PM Expects Big Influx of Migrant Workers

new-zealand-first-party

Tue Feb 14 2017 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

PM Expects Big Influx of Migrant Workers

Tuesday, 14 February 2017, 9:13 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party

Rt Hon Winston Peters
New Zealand First Leader
Member of Parliament for Northland
13 FEBRUARY 2017

PM EXPECTS BIG INFLUX OF MIGRANT WORKERS

The Prime Minister confirmed today thousands of immigrant workers will flood into Auckland on to building sites, says New Zealand First.

He admitted, while being questioned on housing, that once more building started he expected to see an influx as seen in Christchurch.

“This is appalling. This underscores what a massive failure the Christchurch Rebuild was in terms of training Kiwi workers. It was an opportunity lost,” says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“There was never a shortage of people to train. There are 91,000 young New Zealanders languishing without jobs, training or education and the numbers have worsened under eight years of National.

“The PM and his predecessor had a grand opportunity to turn the future of the unemployed around. However, they ignored them despite predicting that up to 30,000 workers would be needed from overseas for the Rebuild. They allowed the big corporates, including labour hire companies, to bring in cheap labour.

“There were 5600 temporary work visas issued for the Christchurch Rebuild by mid-2015. At the time Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse was changing rules to ease entry for 5000 more immigrant workers.

“Now, instead of immigration being reduced as it should from record numbers, National will keep the floodgates open to the detriment of Kiwi workers.

“It is relegating thousands of New Zealanders to the scrapheap, pushing out the inequality gap all in the name of boosting the fortunes of a few. This is not letting the market decide, this is a deliberate action.

“To ensure they can’t get on top of housing demand they are bringing in even more people to drive demand up,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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