Category: National Party

Source: National Party – Headline: Govt in spin mode on education funding

The Government needs to stop complaining and start getting on with its job, National’s Education Spokesperson Nikki Kaye says.

“Labour inherited a strong economy from the previous National Government, but it over promised during the election campaign and now it’s learning that its budget is too tight.

“In order to manage expectations about the meagre Budget the Government is about to deliver, it appears Education Minister Chris Hipkins is trying to rewrite history.

“But the fact is, under National the education budget increased every year we were in office and the overall education budget went from $8 billion to over $11 billion.

“When we came into government, we inherited a property portfolio with an average age of 40 years. There was no complete picture of the state of school property.

“We invested more than $5 billion in school property alone – the largest ever. This included more than 30 big projects including the $1.1 billion Christchurch schools rebuild, the $79 million Western Springs College rebuild and the $22 million upgrade for The Gardens School.

“The Auditor-General last year stated that during the time National was in Government, the management of the school property portfolio strengthened significantly.

“But we knew there was still more work to be done. That’s why a further $4.85 billion had been set aside over four years for education infrastructure, like school property.

“We were also investing in high-growth areas. Once Budget 2017 is taken into account, we were on track to deliver around 21,000 extra student places needed in Auckland by 2027.

“Mr Hipkins should release evidence to back up his claim of $200 million worth of unusable buildings. If he is suggesting school buildings are unsafe, there are potential legal consequences under health and safety laws.

“This is a government in spin mode. It allocated almost all its money to the fees free bribe, and none to the business-as-usual expenditure that always comes up in education. It just needs to get on with the job.”

Source: National Party – Headline: National updates tax ad to fight Labour’s fuel tax

The National Party is highlighting Labour’s double whammy of national and regional fuel tax increases by launching an advertisement to illustrate the costs faced by consumers and a petition to encourage people to voice their opposition, National’s Transport Spokesman Jami-Lee Ross says.

“These taxes will hurt consumers in the pocket. As well as the direct impact on what you pay at the pump, they have an effect on most other products you buy, and that really adds up,” Mr Ross says.

“The Government’s plan is to hit consumers twice, firstly in Auckland but also around the country.

“The net result is motorists paying up to a massive 25 cents a litre in more tax – that’s $15 every time you fill up the car.

“And the regional fuel tax legislation makes it clear that other regions are expected to be paying for regional fuel taxes even though Labour said they wouldn’t be able to.

“People will end up paying more and getting less. This is particularly so in regional New Zealand where the nationwide petrol tax increase is paired with a big decline in state highway investment.

“Regional New Zealanders are being made to shell out for new trams down Auckland’s Dominion Road.

“People are angry on this one. The Government needs to rethink its approach and ease up on the cost increases on Kiwis.

“They claim they are worried about people’s incomes and then they hit them with this.”

For more information visit www.stopthefueltax.co.nz. The ad can be viewed here.

Source: National Party – Headline: Marlborough Colleges co-location under threat

The co-location of Marlborough Boys’ College and Marlborough Girls’ College is under threat with the Ministry of Education confirming the project is under review, say National’s Associate Education Spokesperson Simeon Brown and Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith.

“In 2015 the previous Government announced plans to co-locate Marlborough Boys’ College and Girls College’ onto one site. The $63 million project is now in serious doubt as the new Government has put it under review despite overwhelming public support,” Mr Brown says.

“The two schools and the community have worked hard with the Ministry of Education on the design of the campus, which was expected to be built through a Public-Private Partnership. We know that PPPs can provide cost savings and deliver more innovative facilities.

“The Ministry has been in discussions to secure land for the campus since 2015. However, with the failure to secure a site and uncertainty created by the Government around the future of PPPs, the community is understandably worried about the co-location project.”

Mr Smith says news that the project is now under review will only fuel these concerns.

“The co-location is a great opportunity for Blenheim to build on our already excellent educational facilities by providing a more modern, innovative and state-of-the-art campus for the young people in our community,” he says.

“It is very disappointing to learn that the project has been put under review, especially given several years of community consultation and overwhelming public support. 

“Staff, students and parents have poured their hearts into developing plans for the co-location of their schools and it would be a real shame for all their hard work to go to waste.

“The Government has allowed the Whangārei Boys’ High School redevelopment to go ahead as a PPP as originally planned – Marlborough Boys’ and Girls’ Colleges deserve the same treatment.

“This is about ensuring our young people get the best opportunities to be successful. The Government needs to put aside its contempt for PPPs and allow this project to go ahead.

“I will be hosting a public meeting with Nikki Kaye and Simeon Brown on May 6 at 4.30pm, venue to be confirmed. We want to hear from the community their thoughts on the review and the best way forward.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Plans for light rail taking Wellington off the track

Plans for light rail in Wellington at the expense of better regional roads are misguided at best, National Party Associate Transport spokesperson Brett Hudson says.

“Following the release of the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), which strips billions of dollars out of regional roading funding, Wellington Mayor Justin Lester was quick to play up the prospects of light rail for Wellington.

