26 October 1999

Media release

What employment policy?

Labour's so-called employment policy does nothing except re-name existing programmes, said Roger Sowry, Minister of Employment.

"They really don't have any ideas. Steve Maharey is quite mad if he thinks that setting up yet another bureaucracy will solve the problem of unemployment – except for the public servants who will work in it."

Labour's 'new programmes' include renaming the Job Plus scheme 'Workstart', continuing the world-leading case management made possibly by the integration of WiNZ, maintaining childcare subsidies like OSCAR, and concentrating on the long-term unemployed as WINZ was set up to do.

"It's ironic Mr Maharey plans to scrap the very successful Community Work scheme, but promises to provide incentives for unemployed people who want to work."

"Is he saying that people who don't want to work can sit on their backsides and collect a benefit for life – which will be the effect of this policy?"

ENDS

© Scoop Media