Category: Politics

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Prime Minister to attend CHOGM, meet leaders of France and Germany

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will travel to Europe next week for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in London and meetings with counterparts in Paris and Berlin.
“The CHOGM meeting sets the agenda for the Commonwealth for the next two years, and I look forward to discussing a range of issues facing all Commonwealth members,” said Jacinda Ardern.
“The theme this year – ‘Towards a Common Future’ – is very apt as we will be talking about the important areas of sustainable development and climate change, as well as trade and security.”
While in London, Jacinda Ardern will meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May to discuss bilateral and international issues, including the shared goal of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) once the UK has left the European Union (EU).
Prior to CHOGM, Jacinda Ardern will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Édouard Philippe in Paris.  Climate change and an EU FTA will be on the agenda in bilateral discussions. She will also deliver a keynote speech at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, outlining ways the two countries can cooperate on climate change and environmental issues.
The Prime Minister will then travel to Berlin at the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel where she will hold talks with the Chancellor and deliver a speech setting out the Coalition Government’s vision for achieving progressive and inclusive growth.
“I am grateful for the strong support we have received from our EU friends in moving towards the launch of FTA negotiations with the EU, and I look forward to discussing this in further detail with President Macron and Chancellor Merkel.
“France, Germany and the United Kingdom are important partners of New Zealand. They share our values and our commitment to maintaining the multilateral rules-based system. 
“As we all face numerous global challenges, it’s important that we maintain strong relationships with those who share these values,” said Jacinda Ardern.
The Prime Minister will visit Paris, Berlin and London from 16- 23 April. She will also stopover in Brisbane on 14 April to visit New Zealand athletes at the Commonwealth Games.

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Early Learning Strategic Plan terms of reference announced

Education Minister Chris Hipkins today released the terms of reference for the Early Learning Strategic Plan, which aims to give all children genuine opportunities for high quality early learning.
“Quality early learning provides children with a strong foundation for their future learning that can influence the rest of their lives.  It’s also hugely important to working parents, Chris Hipkins says.
“There is a strong case for having a strategic plan to set out a systematic and stepped approach to continuing to develop and strengthen the early learning sector, to meet the needs of children and their families and whānau.
“To inform the development of the 10 Year Strategic Plan, I have established an independent Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG), with five members from diverse backgrounds and with relevant expertise, and a Reference Group made up of sector representatives and academic experts.
“The two groups will develop the strategic plan alongside the Ministry of Education and public consultation on the draft strategy is expected to begin in September 2018. Key themes will be raising quality, improving equity and the role of choice.
“The development process will take into account the Government’s stated objectives for early learning, including revisiting decisions by the previous Government that have undermined the shift towards a more qualified workforce. Over time, this Government’s aim is to achieve 100% qualified teachers in all centre-based teacher-led early learning services and to improve group size and teacher: child ratios for infants and toddlers.
“I’m also releasing the terms of reference for the Government’s review of home-based ECE. This review will take place alongside the development of the Early Learning Strategic Plan, with both being closely aligned.
“Home-based ECE is the most rapidly growing ECE service type. The number of home-based providers has grown by 158% since the early 2000s. We know benefits of early childhood education are conditional on quality. That’s why the review will make sure the right policy settings are in place to support high-quality ECE for all children at home-based services,” Chris Hipkins says.
The Ministry of Education will develop a discussion document on home-based ECE, with public consultation expected to start in July 2018. 
The Early Learning Strategic Plan Terms of Reference can be found here and Review of Home-based Care Terms of Reference can be found here.
Contact: Ranjani Ponnuchetty 027 575 0542 ranjani.ponnuchetty@parliament.govt.nz
 
Ministerial Advisory Group members

Professor Carmen Dalli (Chair)
 
School of Education,
Victoria University of Wellington
 

Carmen has a BA (Hons) from the University of Malta, a MEd from the University of Bristol and a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington. Carmen is Honorary Consul for Malta in Wellington.
Her research spans early childhood policy studies, professionalism in the early years, and under-three year olds in early childhood settings. She has a strong interest in children’s transitions from home to their first early childhood setting and the nature of learning in the first years.
Carmen was recently the principal investigator for the Quality early childhood education for under-two-year-olds report produced for the Minister of Education. Her research in early learning policy and practice has been widely published in New Zealand and internationally.

