28 February 2012
As readers will know, I am a disgusted watcher of the National Party and have given Paula Bennett about second in hard time to Key himself.
However, credit where credit's due.
I believe the package announced today to be one of the smartest, fairest and most-likely-to-succeed measures any government has ever introduced.
The idea that there are no jobs to be had is only partly true, as I can assure people from a very first-hand perspective. Companies are struggling to find good customer service reps, and if one thing solo mums returning to the workforce generally star at, it's customer service!
I also have a customer who has been trying for a year to find a young person worthy of giving an apprenticeship to.
I even had a candidate good enough for him to interview - or so I thought: excellent young man, good grades in engineering and a great work history at a supermarket during his school years.
Rang up 10 minutes after the interview was due to start and asked to come tomorrow instead.
Duh! No! (As it happens, this apprenticeship isn't just any ordinary apprenticeship either - the skills gained in this job would enable you work at NASA.)
These are not the only jobs available and it is abundantly clear that while jobs are hard to find, a motivated person who shows some discipline will find one.
Not only that, National's policy has the huge attraction of more money just for studying - with the nice touch that bums who don't attend classes won't qualify - so there is every reason to upskill to get some of these jobs.
If you're in that situation, we're always ready to talk about it - needless to say, at no charge - because not everybody knows where the needs are, and we do!
I'm genuinely upbeat about the deal and wish to congratulate Paula Bennett for a job well done. I won't be giving you a hard time too much in the future, Paula - this is a far-sighted and clever piece of work that deserves credit.
I'm sure the idea of using a carrot instead of a stick to get people working is a rational and commonsense approach.
Bravo!
I note by the end of the day, the deal has pretty much been shown to be an excellent one on the eyes of the world, as the naysayers on the plan consist of Green, Mana and NZ First parties. If the Greens, Sure Bradford and Hone the wanker hate it, it must be good.
Copyright © Alan Charman