Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill update
This week the Select Committee report on the Marine and Coastal Area was tabled in Parliament.
The Government has responded to feedback asking for greater transparency. The bill will be amended so agreements negotiated with the Crown to recognise customary title must be passed into legislation. This ensures full public and Parliamentary scrutiny, and prevents any future government from closed-door negotiations on customary title.
The Marine and Coastal Area Bill will now go through full second, third, and Committee of the Whole House readings in Parliament.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/common-marine-and-coastal-area
Friday, February 11, 2011
Record funding for Early Childhood Education
National is committed to ensuring more children receive high-quality early childhood education. We are investing $1.4 billion in ECE – the most ever spent by any government.
In some parts of New Zealand, four out of ten children start school having never attended ECE. We recognise the need for improvement, so we are investing $91.8 million for community-led participation projects to provide an extra 3500 new places in areas where participation is low.
We have already extended 20 Hours ECE to include playcentres, kohanga reo, and five year-olds. This gives parents more choice in ECE, and encourages the sector to be more responsive to parents' preferences.
Together, these measures will help maintain a quality ECE sector, and ensure ECE is available to those families who are not currently taking part, but who would benefit the most.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/early-childhood-education-funding-record-14-billion
In some parts of New Zealand, four out of ten children start school having never attended ECE. We recognise the need for improvement, so we are investing $91.8 million for community-led participation projects to provide an extra 3500 new places in areas where participation is low.
We have already extended 20 Hours ECE to include playcentres, kohanga reo, and five year-olds. This gives parents more choice in ECE, and encourages the sector to be more responsive to parents' preferences.
Together, these measures will help maintain a quality ECE sector, and ensure ECE is available to those families who are not currently taking part, but who would benefit the most.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/early-childhood-education-funding-record-14-billion
Minimum wage increased again
The minimum wage has been increased from $12.75 an hour to $13. The new rate comes into effect on 1 April 2011.
The National-led Government is working hard to lift the long-term performance of the economy. We’re committed to creating and protecting jobs while ensuring a fair wage. Since being elected, National has raised the minimum wage by $1 – this is $40 a week.
The 25-cent-an-hour increase, along with tax cuts last year, means workers still have the buying power of their wages. Taking a careful and balanced approach has helped prevent workers being priced out of the market.
We want New Zealanders to earn more, but legislation is not a long-term solution. Good economic policy, good infrastructure, good skills, a good tax system, low levels of debt, and an outward facing economy are what will lift people off the minimum wage.
More information: http://www.http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/minimum-wage-increased-13
The National-led Government is working hard to lift the long-term performance of the economy. We’re committed to creating and protecting jobs while ensuring a fair wage. Since being elected, National has raised the minimum wage by $1 – this is $40 a week.
The 25-cent-an-hour increase, along with tax cuts last year, means workers still have the buying power of their wages. Taking a careful and balanced approach has helped prevent workers being priced out of the market.
We want New Zealanders to earn more, but legislation is not a long-term solution. Good economic policy, good infrastructure, good skills, a good tax system, low levels of debt, and an outward facing economy are what will lift people off the minimum wage.
More information: http://www.http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/minimum-wage-increased-13
Building better results from public services
Building better results from public services
The National-led Government is focused on building better results from public services to improve the lives and wellbeing of New Zealanders.
We are committed to delivering high-quality health care by streamlining bureaucracy, providing better frontline services, and focusing on our health targets. We want an education system that gives New Zealanders the skills they need to participate in the global economy.
We aim to improve results from welfare by addressing long-term benefit dependency, and helping people back into work. We are committed to a strong and effective justice system for a safer New Zealand.
We will scale up what works, get rid of what doesn’t, and move resources to the frontline. We made structural changes in several government agencies in 2010, and are looking at further reforms to streamline and improve the performance of the government bureaucracy.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/statement-parliament-2011
The National-led Government is focused on building better results from public services to improve the lives and wellbeing of New Zealanders.
We are committed to delivering high-quality health care by streamlining bureaucracy, providing better frontline services, and focusing on our health targets. We want an education system that gives New Zealanders the skills they need to participate in the global economy.
We aim to improve results from welfare by addressing long-term benefit dependency, and helping people back into work. We are committed to a strong and effective justice system for a safer New Zealand.
We will scale up what works, get rid of what doesn’t, and move resources to the frontline. We made structural changes in several government agencies in 2010, and are looking at further reforms to streamline and improve the performance of the government bureaucracy.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/statement-parliament-2011
Building a stronger economy
This year the National-led Government will continue building a brighter future for New Zealand.
Our next steps are to put the Government's finances in a stronger position so we don't need to borrow as much. We will continue to roll out our wider economic programme aimed at building stronger, enduring economic growth that raises New Zealanders' incomes.
We are working on two fronts to lower the cost of living for New Zealanders and their families. Our plan to borrow less will help keep prices and interest rates lower, and our economic programme will help build stronger growth and faster rising incomes.
On average, real after-tax wages have risen considerably faster than prices under this Government. After-tax wages have gone up 16 per cent, due to normal wage growth combined with the effect of the tax cuts, while inflation – the price of goods and services – has increased 6 per cent.
