A Great Night of Sport (and drama)

I've been to a number of sporting contests in New Zealand and around the world but none would beat the atmosphere I experienced being part of the 35,000 crowd in attendance at Westpac Stadium in Wellington last Saturday night. What a fantastic result for the team, the game of soccer and for New Zealand sport. I was so proud of their effort. My voice is only coming back now, several days later!
Good luck to the all Whites for World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

On the Road to Recovery

Whether you’re a small business owner, a graduate looking for a job, or someone at home making ends meet, this economic downturn has been tough. This has been a worldwide recession but it has been felt very much at a local level.

Faced with the worse economic downturn in decades the National-led Government took the necessary steps to support jobs and families, and creating the environment that gave businesses the confidence to maintain and create new jobs.

Our ReStart package gave assistance to those who have lost their jobs during the economic downturn. The nine-day fortnight, the Job Support Scheme and Job Ops initiatives have helped keep people employed and created jobs for our young people.

In addition to the assistance given through government agencies, more jobs have been created through our home insulation package, and bringing forward infrastructure projects. Work is also beginning on the New Zealand Cycle Trails, which will create jobs, and be a real boost for local businesses in those regions.

We have maintained Superannuation entitlements, benefits for low-income families, and Working for Families assistance. It’s important to give people certainty at a time of economic uncertainty. Our decision to maintain spending on entitlements and public services, borrowing on average $250 million a week, has helped cushion New Zealanders from the hardest edges of the recession.

There are signs that the economy is coming out of the downturn. We’ve recorded a positive increase in growth in the last quarter. Business and consumer confidence is improving. And our major trading partners, like Australia and the United States, are also seeing signs of growth.

However, the road to recovery will be quite bumpy and this is reflected in the financial statements issued recently. Certainly, the impact of the recession on the Government's revenue will be felt for some time.

Government spending and short-term initiatives won’t bring about sustained economic growth. That's why it is critical we get a step-change that permanently lifts our economic performance.

We have already started this by removing regulations and streamlining the Resource Management Act, which will make it easier to do business. The tax cuts we delivered this year have helped put more money into the pockets of workers. Our small business package put in place a range of initiatives to reduce compliance costs, help keep up cashflow, and help businesses retain staff.

We need to continue this step-change by cutting the red tape that restricts business growth and prosperity, investing in productive infrastructure, delivering better, smarter public services, lifting education and skills, pursuing innovation and business assistance, and ensuring our tax system promotes economic growth.

This will be the focus of Budget 2010.

Protecting our Families

On November 25 we mark White Ribbon Day. This is when we send the message that violence against women and children must stop.

Violence damages the lives of tens of thousands of New Zealanders. National is determined to change this. We want to secure a brighter future for all New Zealanders and their families.
We are ensuring the right laws are in place, that the police and justice systems work for victims, and that victims have better access to support.

Before the election, we promised to give police the power to issue on-the-spot protection orders to help protect victims of domestic violence.

We have kept our word. We passed the Domestic Violence (Enhancing Safety) Act which gives police that power, and allows sentencing judges to issue protection orders on behalf of victims.

This will provide better protection for people at immediate risk of family violence, and is in addition to the normal court process for considering requests for protection orders.

We also promised to increase the maximum sentences for offenders who commit acts of violence and abuse against children.

Last year we passed the Sentencing (Offences against Children) Amendment Act. This requires the courts to take into account the defencelessness of children when it sentences offenders.

We have also introduced a Child and Family Protection Bill which gives the courts some additional powers to protect children and families from all forms of violence and abuse.

We are continuing to work in this area. We want to ensure our laws send a clear message that crimes against children are totally unacceptable and will be punished accordingly.

Recently the Ministry of Women’s Affairs completed its two-year research project on sexual violence. The findings will help us to better understand the needs of victims, and to improve their safety and well-being.

The Ministry is also looking at ways to eliminate domestic violence to ensure that women are safer in their homes. We must speak out now and ensure that women remain safe.

The Government cannot solve the problem of violence on its own – we need to change the attitudes that have allowed some New Zealanders to tolerate family violence and sexual violence.

White Ribbon Day is a chance for our communities to stand together, in solidarity, against violence being inflicted on women and children.

We must come together as a community and ensure the message “It’s not okay” resonates in every family and in every home.