I’m listening to the adjournment debate and while it is the time to make acknowledgements, I can’t help thinking, plleassssse!
Right now Chris Tremain is acknowledging workers who have lost their jobs and reciting all the things the National government has done to support them.
Well, what? How many workers are facing Christmas without jobs, without redundancy pay and where has been Mr Smiley’s plan?
And then there’s all the plaudits to the staff around this place. Of course they deserve them, but it’s a pity some of them had to take industrial action to get clawbacks to their redundancy entitlements lifted - just like the school support staff who have fought for a year to get some money on the negotiating table. Then there’s the low paid cleaners in parliament who still haven’t had a pay rise this year and our parliamentary staff who had their wages frozen, even although they earn nothing like many workers in similar jobs.
So, you will understand my cynicism. Yes, let’s have the plaudits, but please, National let’s do something in 2010.
I’m off to listen to Darren Hughes.
Grim
Yeah Spud, listening to Darren would be.
Spud – with parliament now in adjoinment until the new year – what are you going to do? The Labour MPs will not be writing here so much as the country gets on with the BBQs and generally enjoying summer and remembering fondly the wonderful work the very popular and intelligent National led Government has done in their first year in Government.
Those of us who have lost their jobs will be grateful that the economy has been well guided through the recession and that 2010 will be better with more opportunities.
I personally am so pleased we do not have helen Clark and Cullen at the helm – things would be so much worse if their economic mismanagement continued for a 4th term.
Just asking where will the Labour Christmas BBQ be held? Shane Jones David Cunliffe David Parker or Annette King’s House, could be a very interesting year ahead.
Phil is fine
Leave him alone. 
Because I take responsibility for myself and my family rather than expecting the state to provide for me I will be fine – In fact since I have been made redundant I have managed to earn more money that what I did as a wage slave.
In 2010 I reasonably think I could earn twice what I did in 2009 – due to my determination to continually improve my lot in life.
But then again I am a capitalist pig and money is my motivation (actually money is the means to happiness).
I think a decade of socialist rule has killed ambition for a lot of people and that is the tradegy of the Clark years – the dependancy on the state by the previously self-sufficient middle classes. The big achievement for National will be to instill a sense of self responsibility in all citizens.
I sorry to hear you are out of work Monty. Good luck in finding a position.
I don’t think fondly of the current government as you clearly do, and I’m not convinced that it is interested in producing the economic opportunities that provide employment as much as you believe it is.
As evidence, here are the unemployment statistics from Statistics New Zealand’s Household Labour Force Survey for the September Quarter As you can see, unemployment has increased 53.9% over 2009 to reach the highest level since March 1994 quarter. Darien is quite entitled to ask, where is the government’s plan about this?
That Jobsummit ‘Do-fest’ in February hasn’t delivered, not even for cyclists. So what’s the plan, is there a plan?
@Doug – don’t believe everything you hear. I’m here to tell you that the Labour caucus is absolutely united behind Phil.
@Spud – Happy Christmas – we’re sure to talk more on Red Alert anyway.
@Doug – don’t believe everything you hear. I’m here to tell you that the Labour caucus is absolutely united behind Phil.
You’ve ALL got knives? Crickey…