Kiwis lose jobs, Nats make jokes

Written By: - Date published: 8:22 am, November 15th, 2012 - 21 comments
Categories: jobs, national - Tags:

Didn’t it make you sick to your stomach when smug Tories getting fat on quarter of a million dollar taxpayer-funded salaries get up in the House and make jokes to deflect from the dire jobs situation?* Well, I know 410,000 Kiwis who are looking for work and aren’t laughing when Key and co make jokes about it.

Here’s an example of Key treating the jobs numbers as a big joke:

David Shearer: Is not Fran O’Sullivan right on the unemployment statistics when she says “For Key to simply shrug his shoulders on this score doesn’t cut it. … We owe it to the young people who are yet to even get on the employment ladder to be less ostrich-like as a nation.”; when will he change track to grow jobs?

Rt Hon JOHN KEY: …I would say is that I do not know whether the member saw—because he wants to quote Fran O’Sullivan—The Standard yesterday afternoon, but on The Standard yesterday afternoon it said that if Fran O’Sullivan comes out and endorses David Shearer, it will be the kiss of death. Well, guess what was in the New Zealand Herald this morning!**

Just absolutely childish. Even in the face of journalists starting to tell him he needs to take his responsibilities seriously, his reaction is to make jokes that kick sand in the face of all those out of work Kiwis.

Paula Bennett, though, was a disgrace to her office:

Jacinda Ardern: When she listed Bunnings and New World as proof that there are jobs available, was she aware that neither of the stores in question are open yet and one has not even been built, and that the last time Bunnings advertised there were 800 applications for 70 positions, and for New World there were 2,700 applicants for 150 openings; if so, does she still believe there are people unemployed because they are not looking hard enough?

Hon PAULA BENNETT: It is a bit of a bouncy job market out there—a bit like me. You know, it is a bit like the economy is grumpy like him; the job market is bouncy like me.

Hah da ha ha.

It’s so bloody funny that 400,000 New Zealanders are jobless or underemployed.

It’s so incredibly hilarious that that number is up by 157,000 under National’s watch.

Is it time to voter these out of touch fuckers out yet?

 

*(oh shit, sorry John Pagani, does that sound too angry? How about ‘It’s a little bit sad and not really in keeping with proper constitutional convention for Ministers of the Crown to make light of the elevated rates of unemployment – accepting, of course, that it really is the lazy bludgers’ fault, not National’s and we must all concede that the ministers are working hard and have our interests at heart)

**(while it’s always nice to know that Key’s been reading, the comment was actually made by Danyl of the Dimpost on Twitter. Nonetheless, impressive that Key’s across the happenings in the social media in that detail … I just wish he was able to recall his GSCB briefings in that detail)

21 comments on “Kiwis lose jobs, Nats make jokes ”

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  1. Julian 1
    15 November 2012 at 8:51 am

    These Nat pricks make me sick !!!

  2. Enough is Enough 2
    15 November 2012 at 9:09 am

    The Government will not be laughing when this country erupts. That group of 410,000 unemployed Kiwi’s is going to grow to half a million by next winter.

    Just look to Europe last night to see what is coming to the streets of New Zealand. The forgotten ones that Natioanl jokes about and ignore are about to rise up and unleash fury on this government. They have been warned. They can change course or bear resposibilty for the violence coming.

    • King Kong 2.1
      15 November 2012 at 9:12 am

      So when your wife does something you disagree with and you beat her, she is responsible for the violence, right?

      • Colonial Viper 2.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 9:14 am

        To be clear: National is the violent vicious husband.

      • Enough is Enough 2.1.2
        15 November 2012 at 10:35 am

        What an absurd analogy.

        Your mocking tone is symptomatic of the tory attitude to the workers of this country.

        What do you expect the Kiwi’s who are being oppressed by this government to do. Stand back and quietly wait for the job that Key will never ever deliver. Fuck that. Time to take action. And our oppressed brothers and sisters in the North are showing us what people power looks like.

      • McFlock 2.1.3
        15 November 2012 at 1:48 pm

        If you beat her long enough and she snaps and puts rat poison in your tea, she has a mitigating defence to the murder charge.

  3. karol 3
    15 November 2012 at 9:36 am

    Not sure where to put this comment (it maybe is also part of “Too much of stupid”).  But it is about the distortion of facts of jobs disappearing, people working harder, and the Nat-friendly MSM spinning the blame onto public servants’ work ethic.

     
    A Stuff headline this morning:  Public servants take more sick days.

    But reading down the article, the comparison was between official figures for the government public services and a survey by EPMU (as there are no official or systematic stats kept for the private sector).  

    But even more telling are the ministries that have the highest average of worker sick days:

    The number of sick days in the public sector had remained relatively constant during the past three years, despite a stronger emphasis on not coming to work while sick, he said.

    The Social Development Ministry was the sickliest government agency, with an average of 9.2 days off per person across its staff of more than 9000.

    Inland Revenue workers also suffered more than their fair share of illness, with an average of 9.1 days a year.

    The Pacific Island Affairs Ministry, with just 40 staff, took an average of 8.4 sick days per person this year. Social Development Ministry deputy chief executive Marc Warner said the number of sick days had dropped steadily in the past three years. The high number reflected the many staff who were interacting regularly with the public.

    So, what a surprise!  Surely the amount of sick leave reflects badly on the minister responsible?  Something wrong with the pressures exerted on the workers?

    And then there’s this factor, dropped in at the bottom of the article:

    Overall, the number of public servants has dropped by nearly 1400 in the past three years. 

    So the number of sick days is nothing to day with the remaining staff being over-worked then?

