Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

Labour will boost research and development with a 12.5% tax credit, encouraging
businesses to research and innovate.
This will grow the economy and create highly skilled, high income jobs for New Zealanders.
Labour will strengthen the role of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) as a
one-stop shop for business development support, with a particular focus on high
growth „green‟ industries.
We will maintain sound macroeconomic policy settings that provide a stable environment for
innovation, increased investment in training and modernised workplaces.
Labour will intervene where possible to support New Zealand jobs and businesses in an
increasingly competitive and unstable global economy.
Labour will use major government contracts to back New Zealand firms instead of
exporting jobs offshore like we are seeing under National.
Labour will develop an integrated programme to support workplace productivity
improvements, building on experience with the Partnership Resource Centre and the
High Performance Work Initiative.
These positive initiatives between government, unions and employers lift workplace
performance through improved work organisation, upskilling and worker engagement.
The successful PACE (Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment) programme was
introduced by the last Labour government to assist job seekers interested in pursuing a
career in the arts and creative industries to move towards sustainable employment and selfsufficiency.
Labour will again invest in training and skills by introducing a revised and modern
Creative Industries Apprenticeship, as part of the Modern Apprenticeships Scheme.
This will build on current initiatives around sector clusters being developed by the
sector ITOs and will have links to other tertiary providers.
It is vital that immigration policies reflect current local labour market conditions. Labour
believes recent policy changes making it easier for overseas actors and others in the
entertainment industry to work in New Zealand temporarily are out of touch and signal job
losses in our local industry.
Labour will reverse the policy changes to entry visas for temporary entertainment
industry workers that are due to come into operational effect in March 2012.
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