Professor Meihana Durie
 
Māori Studies unit, Te Pūtahi-ā-Toi (School of Māori Art, Knowledge and Education), Massey University.

Meihana is the head of Massey University’s Māori Studies unit. He is a current recipient of the Health Research Council of New Zealand Hohua Tutengaehe Postdoctoral Fellowship and received the Sir Peter Snell Doctoral Scholarship in Public Health and Exercise Science in 2008.
He helped establish Ngā Purapura, a development committed to the empowerment of whānau through education in health, exercise, sport and the growth and creation of new Māori bodies of knowledge.

Dr Alex Gunn
 
Associate Dean, Teacher Education
University of Otago

Alex has taught in urban and rural not-for-profit and community-based education and care settings for children aged between birth and school-age.
She has worked in general education, initial teacher education and post-graduate education studies at the University of Canterbury and the University of Otago.
Alex’s research interests include early childhood education, inclusive education and social justice, and educational assessment and teacher education.

Professor Stuart McNaughton
 
Chief Science Advisor, Ministry of Education
 
Professor of Education and Director of the Woolf Fisher Research Centre at the University of Auckland

Stuart research areas are literacy and language development, the design of effective education for culturally and linguistically diverse populations, and cultural processes in development. He has published extensively of these topics and was awarded the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education in New Zealand. 
As a Director of the Woolf Fisher Research Centre, Stuart leads a research team in studies of effective educational interventions for schooling success with a focus on Māori and Pasifika children. He is a member of the Literacy Research Panel of the International Literacy Association and in 2014 was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame.

Dr Tanya Wendt Samu
 
Senior Lecturer,
Pasifika education 
University of Auckland

Tanya has over twenty years’ experience in under-graduate and graduate teaching, including course development and coordination.
Tanya has experience in the tertiary sector focused on teacher education and collaborative research projects in Pasifika education – beginning with the former School of Education of the University of Auckland (1996-2000; 2002-2003), and then with the former Auckland College of Education (2004).
Tanya has contributed to international curriculum development and teacher capacity building education projects in Samoa, Tonga, Kyrgyzstan and Nauru.

 
 
 
Reference Group members
The Reference Group membership will be drawn from existing early learning representative groups: the Early Childhood Advisory Committee (ECAC) and the ECE Policy Research Forum.
The following members of the Early Childhood Advisory Committee and ECE Research Policy Forum have been invited to join the Reference Group:

Thelma Chapman

Christian Early Childhood Education Association of Aotearoa

Hellen Puhipuhi

Pasifika Advisory Group

Cathy Wilson

Montessori Aotearoa of NZ (MANZ)

Charmaine Thomson

NZEI Te Riu Roa

Sandie Burn

NZEI Te Riu Roa

Marianne Kayes

Hospital Play Specialists

Karen Affleck

The Federation of Rudolf Steiner Waldorf Schools in New Zealand

Kathy Wolfe

Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand

Susan Bailey

Playcentre Federation of New Zealand

Kararaina Cribb

Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust

Peter Reynolds

Early Childhood Council

Karen Shields

Early Childhood Leadership Group

Susan Foster-Cohen

Early Intervention Association of  Aotearoa New Zealand (EIAANZ)

Clare Wells

NZ Kindergartens Inc

Susan Phua

New Zealand Home-based
Early Childhood Education Association

Keith Newton

Barnardos New Zealand

Raewyn Overton-Stuart

Home Early Learning Organisation (HELO)

