Category: National Party

Source: National Party – Headline: Youth crime more than halved under National

Latest figures showing that the youth offending rate more than halved over National’s time in office prove that National was on the right track and the new Government’s softer policies will risk undoing the good work, National’s Justice Spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“In his first statement on youth justice today, Associate Justice Minister Aupito William Sio celebrated the significant drop in youth offending achieved under the National Government.

“Between 2009/10 and 2016/17, offending for children aged 10-13 years dropped by 59 per cent, while offending by young people aged 12-14 years fell by 63 per cent.

“That’s a result of National’s huge focus on tackling youth offending. Initiatives like the Youth Crime Action Plan, our social investment approach, and the roll out of the Rangatahi Courts have had a real impact.

“Early results have shown that young people who attend Rangatahi Courts committed 14 per cent fewer offences and were 11 per cent less likely to commit a new serious offence in the following year than comparable youth. 

“National’s plan was working, so it’s concerning to hear statements from the Ardern-Peters Government indicating that it wants to go soft on crime.

“We know that there is still a small group of young offenders who are much harder to crack. That’s why we announced a policy during the campaign to introduce a new category of Young Serious Offenders and greater powers for courts to deal with those offenders.

“The challenge for the new Government will be to not only tackle offending by this very serious group of young criminals, but to ensure that the overall youth offending rate continues to trend down.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Yet another broken promise from floundering Govt

Labour looks set to break its election promise to lower the cost of GP visits by $10, leaving New Zealanders further out of pocket and GP practices at risk of closure, National’s Health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says.

“Both National and Labour promised during the election to lower the cost of GP visits.

“But Labour is already preparing to break its promise to lower the fee cap for Very Low Cost Access (VLCA) practices from $18 to $8 and to $2 for teens – as well as its pledge to increase funding for all practices that lowered their fees by $10 per visit.

“All this was meant to happen from 1 July but it now appears yet another victim of the Government’s inability to manage the books, it’s poor spending decisions and its continued raid on the back pockets of New Zealanders.

“Sources in the GP community advise me that the pledges will at best be delayed, and at worst canned altogether, pending a review – yes, yet another Government working group – of primary health funding.

“New Zealand Doctor also reported last week that some practices believed the funding changes would threaten their viability and some might have to close.

“Regardless of the reasons for the delay, the Government made an unequivocal commitment to reduce the cost of GP fees for New Zealanders. 

“Health Minister David Clark is apparently still working through the package of initiatives as part of the Budget process but that’s not good enough. This was a firm promise to New Zealanders when Labour was trying to get into Government – but now in power it’s trying to renege.

“The Prime Minister made much of the policy when she made the announcement at Mangere last year, saying the fees reduction would be implemented while Labour undertook a review of primary care, not after it. 

“She stated the Labour Party had been working on the policy for some time but clearly not long enough for them to deliver on their promise or to effectively engage the GP community.

“After just six months the list of u-turns, broken promises and bad decisions made by this floundering Government is growing by the day, and raising real concerns.

“This likely backtrack looks to be another example of a policy that was poorly thought through or costed. GP practices and New Zealanders deserve to know what the Government’s real intentions are.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Government again targets regional NZ

National stands behind New Zealand’s international commitments to reducing emissions but has cautioned against drastic action which will unfairly impact New Zealand farmers and businesses, spokesperson for Climate Change Todd Muller says.

“The Government has today established an Interim Climate Change Committee that will work on New Zealand’s efforts to meet our international climate change commitments – and right away set it the task of targeting regional New Zealand.

“New Zealand’s international commitments were made by the previous National Government because we believe New Zealand can and should play its part – but that we must do so in a sustainable way.

“We must also do it in a way that recognises the unique challenges we face – including the fact half of our emissions come from agriculture and we don’t yet have a cost effective way of mitigating them.

“But the fact the first task the Government’s committee has been assigned is how to bring agriculture into New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme shows a worrying lack of concern for our farmers and economy.

“Forcing agriculture into the ETS before we have the technology available to reduce emissions without culling stock will amount to nothing more than another unfair tax on farmers and regional New Zealand.

“The target of 100 per cent renewable electricity generation by 2035 also shows the Government does not fully understand the complexities of the challenge – or how vulnerable such a reliance could leave New Zealand’s electricity network.

“There are other issues where the committee’s efforts and considerable experience and expertise would be better focused in the meantime, for example how we might achieve a faster and broader economy-wide uptake of renewable transport.

