Category: Political Parties

Source: National Party – Headline: Jones has explaining to do on Provincial Fund

A review’s finding that MBIE officials failed to do basic background checks on the people behind the proposed waste-to-energy scheme is exactly what we’d expect from Mr Jones’ $3 billion slush fund, National’s Regional Development Spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“It reflects badly on the officials concerned, but worse on the Government which has put enormous pressure on the Ministry,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“Mr Jones has been so determined to shovel money out the door as quickly as possible, basic due diligence on who is receiving the public money wasn’t carried out.

“And the Minister shamelessly admitted the reason for the rush in a speech in Rotorua recently – there’s only 29 months to the next election.

“This is money earned by the people of New Zealand and paid over to the Government in their taxes. We all have the right to expect that care will be taken in how it is spent.

“The Prime Minister should read the riot act to Mr Jones about his Provincial Growth Fund. Taxpayers’ money is not there for him to hand over to whomever he thinks.

“She should also take responsibility for the style of her Government which is emerging.

“The Prime Minister promised a new style of politics, of openness and transparency, and yet here we have her Ministers and officials sneaking out bad news at 4pm on a Friday while she’s overseas.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Twyford misleads on rail again

Transport Minister Phil Twyford has once again misled New Zealand over his plans to fund transport projects, National Party Transport Spokesperson, Jami-Lee-Ross says.

“On the AM Show this morning Mr Twyford was asked directly if he was taking money out of State Highways like Warkworth to Whangarei to pay for public transport in Auckland, and he said he wasn’t.

“But his own figures show that over the first three years of this Ardern-Peters Government, he plans to pour $2 billion into mass transit projects like a tram down Dominion Road.

“It’s misleading for him to say that he’s not taking money from roading and putting it into trams when the Government’s own policy statement shows that he is indeed putting it into trams.

“Does he think he can just pull this money out thin air?

“The reality is that Phil Twyford is going to fund a tram project by cutting $5 billion from State Highway projects and by increasing fuel taxes for motorists around New Zealand.

“This means that people in Taurunga, the Waiakto, Canterbury and Southland will be paying more at the pump to pay for public transport in Auckland.

“This is money that was otherwise going to be spent on vital roading projects across New Zealand to increase the safety and efficiency of our roads.

“Phil Twyford needs to stop telling the country that he isn’t raiding the State Highway budget when he himself confirmed in Parliament that he is,” Mr Ross says.

Source: National Party – Headline: Ardern-Peters raid on regions ramps up

The Government’s raid on regional New Zealand is ramping up, with Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor telling farmers they’ll be taxed thousands for carbon emissions, National’s Nathan Guy and Todd Muller say.

“Mr O’Connor has reportedly told East Coast farmers they’ll be taxed around $5000 to offset their carbon emissions,” National’s Agriculture spokesperson Nathan Guy says.

“He’s pulling numbers out of the air before the interim Climate Change Committee even begins its work.

“This will rip millions of dollars out of regional economies, leaving farmers with less to spend in their local communities, or for environmental initiatives like riparian planting along their waterways.

“It does nothing but place more pressure on farmers who are already feeling under attack by this Coalition Government. Farmers are already battling with increasing compliance costs and finding skilled labour, and are now facing paying more for carbon emissions and fuel, while getting fewer new roads, as well as having $100 million for irrigation projects ripped from their communities.

“This decision should be about investing wisely in technology not tax. That means partnering with farmers to help provide the ‘tools in the toolbox’ with scientific solutions,” Mr Guy says.

“For Mr O’Connor to stand in front of a room of East Coast farmers and send a clear signal that they will soon be paying for their carbon emissions really calls into question the integrity of the mandate of terms of reference the Interim Climate Change Committee is working to,” National’s Climate Change spokesperson Todd Muller says.

“Is the committee going to be truly free to carry out an open minded, objective assessment of the merits of including agriculture in the ETS or is it setting out to confirm a predetermined outcome for the Government? We know what the Greens want but is that in the best interests of New Zealand?

“Mr O’Connor is assuming this is a done deal which makes an absolute mockery of the consultation process that is supposedly planned.

“The Agriculture Minister is talking about the Government making ‘hard decisions’ but it’s not them that will find it hard – it’s the farmers and growers and regional communities who are being forced to pay the price of its mounting bad ideas.

“If we force agriculture into the ETS before this technology is available it will amount to nothing more than another unfair tax on farmers and regional New Zealand.”

Source: National Party – Headline: New Bill to extend gift card expiry dates

Extending the expiry dates on gift cards to three years is the aim of a new Member’s Bill launched by Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean.

“My Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill would see the minimum expiry date of gifts cards extended to three years, so that everyone has a fair chance to use their cards.

“The Bill seeks to prohibit the selling of gift cards with expiry dates of less than three years after the initial sale date, giving the recipient a more reasonable period in which to redeem the card’s full value.

“Many Kiwis use gift cards as a convenient option, but the gift can turn sour if the card is not presented by its expiry date. One in five recipients lose out when they don’t redeem the full value before the card expires and research has found shoppers could be losing $10 million a year on cards that expire before they could be redeemed.

“We’ve all had those instances where the gift card has been misplaced and later found to be expired, or where children treasure their gift cards and spend months deciding how best to spend their present, only to find they’ve left it too late. 

“While this might be a windfall for the retailer, it’s frustrating and disappointing for those who’ve received the gift cards.

