Tony Ryall
National's Timberlands Spokesman
15 May 2000
Broken promise set to clear-fell thousands of jobs
The Government has broken its pre-election promise to honour rimu contracts and thousands of New Zealanders will lose
their jobs as a result, says National's Timberlands spokesman Tony Ryall.
"The Government has already knocked the timber industry to the ground by axing the beech scheme, now they are kicking
them in the guts.
"The Government has welched on contracts. The Furniture Manufacturers Association says this means the end for jobs for
about 4,000 New Zealanders directly and indirectly involved in furniture manufacturing. 628 of those are on the West
Coast.
"In breaking their promise the Government is completely ignoring pleas from furniture manufacturers who aren't ready to
cope with the change yet.
"Manufacturers and Coasters had some hope when Cullen and Anderton pledged to go in to bat for them but it is clear that
the Prime Minister stamped her foot and got her way. This Government's arrogance is unfair to manufacturers and
Coasters.
"New Zealand had the opportunity to be a world leader in sustainable forestry management instead we will force our
manufacturers to source timber from unsustainably logged rainforest overseas. The Government should take their blinkers
off and look at the wider impact of their policies," Mr Ryall said.
Ends