Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search
New Zealand Labour Party - #LIVE: Post-Cabinet Press Conference 30 March 2020
Today Cabinet was focused on the response to protect NZers from COVID-19.
It met remotely and amongst the considerations were changes to some of the conditions of the lock down around the sale of some essential goods online.
© Scoop Media
Scoop Independent News
Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.
The rise in unemployment numbers for the March quarter was bigger than expected – and especially sharp amongst young job seekers. The surge in migration has boosted the ranks of the jobless, and is depressing wage growth. As usual this government seems utterly clueless about what it has wrought.
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. “Scrapping the taskforce that helps women get equal pay feels like we’re back to the 1800s fighting for the right to vote,” spokesperson for women Jan Tinetti said.
The world has been experiencing a productivity slowdown, from which New Zealand has not been exempt. COVID-19 temporarily boosted labour productivity, but more recently, productivity has retreated. The overall trend since 2007 has been one of slow productivity growth.
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says.
Beyer, who died last year, was elected mayor of Carterton in 1995, making her the world’s first openly transgender mayor. Williams said he was “disgusted” by the comments his council had received regarding a proposal to erect a life-sized bronze statue of Beyer.
In figures released yesterday from Statistics New Zealand, unemployment rates for Māori hit a four-year high of 8.2%, up by 1.4%. Similarly, rates for Pacific peoples have surged by 1.5% to reach 7.4%. “These figures are an absolute embarrassment for this government with increasing unemployment under their watch,” said Employment spokesperson, Takutai Tarsh Kemp.
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can rebuild the economy and get Kiwis into homes faster,” Mr Penk says.