this policy -- planned to start on 1 April 2013 -- defies comprehension. In fact, the only way it can be understood is that National is utterly desperate. New employment figures are due out on 4 November from Statistics NZ, and this blogger predicts that unemployment will rise from 6.8% (currently) to 6.9% or even 7%. Quite simply, none of National's policies have worked. Even Key's promise to raise wages has been an abject failure, sending thousands of kiwis to Australia and further afield, in search of jobs. National's plan to cut the wages of young New Zealanders is similar to their cynical ploy to depict welfare beneficiaries as lazy, drug-users, criminals, etc. Instead, they are targetting 16 and 17 year olds -- who have no vote -- and have no voice in Parliament. And they are targetting 18 and 19 year olds -- who are adult enough to drink, get married, and go to fight in wars overseas -- but will not be paid an adult's wage. National claims that the new youth rates will create 2,000 new jobs. Aside from mocking this figure as a gigantic step down from the 170,000 "new jobs" promised last year -- it is more likely that those 2,000 jobs will simply displace older workers. In doing so, the employment of young people on lower pay will simply mean, Less money spent by young people on services and consumer goods, Young people unable to support themselves fully A new motivation to send more