“The lack of any action from the Government to bring down unemployment for hard-working Pacific people is shameful,” Pacific peoples spokeswoman Carmel Sepuloni said.
“It’s disheartening to see more Pacific people unemployed as the Government chooses to cut public service jobs and scrap housing and infrastructure projects, while giving billions to landlords and the tobacco lobby.
“We have thousands fewer roles in construction, agriculture, forestry and fishing – industries where many Pacific people are employed.
“This also comes as the Government takes more money out of Pacific women’s pockets and looks to remove the living wage for workers in cleaning, catering, and security services, dealing a huge blow to the many Pacific workers in those jobs.
“Nicola Willis’ slash-and-burn Budget is promising even more pain for communities. Pacific people deserve so much more than the hogwash they’ve gotten so far from National.
“We want our Pacific people to be in secure, well-paying jobs and we will continue bringing their voices to the forefront to challenge a Government which has thus far ignored them,” Carmel Sepuloni said.