"Buy Kiwi Made" Should Mean Kiwi Made

Media Release from Norsewear New Zealand Ltd

11 August 2006

“Buy Kiwi Made” Should Mean Kiwi Made - Norsewear

The Government’s decision that goods which are “not necessarily made in New Zealand” will be included in the taxpayer-funded Buy Kiwi Made campaign has been criticized by Norsewear New Zealand CEO Robert Linterman.

“The decision to include companies which manufacture overseas undermines the credibility of the entire campaign. We were assured that the purpose of Buy Kiwi Made was to encourage the production in New Zealand, help build up our manufacturing capability and create employment. It’s hard to see how classing Icebreaker – a company which does much of its processing and manufacturing in China – as Kiwi Made will help those achieve those aims,” says Mr Linterman.

“The Buy Kiwi Made campaign should support products which are actually Kiwi made – not just Kiwi designed. Norsewear is incredibly proud to be a true New Zealand made company selling only clothing made in New Zealand from New Zealand products. Buy Kiwi Made should be guiding consumers to genuine local products – not helping support companies who have chosen to move parts of their business to China,” he says.

“It is a poor decision to water down the new Buy Kiwi Made brand by including these kinds of companies and their products. Frankly, I’m surprised because less than a month ago the Government spokeswoman Sue Bradford was publicly saying that including companies like Icebreaker in Buy Kiwi Made would be ‘letting New Zealand manufacturers down’. She is dead right about that,” says Mr Linterman.

“Buy Kiwi Made should mean exactly what it says. We should be promoting companies like Norsewear who have made the decision to stay ‘true to country’ and not rewarding those that have chosen to use cheap offshore labour. The Government must reconsider and reverse its decision,” he says.

ENDS

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