Category: Labour Party

National’s fast track bill enables the most radical and unbalanced consenting regime in living memory.

As the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Rt Hon Simon Upton said in his submission to select committee ‘the Bill lacks many of the environmental safeguards its predecessor legislation contained. Even the much-maligned National Development Act 1979 had more checks and balances.’

“Despite masquerading under the same name as Labour’s fast-track consenting legislation, it is fundamentally different. Its objective is to override environmental protections,” Labour’s acting environment spokesperson David Parker said.

“Labour’s fast-track process worked. Under it almost 100 projects were approved without undue delay or excessive cost. Many significant housing subdivisions, wind farms, solar farms, retirement villages and infrastructure projects were approved. This process worked and did not override the Resource Management, Conservation, Wildlife and Heritage Protection Acts.

“In contrast this bill excludes any reference to the environment or sustainable management in its purpose, and now enables environmental protections in the Resource Management, Conservation, Wildlife and Heritage Protection Acts to be overridden.

“The Bill is obviously not aimed at approving the sorts of projects that were already being approved. It is aimed at pushing through environmentally contentious projects, some of which have been previously declined or are midway through other processes.

“Examples include mining 50 million tonnes of iron sands off Taranaki for export (not New Zealand processing), coal mines, and a contentious proposal to burn large quantities of plastic.

“Climate polluting emissions will increase.

“The list of projects to be considered – which was released after submissions closed – includes many projects where locals adversely affected should have the opportunity to make submissions. They won’t be able to.

“It was reported this morning that even a National Party MP disagrees with a project on that list and would lie on train tracks to stop it, making a complete mockery of their consultation process.

“The Parliamentary Commissioner’s serious concerns have been ignored. So have the submitters who overwhelmingly opposed this overreach.

“There are many other problems with this legislation described in Labour’s part of the Committee report back, which has been tabled in the House this afternoon.

“The tens of thousands of New Zealanders who marched in the streets to protest against this radical override of New Zealand’s environmental laws have been ignored. The legislation is more extreme than it was when it went to the select committee,” David Parker said.

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Labour welcomes the National Government’s decision to further pursue our access to the Canadian dairy market under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)

“This latest decision is a continuation of steps taken by Labour in government to enforce the hard won and valuable concessions negotiated in the 2018 CPTPP trade agreement,” Labour trade spokesperson Damien O’Connor said.

“Both our countries’ economies could suffer over time if Canada refuses to abide by the terms of the agreement and the rules of international trade.

“Trade is critical to both Canada and New Zealand, and rules protect both our economies,” said Damien O’Connor.

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Confirmed news that the Smithfield meatworks will close is devastating for the hundreds of people who work there, Timaru and the wider region.

“Our worst fear has been confirmed, this closure will leave up to 600 people out of work. Sometimes several members of the same family work in this plant – and this is distressing news for all of them and our community,” Labour MP based in Rangitata Jo Luxton said.

“These workers contribute to the local economy and businesses, and many have family nearby. Now many of them will have potentially have to leave our community in search of work,” Jo Luxton said.

This is the latest major employer to close in New Zealand, following hundreds of other manufacturing job losses in the North Island.

“We are seeing rising unemployment as the government ignores the plight of workers,” Labour workplace relations and safety spokesperson Camilla Belich said.

“Even through the global economic shock of the pandemic, Labour supported workers and businesses to keep people in jobs. Now, unemployment rises while the government sits on its hands.

“The Government has chosen to lay off 6000 public servants, has not done anything to help hundreds of workers in the manufacturing sector, and has cancelled Jobs for Nature and reduced funding for Apprenticeship Boost – programmes that help create jobs in our regions.

“The Government needs to stand up for workers and see the value in keeping people in work,” Camilla Belich said.

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KiwiRail offering voluntary redundancy to all its staff is hugely concerning given the future of New Zealand’s rail system is under threat.

KiwiRail employs 4,500 people and has staff in more than 50 towns and cities across the country.

“These are skilled workers who contribute a lot to the New Zealand economy and make sure freight and passengers move around safely,” Labour’s state-owned enterprises spokesperson Arena Williams said.

“It was revealed last week that more than 50 roles at the Interislander ferries were going, and now we hear all staff are going to be offered redundancy as of Monday.

“I am especially concerned about the timing of this. There is already huge uncertainty around the future of the essential rail connection across the Cook Strait, following Nicola Willis’ decision to cancel the rail-enabled ferries.

“Labour had a plan for new ferries, because the current ones will need significant maintenance to serve their critical role in connecting the North and South Islands.  

“Cutting maintenance and engineering jobs, when you have no plan for new ferries and are relying on the old ones, is adding fuel to the fire and will only mean ferries that break down more often and put passenger and crew safety at risk.

“Freight companies are worried too. They are unsure if their journeys will go ahead, and there is growing concern about stock arriving on time, safely.

“A year on, there is still no plan from the government to replace the ageing ferries and even less certainty for staff and the public,” Arena Williams said.

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National’s all pain approach to beneficiaries has yielded no gain as benefit numbers continue to surge past projected figures.

