MANA Movement Candidate for Waiariki Annette Sykes

Wednesday 17th September 2014

The MANA Plan for Beneficiaries and Income in Waiariki

Median Personal Income for Waiariki is $21,700. Over 13,000 Maori who live in Waiariki rely upon a form of government benefit including the Unemployment Benefit, Sickness Benefit, Domestic Purpose Benefit and the Invalids Benefit.

“If you’re lucky enough to have a job living in Waiariki, with 13,000 of our people on some form of benefit, chances are you‘ll only take home a little over $20k. Employment opportunities that pay well in Waiariki are few and far between and our people are in dire need of having some hope on the horizon”, said MANA Movement Candidate for Waiariki, Annette Sykes.

“I’m here to say to our people that hope is on the way and that the MANA Movement have solutions that will work. The MANA Movement has a zero unemployment policy; that means that those who are able to work, will. The MANA Movement is committed to develop jobs in food production, public transport, energy generation and biofuels, IT, creative arts and design, the teaching of te reo Maori, building 10,000 state homes a year, education, the health system, retirement villages and community organisations. The need for employment in these areas is generated by the social needs of our people, rather than the greed that motivates big businesses to generate as many zeros as they can on their bank balance. That’s how we know we can create enough jobs for people able to work."

“Our view on the current minimum wage of $13.75 an hour is that it is a wage that keeps people in poverty. We want it increased to what experts agree is a wage that people can live on, $18.80 per hour. If that was the case then those who are paid that hourly rate would take home just over $39k. That’s over double the median personal income for Waiariki Maori and a wage that would enable people to pay the bills and live life, rather than incurring debt and living in poverty."

“These are only two policies of a number that focus on eliminating poverty, that target specifically unemployment and poor wages. A vote for Annette Sykes and a vote for the MANA Movement is a vote for full employment and a living wage."

ENDS

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