Category: Political Parties

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.”

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.”