Minister waits for approach

Press, 3 November 1984, Page 9

Minister waits for approach

The Minister of Employment, Mr Burke, says he is surprised he has not been approached by the Canterbury Employers’ Association with its idea for a regional employment body.

If the association had a new approach which could improve employment programmes he would expect to hear details soon, said Mr Burke yesterday.

At the association’s annual meeting on Thursday evening, the president, Mr Brian Shackel, said a regional body could deal with unemployment more successfully than the Labour Department. Canterbury could run its own register of unemployed and local job creation programmes more effectively and efficiently than the Labour Department, said Mr Shackel.

He suggested the Canterbury United Council or the Canterbury Development

Corporation could become the regional employment organisation. Government and local authority staff could be seconded to work for it.

The savings in a regional system would be enormous, possibly up to 50 per cent of present costs, said. Mr Shackel.

Mr Burke said employment programmes were being reviewed at present. “The community will be invited to contribute to that. A consultative document is due out after the Budget to facilitate this.”

“I would expect to receive some contribution from the Canterbury Employers’ Association,” he said.

The association should also offer its thoughts to the Employers’ Federation.

If the federation considered the proposals to have merit they could be included in its comments on the review, said Mr Burke.