This year we will work to ensure after-tax wage growth continues to outstrip price increases.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/statement-parliament-2011
Our next steps are to put the Government's finances in a stronger position so we don't need to borrow as much. We will continue to roll out our wider economic programme aimed at building stronger, enduring economic growth that raises New Zealanders' incomes.
We are working on two fronts to lower the cost of living for New Zealanders and their families. Our plan to borrow less will help keep prices and interest rates lower, and our economic programme will help build stronger growth and faster rising incomes.
On average, real after-tax wages have risen considerably faster than prices under this Government. After-tax wages have gone up 16 per cent, due to normal wage growth combined with the effect of the tax cuts, while inflation – the price of goods and services – has increased 6 per cent.
This year we will work to ensure after-tax wage growth continues to outstrip price increases.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature/statement-parliament-2011
Budget on 19 May will focus on savings and investment
Our third Budget will be delivered on 19 May. It will continue our programme to build New Zealand’s national savings, increase investment, create jobs, and lift incomes, as well as reducing the country’s vulnerability to foreign debt.
In Budget 2009 we had to get through the recession in reasonable shape and turn around the appalling forecasts we inherited – never-ending deficits and ever-increasing debt. In Budget 2010 we changed the tax system to reduce the incentive for excessive spending and borrowing, and to encourage savings. We will continue along that line in Budget 2011.
We will ensure the Government plays its part in lifting national savings by returning to budget surplus as soon as possible and by requiring better and smarter services from the public sector.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/budget-19-may-savings-and-investment-focus
In Budget 2009 we had to get through the recession in reasonable shape and turn around the appalling forecasts we inherited – never-ending deficits and ever-increasing debt. In Budget 2010 we changed the tax system to reduce the incentive for excessive spending and borrowing, and to encourage savings. We will continue along that line in Budget 2011.
We will ensure the Government plays its part in lifting national savings by returning to budget surplus as soon as possible and by requiring better and smarter services from the public sector.
More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/budget-19-may-savings-and-investment-focus
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Taking back our Communities
I have huge respect for our Police. They have the unenviable task of keeping our communities safe. That job has become much harder. Some people see the Police as the enemy, fair game when they interrupt them in their illegal endeavours.
The two recent incidents of serious assault on Police in Dunedin are examples of this abhorrent and unacceptable behaviour. This is not a game. The Police go to work each day wanting to make a positive contribution to our community; to feel as though our place is better for their efforts. They do not expect to be routinely abused, spat at, fled from, and assaulted.
I’ve seen some blogs in response to Mayor Dave Cull’s comments on the attacks. They reject his call that the community take responsibility, and suggest that what is needed is politicians to get some backbone, make the hard calls and change the laws to stop such attacks happening. I’ll return to the merits of that view later. But it is worth remembering that no government in recent history has done more to build a safer New Zealand than this National-led Government.
We’ve put more police on the beat. Six hundred extra officers will be on our streets by the end of this year. They now have more tools including expanded DNA collection, and on-the-spot protection orders to combat domestic violence. Parole is harder to get and sentences for our worst repeat offenders will be longer.
We’ve declared war on gangs and P. Police have new powers to intercept gang communications, dismantle drug fortifications, and seize the proceeds of crime.
We’re making progress with the Alcohol Reform Bill. This focuses on minimising alcohol related-harm including crime. It zeros in on where harm is happening – particularly around young people.
But this is also a community responsibility. Governments can pass laws continuously but unless the community is prepared to support those laws with a low threshold for anti-social behaviour, unless we become concerned neighbours again, and above all respect the Police who keep us safe, those laws will be far less effective.
Over to you.
The two recent incidents of serious assault on Police in Dunedin are examples of this abhorrent and unacceptable behaviour. This is not a game. The Police go to work each day wanting to make a positive contribution to our community; to feel as though our place is better for their efforts. They do not expect to be routinely abused, spat at, fled from, and assaulted.
I’ve seen some blogs in response to Mayor Dave Cull’s comments on the attacks. They reject his call that the community take responsibility, and suggest that what is needed is politicians to get some backbone, make the hard calls and change the laws to stop such attacks happening. I’ll return to the merits of that view later. But it is worth remembering that no government in recent history has done more to build a safer New Zealand than this National-led Government.
We’ve put more police on the beat. Six hundred extra officers will be on our streets by the end of this year. They now have more tools including expanded DNA collection, and on-the-spot protection orders to combat domestic violence. Parole is harder to get and sentences for our worst repeat offenders will be longer.
We’ve declared war on gangs and P. Police have new powers to intercept gang communications, dismantle drug fortifications, and seize the proceeds of crime.
We’re making progress with the Alcohol Reform Bill. This focuses on minimising alcohol related-harm including crime. It zeros in on where harm is happening – particularly around young people.
But this is also a community responsibility. Governments can pass laws continuously but unless the community is prepared to support those laws with a low threshold for anti-social behaviour, unless we become concerned neighbours again, and above all respect the Police who keep us safe, those laws will be far less effective.
Over to you.
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