Construction firms are reporting it is harder to find skilled workers, showing the Government’s failure to invest in training is contributing to the housing crisis, says Labour’s Skills and Training spokesperson Jenny Salesa.

The importance of Labour’s youth employment policies to New Zealand’s future has been highlighted by new figures showing over 90,000 young Kiwis are not in employment, education or training, says Labour’s skills and training spokesperson Jenny Salesa.

“According to the latest Household Labour Force figures, there are more young people not earning or learning than the population of a city the size of Palmerston North.

Nick Smith sunk to a new low when he blamed Maori and Pasifika educational underachievement for plummeting rates of homeownership among their people, Labour’s Acting Education spokesperson Jenny Salesa says.

“The Housing Minister yesterday said lower rates of home ownership among Maori and Pasifika were ‘just a broader reflection of the fact that they tend to have lower education achievement, that they have lower incomes, and that translates itself into housing’.

A shortage of skilled plumbers highlights major gaps in the Government’s trades training which is having serious implications for our construction industry, Labour’s Skills and Training spokesperson Jenny Salesa says.

“Information obtained under the Official Information Act shows an undersupply of plumbers is predicted to hit 58 per cent over the next few years. That means Auckland alone will be 601 plumbers short.

The Ministry of Education boss Peter Hughes seems to be under some kind of illusion if he holds the view that “all students have access to a digital device”, says Labour’s Associate Education spokesperson Jenny Salesa.

“Peter Hughes today made the statement before the Education and Science Select Committee so I invited him to South Auckland where schools don’t have money to provide technical gadgets.

“The reality, especially in South Auckland, is that parents are getting into debt due to the growing demand for their kids to have these modern tools.

With  the growing Pacific population and the rise of technology, the Government must support bilingualism in New Zealand, says Labour’s Associate Education Spokesperson Jenny Salesa.

“This is crucial after a plea from parents of Auckland’s A’oga Fa’a Samoa early childhood centre for more online Samoan language resources and tools.

The students of Whangaruru are the ultimate victims in the National-ACT Government’s failed charter school experiment which has resulted in a proposal to close their school, Labour’s Acting Education spokesperson Jenny Salesa says.

“The losers are the taxpayers, as are the kids at schools down the road who receive about a quarter of the funding that went into Whangaruru.

Tongan Language Week is a timely reminder of the importance and beauty of our Pacific culture, identity and language in New Zealand, says our first Tongan born, Tongan speaking MP Jenny Salesa. 

The theme for Tongan Language Week in 2015 is “Fakakoloa Aotearoa ‘aki ‘a e faiva ‘a e Tonga” which means enriching Aotearoa New Zealand with Tongan arts.

The stark realities of life for South Aucklanders in substandard Housing New Zealand and private rental homes were fully exposed at a South Auckland housing meeting today, Labour’s MP for Manukau East Jenny Salesa says.

“Local people generously shared their personal experiences. Together with the 50 housing complaints that my office has heard over the last 10 days, they illustrate in heart-breaking detail how badly this Government is failing ordinary Kiwis.

Housing New Zealand must move quickly to ensure that every one of its 2128 state houses in Otara are warm, dry and healthy, Labour’s MP for Manukau East Jenny Salesa says.

“The death of toddler Emma-Lita Bourne was an unnecessary tragedy and my heart goes out to her family.