MEDIAWATCH: How does Heather Duplicity-Allan and Jason Wells define recovery?
As unemployment climbs to its highest level in over a decade, sections of New Zealand’s right-wing media are attempting to spin economic distress as a sign of “recovery.” This MEDIAWATCH examines how broadcasters and commentators are reframing job losses, youth unemployment, and Māori and Pasifika hardship as “green shoots” — and asks who benefits from that narrative.
Watching the Political Right attempt to paint the latest Unemployment numbers as some great victory for capitalism is almost ICE level delusion.
The right-wing media’s “recovery” narrative
You all saw ICE execute two innocent people with your own eyes, yet Trump and MAGA told you that you saw something different.
The very predictable scouring of the NZ Economy thanks to this government’s vandalism if Labour’s Infrastructure Pipeline caused a cascade failure thought out the NZ Economy with over 140,000 Kiwis fleeing in 2 years and yet the right wing champions are trying to tell you that the 5.4% Unemployment is fabulous news.
Jason Wells and the myth of “green shoots”
Jason Wells, a senior political reporter at TVNZ, attempted to polish this result as “green shoots” — despite unemployment hitting levels not seen in over a decade.
Heather du Plessis-Allan and the redefinition of economic pain
…while Heather Duplicity-Allan was unbelievable…
On Newstalk ZB, Heather du Plessis-Allan described the latest unemployment figures as evidence of “recovery.”
Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: There’s a recovery story in today’s unemployment figures
ZB
What the unemployment data actually shows
…here’s the reality.
According to Stats NZ, unemployment now sits at 5.4%. We all are experiencing the true damage of a Cost of Living crisis exacerbated by the economic vandalism of this Government but the Government is trying to claim that the Unemployment rate being 5.4% is actually fantastic!
That the 6.4% unemployment rate in Auckland and 5.8% in Wellington is wonderful.
That the 11.2% unemployment rate for Māori and 12.3% for Pacific peoples is somehow an economic miracle.
Young New Zealanders: high unemployment, high debt, no relief
And it gets worse for young Kiwis…
The labour statistics released this week painted a stark picture of how tough the economy has been for many New Zealanders.
A total of 165,000 New Zealanders are currently unemployed, contributing to the highest unemployment rate recorded by Stats NZ in a decade (5.4%).
Those overall statistics are stark, but the devil is always in the details when it comes to this type of data.
The numbers showed that the unemployment rate for workers under 30 is 12.5%, more than double the overall figure.
That information is already concerning enough, but it can’t be viewed in isolation.
IRD data shows a staggering 622,892 New Zealanders currently have a student loan, with the average burden sitting at $26,075. It takes a New Zealand-based worker approximately five years to clear that debt.
STUFF
Why “user pays” collapses during a debt crisis
…our neoliberal cult of user pays and privatisation have caused enormous generational wounds that can no longer be hidden.
The plan to cut back on State funding during a recession worked in 1990, 1997, 2007 and 2020 because the level of private debt and business debt was so low, however it is far higher now meaning households and businesses can’t step in to pick up the cost of the cut backs!
There is a fundamental problem with the strategic thinking of this Government when it comes to the economy – User Pays doesn’t work if the users can’t pay!
Media spin, economic pain, and voter manipulation
The Right know the Government have fucked up but all they need to do is keep tricking you into believing that economic pain you are feeling tis but a flesh wound. and they’ll keep you voting National.
Heather and Jason are metaphorically pissing on you and telling you that it rain drops of freedom.
How dumb are you people?
what kind of people have we become when we think fat politicians jogging past the homeless is gosh-gee and debate worthy?
Jason Wells like Simeon Brown are just boys in short pants fresh out of the sandpit