“Other countries have regulations preventing retailers imposing unfair expiry dates. In Canada expiry dates are banned and in the US a five year expiry date in required, while many New Zealand retailers are still using a six or 12 month expiry.

“My Member’s Bill provides a practical and easy way to ensure that more money stays in the pockets of hardworking New Zealanders.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Pike re-entry decision should be based on safety

The decision to re-enter the Pike River Mine must remain a health and safety one which does not put further lives at risk, National’s Pike River Re-Entry spokesperson Chris Finlayson says.

“Everyone would like to see the bodies recovered but it’s always been a safety issue – never a political one.

“And the expert advice has always been that to re-enter the mine would put further lives at risk. That wasn’t an acceptable risk then and until the advice says otherwise it’s not an acceptable risk now.

“The Government has appointed a panel of experts to take another look at re-entry. Andrew Little should let them do their job without trying to influence their decision.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Whakatohea report wrong

Current National Party spokesperson for Crown-Māori Relations and former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Chris Finlayson says claims that National put politics ahead of achieving a just settlement with Whakatōhea are wrong.

“The agreement in principle negotiated with Whakatōhea is one of the largest ever recognising the severe losses suffered by the iwi over many years,” Mr Finlayson says.

“The suggestion that political considerations overrode the need for a just and durable settlement is wrong and insulting to the Crown and to me personally.

“Throughout my time I worked with Whakatōhea over at least seven years to lay the foundations for a successful settlement. Crown officials also laboured for many years with the leadership of Whakatōhea to get to a position in 2016 where the iwi was invited to enter into negotiations.

“There was nothing rushed about it. Indeed when I attended the commemorations of the battle of Te Tarata in October 2015 I was criticised by some speakers for taking too long to begin negotiations.

“In adopting this approach to the actions of the Crown the Waitangi Tribunal has failed to consider the full history and process of the negotiations.

“The suggestion that the Crown should pay interest is unreasonable. Interest is always paid from the time of the initialling of the deed of settlement and I hope the Crown ignores this recommendation.

“I applaud the statesmanlike approach of Whakatōhea leaders who have welcomed the report and the recommendation that there be another ballot – which was always agreed – to resolve these matters.

“I also acknowledge the outstanding efforts of all Crown officials with whom it was my privilege to work on this very important matter.

“The fine leaders of Whakatōhea who have worked so hard on these negotiations in recent years deserve to be praised for their efforts and I hope that this report doesn’t deter them from seeking a full and final settlement of their grievances.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Better outcomes for Pasifika under National

The rate of Pacific youth offending more than halved over National’s time in government proving that National had the right plans and policies in place to improve the lives of Pasifika, National’s Pacific People’s Spokesperson Alfred Ngaro says.

“This week we learned that the rate of Pacific youth offending decreased by a significant 61 per cent between 2009/10 and 2016/17.

“This follows the release of NCEA results showing that the number of Pacific students who achieved NCEA Level 2 had improved from just 50 per cent in 2008 to 81 percent last year.

“We know that a lack of education can lead to a young person offending so it’s no surprise that as Pacific student achievement goes up, Pacific youth offending goes down.

“But we also know that National’s focus on youth offending has made a real difference. Our targeted approach to reducing youth crime included the Youth Crime Action Plan, the Social Investment approach, Better Public Service targets and the Pasifika Court.

“There is still more to do, but with a 61 percent reduction in Pacific youth crime, it’s clear that what National was doing was working and we were on the right track.

“National’s concern is that we now have an Ardern-Peters Government that wants to move away from our targeted approach and go soft on crime.

“Pasifika have made big gains in the last decade and we cannot afford to put this all at risk. The Government needs to look at what was working and to continue where National left off.”

Source: National Party – Headline: Minister has blind spot on roadside drug testing

Associate Transport Minister and Green Party MP Julie Anne Genter should explain why she doesn’t think roadside drug testing is a good way to reduce the road toll, National’s Associate Transport Spokesperson Brett Hudson and Police Spokesperson Chris Bishop say.

“For a Minister who claims to be serious about reducing New Zealand’s road toll to zero in just eighteen months’ time, why won’t Julie Anne Genter accept the advice of her own officials that roadside drug testing will reduce fatalities each year?” Mr Hudson says.

“Ms Genter says she doesn’t think roadside drug testing is the best investment of money to reduce impaired and dangerous driving, and reduce serious injuries and deaths.

“This is despite advice from officials at the Ministry of Transport and New Zealand Police that it would act as a deterrent and reduce the number of fatalities on our roads. What exactly makes Ms Genter think that she knows better than these experts?

“The technology previously wasn’t available to make roadside drug testing practicable in New Zealand. But there have been major advances and now is the right time to introduce it. That’s why Alastair Scott lodged a Member’s Bill to establish random roadside drug testing.”

Mr Bishop says frontline Police have seen the impact that drug drivers have and have told Ms Genter they need random roadside drug testing to keep our roads safer.

“But Ms Genter’s rebuff that Police should stop pushing for roadside drug tests and instead focus on more alcohol testing undermines and even discredits Police.

“Recognising and responding to the harm of drink driving doesn’t need to come at the expense of recognising the danger posed by drug driving. Police are more than capable of focusing on both.

“Roadside drug testing is a measure that will help save lives but Ms Genter appears to be putting her own ideology ahead of doing the right thing.”