NZ heading toward two-tier society - Peters
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The government's welfare reforms announced earlier this week are a major step toward cementing in place a two-tier society of haves and have-nots, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says.
In a speech to Greypower Upper Hutt this afternoon, Mr Peters attacked the government's plan to target unemployed 16- and 17-year-olds who are not in education, training or work-based learning.
“New Zealand First is all for training and education,” Mr Peters said.
“But we are nervous about a system that defeats itself before it is even started because it is unbelievably stupid to try to train people for jobs that are simply not there.”
He said the policy was “a big public relations hoax of course” that was “designed by the government’s public spin doctoring department to appease certain groups in election year”.
New Zealand First's approach was to set up crash education courses to ensure teenagers can read and write, while establishing as many trade training schemes as possible, Mr Peters said.
“We even have a scheme to help employers. If they give one of these youngsters an apprenticeship, we will pay them the dole the young person receives as an initial subsidy.
“Such a scheme would pay for itself as the youngster starts earning a weekly wage and starts paying taxes.”
Targeting the young was only a short step away from applying similar pressure to those people receiving superannuation, he said.
“For many weeks there has been a barrage of propaganda aimed at senior citizens. Teams of highly paid bleaters are bleating about the cost of superannuation.
“They want the age of entitlement lifted and the amount reduced. Who is going to suddenly employ thousands of 65 or 66 year olds? Where are the jobs?”
Colin Williscroft
Wed, 17 Aug 2011
Wed, 17 Aug 2011
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NZ heading toward two-tier society - Peters
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