“So far this just looks like another win for the Greens over NZ First and a raid on regional New Zealand.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Inspector-General has serious questions to answer

Appointments to a new Intelligence and Security Reference Group raise a number of serious questions for Inspector-General Cheryl Gwyn, National’s Spokesperson for GSCB and NZSIS Gerry Brownlee says.

“The Inspector-General has said this group has been brought together to help her stand ‘in the shoes of the public’.

“But several members of her group are far from objective in their view of our intelligence relationships, or in some cases the existence of intelligence services at all.

“Nicky Hager made his views about the Security Intelligence Service clear in a public talk in 2011, when he said the agencies should have been closed in the 1990s because their ‘main long-term anti-communist rationale [was] gone’.

“He then questioned the legitimacy of their role in identifying and monitoring terrorist threats.

“The Inspector-General needs to explain how this group was appointed. That they have been appointed and met with the Inspector-General before their appointment was made public is worrying given the values she is supposed to promote.

“Did the Inspector-General discuss the appointments of the group with the Prime Minister before the first meeting? And what statutory power can she cite for the appointments?

“Will this group have top secret clearance? If so, how can we be sure the information they will have access to will be secure?

“Will the Inspector-General be sharing intelligence with them? Where will the line be drawn?

“And what role will this group’s opinions have in the oversight of our intelligence operations?

“It is naïve to believe that New Zealand does not need intelligence and security services. Our intelligence and security agencies deal with very sensitive information and must be able to operate with discretion.

“The Inspector-General needs to clear these matters up urgently and answer the questions that the appointments of this group raises, so that our intelligence community can be confident in the progress of their work.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Common sense prevails for Govt’s ECan decision

National Party spokesperson for Greater Christchurch Regeneration has welcomed the decision by Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta to follow the previous National Governments’ approach to keep the current Environment Canterbury (ECan) board.

“Nanaia Mahuta is making a sensible decision to keep the current ECan Board and returning to a full democracy at the 2019 local body election, as the previous National Government had planned,” Ms Wagner says.

“Labour made plenty of noise about the lack of full democracy in Canterbury whilst in Opposition. Both present Ministers Eugenie Sage and Megan Woods led an aggressive campaign to have full elections immediately.

“Yet again, now that Labour is in Government it has abandoned its policy and is continuing with the plan started by National.

“Our long-term approach whilst in Government was designed to improve the standards at ECan. In 2009, the previous Government appointed commissioners to ECan following repeated poor performance by the council in achieving their regulatory requirements.

“Thanks to the hard work of the commissioners and the strong, sensible leadership of Dame Margaret Bazley and David Bedford, Canterbury now has one of the best performing regional councils in New Zealand.

“This has always been about making good decisions for Canterbury. The commissioners were put in to complete the water management plan for Canterbury which had languished under the leadership of the previous council.

“Nanaia Mahuta’s decision shows that the long-term plan started in 2009 has been effective. Half of the members on ECan were elected in 2016 and the plan had long been for the full council to be elected in 2019.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Minister needs to answer questions on Middlemore

Documents provided to the Minister of Health David Clark as released by media today raise serious questions about whether the Minister misled New Zealanders about his knowledge of problems at Middlemore Hospital.

“Given these documents, it is simply not believable for the Minister to claim not to have been briefed by the DHB about wider building issues after he visited Middlemore in early March to inspect the Scott Building,” National Party Health spokesperson Michael Woodhouse says.

“The Minister of Health has been asked questions about his knowledge of the problems at Middlemore for some time now and these documents indicate that he would have known more than he’s admitted.

“These documents clearly indicate that the Minister was briefed as early as October and not only took no action at that time but claimed not to have been informed of the issues.

“This raises serious questions of whether the Minister has misled the media, Parliament and the public, and I think they are owed an urgent explanation.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Government slowing New Zealand down

The latest Infometrics economic forecasts show that after just six months the Ardern-Peters Government is steadily dismantling New Zealand’s strong economy with poor policies, Leader of the Opposition Simon Bridges says.

“Infometrics is saying growth will slow to below 2 per cent next year when Treasury’s pre-election forecasts had growth at 3.7 per cent in 2019,” Mr Bridges says. “That’s almost cutting growth in half.

“And Infometrics is unusually blunt in sheeting home the blame for their lower growth expectations to the policies of this Coalition Government.

“They identify infrastructure, house building and immigration policies as key reasons for the expected decline.

“And worse is to come. This forecast doesn’t take into account the Government’s employment law changes, and this week’s announcements around oil and gas and irrigation funding that will worry investors and slow down regional New Zealand.”

Mr Bridges says New Zealand should be speeding up, not slowing down.

“The world economy is growing faster than it was last year. We should be growing more quickly, adding more jobs, and seeing wages rise.

