Green Party co-leaders Marama Davidson (left) and Chlöe Swarbrick Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
The Greens have announced a 'Green Jobs Guarantee' policy it says could create more than 40,000 jobs.
The party released its policy in Tokoroa on Wednesday morning to mark 'May Day' that celebrates the international labour movement.
It wants to set up a Green Jobs Guarantee scheme to create 40,797 jobs with stable working conditions and good incomes.
The party also wants to establish a Ministry for Green Works - modelled off the disestablished Ministry for Works - to create around 25,000 jobs in the construction sector and a further 16,857 jobs from economic activity the Ministry generates.
It would expand the Jobs for Nature scheme to create an additional 15,797 jobs over four years.
The party's plan would create these 'green jobs' by setting up a Future Workforce Agency/Mahi Anamata to plan for future workforce needs and link different workstreams that are currently under-resourced.
It wants to fund a renewed Jobs for Nature programme by partnering with local government, community organisations, iwi and hapū to support conservation work.
Part of its plan for the revamped programme would include short-term projects to provide jobs in areas facing high unemployment and longer-term projects to create training pathways.
Its Ministry of Green Works would be an expanded Rau Paenga, which is part of the Crown Infrastructure Delivery organisation.
"From the West Coast of the South Island, to Ohakune, to Tokoroa, in the last year alone, we've heard the same devastation driven by the same political decisions to let offshore companies decide the fate of regional communities," Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said.
"No more. Today, we launch our Green Jobs Guarantee, which will directly create at least 40,000 jobs across this country to rebuild our infrastructure, plant native trees and restore biodiversity, build homes and an economy that we, New Zealanders, own - and can genuinely be proud of.
"In a time of global volatility, after a forty-year economic experiment that's failed regular people and is currently seeing record numbers leave the country, it's time to take back control and build our resilience.
"A better world is possible, and this is how we build it," Swarbrick said.
