There are lies, damned lies, and damned Labour lies -- and these all frequently involve statistics. There are "just over" 20,000 New Zealanders unemployed, says Labour's Social Development Minister Ruth Dyson. There are 79,000 unemployed, says the September Household Labour Force survey.
Who do you think is right? Should we celebrate? Or should someone investigate this further? Fortunately, Lindsay Mitchell is on the case.
UPDATE 1: Lindsay has more today on Ruth's spin. Spin? That's far too polite a word for out and out lies and deception. While only 20,000 are "officially" receiving the Unemployment Benefit, that doesn't count those receiving benefits like 'Unemployment Benefit Training' and 'Unemployment Benefit Hardship' and 'Unemployment Benefit Training Hardship' and 'Unemployment Benefit Student Hardship' (I swear, it's not me making these up) which is a figure approximately three times the number receiving the benefit referred to by Ruth in he press release.
As should be obvious by now, if you have to lie to support your position, that suggests you have a position that's not worth supporting.
UPDATE 2: Naturally, the paid employees of the EPMU are peddling the lie. That's what they're paid to do.
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