National turns Generation Y into Generation OZ

National’s failure to close the wage gap with Australia is turning New Zealand’s Generation Y into Generation OZ, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker.

“Forty per cent of the 158,000 Kiwis who left for Australia in the last four years were aged 18 - 30. Those 62,000 young people should be a golden generation working for themselves, their families and our economy in New Zealand, but we’ve lost them across the ditch.

“By leaving our young people with no hope and driving them to Australia, National is turning New Zealand’s Generation Y into Generation OZ.

“The National government is doing nothing to stop our young people from leaving. Bill English says there’s ‘no point standing around the airport crying about it’, but all he’s doing is passing around the box of tissues.”

David Parker says National promised New Zealanders they would reduce the number of Kiwis heading to Australia in 2008 but numbers are now at record levels.

“Just four years ago Bill English said they would reduce Kiwis heading to Australia through ‘the kind of political leadership you’ll see from John Key which is aspirational and taking a run at winning the competition between us and Australia for our talent’.

“John Key’s so-called ‘aspirational leadership’ has failed to convince Kiwis to stay here and he’s lost the talent competition with Australia.”