National hopeless on reducing welfare numbers - Jobs are the key

National hopeless on reducing welfare numbers - Jobs are the key

More jobs are the solution to welfare dependency, Progressive MP Matt Robson says.

He says attacks on beneficiaries by National leader Bill English lack credibility because the free market policies National is supporting created more beneficiaries than any others in New Zealand's history.

"In 1984 there were 631,092 total beneficiaries. In 1990 there were 808,085. By 1999 there were 834,099. Today after six years of Clark - Anderton coalition government there are 798,807. We want to see further reductions to this and many more jobs.

"The people of Northland whom I have just visited are very supportive of our focus on job creation after years of neglect under National.

"Unemployment also rose over the years of free market policies which National are promoting. In 1984 50,136 were unemployed and by 1999 these policies had more than tripled unemployment to 161,049. Since 1999 the progressive policies of two Clark - Anderton coalition governments have reduced unemployment to 123,067.

"National created more beneficiaries.

"Bill English is right that welfare dependency is destructive and carries a huge personal cost. But the most important policy to reduce welfare dependency is to create jobs.

"If every beneficiary in New Zealand turned up at Parliament today and asked for a job would there be one for everyone? No. Solve that problem, and we'll be a long way towards solving the problem of welfare dependency.

"Unfortunately, National and its partner Act are opposed to jobs. Only this week, when the government announced 350 new high-tech jobs in partnership with EDS, the National party denounced the government for creating new jobs. National's spokesperson said the government should stop creating jobs at least until rich people get much richer, and agreed with the Green Party that the government should stop multinationals from employing New Zealanders," Matt Robson said.

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