Australian jobs success shames woeful National

The thriving employment situation in Australia continues to shame the National Government’s woeful economic performance in New Zealand, says Labour Finance spokesperson David Cunliffe.

"We now have 160,000 New Zealanders out of work, but Australia continues to create tens of thousands of full time jobs," David Cunlife said.

"In September total employment in Australia rose by 49,500 jobs, and more than a quarter of a million jobs have been added this year alone. Some sectors are reporting skills shortages.

"New Zealand entered the recession rich in jobs, but National’s failure to follow the lead of most of the world in stimulating the economy and having an economic plan for the future has seen the job market collapse and business confidence falter and slide," David Cunliffe said.

"Where is the aggressive recovery John Key promised? It has gone the same way as many of smiling John’s other hollow promises --- such as not raising GST, and closing the income gap with Australia, and making Kiwis better off.

"John Key and Bill English are failing to provide economic leadership while across the Tasman the Australian economy is growing stronger by the month," David Cunliffe said.

"This week the NZIER quarterly survey of business opinion reported that the New Zealand recovery had stalled and Berl warned of a double dip recession.

"The Reserve Bank over the past six months has been continuing to revise growth forecasts downwards.

"John Key is responding by saying summer is coming and that will make things pick up, while in Rotorua backbench National MP Todd McClay has boasted that New Zealand is officially out of recession.

"National is floundering. It has no ideas. If Todd McClay is an example, it can’t even lead its own MPs by the nose to water.

"National’s failure to provide economic leadership means that summer is unlikely to bring salvation," David Cunliffe said. "It will just mean that more struggling Kiwis will get burned."