We can afford it, we've just decided as a country that landlord taxcuts and untaxed capital gains are more important.

It projected the regions affected by Cyclones Gabrielle and Hale, and the Auckland anniversary floods, needed another 17,500 workers at what it believed would be the peak of the rebuild effort - the end of next year.

I see this in my industry also, I am involved in a major project, there are other major projects around. I don't see where we are going to get the electrical trade staff to cover the major projects that are already going ahead, let alone the maintenance staff to keep everything running and the minor projects around the region.