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04 August 2009
Key Notes No.54

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BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

conference speechYoung New Zealanders are being particularly hard hit by this recession.

18- to 24-year-olds are the fastest growing age group on the Unemployment Benefit. They represent about a third of all those who receive it. The number who want to work but can’t get a job has more than quadrupled in the past year from 4000 to 17,000.

For people starting out on in the workforce, a long period of unemployment can be really damaging.

So while unemployment remains high, it’s critical that we provide young New Zealanders with the opportunity to develop themselves. If we don’t, we risk diminishing the potential of an entire generation. And that’s something I won’t accept.

That’s why, at the National Party Annual Conference on Sunday, I launched our Youth Opportunities Package. This is a $152 million set of initiatives designed to create opportunities for young people in work, education, and training, and strengthen the ladder of opportunity. Get more information about the package here. 

BOOSTING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

I had a few laughs with 94-year-old George Williams last Wednesday. George joined me to mark the start of the work on the new $47 million Kopu Bridge to the Coromandel.

In 1928 George was the first person to cross the existing Kopu Bridge when it was opened by the then Prime Minister. George got bored by all the speeches and pedalled across the bridge on his push-bike ahead of the official party.

After all these years George is still in fine form, and he turned the first sod with me to start construction on the new bridge.

Work on the Kopu Bridge is another example of how National is boosting infrastructure investment and fast-tracking critical roading projects to help the economy and create jobs. The project was brought forward from early 2011 thanks to our $500 million Jobs and Growth Plan infrastructure package announced in February.

I’m looking forward to opening the new bridge with George in three years’ time. I wonder if he’ll bring his push bike.

BUILDING THE CYCLEWAY

On a similar theme, it was a great pleasure to announce last week the first seven possible projects in the National Cycleway.

The overall vision for the Cycleway is to generate lasting economic, social, and environmental benefits for our communities through a network of world-class cycling
experiences.

The Cycleway will create jobs in the short term through design, construction, and project management, and in the longer term through new businesses along the routes and downstream economic activity.

That’s one of the reasons I want construction to begin this summer on an initial set of routes. Get more details here. 

RECOGNISING SUCCESS

I’m delighted that 72 recipients of the Principal and Distinguished Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit have decided to take the opportunity to be re-designated as Knights and Dames.

Eighty-five New Zealanders are eligible to accept the title after the Queen approved the reinstatement of titles to the first two levels of the New Zealand Order of Merit in March.

Reinstating knighthoods is a celebration of success. I’m really pleased that 87 per cent of those eligible for a title thought so as well.

ON THE ROAD

On Friday I launched a new campaign for Tourism New Zealand – The Great Kiwi Invite – in partnership with Air New Zealand. The campaign aims to encourage friends and families of New Zealanders to visit New Zealand. Fifteen free trips to New Zealand are up for grabs. Find out how your friends and family overseas could win a free trip here. 

It was great to catch up with so many people at National’s Annual Conference during the weekend. I’d like to thank those of you who travelled so far to be there and helped make the conference such a success. I’d also like to thank our outgoing president, Judy Kirk, for her great service to the party, and welcome Peter Goodfellow to the presidency.

This week I’m heading to Australia for the Pacific Islands Forum. The global economic crisis and its impact on our region will be high on the agenda.

HAVE YOUR SAY

I'm keen to hear your views. To comment on this newsletter or anything else that concerns you, please click here. Your comments will be read by either myself or my staff. If there are issues of particular interest to readers, I may comment on them in future newsletters or in my video diary.

Best wishes


John Key
Prime Minister
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#1 - Gus MacRae said:
2009-08-05 10:58 - (Reply)

Hi John, very impressed with your efforts in office so far, particularly the latest initiatives - the youth employment issue is extremely important as it underpins alot of other mechanisms in society including crime and overall attitude within this country - well done for addressing this difficult matter with an affirmative action as it gives us all hope. In the 90's I when I was in the 18 - 24 bracket I felt the Labour government did very little to support youth employment during those recession years and it has taken me another 10 years to recover from my time on the unemployment benefit. I am really heartened to see you are dealing with the big issues and havent forgotten that we were all young people once in a country full of opportunity - keep up the good work

#2 - John Pettit 2009-08-05 11:00 - (Reply)

Go easy on withdrawal of funding for the handicapped. This is s very emotive issue and hurtful to a lot of people. Have a look at this one and see if you can achieve what you want another way. Only those who have been close to dealing with a handicap would know how disadvantaged these people and their carers are.

