Labour’s Fast-track confusion is putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk and Kiwis deserve answers now, National’s Infrastructure spokesman Chris Bishop says.
“Up and down New Zealand, National’s Fast-track scheme is delivering thousands of new construction sector jobs to regions who need it,” Mr Bishop says.
“The 37 projects approved through Fast-track are expected to support around 70,000 jobs, many of those in the construction sector, based on economic assessments in the applications. These are all at risk under Labour.
“Labour has tried to cancel these projects before. It tried to remove 19 of these projects from the Bill while they were progressing through Parliament, which are expected to support around 50,000 of these jobs.
“Chris Hipkins told media last week: ‘We’ve already set out our position on Fast-track … which is Rachel Brooking has actually already typed up and published the amendments that we’ll make to it’. If that’s true, then based on what Labour has published, its policy is still to scrap these 19 projects and their 50,000 jobs.
“Chris Hipkins needs to front up. Which Fast-track projects would Labour stop, and how many jobs would be lost? What actually is their Fast-track policy? Will voters see it before election day? Kiwis deserve to know.
“This is yet another example of the risk that Labour presents to New Zealand’s economy and people’s livelihoods.
“Nobody invests in a project that the next government might tear up halfway through. Builders, engineers, and other tradies don’t get hired for projects that could be cancelled. That means thousands of Kiwis could be out of a job under Labour.
“A Labour coalition with Chloe Swarbrick as Finance Minister will destroy our economy, put jobs at risk, spend recklessly, hike debt and raise nine new taxes.
“Kiwis have worked too hard to get the economy moving again to put it all at risk. A party vote for National is a vote to protect jobs. Stick with the plan that’s working.”
