The closure of the iconic Cadbury chocolate factory is a tragedy for Dunedin and local manufacturing, Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei said today.
Three-hundred and fifty people will lose their jobs as a result of the closure of the Cadbury chocolate factory, which has been in Dunedin since 1884.
“Our hearts go out to the hundreds of people and their families who are facing redundancy today,” said Mrs Turei.
“The chocolate factory in Dunedin has survived major economic ups and downs for more than a hundred years, but it hasn’t been able to survive a National Government’s inaction on manufacturing.
“If elected to Government in September, we will establish a Minister for Manufacturing in Cabinet, to better represent the interests of manufacturers and ensure they thrive.
“Manufacturing has few advocates within this Government. Other sectors, which represent much smaller contributions to the national economy, like Racing, have Ministers fighting for them in Government, while manufacturing does not.
“We will back these Dunedinites and their efforts to find new jobs that pay well, but we’ll also take the long-term measures to ensure manufacturing jobs stay here in New Zealand,” Mrs Turei said.
