Greens release input to Job Summit

Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today publicly released the Party's Green New Deal paper - given to Job Summit chair Mark Weldon two weeks ago - and circulated to Summit participants.

"This Friday's Job Summit poses a unique opportunity to lead the New Zealand economy in a new sustainable direction," Ms Fitzsimons said.

"If we just try to patch up the old economy and financial system which led us into this mess, we will just end up creating further crises.

"Our Green Jobs proposals are part of our Green New Deal, and would ensure that we use the new jobs we create to build a stronger, more resilient and sustainable economy for the future," Ms Fitzsimons said.

"This is a real opportunity to ensure that the jobs we create make New Zealand more resilient to threats posed by overseas economic developments, climate change, the end of cheap oil and resource scarcity.

"We advocate investing in home insulation, energy efficiency, forest planting and the community sector which have a very high return on investment in economic, social and environmental terms."

The Green Party's paper to the Job Summit includes the following recommendations:

* Investing in construction of publicly-owned housing for those who need healthy, affordable homes because it will help keep the $12 billion per year construction industry in work, create new jobs, keep skills in New Zealand and address the long waiting list of people who need somewhere decent to live.

* A major programme to retrofit 900,000 low and middle income homes because it is labour intensive and ready-to-go, reduces childhood asthma rates and other health problems, improves educational outcomes for children who have fewer days off school, saves money in the health and education sectors, and reduces the need for more power stations.

* Improving public transport systems and operations, and putting road maintenance and safety ahead of new state highways because these investments are more jobs intensive and also help reduce New Zealand's reliance on foreign oil.

* Starting a tree planting programme and fast track waste-wood-to-energy schemes because they will create jobs, support a struggling forestry industry, plus help with erosion and flood control as well as carbon storage.

* Building waste minimisation capacity in New Zealand to create jobs and reduce landfill.

* Giving more support to small business and the self-employed by enhancing initiatives such as the Business Training and Advice Grant, the Enterprise Allowance and Self Start.

* Increasing funding to tertiary institutions to address skills shortages and make re-training more accessible to low paid workers.

The full paper is at www.greens.org.nz

ENDS

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