Election 2020: Labour would allocate 10 per cent of MIQ spots to foreigners

Labour has released its border policy. Photo / Dean Purcell

Labour is promising to allocate 10 per cent of spots in managed isolation to foreigners to allow more skilled workers into New Zealand if it's re-elected.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her party would also target high-value overseas investments and work with business and sector leaders to establish which workers should be prioritised.

Ardern said New Zealand's response to Covid-19 and "careful management of the border" had given the country an opportunity to capitalise on its global reputation.

Labour's "experience and robust border management policies will allow us to leverage opportunities to support our country's recovery", she said.

"We will ensure people with unique experience and technical or specialist skills that are not readily obtainable in New Zealand can enter the country safely. We're doing this so that we don't hold back economic opportunities in our recovery."

In its policy, Labour said it expected a "significant proportion" of the 14,000 monthly spots would be filled by New Zealanders coming home as the pandemic intensified overseas.

But 10 per cent - or roughly 1400 spots - would be set aside for critical workers and other entrants.

Labour is also promising to launch an Investment Attraction Strategy to encourage targeted and high-value international investment into New Zealand.

The first phase of that strategy would be to increase funding by $12 million a year for New Zealand Trade and Enterprise and the Innovative Partnerships programme, which works with companies to invest in New Zealand - including by locating part of their business here.

Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi said if his party was re-elected, it would also review where further adjustments and improvements could be made to expand eligibility.

"Labour will work with business, industry and the primary sector to identify where there is genuine and justified need for critical and skilled workers, and adjust the border exception settings to ensure their entry path is streamlined and remains safe."

Act leader David Seymour accused Ardern and Labour of "playing politics with lives and livelihoods" by promising to bring in skilled workers if re-elected a month after asking for the politics to be taken out of the Covid-19 response.

"If it's safe for firms to bring skilled workers into the country, it should happen now, not after the election.

"We need to get much smarter in dealing with Covid-19.

"Government should be the referee, not a player, setting clear rules of the game for the private sector. Act would allow arrivals to isolate at alternative managed isolation facilities, with electronic monitoring and strict punishment for rule-breakers," said Seymour.

Labour's border policy was released less than two hours after Faafoi announced the Government had made small changes to the exemption rules to allow more key critical workers into the country.

Previously a person had to have experience and technical or specialist skills that were "not obtainable" in New Zealand in order to get through.

But the criteria wording has now been changed to not "readily obtainable" in New Zealand.