The Green Party commemorated International Workers’ Day by announcing an $8 billion, four-year industrial strategy they say would create 40,000 jobs nationwide.
Green Party co-leader Chloe Swarbrick unveiled the strategy in Tokoroa as 230 employees at nearby Kinleith Mill expect to lose their jobs by the end of June.
The Kinleith Mill job losses come after similar closures near Ohakune, in Karioi and Tangiwai last year.
“We’re really stoked to be in Tokoroa,” Swarbrick told media.
Swarbrick said Tokoroa was chosen for the May Day strategy announcement because it was one of many “regional communities that have been desperately impacted by the withdrawal of private capital”.
“I think the most important thing for people to know is that we can take control of our economy. We don’t need to let these things happen to us.
“If we continue to leave our economy vulnerable to the whims of offshore capital and international corporations, then we’ll continue to see places closed down.”
Swarbrick said the Green Party believed the central North Island had “incredible potential” to become a national hub for wood processing and sustainable fuels production.
According to the strategy document, one short-term goal would be to create a Kinleith Biohub focused on producing cross-laminated timber, wood pellets and biofuels.
“But what’s really clear is that in order to make that happen, we are going to need to see the government become an active participant in shaping the economy.”
When asked if the Greens would support Crown ownership of Kinleith Mill as part of the party’s strategy, Swarbrick said that was “one of the options”.
The Green Industrial Strategy’s proposed key steps included establishing a Future Workforce Agency, funding a renewed Jobs for Nature programme and expanding Crown-owned infrastructure delivery entity Rau Paenga into a Ministry of Green Works.
The strategy’s roll-out would require a spend of about $8b over the first four years.
When asked where the $8b would come from, Swarbrick said she “didn’t want to give too much away” before the party’s budget was released.
“In two weeks, we will be releasing a budget of hope.”
When asked how the Greens planned to get cross-party support for this strategy, Swarbrick said New Zealand didn’t operate under a presidential system.
“I don’t believe that the power rests with politicians. I believe that the power rests with the people,” Swarbrick told the Herald.
“What I’m interested in is how we have New Zealanders understand that things can be different.”
E tū union negotiating specialist Joe Gallagher and other union representatives were present at the Tokoroa announcement.
At the meeting, Gallagher spoke in favour of the strategy.
Gallagher later told the Herald he had just come from a meeting about Kinleith Mill.
“We’re going through a process where the people who wanted voluntary redundancy have been granted it.
“The rest of the people at the paper plant have been made compulsorily redundant.
“We’re now working through a process of selecting the people who are going to stay.”
Gallagher said the process was “tough” for everyone involved.
“[In] some of these families, there’s three and four people who work at the mill. That’s a lot of income to lose overnight.”
Gallagher said the Green Party’s proposed strategy would give some of the affected Kinleith Mill workers hope.
“For others, it will give them hope for their grandchildren.”
Gallagher said for himself, building a resilient future for the workers of New Zealand was an issue that “should have cross-party consensus”.
“This is actually a policy that can build a sustainable future for workers and I think they should think long and hard before they dismiss it out of hand.”
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.