“I was wrong about rising unemployment” – Blogger

8 November 2012 Frank Macskasy 22 comments

On 10 October, this blogger made the following prediction,

“New employment figures are due out on 4 November from Statistics NZ, and this blogger predicts that unemployment will rise from 6.8% (currently) to 6.9% or even 7%.”

See previous blogpost: The betrayal of our young people

I was wrong.

I was badly wrong.

Unemployment has not risen to 6.9% or 7%,

Full story

The latest figure from Statistics New Zealand is a shocker. It shows with crystal clarity that National’s policies are not working and not resulting in the jobs that National promsed us last year.

Without doubt, the litany of redundancies is a eye-watering list of job losses this year alone,

ANZ; 1,000 redundancies
Wire by Design, 55 redundancies
Hakes Marine; 15 redundancies
Telecom; 400 redundancies
Brightwater Engineering; 40 redundancies
Pernod Ricard New Zealand; 13 redundancies
Depart of Corrections; 130 redundancies
Summit Wool Spinners; 80 redundancies
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; 80 redundancies
Cavalier/Norman Ellison Carpets; 70 redundancies
IRD; 51 redundancies
Flotech; 70 redundancies
NZ Police; 125 redundancies
CRI Plant and Food; 25 redundancies
Te Papa; 16 redundancies (?)
PrimePort Timaru; 30 redundancies
Kiwirail; 158 redundancies
Fisher & Paykel; 29 redundancies
Goulds Fine Foods; 60 redundancies
Canterbury University; 150 redundancies (over three years)
Solid Energy; ~~363 redundancies~~ 460 redundancies
Tiwai Pt aluminium smelter; 100 redundancies
Axiam Metals; 44 redundancies
Norske Skog; 120 redundancies
Goodman Fielder; redundancy numbers t.b.a.
Dunedin City Council/Delta: 30 redundancies
Blue Sky Meats; 100 redundancies
Kaipara Ltd/Stockton Alliance; 63 redundancies
Wainuiomata New World; 44 redundancies
Nuplex; 64 redundancies
Newmont Waihi Gold; 20 redundancies
Ministry of Justice; 70-200 redundancies
Salisbury School in Nelson and McKenzie Residential School in Christchurch; 90 redundancies
Rakon; 60 redundancies
Dynamic Solutions; 40-60 redundancies
Thorn Lighting; 8 redundancies
Eastern Institute of Technology; 12 redundancies (?)
UCOL; 30 – 50 redundancies

On top of this statistic, youth people aged 15 to 24 not in employment, education, or training (NEET), rose from 13.1% to 13.4% in the June quarter. This is a specific target demographic for National, and is another failure on their part.

National’s reliance on “market forces” to create jobs was never going to succeed. Most New Zealanders are aware of this salient reality by now. (Only the most die-hard, ideologically-blinded, National/ACT supporters still hold to this futile, discredited dogma.)

It is time that National resigned and that a new electionwas called.

On every measure (except one), National has failed. It’s ideogical hands-off policy is not only failing to create jobs – it is hindering economic recovery.

National has to go. John Key must call a fresh election.

Addendum

Emails sent to Dominion Post and NZ Herald,

Date: Thursday, 8 November 2012 1:10 PM
From: Frank Macskasy
Subject: Letters to the Editor
To: Dominion Post “letters@dompost.co.nz”

The Editor

Dominon Post

Sir/madam,

News that unemployment has surged from 6.8% to 7.3% is the clearest indication yet that National’s reliance on “the market” to generate new jobs is a failure.

National has no policies for job creation and Key’s previous promises to create 170,000 new jobs; raise wages; and stem the flow of migration to Australia has as much chance of becoming reality as me winning Lotto this Saturday. In fact, for many people, finding a job is now not much different to winning a Lotto prize.

With these failures, John Key has few options left. He should dissolve Parliament and call for a fresh election. None of his pledges last year hold any water any more, and he should present himself and his Party to the voters for a fresh mandate.

Let the people decide whether they want to persevere with National, or abandon John Key’s blind faith in “free market” dogma and seek an alternative.

7.3% unemployment – John Key can no longer avoid taking responsibility.

-Frank Macskasy
Blogger,
“Frankly Speaking”

Date: Thursday, 8 November 2012 1:20 PM
From: Frank Macskasy
Subject: Letters to the Editor
To: NZ Herald “letters@herald.co.nz”

Sir/Madam,

With shocking news that unemployment has skyrocketed from 6.8% to 7.3%, the question that springs to my mind is; what radical right-wing policies to beneficiary-bash the unemployed will Social Welfare Minister, Paula Bennett, be releasing to deflect the public’s attention from this apalling state of our economy?National promised us 170,000 new jobs in last year’s election campaign. Over 1,058,000 New Zealanders accepted John Key at his word, and ticket ‘National’ on their ballott paper.

Unfortunately, their faith in John Key has been misplaced – as has been National’s faith in neo-liberal ideology for “the market” to create jobs. Epic fail on every account.

I now wait for Ms Bennett to announce her latest attack on the unemployment for daring to be unemployed. Isn’t that what National does when they’re in trouble?

-Frank Macskasy
Blogger,
“Frankly Speaking”

Date: Thursday, 8 November 2012 1:26 PM
From: Frank Macskasy
Subject: Christmas prezzie wish
To: Father Christmas “father.christmas@northpole.com”

Father Christmas

North Pole (what’s left of it)

Dear Father Christmas,

As well as Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Mankind, could you please add the following to my christmas prezzie list,

* an early election

Thank you.

-Frank Macskasy
Blogger,
“Frankly Speaking”