Exodus to Aussie leaves Kiwis disappointed and disillusioned

National’s failure to pick up the jobs ball and run with it is creating a new diaspora of disillusioned and disappointed Kiwis, says Labour leader David Shearer.

“Figures out today show record numbers of New Zealanders have been driven to move across the Tasman in the face of ever-bleaker employment prospects in their own country.

“And it’s the same every month. In July we had record numbers leaving. Now the August statistics are out, and the numbers are even higher, with almost 4000 Kiwis heading to Australia in search of a better opportunity than the one they are being offered by John Key’s government.

“In the last year the net loss was 39,965, the highest ever recorded.

“Our smartest young people – who consider their prospects particularly grim – are leaving in droves. That’s a tragedy.

“Mr Key campaigned on stopping this exodus. He promised to shrink the wage gap. And he promised a brighter future. None of that is happening.

“Where are the opportunities, the well-paying jobs, the economy that’s working for ordinary Kiwis?

National has let New Zealand and New Zealanders down. We should have turned a corner by now; we haven’t.

“Labour has a vision of a high-wage, opportunity-driven future for this country. John Key’s refusal to confront reality is leading us nowhere,” David Shearer said.