Category: National Party

Source: National Party – Headline: Members’ Bill to provide help for smokers to quit

National MP Nicky Wagner is looking to improve laws around the accessibility of e-cigarettes to provide less harmful alternatives for long-term smokers that will help them kick the habit.

“The Members’ Bill I lodged this week, the Smoke-free Environments (Regulation of Electronic Cigarettes) Amendment Bill, designed to allow electronic cigarettes containing nicotine to be sold to persons over 18 years of age,” Mrs Wagner says.

“Currently the sale and supply of nicotine e-cigarettes and e-liquid as consumer products is illegal. However, the Ministry of Health itself has said that e-cigarettes have the potential to contribute to the Smokefree 2025 goal.

“E-cigarettes offer a better alternative to ordinary cigarettes for long-term, more engrained smokers and are significantly less harmful than smoking tobacco. They also pose no identified health risks to bystanders.

“While our smoking rate continues to decline, we still lose 4500-5000 New Zealanders each year to smoking-related illnesses. We must be open to alternatives that help to wean smokers off cigarettes and have fewer health risks.

“Although the numbers of smokers are decreasing and less young people are taking it up there is a group of long-term smokers, particularly Maori and Pasifika, who find it extremely difficult to quit.

“Vaping and electronic cigarettes are not a cure-all, but they offer an alternative for bridging the gap between a long-term habit and quitting altogether.

“There is no evidence that electronic cigarettes provide a gateway for smokers of tobacco cigarettes or that non-smokers are attracted to electronic cigarettes.

“I encourage all my Parliamentary colleagues to support this Bill through first reading.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Bill to improve financial security for foster children drawn

Clutha-Southland MP Hamish Walker’s Members’ Bill to help improve the future financial security of foster children by providing access to KiwiSaver for children in foster care has been drawn from the ballot this afternoon and will be debated in Parliament.

“The KiwiSaver (Foster Parent Opting in for Children in their Care) Amendment Bill will make it possible for any foster parent, or Kin carer, to open a KiwiSaver account for a foster child in their care,” Mr Walker says.

“I am delighted that my Bill was drawn from the members’ ballot today. Foster children are among the most vulnerable children in New Zealand and foster parents and Kin carers go through significant barriers to establish suitability for care.

“There are many foster parents and carers who want to provide the best possible future for the children in their care, even if they never achieve legal guardianship. That includes ensuring that their foster child has some financial security.

“My Bill will make it possible for any foster parent, or Kin carer, who has proof of their foster responsibility to directly approach a KiwiSaver provider to open an account for a foster child in their care.

“At present, the only way for a foster parent or Kin carer to open a KiwiSaver account is by application to their allocated social worker and it relies on a complex process within a bureaucratic framework.

“A KiwiSaver account is the only financial instrument that no-one except the owner of the account itself can access. KiwiSaver has also offered not to charge for the accounts of foster children until there is a significant sum in the account.

“The passage of his Bill would add to the work National undertook during its time in Government to improve the lives of New Zealand’s most vulnerable children. I hope that Parliament supports this Bill to first reading.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Health Minister must release conflict statement

The Minister for Health David Clark has acknowledged that there is a conflict of interest with the independent reviewer of the $90 million National Oracle Solution IT programme, but is yet to release the details, National Party associate spokesperson for Health Dr Shane Reti says.

“Under prolonged questioning in the House this week, the Health Minister admitted that a conflict exists with the independent reviewer of the National Oracle solution project but suggests that because it had been declared there is nothing to worry about,” Dr Reti says.

“Even if, as he suggests, there is nothing to worry about with Deloitte’s review of their subsidiary company’s programme he needs to release the conflicts statement so that the sector can have confidence in the programme.

“This is a vital project that will lead to savings for the health sector and improvements in patient care, but the delays are causing significant uncertainty and cost to the Health sector.

“The Minister’s vague assurances that the conflict has been managed are not enough. The taxpayer can reasonably expect to hold the Minister to account for what may be millions of dollars.

“I am asking for the Minister to release the reviewer’s conflict of interest statement so that once the review of the programme is complete and the programme is finalised the sector can have confidence in the National Oracle Solution going forward.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Government continues raid on regions

The Government’s confirmation it will axe major irrigation projects is the second major blow it’s dealt to regional New Zealand in a week, National’s Paul Goldsmith and Nathan Guy say.

“Fresh from whacking a major new fuel tax on New Zealand motorists the Government has announced it will leave regional farmers and growers at the mercy of prolonged droughts by canning support for important irrigation projects,” National’s Agriculture spokesperson Nathan Guy says.

“This is a huge blow to regional New Zealand which is facing an increasingly uncertain future as a result of this Government’s raid on our regions.

“This summer alone saw six regions declared in drought as dry weather hammered primary producers right around New Zealand. These irrigation projects would have given them the certainty they could deal with future dry spells but that certainty’s now been ripped away.

“This Government claims it wants to help grow our exports and support our primary industries to add value but instead of standing behind regional New Zealand it’s taking its taxes and turning its back.

Mr Goldsmith says the Government’s regional growth strategy is a mess.

“It’s Jekyll and Hyde and seems to come down to which of Labour’s two support parties wins the day.

“One day Shane Jones sticks his finger in the air and doles out taxpayer cash for pet projects, the next day four ministers announce the Government will rip $5b out of regional road funding but tax motorists more and the next it is stripping millions out of important and demonstrably effective regional irrigation projects.

“That’s on top of seriously undermining future foreign investment, making it increasingly difficult to find staff and putting potential free trade agreements at real risk.

“It just shows the Government has no clear strategy.

“It says it supports regional New Zealand but it continues to put the boot in. Axing irrigation projects makes it harder for farmers and growers to do their jobs, harder for them to create jobs, harder to grow our exports and harder for New Zealanders to get ahead.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Rollout of Kauri cleaning stations welcomed

National Party Conservation spokesperson Sarah Dowie has welcomed the Department of Conservation’s rollout of cleaning stations in response to the spread of kauri dieback.

“Kauri dieback is devastating our forests and one of our most iconic tree species and we must be doing everything we can to stop it.

“The previous National Government was hugely focused on doing so, initially allocating nearly $30 million dollars to fast-track and beef up the Government’s response.

“Since then however, the new Government and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage have been too slow in moving to stop the spread.

“The Minister needs to start getting more done to ensure that Conservation is not a forgotten priority.

“On top of her inexplicable failure to rollout monitoring cameras on fishing boats to better protect our marine species she is fast looking like she is either uncommitted to conservation or failing to get the support of her fellow governing parties to do her job.

“In the meantime action on protecting our environment has gone backwards, kauri dieback continues to spread, and we need more action from our floundering Government.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Floundering PM repeatedly misleads over fuel taxes

The Prime Minister has repeatedly misled New Zealanders by claiming the previous Government was planning a 20 cent per litre fuel tax hike, as she has tried and failed to sell her Government’s transport plans, National’s Transport spokesperson Jami-Lee Ross says.

“New Zealanders are about to be whacked by an increase of up to 25 cents a litre – or $15 every time they fill their cars. At the same time the Government is planning to gut regional roading funding so it can pump more cash into trams in Auckland.

“Motorists and communities right around New Zealand are about to be hammered at the petrol pump – yet get fewer new roads – and the Prime Minister’s justification amounts to ‘Well the previous Government was going to charge 20 cents a litre more too’.

“Well that’s bogus.

“The previous Government had committed to new roads right around New Zealand because the National Party understands how important they are to our regions. But while officials had recommended an increase to pay for some of them, we rejected that advice and committed to the projects under existing funding allocations.

“We were very clear on that during the election – the same one where the Prime Minister also promised no new taxes.

“The Prime Minister has also pointed to a 17 cent per litre rise in fuel prices under the previous National Government as justification for her raid on the back pockets of hardworking New Zealanders. That was over nine years.

“Well just six months in she’s announced a hike of up to 25 cents. That includes the proposed new nationwide fuel tax increase and the upcoming Auckland regional fuel tax which could be rolled out to the rest of New Zealand in three years.

“This is just the start and it’s a bad one. The Government needs to stop treating motorists like an ATM and it needs to deliver for our regions.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Regional NZ to lose billions in roading investment

The Government has today confirmed that it plans to gut regional roading projects to pay for trams in Auckland, and to charge regional motorists more to do so, National’s Transport spokesperson Jami-Lee Ross says.

“Today’s announcement will be met with anger and disappointment right around New Zealand, with the Government confirming it will cut around $5 billion out of the state highway construction programme over the next 10 years.

“That means roads which would have improved safety, created jobs, boosted regional economic growth and better connected our regional farmers and producers to our major centres will be axed.