“But this ignores the fact that while the GPS does show an increase in funding for mass transit at the expense of hugely important regional roads, this funding decreases over time. So much so it would be surprising if there was much left for rail after the Government’s pet Auckland tram project is fully funded.

“The business case for trams in Wellington is also weak.

“The Greater Wellington Region Council says light rail for Wellington would cost close to billion dollars and return as little as $47m in benefits.

“That’s why we need to focus on solutions that are actually going to help get Wellington moving, like the currently under construction northern routes and the planned investments in our southern corridor. But we don’t even know whether all of these will still go ahead.

“Bus Rapid Transit is also a lower cost alternative. That could be implemented now and route designations secured for light rail in the future, when the business case makes sense.

“Wellington needs investment to unlock its potential and to make the movement of people and goods more efficient. The Get Wellington Moving initiative initiated by the previous Government has identified opportunities for major improvements across all modes of transport around Wellington.

“It’s a once in a generation opportunity and it’s vital we get it right. If we’re going to ask taxpayers across New Zealand to contribute to Wellington’s transport, we owe it to them to make sure those investments return genuine economic benefits.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Bill to give co-ops clarity drawn from ballot

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller’s Members’ Bill which would give clarity around dividend rules has been drawn from the ballot and will be debated in Parliament.

“I am pleased that my Members’ Bill, the Companies (Clarification of Dividend Rules in Companies) Amendment Bill, has been drawn from the ballot. This Bill would amend the Companies Act 1993 to provide legal certainty around dividend rules,” Mr Muller says.

“There is currently doubt about the ability of a company’s constitution to provide for ‘dry shares’. These are shares which do not carry dividend rights in prescribed circumstances and are typically used in cooperatives when the shareholder no longer supplies the cooperative.

“Currently, section 36 of the Act suggests that provision for dry shares can be made in the constitution of a company. However, section 53 can be read in a manner that would seem to negate that right. This amendment seeks to clear up this historic confusion, which will provide much more clarity for cooperatives and shareholders.

“This simple amendment is supported by Cooperative Business New Zealand and makes it categorically clear that the constitution of a company can provide that shares in a class do not confer a right to receive dividends in the circumstances specified in the constitution.

“Zespri has also welcomed the clarity this Member’s Bill would offer on this point which has created challenges for them in the past as a grower-owned organisation. This change would help simplify the shareholding rules for both Zespri and their kiwifruit grower-shareholders.

“Most of my professional career has been in New Zealand’s agricultural sector, where cooperatives flourish, and I know from first-hand experience the challenges that have occurred around the interpretation of the current act. 

“The passage of this Bill will build on the work that the previous National Government carried out to make doing business in New Zealand easier. I will be seeking cross-party support for this Bill from first to final reading.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Aucklanders hoodwinked over fuel taxes

The Government has hoodwinked Auckland ratepayers by keeping them in the dark on a second fuel tax hike while public consultation was being carried out on the first, National’s Local Government (Auckland) spokesperson Denise Lee says.

“The Government let Auckland Council go to the public to build support for an 11.5 cent per litre regional fuel tax – but kept its intention to slap them with a second increase within weeks quiet.

“That’s an appalling breach of faith.

“Aucklanders were told they would be paying up to 11.5 cents more per litre on fuel and given the chance to have their say.

“Now, the Government has proposed a nationwide increase, meaning Aucklanders could actually be paying up to 25 cents per litre more. That’s a huge additional cost on Auckland motorists meaning drivers could pay an extra $10 to $15 every time they fill up.

“It’s clear that Auckland Council was kept in the dark and as result they inadvertently mislead Auckland ratepayers on how much more they will be paying at the pump.

“The Government now faces serious questions about its openness and integrity throughout this process and the value it places on public consultation.

“How can we have confidence in this coalition Government when it does not give the public the full context when making such an important decision?

“Council and Government must work closely together to find a solution to Auckland’s transport issues, and this withholding of information undermines the trust in this important relationship.

“Aucklanders are now being asked to double down on these new taxes. They should have been given the full picture before being asked to submit on these changes.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Projects poor compensation for loss of development

Handouts from the Shane Jones’ provincial slush fund are a very poor substitute for policies that encourage regions to grow and succeed, National Party Regional Development Spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“The Government is playing a massive confidence trick on regional New Zealand by introducing numerous policies that will damage regional economies and then turning up with a few handouts and expecting that to compensate for the damage,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“Today Shane Jones has landed in Taranaki which just happens to have a massive cloud over its economy because of the Government’s attitude to the region’s crucial oil and gas industry.

“And he expects a few cheques for feasibility studies and the Cathedral to cover that off. Well it won’t, especially when the previous government had already announced much of this funding, including for the Cathedral before the last election.

“This is occurring in a week where the Government has continued to put the boot into regional New Zealand by hiking road taxes and decreasing regional roading investment, and then cancelling irrigation funding.

“If you take that along with their policies of stopping international investment in the primary sector, regional New Zealand will definitely be thinking they’ve been sold a pup with this Shane Jones fund.