  4. karol 4
    15 November 2012 at 10:30 am

    And Bryan Gould weighs in with a well-reasoned article on the issue of jobs, unemployment and the economy.

    The object has been to make people compete for the few low-paid jobs available by offering to work for lower and lower wages, so that there is downward pressure on the whole wages structure. There, in a nutshell, is the Government’s strategy for dealing with unemployment – don’t bother about creating more jobs by getting the economy moving again, but force down wages in the hope that people will price themselves back into work.

    Even if this strategy were to work in its own limited terms, lower wages would mean less purchasing power and lower demand. How would this help to get the economy moving?

  5. Dr Terry 5
    15 November 2012 at 10:56 am

    This is not a true analogy, but making jokes concerning unemployment does put me in mind of Nero playing his harp (or whatever) while Rome was burning.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1
      15 November 2012 at 11:01 am

      Having cocktails in the bar of the Titanic listening to the band as the ship goes down

      • McFlock 5.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 2:02 pm

        “Nearer Hawaii to Thee”, for the sake of the few who hogged the lifeboats.
           
        Their refrain was “women and children harmed first”. 

    • David H 5.2
      15 November 2012 at 4:30 pm

      Nero fiddled while Rome burnt.

      He played the Harp later on.

  6. ed 6
    15 November 2012 at 11:38 am

    Parliament is a fucking joke.

    The country is suffering and those arseholes have nothing better to do than make jokes, and still the plebs love him.

    Whats wrong with us?

  7. BLiP 7
    15 November 2012 at 11:46 am

    .

    A bit dumb to be quoting Fran O’Sullivan to John Key. Why not ask him: “which of National Ltd™’s statements on employment in the last five years is the most accurate?” . . . and then read out a couple of them for the record. Still, quite fun to hear John Key trump The New Zealand Fox News Herald with The Standard.

    Meanwhile, my neighbour has been looking for work – any work, really – for the last seven months. He gets by. Today he’s off to help with some after-school football training for his son’s under 11s. Gotta see your kids when you can when you’re not living with them. He’s a bit worried about getting “pinged” because he’s on the dole. Someone might nark to WINZ and he’d have to go in and explain himself before they cut off the cash. According to Basher Bennet, he should be queued up outside at 7am outside a supermarket waiting with a thousand others looking for part-time, minimum wage shelf-stacking “opportunities”. Or, what was the other one? Working in a retail outfit that doesn’t even fucking exist. Nice one, Paula. Got your reduction in wages yet, John?

    • Rosie 7.1
      15 November 2012 at 5:33 pm

      Hey BLiP: Those minimum wage shelf stacking “opportunites”? They don’t even exist anymore, they’ve been outsourced. Supermarkets still stock their own shelves but the time they they spend on this task has been reduced drastically as they they expect their supplier to provide a “merchandiser”. Its a way of them passing on a cost. Merchandisers are workers that are hired by the supplier to stack the shelves with the product when the order arrives at the supermarket. Its usually an arrangement not covered by the the standard aspects of an employment agreement. The worker is expected to pay their tax, ACC, sick leave and annual leave out of their hourly rate. Thats the idea but the rate is fairly low and not many workers are familiar with employment admin. They provide their own car and cell phone and get a minimal petrol allowance. Its a casualised and vulnerable workforce that stacks our supermarket shelves.

      I’d love to Paula Bennett spend a month looking for work and see how she likes it. See how she likes the continual rejection, the non responsiveness when you follow up applications and the frustration you feel when you apply for lame jobs that you know you can do blindfold but still can’t get an interview for. Thats just for starters………………..Man, you know, if she was in an ordinary job where she was expected to perform and to work diligently she would have been booted out a long time ago for incompetence, dishonesty and breaching the privacy of her clients.

      • BLiP 7.1.1
        15 November 2012 at 9:00 pm

        .

        Hi Rosie. That’s interesting about the “merchandisers”, thanks, I didn’t know that. Not surprised, though. I don’t know how business gets away with that sort of dirty trick. The trend towards turning employees into sub-contractors has been going on for a while. I blame it on the transition in thinking and language from “personnel” to “human resources” and the concomitant dehumanising of the labour force. As for Basher Bennett – WTF! Her first act as a minister was to pull up the ladder to prevent others following her Training Incentive Allowance pathway. Her abuse of office to pillory those she is charged with protecting yet exhibited the temerity to participate in the political dialogue reflects the general tone of National Ltd­™ towards John Key’s beloved underclass.

  8. irascible 8
    15 November 2012 at 1:46 pm

    My daughter, a solo mother, has, after four months of job seeking in Wellington and region, has decided to move back home with us. If she stayed in Wellington she wouldn’t be able to pay rent or meet any other living expenses. She is not bouncing with any enthusiasm about employment opportunities or about Paula Benefits life on Planet Key.
    Meanwhile, despite many years of experience and well recognised expertise in education, I continue to seek work for 2013 only to be regaled with stories about the inefficiencies of Novopay and the issues that swirl around the education system under Ms Parrota.
    Yeah, we continue to believe that on Planet Key we are on track to economic recovery and full employment!!!

  9. Michael 9
    15 November 2012 at 1:56 pm

    If Labour’s MP are not interested in “comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable”, as the evidence strongly suggests is the case, let’s get rid of them, too, and replace them with people who are ready and willing to do the job.

  10. Tim G 10
    16 November 2012 at 2:43 am

    “the job market is bouncy like me”?

    I think I’m gonna p-*vomits into his mouth, just a little bit at first, but in a volcanic way that sends rivulets of brownness down his chin, before half-digested food starts cascading out in bigger and bigger lumps*