Sunday 5 November 2000

The Government's regional development policies are failing to stop the loss of jobs in regional New Zealand, National's Economic Development spokesperson Max Bradford said today.

"Several hundred job losses in regional New Zealand have been announced in the past few days. At the same time we've had welcome news of high tech jobs in Wellington and Auckland - but that means nothing for regional New Zealand.

"Where are all the jobs that are supposed to be created in these areas from Jim Anderton's so-called Jobs Machine?

"So far we know Jim's Job's Machine have employed a whole bunch of consultants in Wellington, but families in the regional New Zealand have had news of job cuts.

"Bendon has announced 30 jobs will go in East Tamaki - so much for the song and dance from Labour and the Alliance last year deploring such job cuts.

"48 jobs are going from the closure of the Nestle factory at Oamaru, another 50 from the closure of Countdown at Palmerston North, another 80 are under threat in the Te Aroha-Coromandel regions with the sale of United Networks and 23 jobs have gone with the closure of Dargaville Clothing Manufacturing.

"Any firms that are creating jobs in regional New Zealand are doing it because it's part of their business plans. It has nothing to do with the Government's regional development policies."

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