#3 - Bill Savidan 2009-08-05 11:01 - (Reply)

Cycleway NZ I'm right behind this project but wonder why people walking the route has not been given more consideration. My wife and I walked 'the camino' (see in depth detail via Google), 800 kms across the top of Spain, in 2006, she aged 64 and me, 66 yrs, over 50 days on a budget of $NZ100/day. Our observation was our expenditure would have been less than average. Around 80k people walk/cycle all/part of the camino each year, except in a 'papal year' when the numbers double. Our observation was cyclists are in the minority on the 'camino', maybe 20% at most. Ignoring that fact look at the financial implications for Spanish tourism. 80k people, averaging 20 nights each at $NZ50 each is $NZ80,000,000 PA. Walking is a major recreation in Europe, particularly France and Germany. Europe is crisscrossed with walking tracks 'Grande Routes'. Visit these countries and you will see the track signs on gutter, walls etc. Books are sold to guide walkers step by step across Europe. I would not be surprised if research indicated the total European walking market was ten times that of the 'camino'.It would be feasible for the NZ walkway/cycleway to tap into this potential market if the correct facilities and marketing were put in place. I believe substantial numbers of European walkers would jump at the chance to walk in our green fields. Carol du Chateau, who I understand is known to you, will vouch for my reasonable sanity. Cheers Bill S

#4 - Lesley Kelly 2009-08-05 11:18 - (Reply)

Commenting on help for youth. Great idea, but why not make it that youths under the age of 18 are not eligible for the dole. They should still be either at school or in a training programme at that age. Also if a time limit was put on the dole payments then maybe a few people might get out and actively look for work. This may break the cycle of generations relying solely on the dole and not bothering to look for work. Also what about seasonal work? Maybe an incentive like free accommodation to those who are prepared to pick fruit etc., instead of bringing in overseas people to do the work, NZ's are more than capable to do.

#5 - Barry Knight 2009-08-06 12:10 - (Reply)

Hi John, Some years ago when I was orcharding, the Tauranga Horticulture Cadet Scheme in partnership with the Labour Dept provided an incentive to orchardists to employ cadets. Part of the deal was that the employer had to release and pay for the cadet to do his/her formal training at the Polytechnic. The potential cadet had to be registered as unemployed with the Labour Dept.and was on trial for a certain period of time. Cadets spent one year with a different employer so got a variety of experiences. The scheme was a great success in getting trained people into the work force. Could not a similar scheme be worked out to encompass all industries. The employer would enter into a contract to employ a person who is registered as unemployed for a term of twelve months. If the employee finds the employee unsuitable, then a repacement person would be provided by the Department of Labour for the remaining term of the contract . For the first three months,the employer could be given a large proportion of the dole that the employee would normally receive with the employer topping up to the minimum wage. Each three months thereafter, the benefit that the employer receives could be reduced bearing in mind that the employee is becoming better trained and more valuable to the employer. At the end of the contract, the employee would become a permanent employee, with the existing protection afforded against dismissal or redundancy.

#6 - Daniel Tihema 2009-08-06 12:19 - (Reply)

As a tertiary training provider I have been teaching many different age groups. One group in particular the youth are having many extra problems in their life, how to survive and fuction in society without the parents support is one of the major problems I have come across. In my employment I am advised to not be a social worker, however when the youth come to me with problems I still help them out because there is no one else they can turn to for help. Many learners (18 or older) have come to sign on our courses, some have been told to registar with Winz because they did not meet the entry criteria for our course's. However reading through the Social Welfare criteria they only needed to be registed (not actually apply for the unemployment benefit). Winz staff must relise this as what they tell the client is you are not entitled to the benefit. Winz staff are not telling their client they are registed with Winz and you may start your course. These are two types of benefits i deal with, Unemployed benefit Training benefit Drop the unemployment benefit payment and increase the training benefit, students/learners will be able to see more clearly the benefit of educating themselves or give them an incentive to learn. The training benefit is only their while the client is at course, as soon as they have days off without a resonalable excuse they start getting dock, this is so they begin to feel what it is like in a real job. The unemployed benefit needs a better way of screening the client. The youth benefit needs a major overhaul, i have had 15 to 17 year olds learners with no income and no parent support or have come from broken homes come to course on their own looking for help. Once again Winz is not their for them. If we are to help our economy by education for youth and adults fix the root of the problems. For me paients with the youth and guide the adults through the education process is one way to improve their outcome and job prospect. I am a nobody with a big heart for the youth and adults who wish to learn and seek employment

#7 - Ian Hamilton 2009-12-29 10:54 - (Reply)

Dear John, now that you have had time to digest the results of the Copenhagen conference here is a suggestion for you. As the evidence mounts against the whole concept of CO2 forcing climate change why not declare that New Zealand will oppose the world wide imposition of carbon emission limits. The IPCC's wild predictions of global climate catastrophe are politically motivated and it's scientific basis largely discredited because it's computer models are so far off the mark of real measurements. Why these models should still be considered the reason for reversing the industrialisation of the world by imposing mind boggling taxes on the developed nations is a continuing mystery. Just stand up and say the emperor has no clothes. Climate change has always been with us. We have always been able to adapt to changes and this worldwide scare should be exposed for what it is. It will eventually disappear like all the scare scenarios of the late 20th century like swine flu, bird flu, mad cow disease, Y2K etc have done. Taxing us will not make an iota of difference to the climate and will arouse bitter and protracted opposition whereas you might be surprised how much support you get by abandoning the whole can of worms exemplified by the farce of the Kyoto Protocol. Sincerely, Ian Hamilton


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