Andrew Campbell
It should come as no surprise that unemployment hit 7.3% today. That’s what happens when a government does virtually nothing to support job creation when there is a recession. But instead of announcing a plan to address this massive economic and social issue the Minister for Unemployment, Paula Bennett, is blaming a growth in the population!
Phew! Because high unemployment is like, totally ok, when you have population growth. I mean it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a job because lots of other people don’t too. Get over it. And it’s not like the government does anything else anyway so why would they do anything fix the economy thing.
The blame for this rise in unemployment can be laid firmly at the feet of the government. It is their fault. Their inactivity on the jobs front has cost people their livelihood. All last year unions and other political parties put forward creative and practical suggestions to keep New Zealanders in work. But instead John Key’s Jobs Summit and ‘rolling maul’ of job activity proved to be yet another photo opportunity and slogan aimed at covering up the fact that the government is doing nothing to help its most vulnerable citizens earn a living to support themselves and their families.
What a disgrace that nothing has been done to limit fluctuations in the dollar to help keep jobs in the export sector. What a disgrace that none of the Greens’ ideas for creating jobs that transition us to a green economy have been picked up to resolve the twin issues of climate change and unemployment. What a disgrace that the minimum wage rose only 25 cents when a fiscal stimulus amongst the lowest paid could have created jobs. What a disgrace that the government itself laid off workers and cut jobs over the past year.
It is hard to see how their inactivity over the last year and their head in sand response today can be viewed as anything but cruel and uncaring. Yes, it is the government, not the people that is to be blamed.
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress