Transcript
ALBERT NICHOLAS: The numbers are around maybe a shortage of 300 labourers, around that range, and the scheme was developed in order to draw some of those experienced workers within the building industry for example. We've got a couple of major projects that are going to be kickstarting in a couple of months but the construction companies that have been awarded the contract are just struggling to pull some labourers together for the purpose of the project.
DON WISEMAN: I guess the problem there though is New Zealand is also scrambling for those same people and they're being paid very large salaries here now.
AN: Well I suppose that's up to the industry, if they want to go that extra mile to actually make the effort to draw the services here then the industry has to look at a really good package in order to draw that and I suppose if New Zealand's put a good package together they won't be able to draw the services they require. Our job is just to make it easier for the industry to bring these labourers over, the remuneration part of it, I guess that's up to the industry itself and not up to government.
DW: One of the things with buildings projects of course is they're likely to go beyond six months aren't they, so is there any chance of these people getting extensions?
AN: Yes there is also a policy available for an extension, the issue for government at this stage is because it's kind of a new scheme, so we're not sure how it's going to pan out but because the industry is asking for support so we put the scheme together, six months, but there is, in the policy, an opportunity to extend for another six months so really you're looking at about 12 months. Then it's up to the employers if they see that there is prospect to keep particular individuals longer then government will make the decision at that time whether to extend it to another 12 months after that.
DW: all right, the Cook Islands of course employs thousands of people in the tourism sector and I think you've often used a lot of Filipinos and so on, would you be looking to bring New Zealanders into that category as well?
AN: I suppose it would be an option but the whole policy was put together urgently to address the major developments that's going to be kickstarting here in the Cooks which is the roading contract that's going to be tendered out soon, the new development on our major public schools here which is going to be kickstarting sometime soon but I didn't really think that the policy was earmarked for tourism but the option is there, if the tourism industry wants to take advantage of it it may do so.
