Job focus falls off National's radar

With 50,000 more Kiwis looking for work than in 2008, National's pledge of an unrelenting focus on jobs represents yet another broken election promise, Labour's Employment spokesperson Jacinda Ardern says.

"In the last three years unemployment has increased by 50 per cent, leaving 157,000 Kiwis out of work. Another 60,000 more are on benefits.

"When he was first elected John Key told New Zealanders one of his top priorities was to strengthen the economy through jobs. A 'Jobs and Growth plan' would provide a 'rolling maul' of initiatives.

"The Government promised it would create 170,000 jobs, but we've yet to see exactly how it intends to deliver that many jobs without a real plan," Jacinda Ardern said.

"When you take into account that their job growth forecast was based on growth in spending, which is unlikely given that most people are currently struggling with the cost of living; the Rugby World Cup, which was, of course, a short term project; and the Christchurch rebuild, it's becoming increasingly evident that these hundreds of thousands of jobs are never going to eventuate under a National government.

"What's more, in the last three years Mr Key has also promulgated any number of excuses as to why these jobs haven't eventuated. His main one has been that unemployment is a 'lagging indicator' "

"What's really lagging behind is John Key's plan for economic recovery. How much longer do the 157,000 unemployed people in New Zealand have to wait for National's 'recovery' to reach them?"

"John Key may have said that he would make the economic recovery his number one priority on entering office, but it has become an issue he's been happy to leave in the too hard basket.

"Labour has a plan that emphasises doing everything possible to get Kiwis in to work, education or training. Ensuring that people are either earning or learning will allow us, as a country, to further train and up-skill workers - leading to more job creation and a more productive economy.

"Labour has a plan, John. Now show us yours," Jacinda Ardern.

Authorised by Jacinda Ardern, MP, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

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