Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
7 February 2013
National Relying on Australia for Its Employment Policy
New Zealand First says the latest unemployment figures are a disastrous result for the Government which is relying on
the economic might of Australia as its employment policy.
Rt Hon Winston Peters says the Government will flail about trying to put our terrible rate of unemployment in a good
light but they aren’t fooling anyone.
“The reality is that we have a mass exodus of workers heading to Australia to work in well-paid jobs.
“If that 50,000-plus annual exodus suddenly stopped because of an Australian recession then our unemployment rate would
go through the roof.”
Mr Peters says the Government is being disingenuous in warning New Zealanders heading to Australia that they won’t get
full social security benefits for years.
“They don’t really want to stop the exodus because they realise that scenario, coupled with their lack of employment
policy, would lead New Zealand up a certain creek without a paddle.”
ENDS