Bill English reckons the unemployed and under-employed should move to Christchurch, because there will be plenty of work opportunities. When the idea was put to people on the street, by TVNZ staff, the response was pretty unequivocal, and it was unfavourable.
In addition to being away from the support of family, friends and community, there's the housing crisis. National believe the market will solve the problem, so they don't need to intervene.
And then there's the problem of retraining. Most of the unemployed are not skilled in the trades needed for the rebuild, so they need to be retrained.
If I were unskilled and unemployed, I'd be reluctant to move away from my support networks and into a disaster zone with no certainty of having somewhere to live, on the hope I could retrain to get a job. There's just too much uncertainty. Surely Dr English is smart enough to work this out.
Hunters and Collectors - Cut, 1992
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