Helen McConnell

Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu

Hikitia Ropata

Education Council

Professor Margaret Carr

University of Waikato

Professor Helen May

Victoria University of Wellington

Dr Anne Meade

consultant

Dr Linda Mitchell

University of Waikato

Dr Lesley Rameka

University of Waikato

Professor Claire McLachlan

University of Waikato

 

 

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: New regulations toughen up our animal welfare standards

Cabinet has approved a raft of new regulations to strengthen our animal welfare system, says Associate Minister of Agriculture responsible for animal welfare Hon Meka Whaitiri.
“As the dedicated animal welfare minister in this coalition government I am proud of these regulations which will have a significant effect on the humane treatment of our animals.
“Most animal welfare offences are of a lower level of seriousness, which may not warrant a prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act. These new regulations will introduce penalties and fines to deal with this sort of animal mistreatment.
“The new regulations will mean that people who leave distressed dogs in hot cars will be liable for a $300 fine and people can now be fined where sick or injured farm animals are transported to slaughter plants.
 “These regulations were developed over three years working with industry and advocacy groups, and after formal public consultation. Over 1400 submissions were received and analysed during that process. I have to say that the majority of those submissions supported the regulations.
“These changes are part of my vision for the sector which will see better outcomes for our animals and reinforce our international reputation for a strong record on animal welfare in agriculture,“ says Meka Whaitiri.
The new regulations are available at:  http://mpi.govt.nz/law-and-policy/legal-overviews/animal-welfare/animal-welfare-regulations/

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Opening address to the Massey University National Security Conference 2018

— CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY — 
Tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa.
Professor Rouben Azizian, Director, Centre for Defence and Security Studies – thank you for the invitation to speak.
I would like to acknowledge:
the Australian High Commissioner Mr Ewen McDonald,
the Canadian High Commissioner Mr Mario Bot,
the Chilean High Commissioner Mr Rodrigo Espinosa,
the Fijian High Commissioner Mr Filimone Waqabaca,
representatives from the Japanese, Republic of Korea and the UAE Embassies.
Although this is my first official speech as the Minister with Responsibility for the GSCB and NZSIS – this is not my first interaction with the topic.
When you’re the Leader of the Opposition you receive regular briefings on intelligence matters relating to national security because of the statutory duty on the agencies to keep that office informed. This is critical to ensure a bipartisan approach to these important matters. As a result I came to the role with a useful foundation of information and I have been quick to build on that.
That bi-partisanship illustrates the kind of country we are, New Zealand enjoys an enviable way of life and we have highly cherished values and ideals: open and democratic government; observance of the rule of law; freedom of the individual, including freedom to act collectively and freedom to dissent; freedom of information and freedom of trade across our borders. These things not only define our character as a nation; they also underpin our economic and social wellbeing.
Our connectedness to each other and the rest of the world, especially via the internet is a source of great opportunity, but it also brings threats. New Zealanders’ safety and prosperity benefit from having a strong and effective intelligence and security sector.
 
