Muller packs a punch for jobs
New National leader focuses on recovery of small businesses
‘Most New Zealanders are unemployed but they don’t know it yet.” Those were the words of National Party leader Todd Muller, who wants to see New Zealand open up its borders to Australia as swiftly as possible to ease the crippling economy struggling on its knees.
He said Kiwis needed an economic Covid-19 recovery plan that “works for New Zealand families” and “gives people surety about their future”.
While confident the opposition party would deliver that, Muller said details on what that looked like and how they would support small businesses through their recovery would not be available for at least a few days.
Muller made the comments at Apata Group in Whakamarama - his first media opportunity on home ground since taking over as opposition leader from Tauranga MP Simon Bridges. Muller talked to staff and heard first-hand how business was going post Covid-19 lockdown.
What Bridges’ role might be was still unclear, with Muller saying details of conversations he has had with the former leader were between him and his caucus.
“. . . in a time of national crisis at level 4 [Apata] managed to set themselves up to export kiwifruit around the world and have done an incredibly successful job and it’s been a great privilege to walk around the business, which I have personal connection to.”
During the visit of the Kaimai packhouse, Muller spoke with staff, packed boxes and added his name to a yearbook wall, which acknowledged the thousands of people from around the world who had worked in the shed over the years.
A former chief executive of Apata, which was co-founded by his late father Mike, Muller said there was no better place to start.
Nearly one week into his new position, Muller said he and the
National Party were unified in helping New Zealand through “a time of acute national crisis”.
“Our GDP is expected to drop at such a level that we have not seen in 160 years, we have 1000 people losing their jobs a day. Most New