这个月的劳工成本指数显示，56%的薪水及工资在去年没有增加，但价格持续上升，更会随GST而增加更多。
公务员被财政部长告知五年内不用期待加薪，但部长自己却秘密地将他的住房津贴提高一倍，比一般的工作者的全职薪资还要高。
领取最低工资的人一个小时多拿可悲的25仙─实拿工资会比家庭装的WeetBix还要少。
中等收入的人会发现他们工作更加辛勤，但生活却没有更美好。
税务系统的改变可能有帮助。工党降低公司税、透过Working for Families将价值数亿元的税赋减免、让13万儿童脱离贫穷，并在2008年的预算中以大幅度的降低个人所得税来刺激经济。
另一方面，国家党却将大部分的税赋减免交给高收入者，有孩子、收入不到$40,000的家庭却甚么也拿不到。
这里所预告的税负变革为辛勤工作的中低收入者做得很少、甚至没有。
当税制的漏洞获得解决、而不同的投资领域间创造了一个公平竞争的场域之后，我们将会加以支持。但没有证据显示这个税负计划对于中低收入者有任何益处。
而约翰‧基还承诺他会照顾最需要帮助的人。他的承诺是空话─因为他在裁减对于重度残障儿童的补助以及提供二度机会的成人及小区教育的补助同时，却拿数千万的额外经费补助菁英私立学校。
当他来到我选区中的McGehan Close、称它为一条「死巷」而羞辱了当地居民时、却承诺要帮助他称为低下层的当地民众，他的承诺也是空话及政治做秀。
我们还记得他带着少女阿萝哈到怀唐义并给他母亲一个工作的政治秀。
现在McGehan Close的居民有何看法？
乔安妮‧纳森说她对于总理感到失望，她的女儿阿萝哈现在不想要和他有任何关系。她说她与她的家人自国家党胜选后日子变得更难过。她说她「现在蛮反对基先生的。」
「他让我们的日子更难过，却只让高高在上的那些人过得更舒服。我每个星期都不好过。
国家党慷慨地提供给她的工作莫名其妙地被裁掉了。贾姬‧布鲁说她的办公室与山姆‧罗吐林阿合并了。」
那很奇怪。一处是在Mt Roksill的Dominion Road、另一处是在Onehunga Mall。
基先生在2008年时说，「机会之梯的梯级已经坏了，」使得像乔安妮‧纳森这样的人无法改善生活。她说事实上，国家党裁减她原本可以申请已参加工作技能课程的训练津贴。
而在这份声明却是国家党提升技能训练及改善学业成绩低落情况的施政蓝图。
目前有15.4%的毛利人失业，在年轻毛利人中，大概每4个人就有1人失业。太平洋岛民失业率为14%，也好不到哪里去。
在港湾大桥上悬挂象征毛利主权的旗帜没有帮助，但我猜这会分散众人对这个问题的注意力。
不用多久，这个政府就会耗尽大众对于政治做秀的耐心。
今天的这项声明原是提出为纽西兰做出真正改变的计划的机会。
一个让所有纽西兰人分享国际经济复苏所带来利益的机会。
建立一个能缩小与澳大利亚差距、透过建立技术、提倡创新来创造发展的机会。
但国家党再次让这个机会流失，只为少数人却没有为多数人的利益着想，只在枝微末节上打转，而不是推行真正重要的改变。
总理的这项声明在方方面面都不及格。
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9 February 2010
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Media Statement
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Phil Goff’s reply to John Key (part 2)
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The Labour Cost Index this month showed that 56% of salary and wage rates didn’t increase last year but prices continued to rise and will rise further with GST.
Public servants were told not to expect a pay rise for five years by a Minister of Finance who secretly doubled his housing allowance to higher than what the average worker gets as a full-time wage.
Those on the minimum wage got a miserable 25 cents an hour more – less in the hand at the end of the week than the cost of a family size packet of WeetBix.
Middle income earners found that they were working harder but not getting ahead.
Change to the tax system could help. Labour cut company taxes, gave tax credits worth hundreds of millions to families through Working for Families lifted 130,000 children out of poverty, and stimulated the economy with big personal income tax cuts in the 2008 Budget.
National on the other hand gave the bulk of its tax cuts to the highest income earners and nothing at all to families with kids earning under $40,000.
The tax changes foreshadowed here do little or nothing for hardworking low and middle income earners.
If and where tax loopholes are closed and a level playing field is created between different areas of investment, we will support that but there is no evidence of benefits from this tax package for low and middle income earners.
Then there was John Key’s promise that he would look after the most vulnerable. Empty words when you consider he was cutting assistance to severely handicapped children and assistance to those in second chance adult and community education while subsidising elite private schools with tens of millions of extra funding.
Empty words and political spin too when he came to McGehan Close in my electorate, insulted the residence by calling it a ‘dead end’ street nut promised to help those there he termed an underclass.
Remember the spin around taking young Aroha up to Waitangi and giving her mum a job.
What do they say in McGehan Close now?
Joan Nathan says she has been let down by the Prime Minister and her daughter Aroha now wants nothing to do with him.
She says she and her family are worse off since National won the election.
She says she’s “pretty anti with Mr Key at the moment”.
“He just made everything worse for us and made it easier for the ones that are higher up. I’m struggling every week”.
The job she was so generously given by the National Party mysteriously became redundant. Jackie Blue said her office had merged with Sam Lotu-Iinga.
That’s funny. One’s in Dominion Road Mt Roskill. The other in Onehunga Mall.
And Mr Key who said in 2008 that “the rungs of the ladder of opportunity has been broken”, stopping people like Joan Nathan from getting ahead. She says in fact National cut the training allowance she would have got to undertake a job skill course.
Where in this statement is the National Party’s blueprint for lifting skill training and dealing with educational underachievement.
15.4% of Maori are currently unemployed and for young Maori it’s probably one in 4.
At 14% for Pasifika people it’s not much better.
Flying a sovereignty flag over the Harbour Bridge won’t help that, but I guess it will distract attention from the problem.
Soon this Government will exhaust the publics’ patience for political spin.
This statement today was a chance to set out a plan to a real difference for New Zealand.
A chance to share the benefits of international economic recovery across all New Zealanders.
To build an economy that can close the gap with Australia, create growth through building skills, promoting innovation.
But once again it has let the opportunity slip, has offered to serve the few not the many and to tinker around the edges rather than implement change which will matter.
This statement by the PM fails on all counts.
Contact: Richard Trow 021 278 7233
Richard Trow
Press Secretary
Office of Hon Phil Goff
Leader of the Opposition
Tel: 021 278 7233
Email: richard.trow@parliament.govt.nz