“We don’t begrudge New Zealanders for needing a benefit, but it isn’t a good look when National have raved about getting tough on beneficiaries, only to have numbers soar on their watch,” Labour’s social development spokesperson Carmel Sepuloni said.

“We have almost 30,000 more people on a main benefit, more than 22,000 receiving Jobseeker Support. What doesn’t make sense is that hardship assistance has decreased even though beneficiaries have skyrocketed under National compared to when there were fewer beneficiaries and more hardship assistance during the same period last year.

“Times are hard and yet the Government has chosen not to support services like food banks, with some now closing their doors to hungry families because of National’s choices.

“Louise Upston has continued to ignore advice from her officials to the detriment of struggling Kiwis. Most recently, she went against advice and is preventing beneficiaries with non-financial sanctions from accessing hardship assistance, like food grants.

“When you’re cutting thousands of jobs, restricting access to MSD food grants, and then denying food banks the funding they need to support families – how do you expect vulnerable families to feed themselves?

“It’s been a year since the election and New Zealand is going backwards. Unemployment is on the rise and naturally, so are benefit numbers.

“The Government must take responsibility for its failings and actually support New Zealanders during this tough time, rather than kicking them while they’re down,” Carmel Sepuloni said. 

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News that 173 roles are being cut at Police will only put more pressure on the frontline.

“I am concerned about the lack of awareness the National Party has about the job police have to do,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said.

“Cutting 173 roles will mean police officers spend more time behind a desk and less time on the beat.

“There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes for a person to be found, charged and punished for a crime. Arresting someone is only one part of the job.

“Police Minister Mark Mitchell should front up, support the frontline and stop the cuts at Police,” Ginny Andersen said.

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Changes to outdated relationships legislation has passed its third reading giving family violence survivors the power to quickly dissolve abusive marriages.

“The Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill updates our marriage laws to remove the requirement to wait two years for a divorce in cases of family violence,” Dr Deborah Russell said.

“This is an important step towards helping people with violent partners to leave their relationships and removes a source of power that abusers can retain over their victims even after separation.”

The Member’s Bill was first introduced by former Labour MP Angie Warren-Clark, with Deborah Russell now seeing the legalisation through the House.

“I think this is an important milestone for all parties. It shows we can work together when it’s clear there is an issue that we can solve together – putting politics aside for the betterment of New Zealanders’ safety.

“This Bill also highlights the need for a much more thorough review of our divorce law so that it fits with modern realities. Our current law dates to 1980, and more than forty years later we have a very different way of forming and dissolving relationships,” Deborah Russell said.

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The Government’s cuts to the Apprenticeship Boost programme will leave New Zealand without the workforce it needs to build homes, schools and hospitals.

“As we see more and more skilled workers leaving the country, Penny Simmonds has cut the very tool that would ensure more people are trained to fill the gap,” Labour tertiary education spokesperson Dr Deborah Russell said.

“Apprentices in road construction and maintenance, drinking/wastewater treatment, welding and mechanical engineering are just some of the industries where the Apprenticeship Boost no longer applies.

“New Zealand continues to grapple with a growing infrastructure deficit that has been generations in the making. If the Government was truly serious about tackling it, you would think having a skilled workforce would be critical.

“With the economy stagnating, now is the time to support more businesses to take on apprentices to stimulate employment.

“After the global financial crisis, the previous National Government let apprenticeship numbers plummet and did nothing to support businesses to continue to put resource into training. Labour did the opposite during COVID-19 and supported businesses to keep people in work.

“Cutting the Apprenticeship Boost is only adding to rising unemployment, as thousands of Kiwis leave or lose their jobs in construction under National.

“Labour was proud to support businesses to keep on more than 62,000 apprentices through the Apprenticeship Boost programme.

“This is another example of Penny Simmonds taking the tertiary sector backwards. She will go down as the Minister who set polytechnics up to fail and failed New Zealand’s future workforce,” Dr Deborah Russell said.

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While today’s inflation numbers are good news for Kiwis, there are still struggles ahead with rising rents, rates, insurance and high unemployment.

“Inflation is at 2.2 percent, but the rest of the economy is sluggish,” Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said.

“The Reserve Bank was already on track to get inflation back into the target band. However, non-tradable inflation is still high. Rents are up 4.5 percent, local authority rates and payments are up 12.2 percent. 

“Skilled workers are leaving the country in droves, and with cuts to the apprenticeship boost, the workers to fill the gaps simply won’t exist.

“New Zealand continues to grapple with a growing infrastructure deficit that has been generations in the making. If the Government was truly serious about tackling it, you would think having a skilled workforce would be critical.

“Nicola Willis wants to take credit for getting inflation down. She should take responsibility for these statistics as well:

• Net New Zealand citizen migration has never been higher at 56,100
• There are 10,000 fewer people working in construction than when this Government took over
• 22,000 more people are on Job Seeker Benefit

“This Government’s decisions have led to a stagnant economy with fewer jobs,” Barbara Edmonds said.

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