No Go Job Centres On West Coast Make No Sense
From; David Tranter, Spokesman
West Coast Unemployed & Workers' Rights
The listing of 37 "no go" unemployment areas on the West Coast out of a total of 259 New Zealand-wide doesn't make any
sense at all.
Assuming, for argument's sake, there is a rational basis for the "no go" list - and that's a big assumption - with about
one percent of the population, the Coast should have two or three of these areas especially given recent Winz claims of
low unemployment here and an expanding economy. So how on earth do Winz explain 37 of them on the Coast?
Are the boffins who compiled this list simply perpetuating out-of-date assumptions about the region, or do they just
stick pins in a map to make up the proportion of numbers according to the land area involved - the 37 only begins to
make any sense if some bureaucrat used the Coast's land area to decide the numbers of localities to be put on Winz'
list.
Another question requiring answers arises from Winz national commissioner Ray Smith's statement on National Radio this
morning that the list was prepared in consultation with local mayors - so was Kevin Brown asked to comment on places
within comfortable commuting distance of Greymouth - such as Barrytown or Blackball - being on Winz' list?
Yet again Winz - and by association the government - are playing about with their pet scenarios while still evading the
fact that the unemployment figures are always grossly understated by such anomalies as just one hour's work a week
taking people off the unemployment statistics. That is the problem that needs attention - not twiddling about with lists
that do little but anger the communities blacklisted while diverting attention from the real problems.
ENDS