Expected, but still a disappointment [updated]

I was spitting mad when I found out that National Caucus had decided not to support Sir Roger Douglas's youth minimum wage bill. The evidence I put up here isn't conclusive, but it's a prima facie case that Treasury could have been called on to answer had the bill gone to committee. Youth unemployment would be high in a recession no matter what, but it's higher than it would have been absent Labour's changes in 2008.

It was especially galling given the current Labour Minister's prior statements during debate on the Labour/Green legislation that raised the youth rate to the adult rate:

"What good does it do a young person to know that an employer must pay him or her the adult minimum wage if the fact that he or she must be paid that amount is what keeps him or her from getting a job?" - National's Kate Wilkinson Sept 5 2007

What good indeed, Kate? Which of the words you uttered in opposition to the legislation do you now hold to have been in error?

Principles were cheap for National when it was in Opposition, and cheaply disposed of once in government.

As now expected, National voted down the bill last night.

There had better be something worthwhile in the budget.

Update: Here's Sir Roger in debate; unfortunately, I can't see any way of embedding the video.