CTU media release
8 April 2009

CTU welcomes Green-Government initiative on home insulation

The Government’s memorandum of agreement with the Green Party on home insulation and energy efficiency announced today offers the potential to retain and create jobs as well as make families healthier, said CTU Secretary Peter Conway.

‘The size of this initiative has not been made known, and we believe given the speeding up of the numbers of job losses in the last few weeks, significant investment in this initiative is warranted and necessary. The CTU had also supported the home insulation programme announced by the Labour-led Government last year to be funded out of emissions trading scheme income. It is good to see that a similar approach is now being contemplated.

‘We would hope that work on insulation could be targeted with minimal delay in areas with both high housing and employment needs.’

‘It is also good to see that ideas which we among other organisations proposed at the jobs summit have not been forgotten,’ continued Conway. ‘This is one which could also generate valuable training and up-skilling opportunities which will add to the long-term benefits of healthier and more energy-efficient housing for New Zealanders and employment retention.’

ENDS

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