Jan 15, 2018  -  New Zealand’s mediocre ranking in a new index of electoral freedoms is embarrassing and shows the need for electoral reform, says constitutional lawyer and electoral reform campaigner Jordan Williams, who is now the Executive Director of the Taxpayers’ Union.  Mr Williams said, “New Zealand usually performs well on indexes of economic strength, non-corruption, and general freedoms, but the first World Electoral Freedom Index (WEFI) identifies an area for serious improvement.”

Jan 11, 2018  - Jim Anderton: An ordinary extraordinary man writes Megan Wood on NewsRoomOpinion: Over the last few days I, like many others, have been thinking about Jim, his legacy and what made him the political force he was. Much of the public commentary has rightly focused on his enormous sense of principle and the major contribution he made to our country. Jim was an absolute giant of New Zealand politics, and his life and accomplishments are already turning into legend.

Dec 19, 2017  -  The Coalition Government must be deeply worried about maintaining internal discipline within their own Caucuses given they are attempting to ride rough shod over our democratic processes by preventing individual MPs from standing up for the voters that elect them, National’s Justice Spokesperson Amy Adams says. “Last week the Coalition introduced what is colloquially known as ‘Waka Jumping’ legislation. It might be more accurately called the ‘Winston Peters Self Preservation Bill’ as it was clearly his bottom line for entry into the Coalition. “The Bill would effectively prevent individual Members of Parliament from speaking out on…

Dec 19, 2017  -  The coalition Government has 29 new fiscal time-bombs waiting to go off according to the half-yearly economic and fiscal update, National Party Finance Spokesperson Steven Joyce says.  “Treasury has identified an unprecedented number of new fiscal risks that are caused by the arrival of the new Government,” Mr Joyce says. “These cover a huge range of election commitments that are yet to be included in the Government accounts. “Major policies like the Provincial Growth Fund, extra DOC funding, their justice policies, their primary health care policy, new rail links in Auckland and Wellington, and the effect…

Dec 18, 2017  -  Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter today announced a short term boost in road safety funding this summer and signalled a renewed focus from the Government on introducing safer speed limits. Over summer the NZ Transport Agency will roll out an additional $22.5 million worth of low-cost safety improvements on rural State highways across Northland, Taranaki, Manawatū-Whanganui, Canterbury, Otago and Southland. The funding has been re-allocated from within the State highways budget. “The number of people losing their lives on our roads has increased every year for the past five years. When things are this bad…

Dec 15, 2017  -  The 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) concluded today in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  “Going into this meeting we were apprehensive about what the membership could deliver. There’s a lot of concern in the world about where some of the big countries are heading on trade and whether the framework of rules we have for international trade is fit for purpose, now and for the future” said Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker. “We’re pretty disappointed that on agriculture, the Conference wasn’t ready to agree to cap the subsidies that major…

Dec 8, 2017  -  Higher sales volumes for chemicals and plastics producers helped lift manufacturing in the September 2017 quarter, Stats NZ said today. The total volume of manufacturing sales rose 0.3 percent in the September 2017 quarter compared with the June 2017 quarter, when adjusted for seasonal effects. This follows a 1.0 percent increase in the June 2017 quarter. Six of the 13 manufacturing industries saw sales rise in the September 2017 quarter. The largest movements were chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing, up 3.7 percent, and transport equipment, machinery and equipment manufacturing, up 2.8 percent. “The September quarter’s…

Dec 7, 2017  - Health Minister Dr David Clark says he is taking action following the release of the Stage 2 findings from the Government Inquiry into Havelock North Drinking Water. “All New Zealanders should expect to have access to clean drinking water and, following this report, some will ask whether their water is safe. This report highlights that little has been done in this space for nine years,” Dr Clark says. “The inquiry found that 80 per cent of residents have access to water which meets current standards. The inquiry raised concerns about the other 20 per cent. “My…

Dec 5, 2017  -  The Government has today made good on its 100-day promise of delivering the first year of fees-free post school training and education and industry training from 1 January next year, says Education Minister Chris Hipkins.  “This Government has taken the first major steps to break down financial barriers to post-school training and education. Next year, around 80,000 people will be eligible for fees free post-school training and education. “It comes on top of our recent announcement of $50 increases in student allowance and student loans weekly living costs limits, which will make more than 130,000 students…

Dec 5, 2017 -  New Zealand will develop a close relationship with China, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday, putting to rest fears that his protectionist campaign rhetoric would fuel tension with a key trading partner.  The 40-year political veteran played a decisive role in bringing the centre-left Labour Party to power in October after an inconclusive election left his nationalist New Zealand First party holding the balance of power. But many in China see New Zealand as a model for the Asian giant's relationship with Western countries, with President Xi Jinping last year calling the depth of the…

Dec 4, 2017  -  Minister for the Environment David Parker and Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage, have today welcomed Cabinet approval of the regulations banning microbeads.  “Plastic microbeads are found in personal care products such as facial cleansers, bath scrubs and toothpaste,” says Mr Parker. “They get washed down the drain but are too small to be fully captured by our waste water treatment systems. These minute plastic particles enter the marine environment where they accumulate, do not biodegrade, and are mistaken for food. This causes long-term damage to New Zealand’s marine life.” “This ban was initiated by…