Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Build houses to put Maori in work, says union

Updated at 7:17 pm on 9 November 2012

A veteran Maori union leader says the Government should launch a major house-building project to get Maori into work.

Official figures released on Thursday show that the Maori unemployment rate has risen to 15.1% - an increase of 2.3% in three months.

Syd Keepa, the Maori vice-president of the Council of Trade Unions, says there is a huge need for housing.

Mr Keepa says he knows of many families living in one house, and building homes for them

would create work, training - and put a roof over people's heads.

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