“This is an extraordinary blow for regional New Zealand, from a Government which has claimed to stand behind it. Instead, the Government is saying their needs are secondary and ensuring tourists can get from the Auckland CBD to the airport is more pressing.

“Motorists right around New Zealand will also be shocked at the extraordinary new taxes the Government plans to impose on them.

“Aucklanders could actually find themselves paying as much as 25 cents a litre extra for their fuel within three years – once the proposed annual fuel excise and proposed regional fuel tax are taken into account.

“That means they will pay an extra $10 to $15 every time they fill up – and in less than three years the rest of New Zealand could be paying that fuel tax too, under legislation the Government introduced last week.

“That this Government will continue the previous Government’s commitment to road safety is to be applauded, but it is undermining that by axing the construction of New Zealand’s safest and busiest roads – the Roads of National Significance.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Progress for pay equity blocked by Government

Progress towards closing the gender pay gap has once again been delayed after the Government refused to support Denise Lee’s private Members’ Bill on pay equity during its first reading debate in Parliament last night.

“By voting against my Members’ Bill, the Employment (Pay Equity and Equal Pay) Bill, the coalition Government is telling women in New Zealand that pay equity is not a priority on their agenda. It also delays giving women the ability to lodge pay equity claims by months, if not years,” Ms Lee says.

“The Government has opposed every step to supporting women to achieve pay equity for the past nine months, but in that time, they have not put forward a single alternative proposal.

“It is beyond belief that this Government would claim to recognise the urgency of this issue but block its progress at every opportunity.

“Given this most recent obstruction, they have an obligation to the women of New Zealand to at least produce a timeline of when they plan to introduce their own legislation – women deserve to know when they will be recognised for their true value.

“The argument that we should wait for them to introduce ‘better’ legislation simply does not stack up.

“They have the numbers to make improvements or amend this Bill as they see fit. Why should women be forced to wait before the Government can introduce their own version of what I expect will be a very similar bill.

“The hard work has already been done in preparing this bill, but this Government wants to go back to the drawing board for political point-scoring.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Electoral Bill conflicts with Parliamentary Privilege Act

The Government’s Electoral Integrity Bill which would enable party leaders to dismiss an MP if the leader believes the MP distorts the proportionality of Parliament has hit further problems by clashing with the Parliamentary Privilege Act 2014, National Party spokesperson for Electoral Law Dr Nick Smith says.

“This flagship policy from the Ardern-Peters Government has hit the rocks by clashing with the Bill of Rights and is now taking on water because it also conflicts with the Parliamentary Privilege Act,” Dr Smith says.

“The Government has come under significant pressure and criticism on this draconian electoral Bill and the Justice Minister needs to pull this Bill before it sinks.

“The Government’s electoral Bill enables a party leader to dismiss an MP when the leader reasonably believes that proportionality of Parliament had been distorted.

“However, the only check on this broad ranging power given to party leaders is the courts, yet this power has been hamstrung by the Parliamentary Privilege Act which prohibits the courts from questioning or inquiring into voting records, debates or the proceedings of Parliament.

“The Bill has already been dammed by over twenty legal and political academics for breaching the Bill of Rights in respect of freedom of speech and freedom of association.

“Even the Attorney-General has admitted the Bill will have ‘a chilling effect on an MP’s freedom to express themselves inside and outside the House’.

“This Bill contradicts New Zealand’s democratic traditions of respect for free speech, the separation of powers from the courts and tolerance of dissent.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Councils are in the dark over roading projects

Councils around the country have been left on a road to nowhere while the Government delays providing important details on national land transport funding for the next three years, National’s Local Government spokesperson Jacqui Dean says.

“Local authorities are currently in the process of finalising their ten-year plans, but with key roading expenditure details in the Government’s National Land Transport Programme still a couple of months away, councils are working in the dark.

“This is a major slip-up from central government and shows just how little regard they have for councils in the regions, with their main focus being on Auckland and its roading issues.

“Central government should be working in partnership with local government to safeguard economic growth and development in the regions, and yet we can see where the loyalties lie for the Ardern-Peters leadership.

“Roading expenditure is one of the core functions of local authorities. They need certainty from Government now in order to set their rates and make vital decisions on future roading projects, they do not deserve to be left in the dark.

“It is unacceptable to take roading funding from the regions in favour of Auckland, while the Government leaves 78 local authorities to make significant decisions without the information they vitally need.”