The role of good intelligence
The world is challenging and uncertain.
Strong, timely and robust intelligence and advice enables the Government to make informed decisions and set appropriate policy. This ensures New Zealanders are safe both here and abroad, and contributes to international relations and the economic wellbeing of the country.
New Zealand’s intelligence agencies collect, assess and report on the intelligence in accordance with priorities set by the Government and in line with New Zealand’s laws and its human rights obligations. They also provide protective services, such as cyber-security and physical and personal security advice.
To achieve these objectives, the GCSB and NZSIS must be focused on the core national interests they are there to serve, and they must be collaborative.
In this respect, the agencies have come a long way since their recent reviews.
Just a few years ago it was apparent their organisational cultures were internally focused, defensive to external bodies, including to other parts of the government, and lacking in rigour in complying with some parts of their legal framework. It did not help that the oversight and accountability architecture around them was inadequate.
Democratic government requires openness and transparency. They are values which have been instilled in me from a young age and go to the heart of public trust and confidence. It is important that the government – both the elected representatives and government departments – conduct themselves with appropriate accountability. This poses a predictable challenge for security and intelligence agencies. Much of the effectiveness of their work depends on their information, their methods and their people not being exposed. But accountability and oversight is important even in this sector.
To maintain public confidence, as much as to maintain the social licence to function, we have to strike the balance very carefully when it comes to our security and intelligence agencies.
I expect both agencies to be as transparent as they can about the nature of the threats the country faces and their role in helping to manage these threats.
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the steps both agencies have taken in recent years to be more open and transparent, and I encourage them to push ahead in this respect wherever possible.
It is a positive development that the heads of our agencies regularly communicate publically about the issues facing those agencies.
But there is an obvious limit.
No one can expect our security and intelligence agencies to disclose operational details, targets of their work, methods deployed or the nature of their intelligence gathering.
We are entitled to – and should – look with great scepticism on those who make public demands for our agencies to pursue specific targets or to take particular actions against specified interests.
There is no credible public response to such calls.
What it is possible to say is that the total machinery around our services – whether Ministerial or Cabinet priority-setting, the agencies themselves and the oversight bodies, whether the Parliamentary committee or the Inspector-General – means we have services that are capable and responsive.
Our intelligence and security agencies seldom get to boast of their successes. Their failures risk being well-known.
 
The Intelligence and Security Act 2017
As well as being the Minister responsible for the NZSIS and the GCSB, I am also the Justice Minister. As such it would be no surprise that I have a particular focus on the law, and the way in which the law interacts with the everyday needs of New Zealand and New Zealanders.
It is an absolute bottom line that the agencies must act within the law at all times. The rule of law demands nothing less.
The NZSIS and the GCSB are now operating under a new single Act – the Intelligence and Security Act 2017. The Act provides that everything they do must be lawful, necessary, reasonable and proportionate.
Labour supported the new Act through the House as we recognised the need to ensure the agencies had a modern and appropriate legislative framework, which balances the need for operational effectiveness with improved transparency.
I am pleased that the new Act sets out the NZSIS and GCSB’s objectives and functions in a more transparent way. Importantly, the new Act also states far more clearly what the agencies can do under a warrant.
Work associated with the implementation of the Act is now largely complete.
Ministerial Policy Statements are a unique instrument under the Act – these are publicly available and add another layer of transparency designed to give the public understanding and reassurance about what the two agencies do and the standards of conduct they are expected to meet.
 
Oversight of the intelligence agencies
“Who watches the watchers” is an age old question which has particular relevance here.
When it comes to the NZSIS and the GCSB high public trust in the system comes from having in place the right checks and balances and oversight of the agencies. I am certain that the measures in place today are far more rigorous than they were five or ten years ago.
The main, but not the only, independent oversight body is the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, and this role has been further strengthened in the new Act. The present Inspector-General, working under the new legislation and with a better resourced office, has proven the office to be robustly independent. This is vital for public confidence.
I am pleased with the strong compliance regimes the GCSB and NZSIS have developed. A key part of this is having meaningful engagement with the Inspector-General. Examples of this in action could be her oversight of new processes the agencies have developed, or working to ensure their compliance framework is effective.
Achieving sound compliance systems and processes is critical to maintaining public trust and confidence.
I was pleased to note that the Inspector-General found both the GCSB and the NZIS have compliant systems and processes in her Annual Report.
 
The threats New Zealand faces
I’d like to finish by touching on the national security threatscape, focusing particularly on counter-terrorism and cyber threats. I raise these examples partly to highlight the work the NZSIS and GCSB do, but also as these are two threats that for me are front of mind.
 
