- Who is your employment spokesperson?
Graeme Lee- What employment initiatives will your government take?
-- In general support the recommendations of the Employment Task Force and Multi-Party proposal for action.
-- priority to be placed on education for work, re-training and positive activities for job-seekers.
-- both the employer and the employee are entitled to protection from exploitation and unfair treatment.
-- employees are entitled to a fair day's wages for a fair day's work, regardless of their gender.
-- access to employment should be based only on the merit and suitability for the individual.
-- the state should continue to set minimum wages and conditions for all workers on a national basis, and should review them regularly.
-- the state should continue to oversee standards of health and safety at work.
-- maintain a free and open economy.
-- promote a work ethic through law and education, encouraging the understanding that meaningful work (whether for payment or not) is to be valued for its own sake.
-- require beneficiaries to be engaged in useful service or in work training in return for the unemployment benefit.
-- invest in education and training to increase employability.
-- support in principle the Employment Contracts Act, but review it to ensure that it is more equitable and safeguards against the abuse and exploitation of employees and employers.
-- support a school life skills programme.
- How will you encourage local government to be active in solving unemployment?
-- Provide funding to allow wider implementation of Department of Social Welfare "From Welfare to Well-Being" scheme encouraging greater community and local government involvement- How will you encourage community groups working in this field?
-- encourage the establishment of community liaison groups to assist NZES & ETSA to better target training programmes to the predicted local job market.- Will you make any changes or additions to NZES programmes?
-- implement a new mentor scheme for those who have been on the unemployment benefit for longer than six months. People would be placed with employers assisted by the Job Plus subsidy. The new employee is then assigned a mentor with whom they go through training every week.
-- provide for those who have been on unemployment for an excessively long time placement in an enlarged Limited Armed Services Training Scheme.
-- review the adequacy of funding for Enterprise Assistance. Will you make any changes or additions to ETSA programmes? • Ensure effective training programmes, including apprenticeships, are available to bring people back into the workplace, particularly for the long-term unemployed.- What are you planning to do about welfare benefits?
The Christian Coalition will more carefully target the benefits, and require the able-bodied to work for benefits. The coalition will pay one spouse to remain at home for the benefit of dependent children.
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