工党领袖 菲尔高夫（Hon Phil Goff）

工党将向坎特伯雷地区投放更多建筑工人，以尽快展开眼下停滞不前的重建工作。

从发生第一次地震算起已经一年有余，但由于保险方面的问题，对基督城及坎特伯雷地区千家万户的重建工作根本上陷入了僵局。

人们难以理解为什么保险公司不给处于绿色区域的房屋提供保险――位于绿区的房屋并没有被地震毁坏，而且没什么风险。政府应该下基层去集思广益来解决这个问题。

一旦保险问题得以解决，人人都会想要马上开始重建工作。就此而言，严重缺乏技术工人将拖慢重建的进度并同时推高房价。

国家党早就应当着手培训技工，以便重建工作进入高峰期时有人手可用。可是他们没有这么做。

事实是，国家党治下，坎特伯雷地区土建行业的学徒工几乎被削减了一半――自2008年12月以来人数下降了45%。

这是令人震惊的失败，坎特伯雷将为此付出极大代价。我们被告知因为缺乏技能工人，重建工作可能要花上15年。

工党则将付诸行动。据悉学徒工培训的过程太慢，所以我们将和行业及培训机构一起努力，确保审批与资助拨款都尽快到位。

工党将拨出8700万纽元让9000名新西兰年青人脱离救济金队伍、成为学徒工。我们将额外为16至17岁的年青人提供5000个免费培训的岗位、以及1000个由小组分享或公共服务部门的培训机会。
在所有这些领域，坎特伯雷都将是分配培训岗位的重中之重。

这个政策得到了雇主、培训机构及行业－包括许许多多企盼重建尽快开始的坎特伯雷企业的广泛支持。

可是眼下我国却正面临技术工人短缺的危机。

据估计未来5年全国需要额外77,000名建筑工以应对坎特伯雷地区重建、漏水屋以及经济复苏等产生的需要。其中单单坎特伯雷地区就需要约3万名工人。

这正是一个大好机会来解决我国青年失业问题。

目前在新西兰，有5万8千名25岁以下的青少年失学或失业。这是一颗非解除不可的定时炸弹。这些年青人是我们的未来，但他们却被国家党弃置在失业的废墟里。

超过19%的25岁以下的坎特伯雷人在失业中。这个地区的太平洋裔青年人里几乎有49%没有工作――这个比例在全国都算高的。这种情况不能再继续下去了。我们必须给这些年青人以工作和希望。

可是这个国家党领导的政府光对坎特伯雷人许下一大堆诺言，却不停地背信弃义。

联系：Francesca Mold 021500237
菲尔高夫授权，国会大厦，惠灵顿

Phil
GOFF
Labour Leader                       

 
8 September 2011                                                        MEDIA STATEMENT
Labour wants to kick-start Canterbury rebuild

Labour will invest in getting more building and construction workers on the job quickly in the
Canterbury region to kick-start the stalled rebuild, says Labour Leader Phil Goff.
 
“It’s been a year since the first quake. But the rebuilding of the city and many homes throughout Canterbury is essentially at a standstill because of insurance problems.
 
“It’s hard to understand why insurance companies won’t provide coverage for the green zone where housing wasn’t damaged by the earthquake and where the risk is small. The Government needs to get in there and bang some heads together to resolve this issue.
 
“When the insurance issue is resolved, everyone will want to start building at the same time. At that point, a critical shortage of skilled tradespeople will delay reconstruction and push up housing prices,” Phil Goff said.
 
“National should have boosted trades training months ago so the trainees would have been ready for work when reconstruction hits its peak. It didn’t.
 
“In fact, under National, the number of building and construction industry trainees in
Canterbury has almost halved – down 45% since December 2008.
 
“That is a shocking failure and will cost Canterbury dearly. We are told that because of the skilled labour shortage, the rebuild may now take 15 years.
 
“Labour will take action. We’ve been told that the process of training apprentices is too slow so we’ll work with the industry and training providers to ensure regulations and funding decisions are made to speed that up.
 
“Labour will also put $87 million towards getting 9000 young New Zealanders off the dole and into apprenticeships. We’ll provide another 5000 fee-free training places for 16 and 17 year olds and an extra 1000 places will be allocated to group apprenticeships and public service cadets.
 
“In each of these areas, Canterbury will be the top priority in terms of allocating training positions.
 
“This policy has widespread support from employers, training providers and the industry – including many businesses in Canterbury who want to get the rebuild going.
 
“We are reaching crisis point in the lack of skilled workers in this country.
 
“It is estimated an extra 77,000 building and construction workers will be needed nationwide over the next five years to deal with the rebuild demand, leaky homes remediation and the general economic recovery. About 30,000 of those workers will be needed in Canterbury alone.
 
“This is the perfect opportunity to address the crippling problem of youth unemployment in this country.
“There are about 58,000 Kiwis aged under-25s who are not learning or earning. This is a ticking time-bomb and must be fixed. These kids are our future but they’ve been thrown on the unemployment scrapheap by National.
 
“More than 19% of Cantabrians aged under 25 are unemployed. Almost 49% of Pasifika young people in the region are out of work – that’s a national high. It cannot go on. We must give these young Kiwis jobs and hope.
 
“This National-led Government has made a lot of promises to Cantabrians. But it has consistently failed to deliver.”
 
 
 
Contact:  Francesca Mold   021 500 237
 
 
Authorised by Phil Goff, Parliament Buildings, Wellington