“If a slowdown happens, the Government will get less tax revenue. Treasury is currently relying on having strong growth next year, not 2 per cent. Lower growth means less money for social services like health and education and an even bigger problem for the Government’s budget.”

Mr Bridges says the Government is on track to be the author of its own misfortune.

“The only thing that has changed New Zealand negatively is the economic policies of this Government. They need to seriously rethink their approach.

“If this slowdown happens it will simply mean lost opportunities for Kiwi workers and their families, and less public services for all.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Bidois selected as National’s Northcote candidate

Dan Bidois has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate to fight the Northcote by-election.

Mr Bidois is currently Strategy Manager for Foodstuffs. He was raised and educated in Auckland, leaving school at 15 to complete a butchery apprenticeship with Woolworth’s New Zealand. Aspirational for his future, he went on to study at the University of Auckland, and attended Harvard University on a Fulbright Scholarship. He has worked as a strategist and economist in New Zealand, the United States, and Malaysia.

“It’s a true honour to be selected as National’s candidate in Northcote,” Mr Bidois says.

“I’m incredibly proud to have the chance to take up the fight for Northcote residents and represent them in Parliament. 

“Northcote residents work hard and pay their fair share of rates and taxes. They expect their fair share of quality services in return – like un-congested roads and better public transport options – and they deserve a Council and Government that can manage their finances to provide these services without constant rates and tax increases.

“The hard-working people of Northcote are not a Piggy Bank for Phil Goff, Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters to raid to pay for pet projects on the other side of the Bridge that won’t benefit us here.

“I’m asking for your support because you deserve better, and I want to be part of a National team in Wellington that will stand up to those in power to address the issues facing Northcote.

“My message to Northcote voters is simple: I am in this race for you, to fight to get this electorate moving and the services you deserve.

“With a strong MP like me in your corner, we can and will get results.”

 

Source: National Party – Headline: PM must reinforce NZ’s commitment to EU and UK FTAs

National Party Trade Spokesperson Todd McClay welcomes news that the Prime Minister will prioritise discussions about a free trade deal with the European Union and a Post Brexit Trade talks with the UK as part of her visit to Europe and London this week.

Mr McClay says the UK confirmed in February last year that New Zealand would be ‘first cab off the rank for a trade deal’, with negotiations expected to commence early next year.

“It is also my expectation that unless something disastrous happens, the European Council of Ministers will meet at the end of May to give the European Commission permission to formally start negotiations for a free trade agreement with New Zealand,” Mr McClay says.

“This is very good news for New Zealand and comes after more than five years of discussions and hard work under the previous National Government.

“An FTA with the EU will be worth billions of dollars a year and has the potential to create thousands more jobs for New Zealanders.

“It’s encouraging to see that the Prime Minister will be placing the EU-NZ and UK-NZ FTAs high on her European agenda, however some EU countries will still likely have questions about New Zealand’s position on Russia.

“Given her Government’s unusual enthusiasm for a Russian trade deal, the Prime Minister must very clearly explain New Zealand’s position to avoid any doubt about our commitment to formal trade talks with the EU and UK.

“It’s important that the Prime Minister gives them a clear answer and assures them that an EU trade deal and UK FTA is a real priorities for New Zealand.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Kaye to support NZ Commonwealth Games Athletes

National Party spokesperson for Sport and Recreation Nikki Kaye is heading to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games tomorrow to show her support for our Kiwi athletes.

“All of our athletes have worked extremely hard to represent our country in their chosen sport at this year’s Commonwealth Games and we are very proud of them,” Ms Kaye says.

“New Zealand has over 250 athletes competing in the Games including 13 para athletes competing in 3 para sports and I am excited for the opportunity to see the games and support our athletes.

“We may be a small nation but the New Zealand team has had huge success, gaining 10 gold medals, 12 silver and 9 bronze, with a couple of days still to go. These are results to be proud of and I am sure there is more to come.

“Australia must also be congratulated for their hugely successful event and they can be proud of the organisation and facilities they have delivered.

“As National’s new spokesperson for Sport and Recreation, it is great to support our athletes as they compete on the world stage and also to learn from other countries about policies that may be beneficial to New Zealand athletes.

“As part of my trip, I look forward to attending several sporting events and am pleased to be attending a breakfast organised by Mike Stanley, the President of the New Zealand Olympic Committee. This breakfast will give me the opportunity to congratulate many of the New Zealand athletes participating in the Games.

“I will also have a range of meetings whilst at the Games, including with the Australian Minister of Sport, Senator Hon Bridget McKenzie.”