Jim van der Poel Honoured for 40 Years of Service to Dairy Industry
Dairy industry leader Jim van der Poel didn't make much of the invitation he received to the recent New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in Rotorua.
There was no honorary title for Agriculture Minister O'Connor. However, the message from a few speakers was clear - the Government must do more for migrant workers in the dairy industry.
One judge told the 700 gathered for the awards that some of these immigrants in the dairy industry are still on work visas and have been waiting for some time to get their residency tidied up. This is hindering their progress.
While the Government has ruthlessly knocked back the request for 500 more migrant workers, the least they can do is to grant permanent residency to those already here and doing a great job in the dairy sector.