“Mr Jones needs to front up to Taranaki business leaders and the gas industry today and tell them he’ll back them and ensure they can continue to benefit Taranaki and the wider economy.

“If he can’t do that he has simply become an apologist for the Labour-Green policies that are steadily dealing to regional New Zealand.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Parents’ choice on ECE snubbed by Govt

Parents who have chosen privately owned early childhood services for their children have been put on notice by the Minister of Education, National Party spokesperson for Early Childhood Education Nicola Willis says.

“The Government is planning major changes to early childhood education through their Early Learning Strategic Plan. Terms of reference released yesterday indicate the Minister’s intention of ‘turning the tide away’ from private provision of early childhood education services,” Ms Willis says.

“By suggesting that the Government will move away from private early education the Education Minister is really saying that he doesn’t approve of parents’ choice of provider.

“Parents choose their children’s early childhood centres with care and every family’s circumstances are different. Any given centre, including a private centre, is chosen because it meets a family’s needs in terms of operating hours, location, philosophy and quality of education.

“Parents are best placed to make those choices. All centres, regardless of ownership structure, are required to meet Government-mandated quality standards. Private centres play an important role in the sector and have grown to meet the changing needs of families juggling work and children.

“It beggars belief that the Minister thinks he knows better than families what type of providers they should choose.

“New Zealand’s early childhood sector is rich because of the diversity of providers within it – from kindergartens and kōhanga reo to playcentres and home-based care. 

“I’m sure parents around the country, like me, will welcome the Minister’s focus on the quality of learning in early childhood education. However, it’s reckless of him to link quality concerns with growth in privately run centres as the terms of reference for this review does.

“While a review of quality is welcome, the ownership structure of the providers should not come into it. The results for the child should be the focus.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Govt deals body-blow to farmers and growers

The Ardern-Peters Government has dealt a body-blow to farmers and growers in pandering to its mates in the Green Party and axing funding to irrigation projects, National Party spokesperson for Agriculture Nathan Guy says.

“Not only that, but it looks to me like it isn’t honouring its commitments to industries relying on these projects,” Mr Guy says.

“When they were first sworn in late last year, the new ministers received a briefing from Crown Irrigation outlining several projects that it had financial commitments to.

“While three projects – in Canterbury, Kurow and Waimea – will be completed, three projects – Hunter Downs, Hurunui and Flaxbourne – have been left high and dry. 

“That’s despite the fact many farmers, growers and councils in these areas have invested their own money and time to progress these localised schemes for over a decade. They’ve bent over backwards to meet the strict environmental consent conditions required to secure government backing.

“Many of those I’ve already spoken to feel this decision by the coalition Government is not in good faith, and a real kick in the guts.

“In the case of Hunter Downs in South Canterbury, farmers have raised $40 million in capital knowing that if they met all the criteria they would secure the funding. While this scheme was going to support 21,000 hectares of irrigation it was also designed to increase flows into Wainono lagoon and supply water to Timaru and Waimate townships. 

“The Hurunui community in North Canterbury has battled through three years of continuous droughts that caused heaps of stress and anxiety.

“These farmers have persisted for over 18 years to get their water storage scheme close to design stage. It would have turbo-charged the region with 21,000 hectares of irrigatable land – most of it for sheep and beef production.

“The small Flaxbourne scheme of 2,200 hectares east of Blenheim would have turned dry hill country carrying a handful of sheep into productive vineyards and arable crops.

“While the Grant Robertson thinks he can dance through legal loopholes and ditch these three schemes, they have neglected their moral obligations.

“The dreams and aspirations farmers have had of mitigating droughts and growing high-value food have literally turned to dust.

“Damien O’Connor – who declared six regions in drought this summer – has been rolled by the Greens and will be forever remembered as a weak Minister of Agriculture for not standing up for rural communities,” Mr Guy says. 

Source: National Party – Headline: Bill to introduce second-tier patent system drawn

New Zealand innovators could get a smoother path to success, as a Member’s Bill is drawn for debate in Parliament to provide intellectual property rights to advancements that may not qualify for a standard patent.

National Party Science and Innovation spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar will introduce the bill which has been drafted after taking into account experience from European countries and Australia, especially the most recent recommendations for a similar initiative to make the Australian system more effective.

“My Patents (Advancement Patents) Amendment Bill will introduce a more accessible and cost-effective second-tier patent system that will protect novel creations that don’t qualify for the standard patent,” Dr Parmar says.

“I am very committed to providing innovator protection over the use of their creation through a second-tier patent system, providing an opportunity for visionaries and creative people to keep working on their innovations without fear of being copied.

“It will also provide forward-thinking people with the opportunity to commercialise their creation whilst continuing the vital research and development component of our economy.

“Protecting ideas and advancements will help New Zealand innovators to stay competitive and stand out on the international stage.

“I will be seeking cross-parliament support for this bill.

“We should not be waiting – we must promote the advancement of technology and my bill will help ensure that New Zealanders continue to benefit from their creativity and innovation with a system that better supports the development of new and forward-thinking ideas.”