Cuts for Miners and our Youth

Solid Energy…and Youth Rates:

Solid Energy has had a melt down and is no longer solid; in fact it is rather like ice-cream left out of the freezer, but at least with melted ice cream you can drink it.

Solid Energy is on the brink of bankruptcy yet the PM won’t order an official enquiry in to its spectacular fall from grace. The board has failed dramatically and put hundreds on the dole and put at risk hundreds of other jobs . The board had been entrusted to guard our asset but instead have blown your money on empire building, while giving themselves enormous over-the-top salaries and bonuses and trips overseas.

You and I deserve better, and you should demand answers to the serious question as to how this stuff up happened but you are not going to get them without pressure because the government majority on the Commerce Committee has voted against an inquiry:



Younger Tony Ryall. 



I’m absolutely sure that the Prime Minister and the SOE minister Tony Ryall instructed them to vote as they did and It bloody stinks, don’t be surprised if they appoint Colin Meads as the next Chairperson of Solid Energy. I mean if they can appoint Susan Devoy as the race relations commissioner then anything is possible.

TV 3 on Thursday on Campbell Live they showed clearly how Solid Energy bosses wasted millions of dollars buying plant and property that has never been used and has sat idle for years. They also explained how Solid Energy are right now negotiating changes that will lower the wages of those few employees who may remain and it would appear that their union has given up on working to preserve jobs and are simply accepting managements demands.

It is ironic when one considers that the government also passed a bill today reducing wages for those 16 to 19 years old, this is really the reintroduction of youth-rates. I don’t why it is, but a year or two ago the government made all these speeches against youth rates saying how wrong Roger Douglas was when he tried on behalf of the Act Party to reintroduce a private members bill reinstating them.

Oh sure they changed the name to ‘The starting out wage’ bill but it is the same as youth rates, in fact its worse especially for those coming off a benefit [unemployment or sickness] at ages above 16 because the rate is the same for those aged 16.

McDonalds, Pack and Save, Burger King, Count Down and such like will love the new bill. But what is even more ironic is that the same National Party back benchers who spoke against youth rates spoke in favour of the new bill. The PM and Finance Minister were not present in Parliament as is normal on a Thursday, why is it that the PM only works two days [Tuesday and Wednesday] a week when parliament is sitting, is it because he is off to Hawaii...who knows.