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Scott Hammond / Stuff
National Party Leader Judith Collins and National Viticulture Spokesperson Stuart Smith are given a tour of WineWorks in Blenheim by General Manager Peter Crowe.
A national government will allow more skilled and seasonal workers to enter New Zealand through controlled isolation, says party leader Judith Collins.
Collins also announced plans to amend the Alcohol Sale and Supply Act to facilitate wine tourism by allowing winery doors to charge for samples.
Collins was at the Wine Works plant on the Riverlands estate in Blenheim on Friday, accompanied by viticulture spokesman Stuart Smith.
After the tour, a cafe at the industrial site gifted Collins a cheese roll, with a “good luck” message.
A planned cheese roll photo shoot, a staple of the Dunedin election campaign, turned into a snub for a local café Thursday when Collins changed plans without warning.
National, if elected, would give New Zealand’s wine industry the tools to continue to make a valuable contribution to the economy, they said.
“Our quaint wineries are world-renowned tourist attractions and provide a huge boost to the local economies of regions like Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago,” said Collins.
“National is focused on growing to get out of this economic crisis. That means giving companies in the wine industry confidence to keep moving forward and aiming higher. “
Smith said the border closures had led to significant labor shortages and a lack of tourism revenue.
“Our wine industry relies on access to skilled and seasonal workers to harvest, prune and mix. National will strengthen our border defenses so that we can safely allow workers to enter New Zealand.
“We will provide confidence to wineries by reducing their regulatory burden, promoting more opportunities for national tourism.”