Counter-terrorism
The threat of terrorism remains a reality today. The continued instability in Syria and other parts of the Middle East is still a cause of threats worldwide, especially as radical extremist messages are easy to propagate through social media. Those messages now easily reach into otherwise benign communities like New Zealand.
We are not immune to the possibility of extremist action here.
Countering the threat of terrorism remains a significant focus for the NZSIS (with the GCSB’s assistance where required).
At any one time there are between 30 and 40 people on NZSIS’s counter-terrorism risk register. These individuals are assessed to represent a potential threat to New Zealand related to terrorism.
Internationally, the number of individuals travelling to support Daesh in the Middle East conflict zone is believed to have decreased significantly.
It is possible foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria may seek to leave, either returning to their country of origin or to other countries.
Events last year in the southern Philippines city of Marawi gave raise to concerns of Daesh strengthening its footprint in South East Asia. This is a concern that the Government is aware of and something we are keeping an eye on.
 
Cyber threat scape
In terms of cyber threats, the GCSB noted a 15 per cent increase in serious incidents affecting New Zealand in the year to June 2017.
Incredibly nearly a third of these had indicators of connection to foreign intelligence agencies.
New Zealand organisations were subject to both direct and indirect threats, and New Zealand infrastructure is being used as staging points by threat actors to target systems in other countries.
Motivation varies from espionage to revenue generation and seeking to secure political outcomes.
In February, the Government added New Zealand’s voice to the international condemnation of the NotPetya cyber-attack which international partners have now attributed to the Russian Government. It targeted Ukraine, but had a global impact – including affecting supply chains in New Zealand. In December New Zealand also expressed concern about international reports which link North Korea to the major WannaCry ransomware campaign.
While New Zealand was not significantly impacted by NotPetya or WannaCry, we are not immune from this type of threat, which is why New Zealand called out these instances of reckless and malicious cyber activity.
A key means through which the GCSB helps protect New Zealand organisations of national significance from these threats is the CORTEX malware detection and disruption programme.
An independent review assessed that in the 12 months to June 2017, CORTEX led to the avoidance of $40 million of harm to public and private sector organisations.
The Government is has recently considered how best to extend CORTEX services beyond the current 66 nationally significant public and private sector organisations who receive them.
I will have more to say publicly in this space in the coming weeks.
 
Closing
In closing, thank you for the opportunity to speak this morning.
You have a fantastic line up of speakers and I have no doubts that you will find the next two days incredibly engaging.
Kia ora.

Source: New Zealand Government

Headline: Rollout of innovative Kauri dieback cleaning stations

The roll-out of 20 innovative cleaning stations has started as part of the Department of Conservation’s efforts to reduce the spread of kauri dieback, Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage announced today.
Stations will be installed on busy and high-risk DOC managed tracks in the kauri region, including the Kauri Loop track in the Hakarimata Scenic Reserve, near Huntly – the first track to have one of the new cleaning stations installed.
Other tracks are in the Kauri Coast and Bay of Islands Districts, Whangarei, Auckland, Whitianga, Hauraki, Tauranga, and Waikato, including two tracks managed by Auckland Council and Whangarei Regional Council.
“Human traffic is the main way kauri dieback is spread, so cleaning footwear and gear and staying on the track is the best way to contain the disease and save these forest giants,” Ms Sage said.
“Research shows people are far more likely to use cleaning stations if they see others do it, and if they can see the stations are good quality and well signposted.”
DOC has trialled various cleaning methods and stations over recent years. Two years ago it piloted world-first prototype cleaning stations at four sites in Northland and the Coromandel. Extensive testing, monitoring and evaluation of the stations resulted in further improvements.
 
This led to the installation of a large walk-through, partly-automated cleaning station at Tāne Mahuta in Waipoua Forest last year. It is helping to ensure that every one of the almost 150,000 people who visit the site every year arrive at the tree – and depart again – with clean footwear.
 
“Stations are designed to be easy to install and maintain and hard to ignore.”
 
The cleaning stations feature a brush fixed to the base, so people can clean their shoes while holding onto a rail, rather than balancing on one foot holding a scrubbing brush. They also feature a pedal pump to spray disinfectant on to the bottom of footwear.
 
Information from ongoing monitoring and feedback will inform any further refinements, ahead of future roll-outs later this year.