Letter No.4
7 November, 1994

25 October 1994

Forestry is booming in NZ with 2900 new jobs being created in the last year.

The Special Education Service says that one in five secondary students are at risk of failing school because of poverty, severe behavioural problems, truancy and abuse.

Lockwood Smith dismisses suggestions that the Education Department should collect information on pupils going hungry at school.

26 October 1994

The Labour Party unveils their full economic policy

27 October 1994

All-day strategy meeting of cabinet held at Premier House to decide priorities for the 1995 Budget. Predictions : There'll be some relief for hard-up state house tenants, and action on youth unemployment.

NZ's balance of payments (for June quarter) reaches a 5-year low with a $393 million deficit.

BBC Panorama programme reports findings that girls are now more successful at school than boys, are more driven to succeed in life and will soon beat men to the best jobs. A University of London study of 10,000 technology students showed boys trailing girls in this traditionally "male" area.

28 October 1994

A Manufacturers Federation report shows that manufacturing is in its longest period of economic growth for 18 years, reaching new export and investment records.

Social Welfare figures show a ten-fold increase in the last year in numbers of people receiving the Accommodation Supplement.

Annual exports from NZ have topped $20 billion for the first time. Imports were also up to $19.32 billion, reports Statistics NZ.

Social Welfare and the Inland Revenue Department are to swap information to help identify Family Support benefit fraud.

29 October 1994

The Fire Service proposes new contracts for firefighters that will require firefighters to work longer hours, and will cut 340 frontline jobs saving the Service $28 million.

30 October 1994

Warnings from the American Congress that they may not ratify the GATT agreement next month, as expected.

31 October 1994

Residents of Northland's Mangamuka community - who are 95% unemployed - are angry at a planned local drop of 1080 poison to combat possums.

Alliance Health spokesperson Phillida Bunkle claims that figures for the average birth weight of babies prove there is malnutrition in NZ.

200 people gather in Wellington for a government conference on how we can make the most of the GATT agreement. John Falloon estimates NZ could earn almost $1 billion more from exports under GATT's free trade rules.

1 November 1994

A report on MMP from Finance House ANZ McCaughan has concluded that the possible impact on the economy of an Alliance-led government would be negligible.

The number of people on apprenticeships has hit an all-time low, fuelling concerns that the economy faces more skill shortages.

2 November 1994

Hutt Mature Employment Support Agency is running a Supergran job scheme aimed at helping families with budgeting or basic household jobs. The agency is seeking sponsorship to pay the Supergran's wages.

4 November 1994

Teachers Colleges warn Lockwood Smith that applications for teacher training are well down next year and NZ will soon face a critical teacher shortage if more people are not encouraged into the profession.

Labour Health spokesperson Lianne Dalziel warns that the failing health reforms were leading to the reappearance of poverty diseases - cases of rickets and scurvy - in NZ.

Government intends to introduce legislation that will allow the Income Support Service to pay interim Family Support to people who lose the dole when they get jobs.