David Clark
Economic Development Spokesperson
27 February 2013
Joyce’s year-long comms plan finally ends
Steven Joyce’s year-long production run of glossy publications has finally drawn to a close and at the end of it we’re
30,000 jobs worse off, says Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Clark.
“A year ago Steven Joyce unveiled his Business Growth Agenda, claiming ‘Lifting the overall productivity and
competitiveness of the economy is critical to business growth, to creating more jobs and higher wages’.
“Since then job losses have skyrocketed and wages have stagnated. Under Steven Joyce 30,000 jobs have been lost. The
Business Growth Agenda was just a set of glossy brochures devoid of any meaningful plan. The only growth Steven Joyce
has created is at the printing presses.
“A whole year has been wasted on re-announcing old plans and a few meek ideas.
“Today he released his final glossy and again it’s basically meaningless. Much of the $60 million for the New Zealand
Venture Investment Fund will go to Taiwanese businesses, not Kiwi companies. The supposed big idea this time is to
rebrand companies with significant overseas ownership as New Zealand companies. Just another marketing ploy.
“How does that create growth and jobs? Our economy is stagnating. We need big ideas that create a clean, smart and
diverse economy with growth, jobs and higher wages. A year-long run of constant re-announcements interspersed with a few
piddly initiatives won’t cut it.
“Steven Joyce talks a big game but he hasn’t delivered. His soft underbelly has been exposed.”
ENDS