In news that should surprise no one, Labour’s $100 million redeployment scheme has failed to deliver the jobs it promised, National’s Social Development and Employment spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The Government claimed the scheme would help over 300 people in Gisborne, yet it supported just half this number of people into jobs and this is just one of many examples of failure on the jobs front.

“The growing list of promises they have failed to deliver on includes:

• The $3 billion shovel-ready projects will deliver less than half the 20,000 new jobs promised before the election.
  
  
• The $50 million Maori and Trades Training Fund which has supported four jobs to date.
  
  
• The $100 million redeployment scheme which delivered just over half the jobs promised.

“Billions of dollars have been tipped into schemes promising jobs for the almost 200,000 people on an unemployment benefit. Labour’s failure to deliver jobs is hurting struggling New Zealanders and their families.

“The Government have also slipped out the first progress update on shovel-ready projects, which claims 2,445 full time jobs have been created to date. This is a far cry from the thousands of jobs and immediate stimulus the Government claimed these projects would provide.

“Whether it was a library, museum or new Rugby clubrooms, a Beehive release and photo opportunity accompanied almost every project announced before the election. Yet the first update was sheepishly published with no Minister or press release in sight.

“They’re good at announcements, but lousy at delivering and it’s Kiwis who are paying the price.

“Perhaps instead of hiding in Parliament this Friday when budget legislation is debated, a couple of Ministers could be sent to the regions where these projects were supposed to occur to apologise for their failure to deliver the jobs they promised.”