NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • All Blacks
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Helen Kelly: Jobs, not debt, should be priority

By Helen Kelly
Other·
13 May, 2013 05:30 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The Government debt is very low compared with other OECD countries but unemployment at 11th lowest is an embarrassment. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Government debt is very low compared with other OECD countries but unemployment at 11th lowest is an embarrassment. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government debt is very low compared with other OECD countries but unemployment at 11th lowest is an embarrassment. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Opinion

The Government should review its priorities. Continuing high unemployment, much greater than its own forecasts, could do far more damage than taking longer to pay down debt. The Government debt is very low compared with other OECD countries but unemployment at 11th lowest is an embarrassment given our economy is now growing faster than all but four of those countries.

The 2011 Budget forecast we should have only 4.8 per cent unemployment by now and the 2012 Budget forecast 5.7 per cent, yet the figure is 6.2 per cent or 146,000 people unemployed and 251,400 jobless. In addition, 51,300 people left to live in Australia in the past year.

There will be little to celebrate if the Government reaches its surplus at the expense of working people and their families. It is risking a repeat of the 1990s: armies of consultants and contractors, and disasters like Cave Creek.

The Government should ensure that we set the economy on a course that provides good jobs for the future and addresses the much bigger debt problem - the overseas debt, mostly owed by banks and other businesses.

It should put more money into assisting people when they face unemployment, with more intensive support for finding jobs, retraining and more generous income replacement. It should expand tertiary education and industry training. The announcements it has made are simply not enough. It should increase programmes that give unemployed people jobs doing work needed in the community.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Rather than laying off public service staff, there is plenty of work that needs to be done in our health system, schools, conservation estate, protecting immigrants and other workers from exploitation, expanding state housing and much more.

It has announced some belated improvements to government procurement, but it could do much more to buy locally. It could actively support local industry, especially manufacturing, including by management of the exchange rate.

And last but certainly not least - the Government's Workplace Health and Safety Taskforce produced a report that deserves unqualified support. The recommendations need at least $30 million more a year on an ongoing basis. We hope that the Budget will announce this increase and that we can work with the Government towards much safer and healthier workplaces.

Helen Kelly is president of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions.

Debate on this article is now closed.

Discover more

Opinion

John Armstrong: It's out with Aaron, on with Budget

12 May 05:39 PM
New Zealand|politics

Gilmore bows to the inevitable, resigns

12 May 05:30 PM
Small Business

Small business: Taking chances - Invivo Wines

20 May 08:00 PM
New Zealand|politics

Gilmore sent threatening texts - reports

13 May 02:31 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Cartoons

Daron Parton’s cartoons: July 1 - 31

03 Jul 08:01 PM
Premium
New ZealandUpdated

'Heartbeat of the lake': Iconic paddleboat set for comeback

03 Jul 07:57 PM
New Zealand

How are storms affecting the Canterbury coastline?

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
'Mortified': BoP Harbourmaster acts to prevent another Rena disaster
Bay of Plenty Times

'Mortified': BoP Harbourmaster acts to prevent another Rena disaster

03 Jul 07:56 PM
Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul
Boxing

Mexican boxer arrested, faces deportation days after loss to Jake Paul

03 Jul 07:34 PM
Hail, storms hit North Island as emergency extends in flood-hit areas
New Zealand

Hail, storms hit North Island as emergency extends in flood-hit areas

03 Jul 07:32 PM
'How could this happen?': Shock as baby found in bin on quiet inner-city Auckland street
Crime

'How could this happen?': Shock as baby found in bin on quiet inner-city Auckland street

03 Jul 07:00 PM
'Extensive backlog': Harbour bridge crash disrupts Auckland traffic
New Zealand

'Extensive backlog': Harbour bridge crash disrupts Auckland traffic

03 Jul 06:42 PM

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Daron Parton’s cartoons: July 1 - 31

Daron Parton’s cartoons: July 1 - 31

03 Jul 08:01 PM

Our cartoonist Daron Parton shares his view on current events.

Premium
'Heartbeat of the lake': Iconic paddleboat set for comeback

'Heartbeat of the lake': Iconic paddleboat set for comeback

03 Jul 07:57 PM
Hail, storms hit North Island as emergency extends in flood-hit areas
live

Hail, storms hit North Island as emergency extends in flood-hit areas

03 Jul 07:32 PM
Herald NOW Weather: July 4, 2025

Herald NOW Weather: July 4, 2025

From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search