Simon Power National Youth Affairs Spokesperson

12 August 2003

Youth lose services while Minister keeps pay packet

Labour is diminishing the value of youth by canning the Ministry of Youth Affairs and subsuming it into the Ministry of Social Development, says National Youth Affairs Spokesperson Simon Power.

"This is really a smack on the hand for renegade MP John Tamihere who loses his Ministry into that of Steve Maharey's, but he keeps all the pay and privileges of being a Minister.

"The Government says itself that the Ministry of Youth Affairs was performing well. If this is the case it is hard to see why they are trying to fix something that's not broken.

"John Tamihere gets to keep his title and the Ministerial privileges that go with it, but youth get a reduced services and he is under another Ministerial office.

"This is the Government of extravagance. It has more Ministers than any recent Government and today it is telling us that even though a separate Youth Affairs Ministry is not necessary it will keep a Minister and all his privileges on anyway," Mr Power said.

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