Welcome to the 1990s

Written By: - Date published: 2:25 pm, February 4th, 2010 - 28 comments
Categories: Economy, employment, jobs - Tags:

Unemployment is now 7.3%. The highest since the 90s.

What, you don’t remember that decade? Well, you’re in a for a treat.

Minister of Social Welfare

Govt says population rise behind high unemployment

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett pointed to an increase of 14,500 people in the working age population.

“There are simply more people joining the workforce, which is outstripping job growth,” said Bennett.

28 comments on “Welcome to the 1990s ”

  1. IrishBill 1

    Jesus. Population rise? At least they’re still trying to excuse themselves. We’ll really know we’ve got back to the 90’s when the nats decide to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on a TV campaign designed to convince us the unemployed have nobody to blame but their own lazy (and probably criminal) selves.

    • Michael Foxglove 1.1

      Too right Irish. Wonder how long it’ll be before they stay blaming the lazy unemployed for their predicament?

      To quote Key’s friend Jenny Shipley
      They must be pro-work. They must have a belief in excellence. They must strive to achieve their best. They must have all the self-confidence in the world. They must know that the world does not owe them a living.

      (source: The Independent, 21 June 1998 – http://www.jobsletter.org.nz/jbl08400.htm)

      • Bored 1.1.1

        You can no longer be Ruthenised…..are you now being Catterpaulaed, Billed, Anglicized or Bennettfactored?

        • Bill 1.1.1.1

          It’s not the unemployment, more accurately termed joblessness (it’s not as though I can’t keep myself gainfully employed while jobless), that bothers me.

          It’s the turning of the financial thumb screws and the fact that this manufacturing of poverty enjoys such widespread acceptance that fucks me right off.

        • bobo 1.1.1.2

          “Bennettfactored” sounds like a gameshow where 2000 contestants compete for the chance to work in a supermarket…

  2. bobo 2

    Now can they make a 2 year recession stretch into a lost decade that the last National government did so well.

  3. Mr Magoo 3

    What they are doing is trying to provide a meme so that the deniers and red necks can attach themselves to it.

    Heaven forbid labour pound in the meme that national stood by with their hands in their pockets (in Hawaii) while the job market burned.

    Just like the school standards being “govt v. union”.

    Just like greenhouse being “economy v. greenies”.

    Just like the “Bush tax cuts” coming soon being about “providing incentives”

    Tired. Wrong. Antagonistic. Terrible.

    Or just TWAT if you want to keep it short.

  4. big bruv 4

    Welcome to the 1990’s

    One can only hope that the current National Socialist government decides to take a real 1990’s approach to beneficiaries.

    We desperately need another Richardson “mother of all budgets” to get this country back on track.

    • Olwyn 4.1

      That is such a silly thing to say, Big Bruv, even if you are a National supporter. The mother of all budgets did not just punish beneficiaries, it drove the country into recession and small business people to the wall, so that they too often ended up on the dole queue. Remember the supermarket “dole day’ specials, which inspired the government to stagger benefit payments, so that no one would be treated to the sight of the beneficiaries en mass, and perhaps also so that supermarkets would not have to alter their buying practices. Do you really want that back? Or do you just want the reassurance of seeing others forced to eat dirt?

      • big bruv 4.1.1

        Olwyn

        Goodness me, so many lies, I do not know where to start.

        Richardson and Douglas set up our economy for the fantastic growth that Labour wasted in the years 1999 – 2008.

        Back then (as we have now) we had people choosing to stay on the dole because they could earn almost as much at they could receive by way of wages, Richardson understood this and made the correct changes.

        The mother of all budgets did not drive the economy into recession at all, that is blatant lie.

        As for wanting dole day specials, I do not care really, if I had my way they would not receive any cash at all, vouchers is what we should be handing out to all dole and DPB bludgers, if “dole day” specials embarrass the odd low life bludger into getting a job then I can see no down side.

        • snoozer 4.1.1.1

          explain how douglas and richardson caused growth 20 years after leaving office.

          enlighten us.

        • Sam 4.1.1.2

          I would like to buy a copy of your history book because it’s totally at odds with everything else out there.

