Category: Politics

Source: ACT Party

Auckland-based ACT MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar met with Auckland Transport yesterday to relay concerns about crime, public safety, and fare dodging on Auckland’s bus network.

“I’ve heard directly from bus drivers, operators, and passengers who are frustrated by Auckland Transport’s slow response to safety issues on public transport,” says Dr Parmar.

“Yesterday’s meeting was an important opportunity to bring these concerns directly to Auckland Transport’s attention – particularly on behalf of those operators who feel like they are being ignored by the agency.

“I stressed the urgency of rolling out safety measures for bus drivers, who should not have to fear for their physical safety while doing their jobs.

“I was pleased that Auckland Transport has committed to providing data on the number of warnings and fines issued for fare evasion. However, I was not left with the impression that Auckland Transport sees fare dodging as a serious issue, despite the agency being warned repeatedly that fare dodging leads to violence.

“Weak enforcement of existing rules has fostered a culture of entitlement, where some passengers refuse to meet their obligation to pay.

“In our meeting, Auckland Transport identified racism as a driver of the abuse, with many bus drivers being from ethnic communities. This makes the issue of violence on buses even more alarming. If someone thinks that their race, or the race of the bus driver, entitles them to ride for free, that requires a strong response from Auckland Transport and Police.

“Data from 2021 showed that only 13 per cent of those caught fare dodging were issued a ticket across all modes of public transport, with estimations of up to two million in fares being dodged in two years. A stronger message needs to be sent that fare dodging is unacceptable.

“It is vital that any public transport system has the trust and buy-in from its users. If people do not feel safe to work on or use public transport, they won’t do it.

“Auckland Transport says limited resourcing makes it difficult to deploy transport officers at the scale bus drivers would like. ACT says there has to be a solution here. I will continue to listen to the concerns of all affected parties and push for Auckland Transport to act more decisively.”

Source: ACT Party

Celebrating one year of ACT in Government this week, ACT Leader David Seymour says:

“Last year, ACT campaigned to rein in the cost of living, deliver real consequences for crime, and end divisive policies. Kiwis who voted ACT didn’t just vote for a change of government, they voted for a change of direction.

“After just one year in Government, we can report that Kiwis who trusted ACT with their vote have had an outsized impact in changing the direction of our country. We’ve put values of freedom, personal responsibility, and equal rights into action.

“We’ve seen price inflation brought under control and mortgage rates cut. We’ve seen more police on the streets and fewer ram raids. And New Zealanders can now have their say in an overdue debate on whether equal rights are protected by the Treaty of Waitangi.

“Every day we’re working to empower New Zealanders to peacefully make a difference in their own lives and the lives of those they care about, no matter their background.”

Below is a non-exhaustive list of 70 actions ACT has taken in the first year of Government:

THE ECONOMY:

• Cut wasteful Government spending to get inflation under control.
• Delivered tax cuts to ease the cost of living.
• Restored the Reserve Bank’s focus on tackling inflation.
• Restored the option of 90-day trials for all businesses.
• Established the Ministry for Regulation to cut red tape to make doing business simpler.
• Opened a Red Tape Tipline.
• Commenced two regulatory reviews for early childhood education and agricultural products.
• Repealed the Auckland Fuel Tax.
• Repealed the Ute Tax.
• Repealed “Fair Pay” Agreements
• Repealed Labour’s resource management regime.
• Agreed on core features for a replacement of the Resource Management Act centred on property rights.
• Sped up timeframes for overseas investment applications.
• Reduced hikes to the Fire and Emergency levy.
• Increased the use of sanctions for beneficiaries who can work but refuse to take steps to find a job.
• Eased restrictions to accessing credit under the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act.
• Scrapped EECA’s “decarbonising industry” (GIDI) fund.
• Scrapped Auckland Light Rail, the Lake Onslow hydro scheme, and funding for Let’s Get Wellington Moving.
• Started phasing back in interest deductibility.
• Suspended the requirement for new Significant Natural Areas.
• Unveiled a new contracting gateway test to provide certainty to workers and businesses.
• Began delivering regulatory relief for businesses dealing with anti-money laundering rules.
• Delivered regulatory relief for earthquake-prone buildings.
• Kept agriculture out of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
• Launched consultation to improve the Holidays Act.
• Launched a nationwide roadshow to inform improvements to health and safety law.
• Launched a framework for Regional Deals between central and local government to deliver infrastructure.
• Launched a refreshed framework for Public Private Partnerships.
• Stopped blanket speed limit reductions and enabled faster speed limits on our safest roads.
• Introduced legislation to reverse the oil and gas ban and promote the use of Crown minerals.
• Introduced tenancy legislation to enable Pet Bonds, restore 90-day ‘no cause’ terminations, and restore tenants’ and landlords’ notice periods to 21 and 42 days.
• Introduced legislation to improve access to building products available overseas.
• Introduced a member’s bill to liberalise Easter Trading.

