Brian Connell MP National Forestry Spokesman

12 December 2002

Govt should be target for Kawerau workers

Kawerau workers training their sights on Fletcher Challenge Forests are taking aim at the wrong target, according to the National Party.

"Labour's policies are really responsible for the mass lay-offs, so in essence that's the Government's Christmas present to these workers," says the National Party's Forestry spokesman Brian Connell.

"The Government's anti-business policies are now coming home to roost and hard working Kiwis are the sacrificial lambs," he says.

"Unions should be telling their Government bed-mates to lay off New Zealand business and start doing something about red tape and reducing the layers of bureaucracy.

"While I feel terribly sorry for the workers who're losing their jobs, it's not entirely the fault of Fletcher Challenge Forests.

"Businesses are being stung by Government legislation which is starting to affect their viability," Mr Connell says.

"I further predict there'll be huge increases in electricity prices care of the Kyoto Protocol, there're new anti-business changes to the Holidays Act and of course the OSH legislation threatens to impose still more red tape," says Mr Connell.

"If you can't control your fixed costs or lack certainty and consistency from Government, then doing business becomes a very risky exercise.

"If the Government would work with business to help them grow and prosper, these types of heart breaking redundancies would be less likely to occur, " Mr Connell says.

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