        • Olwyn 4.1.1.3

          Gordon Campbell from Scoop:

          As sure as night follows day, when farmer incomes come under pressure, Federated Farmers want to cut welfare and slash anything else they think might be fuelling the stronger dollar while they’re at it. In 2009, this sort of cry looks particularly stupid. If welfare payments had been cut when the Key government took office, the country would have plunged from recession into crisis which is exactly what happened when Ruth Richardson and Jenny Shipley cut benefits shortly after National took office, and created the mother of all recessions.

          http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2009/10/27/campbell-cuts-to-central-local-govt-spending/

      • roger nome 4.1.2

        Olwyn – what you’ve got to understand is that bruv is a slave-wager employer who just loved how in the 1990s you could pay someone the equivalent of two Big-Macs per hour, then fire them if they didn’t cop your arrogant attitude/abuse without complaint.

        He’s of the 19th century wild-west capitalist attitude. An Atavar.

        • big bruv 4.1.2.1

          Hey Roger, I miss you over at KB.

          I note that you still don’t bother letting little things like the truth get in the way of your posts.

          • Clarke 4.1.2.1.1

            Fair’s fair, you’re not letting historical accuracy get in the way of yours …

          • roger nome 4.1.2.1.2

            i note that you still want people to believe that you aren’t what you appear to be – an anti-human tory narcissist whose consciousness reaches no further than his own nose.

            • big bruv 4.1.2.1.2.1

              Not anti Human roger, anti bludger and anti socialism.

              • @ Phillip John Mason
                What a stupid thing to say.
                Why do you continually have to criticise people?
                It can’t be just because you disagree with them, is there another reason?

              • Mr Magoo

                Since those categories are not what is being discussed here I would add “delusional” and/or “arrogant” to the list of flaws on display.

                It is red neck views like this that give humanity a bad name to be honest.

                If an employer is using exploitative work laws and government created high unemployment to pay excessively low wages to feather their own nests then THEY are the bludgers.

  5. Gosh, do you think that the biggest recession since the 30’s may have something to do with it?

    In saying that, however, to blame population rise for an increase would be fairly silly.

    [deleted]
    [lprent: Don’t advertise in the body of the comment. If we wanted to allow you to do it, then we’ll charge for it. Same for self-promotion – use ideas not name repetition. ]

  6. lukas 6

    “They must know that the world does not owe them a living.’

    What is wrong with that statement?

  7. Nice lukas.

    We owe everybody the assistance required when times are tough but certainly not a living.

    [deleted]
    [lprent: Don’t advertise in the body of the comment. If we wanted to allow you to do it, then we’ll charge for it. Same for self-promotion – use ideas not name repetition. ]

  8. tc 8

    Whilst the trip down memory lane 90’s style is all nostalgic the fact remains we have an uncaring, no sympathy, it’s all your fault Minister who embodies the hypocracy her and others represent by holding their positions…….yes you Sharples.

    Once again the MSM will lap this up and attempt to keep score rather then actually challenge this pathetic attempt by Bennett to cover up the real issue that more kiwis are out of work under her watch than since her role model jenny had.

    I bet she’s proud and I hope she enjoys it as she’s is so gone in 2011…..another seat easily winnable by labour as long as they don’t choose a lazy candidate like they did in mangakeikie/akl central.

    A relentless focus on doing nothing.

  9. prism 9

    The photos are interesting. The Minister of Social Welfare one looks like Jenny Shipley – is it?
    The Social Development Minister Paula Bennett in the Herald photo makes her smile look Mona Lisa’s quirky one. A sort of secret and ironic enjoyment of her situation.

  10. I find it interesting that Social Development Minister, single parent, former beneficiary and working mother was promoting the virtues of family life at the Parachute worship festival.

    Whilst she acknowledges that she was she herself was/is not a stay at home mum, she explains, in typical Tory style, that it is more important to do as I say, and not as I do (just like receiving state-assistance to study whilst on the DPB), for e.g.

    ‘Choose not to have that new carpet, that second car”.

    How out of touch can the Minister really be if she thinks that this is really the situation that ordinary Kiwi families find themselves in? And, was this a gender-neutral message, or did the festival organisers intend it to be more aimed at the young women?

    Captcha: “Persuaded”. LOL

  11. Jenny 11

    Yes, is looks more and more that the jobs situation will be the hot button topic of next years elections.

    It least it should be.

    Unless of course the state and the MSM can whip up the electorate with some huge right wing terror scapegoat, right in the middle of the election year, to take peoples eyes off the economy.

    Oh, I forgot, got that one covered.

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