“The Government’s Seasonal Work Scheme attracting just 195 new fruit pickers to move to where the work is shows its strategy is failing and it’s time to let more workers in,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Fruit and vegetable growers have done all they can to try to lure locals into work but have had to watch their crops rot in front of them.

“The reality is that locals don’t want these jobs. The Government can’t just wish for locals to do the work, the failure of its own scheme has proved this.

“The Government seems to think that if it closes the borders long enough that wages will rise, the housing crisis will be fixed and our infrastructure woes will be solved. It’s fanciful.

“We need to bring in workers to get the job done and the Pacific Islands needs their people to take the work.

“This week the Government will decide what to do with the MIQ spaces freed up by opening the Trans-Tasman Bubble. It’s time to review the policy on seasonal workers.”

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