Ask a politician: Help for older people to keep jobs

Q: To New Zealand First leader Winston Peters:

What will NZ First do to stop treaty claims?

- Ian Georges, Whakatane


A: New Zealand First will:

* Put an end to the grievance industry which hinders the efforts of Maori to overcome disadvantage.

* End the political correctness that is one of the greatest impediments to Maori development in the 21st century.

* Oppose in Parliament at every opportunity the insidious infestation of our legal and governmental system with ill-considered references to indefinable treaty principles.

* Provide the necessary resources for our court system to expeditiously resolve outstanding grievances.

* Oppose legislation which provides for separate Maori wards in local government.

* Direct resources to where they are of the greatest benefit.

* * *

Q: To National Party leader Bill English:

What will you do about all the New Zealanders on the scrapheap, that is, all the people aged 45 and over?
- Len Hardy, South Waikato.


A: National will work with employers and unions to reach a common understanding of the significance of the problem and a strategy to address it.

We will give the Equal Employment Opportunity Trust the resources to promote awareness of the cost to employers of discarding mature workers.

National will work with employer and union groups to develop a serious commitment to lifelong learning within employment. We will require Work and Income to work with non-government agencies to develop specialist services to help mature people to maintain employment.

National will introduce an optional 90-day trial period to be agreed between employer and employee during which either party may terminate the agreement without a grievance claim being brought. This will encourage employers to offer more jobs to older people as it eliminates one of the main risks of hiring.

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