Government needs to invest to protect NZ jobs

Government needs to invest to protect NZ jobs

John Key’s Government can save the 20,000 at risk jobs in the construction industry by investing in state and community housing, the Green Party said today.

An NZIER report released today shows that up to 20,000 construction jobs could be lost because of the lack of new investment in the industry.

“20,000 jobs are at risk if John Key’s Government continues to do nothing. The Government needs to invest in state and community housing to protect these jobs and address the chronic housing deprivation that exists in New Zealand,” Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei said.

Before the 2010 Budget the Green Party released its alternative Mind the Gap package which proposed investment of $2 billion in 6000 new state houses over the next three years. This would create approximately 28,000 jobs. It also proposed investment of $200 million in community housing to build 500 homes and create around 3,500 jobs.

“This is about choice - the Government has allocated $10 billion for motorways; some of this money would be better used in housing,” said Mrs Turei.

The recent Government taskforce Home and Housed report found that there is a shortage of 70,000 houses in New Zealand, and that 8,500 to 20,000 New Zealand households have extreme housing issues.

“There is a job crisis and a housing crisis; the Government needs to address them both. Not all the skills from the at risk commercial building sector will be transferable to state housing but many are.

“Housing deprivation and unemployment drive inequality and the evidence shows that inequality is bad for everyone,” said Mrs Turei.

For more information:

Mind the gap - Green New Deal initiatives to combat growing inequality in New Zealand - http://www.greens.org.nz/mindthegap

Home and Housed: A Vision for Social Housing in New Zealand report http://www.dbh.govt.nz/vision-for-social-housing-nz

ENDS