Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Dismissive Minister out of touch with reality

Dismissive Minister out of touch with reality, must set RSE numbers urgently

“The Minister of Immigration showed himself to be completely out of touch with the practical reality faced by horticulturalists under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme,” according to ACT Leader David Seymour.

Today, a dozen Horticultural businesses wrote a letter to the Minister stating, among other things:

We can only assume that you are unaware that your failure to announce the cap will result in the horticulture businesses that harvest in October and November having to leave a large proportion of their crops rotting in the ground again, as happened last year, when you were late in announcing the cap.

“When asked when the Minister would announce the number of RSE workers allowed into New Zealand over the coming year, the Minister said, twice and patronisingly 'soon'.

“The annual setting of the number of RSE employees is done too late for strawberries in particular, which are harvested in October and November. If the cap is not set several months beforehand, the strawberry sector cannot benefit from it as it takes months to recruit, transport, and train workers once the number allowed for the year is known.

“The Minister dismissed a dozen horticultural growers who have signed an open letter to him as a ‘few’ dissatisfied operators when collectively they employ 2,500 people. It’s an extraordinary lack of perspective.

“However, the number of signatories under-represents the feeling in the sector for concerning reasons. One signatory was ‘anonymous,’ fearing reprisals from Immigration New Zealand officials for complaining, while others were too fearful to sign.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“The Minister doesn’t seem to recognise the practicalities faced by growers. They need to harvest fruit when they’re ripening, not when the Immigration Department gets around to approving visas for their workers.

“The Minister answered in Question Time that he expects RSE employers to provide accommodation to seasonal employees and be good employers. He said they should consider automation and employ local workers. It is almost as though the RSE scheme exists only for employers who don’t need it!

“He seems oblivious to the fact that the Ministry of Social Development supports these employers to access RSE workers. They know there simply aren’t local workers willing and able to do the job.

“Altogether, the Minister is out of touch with the reality the horticulture industry faces and the problems caused to the sector by Immigration New Zealand. He should go to Cabinet this Monday and urgently increase the number of RSE workers so that summer strawberries can be harvested for New Zealand and export markets this year.”

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.