Letter No.9
17 January, 1995

8 January 1994

More than $500,000 worth of food grants were issued by Income Support Service in the week between Christmas and New Year - more than six times the amount for the same period last year.

Warnings are being given about the use of the Enneagram - a `profiling technique' which is being used to size up jobseekers into nine personality types. Experts say that employers could end up facing legal action from rejected jobseekers.

9 January 1994

After surveying the country's Crown Health Enterprises, the Nurses Society predicts that only 20% of our nursing school graduates will find staff nurse jobs in NZ public hospitals by the end of March.

USA official unemployment rate falls to 5.4%, its lowest level since July 1990.

Student leaders start a campaign to have students made eligible for the accommodation supplement.

10 January 1994

Lockwood Smith announces cabinet decisions to raise tertiary fees by 5% over the next 5 years to 25% of tuition costs.

A report on housing needs in NZ shows that 25 thousand NZ households are in serious need of housing support.

11 January 1994

A small group of students invade the Auckland Ministry of Education offices to protest against fee increases for university and polytech students.

The Vice Chancellor of Canterbury University, Prof Albert Brownlie, believes that the govt is underestimating the deterrent effect of high student fees. "Students are already pulling out or going part-time as a result of fee costs..."

The NZ head of McDonald's fast food chain calls on businesses to provide first jobs and training for young people.

12 January 1994

Student job search figures show an increase in summer jobs available to students.

Government is investigating proposals to means test young people's unemployment, training and sickness benefits.

17 January 1994

Dry conditions are pushing up the prices of produce sharply. Prices of fresh vegetables are up 13% and fruit up 7.6%.

Visiting Australian expert Dr Simon Marginson says that NZ student fees are among the highest in the western world and our universities are underfunded. NZ's proposed fee hike to 25% of tuition costs compares with 22% in Australia, 18.5% in Spain, 16% in the United States and 14.4% in Canada.

18 January 1994

The Social Welfare Department may start paying most of its benefits weekly rather than fortnightly.

Reports of `home alone' kids - children left at home to look after themselves - have trebled since 1990.

There has been a huge increase in land sales to foreigners since 1990.

Economists polled by Reuters warn that NZ's underlying inflation rate will reach 2% in the middle of this year.

19 January 1994

Employer's Chief Executive Officer Steve Marshall calls for action on the discrimination against Maori and Pacific Islanders in the job market.

North Island meat processors are not coping with the extra demand for processing caused by the drought and the closure of the Weddel plants.

Foodbanks applaud Social Welfare's proposals to pay its benefits weekly, saying beneficiaries will be able to budget for food much more easily.

Foodstuffs Group - who run New World, Pak'N Save and Write Price supermarkets - say Social Welfare's proposals will balance turnover patterns and aid stock-buying. They had been making representations to govt over the past 3 years on the issue.

Mortgage Corporation, which holds the mortgages of 18 thousand former Housing Corp clients, plans to raise its floating interest rates from 10.65% to 11.9% and fixed rate from 10.8% to 12.2%, from Feb 12. With other banks have a floating rate of 11%, this again makes Mortgage Corp's rates the highest on offer.

20 January 1994

Latest statistics of 181,091 unemployed registered with the NZ Employment Service are the lowest December figures since 1990.

Former Human Rights Commissioner, Professor Margaret Mulgan, says that in cutting funds to universities. the govt is breaching its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that NZ ratified in the 1970's.

Housing Minister Murray McCully expresses his `disappointment' with Mortgage Corp's plans to raise interest rates.