LAW AND ORDER:

• Increased funding for Corrections to lift prison capacity.
• Abolished Labour’s prisoner reduction target.
• Defunded Section 27 “cultural reports”.
• Commenced a review of the Firearms Registry.
• Strengthened consequences for Kāinga Ora tenants who engage in repeated antisocial behaviour.
• Strengthened Firearms Prohibition Orders.
• Made gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
• Enabled greater use of remote participation by victims in court proceedings.
• Piloted military-style academies for young offenders.
• Introduced legislation to reinstate Three Strikes.
• Introduced a member’s bill to make rehabilitation or education a condition of parole.
• Introduced legislation to toughen sentences for attacks on workers and give weight to the victim’s circumstances at sentencing.
• Introduced legislation to unlock tougher measures for young serious offenders.
• Introduced legislation to amend Part 6 of the Arms Act affecting clubs and ranges.
• Successfully campaigned to overturned race-based prosecution guidelines.

DEMOCRACY:

• Directed the public service to deliver services based on need, not race, and end “progressive procurement” quotas.
• Abolished the Māori Health Authority.
• Advanced the Treaty Principles Bill to select committee.
• Restored local referendums on Māori Wards.
• Scrapped Labour’s law to give 16-year-olds votes in local elections.
• Broadened the scope of the Covid inquiry with a second phase.
• Defunded the Christchurch Call.
• Halted work on hate speech laws.
• Introduced legislation to remove Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act.
• Seen Otago University adopt a free speech policy in response to ACT’s coalition agreement.
• Allowed charity-run lotteries to operate online permanently.
• Achieved a select committee recommendation to end taxpayer-funded election broadcasts.

EDUCATION:

• Restored charter schools, now with the option of state school conversion, with the first schools to open next year.
• Streamlined early childhood education regulations.
• Delivered an action plan to improve school attendance and started publishing attendance data weekly.
• Improved the school lunch programme to feed more kids for less money.
• Switched fees-free university from first year to third.

HEALTH:

• Delivered Pharmac its largest-ever budget, which has now funded life-saving medicines.
• Restored the sale of medicine containing pseudoephedrine.
• Streamlined medicine approval and funding processes.
• Introduced legislation to repeal the Therapeutic Products Act.
• Successfully campaigned to end discriminatory access to GP services in Hawke’s Bay.

Source: ACT Party

Tauranga-based ACT MP Cameron Luxton can reveal that Tauranga City Council has spent more than $180,000 on a documentary about Te Manawataki o Te Papa, a civic precinct development in Tauranga.

This information was obtained by ACT through a LGOIMA request.

“Instead of investing in core infrastructure or easing the burden on ratepayers, the council has wasted money on a self-congratulating documentary that most people will never watch,” says Mr Luxton.

“Despite hosting VIPs for the documentary’s launch party, the council still hasn’t made the film public. That means ratepayers will have to wait before finding out whether the documentary highlights the civic centre’s $300 million price tag, or its $6.5 million ongoing annual operational costs.

“This is exactly the kind of spending the Government has urged councils to rein in. If the development requires an expensive documentary in order to get the local community on board, perhaps it’s not the best use of ratepayer money.

“Many Tauranga families and businesses are struggling with eye-watering rates bills, fuelled by unnecessary spending locked in by the unelected commissioners like Te Manawataki o Te Papa. If the Council really wants to ‘breathe new life’ into the city, it should focus on slashing waste to reduce rates so that households have money to spend and businesses have the confidence to open, invest and expand.”

Source: ACT Party

Responding to news that 80 percent of buses in Auckland will have protection screens by 2026, ACT MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar says:

“This is good news, but the rollout of protection screens is slow and doesn’t solve the fundamental problem — a culture of entitlement that sees violent people boarding the bus for a free ride.”

In a letter to Dr Parmar this month, Auckland Transport revealed that only 35 buses have protection screens presently.

“Auckland Transport’s removal of cash from buses during COVID gave some people the impression they could ride the bus without paying, and a bus contractor has recently told me they believe this is leading to confrontations with drivers and dangerous individuals boarding the bus and terrorising passengers,” says Dr Parmar.

“Auckland Transport needs to take responsibility for the culture of entitlement it has created. A stronger message needs to be sent that fare-dodging is unacceptable, and public transport officers need the resourcing, training, and powers to crack down on offenders.

“Protection shields are one important step, but passengers deserve to be safe too. I’ll soon be meeting with AT and bus contractors, because there have to be some better, faster solutions here.”