Transcript of Prime Minister Jenny Shipley's comments in a stand-up press conference on the latest Household Labour Force Survey

Avondale College, Auckland, Thursday 4 November 1999

"New Zealanders can be confident that there are plenty more jobs coming. I'm very proud of the fact that this is an economy in which hard working New Zealanders can make progress.

Maori unemployment "It's very high, but it's down from 18.2 per cent to 14.8 per cent. It's certainly trending in the right direction.

"You can only do this when you've got economic growth. National has been able to deliver consistent growth which is really getting unemployment down.

"We are now nearly the same as Ireland, lower than Australia, and lower than Finland. It's a very good result, which shows we are entering a job rich recovery.

"With low interest rates, tax rates coming down, and the Employment Contracts Act, we've got just the right mix to get the new jobs.

"There were 4,000 new jobs in the last three months alone. I ask New Zealanders to vote for a party that shows real performance like that rather than one that merely indulges in rhetoric. National's got a really good record."

ENDS

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