Work Labour's central plank

TALKING WOOD: David Cunliffe (centre) chats with Lockwood worker Sanele Logo (left) and Tamati Coffey. PHOTOS/BEN FRASER 220514BF3

Opposition leader David Cunliffe says a Labour Government would halve youth unemployment and increase apprenticeship training opportunities for young people in Rotorua.

It would also make first home ownership more accessible if elected this year.

Mr Cunliffe and Labour education spokesman Chris Hipkins were met with warm applause from around 100 people at a public lunch at Rotorua candidate Tamati Coffey's central city office yesterday.

Mr Cunliffe told them the Labour caucus was strong and united to win the election.

He encouraged supporters in the electorate "to get off the couch" to vote in the general election in September.

William and Judi Hart said they had come to hear the Labour leader "to see what he was like". "He's very pleasant, I think he would do a good job," Ms Hart said.

Earlier, during a visit to the Lockwood Homes site with Mr Coffey and Waiariki candidate Rawiri Waitete, Mr Cunliffe said Labour's Kiwi Build policy to build 100,000 new homes over the next 10 years would boost the number of homes available to first home buyers, and provide jobs for Rotorua companies.

Lockwood would benefit from the party's Pro Wood forestry policy which would encourage the use of wood for new government buildings up to four storeys high.

There would also be a 20 per cent tax deduction for companies investing in new plant and a 12.5 per cent tax incentive for research and development of new products.

"This factory (Lockwood) would be full," he said.

"That's good jobs and higher wages in Rotorua."

For those wanting to buy a first home the Reserve Bank would be encouraged to take loan value ratios off, and easy low-cost loans would be made available for first home buyers, he said.

Mr Cunliffe said it was "unbelievable" industry training opportunities in the region had been cut by 4000 places.

He called the training cuts "one of the tragedies of the region". Mr Cunliffe said one in four young Maori men in Rotorua were not in training or employment. Under Labour every young person under 20 in Rotorua would be either "earning or learning", he said.