Australia every week, that's the only reason the unemployment rate is not through the roof.

“John Key may not like the statistics. But they represent real people, real families and real local communities that are suffering under his watch.

“He blames the difficult economic climate. Yet the climate is exactly the same as it was just a few months ago when he claimed he’d create 170,000 new jobs. Where are those jobs?

“Every day we see businesses, like Tiwai Point, cutting jobs because of the high dollar. Yet National is doing nothing.

“Labour will modernise monetary policy to better support exporters. We will help businesses grow and create jobs through pro-growth tax reform, including a capital gains tax and research and development support. We’ll build a bigger savings and investment pool via a universal KiwiSaver.

“Labour will create a clever and modern economy with high-wage jobs for New Zealanders by exporting more high-value products to the world.

“National thinks the economy will look after itself. Well it hasn’t. We are in the worst conditions in living memory, the Manufacturers and Exporters Association said today.

“Last term, John Key kept trumpeting his plan to build ‘conditions for more enduring and better-paid jobs’. But in 2012, he’s suddenly stopped talking about creating jobs. It’s clear that he’s acutely conscious that his economic failure is directly responsible for the lack of jobs.

“John Key is not ambitious for New Zealand. This nowhere National Government is taking nowhere,” said David Shearer.

ENDS

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