So now the PM is arguing how many people are poor, whether it is 200K or less than 100K Methinks that he is missing that point completely. He then goes on to say in argument that many of these people are in fact social welfare dependent and do not have a 'working for money life'.
He is missing that point too.
As a result of the National Party Policies and some would argue previous Labour Party policies, there are very few companies in New Zealand that offer work to the unemployed in either manufacturing or engineering or other types of small businesses. Many of these business have been 'run out of town' because very large overseas countries are able to produce manufactured goods at less than we can in New Zealand and consequently the undercutting by overseas manufacturers have put a huge number of local and small businesses out of business and have easy access or their good into New Zealand.
These are the businesses of New Zealand that kept many people working. Not perhaps highly skilled but at least regular work and pay above the dole and a financial return to the owners that was acceptable.
It is all well and good to develop strong trade relationships with other countries but when those relationships have killed a huge proportion of the unskilled and semi-skilled labour forces access to work then it is obvious that this country will continue to have huge unemployment problems. The massive reduction of people working in the Public Service did not work either with a number needing to return to their previous positions under contract.
Add to all this shenanigans the fact that many of our best and brightest graduates are (as many New Zealanders have done for a very long time) travelling away for their OE and very few are choosing to return home to put their education into practice for their country's benefit. It has also been a way to ignore their student loans too. Frankly the amount of money required to complete a degree of any sort is an insult to all
New Zealanders from group of politicians who received their tertiary education for free.
So back to the unemployed and, although no longer used but implied, people who are seen to be dole bludgers by politicians and ordinary New Zealanders apparently. If there is no work where the small skills the unemployed could work what next? The wholesale movement of people to places where there is work and where they will be required to work come what may? I think not.
All governments need to balance the books - not the financial book only - but the work books too by ensuring that throughout the country there is useful and workable low skilled work for many whether in manufacturing, road building, engineering or even food making and in its widest sense, farming.
The country needs to return and invest in the Polytechnic system of education for trades, that can be taken up by all, whatever their age and sex. We are bringing into the country large numbers of semi and fully skilled trades people and not training our own people for this work.
Come on Politicians do start thinking again, it would really help our country, our unemployed and the many poor families throughout the country and it would give ordinary children hope for work in the future because they could go to Polytech and get a trade qualification followed up by a mutually agreed apprenticeship period too.
Unemployment is not the fault of the unemployed in 95% of the cases!!