youth rates Archive

  • Gareth Hughes

    I’m calling foul on National’s youth minimum wage plan - by Gareth Hughes



    Last week, the National Party announced policy to reduce the minimum wage for many young people. Yesterday, the most recent Department of Statistics Household Labour Force survey results were released.  It is mostly pretty grim reading.  Unemployment has gone up, and very few jobs have been created. But there was a wee bit of good [...] read more
    November 4, 2011 7:56 am - 21 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    It’s official: Abolishing youth rates did not increase youth unemployment - by Gareth Hughes



    The Department of Labour has a new report out (PDF) on the impact of the Green Party initiated abolition of youth rates for the minimum wage. It’s official: Abolishing youth rates did not increase youth unemployment read more
    September 19, 2011 6:34 pm - 19 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    Right wrong on the youth minimum wage - by Gareth Hughes



    There is a renewed push from the political right to reintroduce youth rates for the minimum wage.  ACT’s Roger Douglas is trying to blame the Green Party sponsored legislation that removed the ability of Government to set a lower rate of minimum wage for young people for today’s high youth unemployment.  ACT’s new Leader, Don [...] read more
    May 15, 2011 10:45 am - 30 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    Dodging Roger’s Bill - by Gareth Hughes



    Yesterday the National Party shot down Sir Roger Douglas’ dreams of returning New Zealand back to Victorian England by saying they will not support his Members’ Bill which would have re-introduced youth rates. It’s a rare piece of good news out of the Beehive, but let’s face it; the bill was a stupid idea to [...] read more
    March 18, 2010 12:51 pm - 12 Comments
  • Gareth Hughes

    Is Roger anti-youth? - by Gareth Hughes



    Roger Douglas is a lucky man. He’s now got two Private Members Bill out of the ballot, with his latest Minimum Wage (Mitigation of Youth Unemployment) Amendment Bill, pity they’re both so terrible. You’ve got to ask though – is Roger anti-youth? His youth rate Bill would reverse Sue Bradford’s success from 46th Parliament to [...] read more
    February 25, 2010 9:57 am - 35 Comments
  • frog

    Members’ Bills – the good, the bad, and the ugly - by frog



    There were three Members’ Bills drawn from the ballot today. The good Bill is Green MP David Clendon’s Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill.  It gives effect to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s recommendations to ensure all electricity meters have functionality that enables them to automatically control loads and to talk to smart appliances. It [...] read more
    February 23, 2010 3:17 pm - 28 Comments
  • frog

    Why just youth, Kate? - by frog



    Roger Douglas and Kate Wilkinson speculated in Parliament yesterday on the reintroduction of youth rates. Following their reasoning, there would also be a discriminatory lower rate of minimum wage for Māori, and for New Zealanders of Pacific, Middle Eastern, Latin American and African ethnicity. There’s a term for that, and it’s not a nice one. read more
    February 11, 2010 3:11 pm - 68 Comments
  • frog

    Metiria gets personal - by frog



    Metiria launched the Greens’ youth policy last weekend with a fair amount of frankness: When I did it for the first time, I confess it wasn’t for love, it was for fun. My boyfriend and I had stayed out the whole night before and the next morning, still awake and restless we just thought, “Yeah, [...] read more
    August 5, 2008 10:46 am - 29 Comments