Latest Parliament Headlines [Page 4]
Media complaint by Council out of order
Friday, 4 October 2013, 10:46 am | New Zealand Labour Party
A complaint by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council against Radio New Zealand for reporting concerns about the proposed Ruataniwha dam is out of order, Labour Leader and Regional Development spokesperson David Cunliffe. More >>
NZ Govt must do all it can for Greenpeace activists
Friday, 4 October 2013, 10:28 am | Green Party
The New Zealand Government must use all means at its disposal to seek the release of two New Zealanders who have been charged with piracy in Russia, Green Party MP Gareth Hughes said today. More >>
English attends IMF, World Bank meetings in US
Friday, 4 October 2013, 9:59 am | New Zealand Government
Finance Minister Bill English leaves on Monday for the United States, where he will attend the annual meetings of International Monetary Fund and World Bank governors in Washington DC. More >>
Migrant worker law changes useless without enforcement
Friday, 4 October 2013, 9:00 am | New Zealand Labour Party
Changes to immigration law to increase penalties for employers who exploit migrant workers will be ineffective without a significant boost to enforcement resources, says Labour’s Associate Immigration spokesperson Darien Fenton. More >>
Ryall’s fairy dust at work again
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 4:51 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
Thousands of the most vulnerable Kiwis, already struggling to access health care services, look set to be further disadvantaged despite claims to the contrary from Tony Ryall, says Labour’s Health spokesperson Annette King. More >>
More convenient health care for Golden Bay
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 4:45 pm | New Zealand Government
Health Minister Tony Ryall today visited the recently opened Golden Bay Integrated Family Health Centre, in Takaka. More >>
Government following the Green Party lead on housing
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 4:05 pm | Green Party
The Weymouth rent-to-own and social housing project announced today shows that National is now playing catch-up with the Greens on housing policy after John Key rejected Green Party plans for similar initiatives at the beginning of the year, Green Party ... More >>
Government Takes with One Hand, Gives with the Other
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 2:38 pm | New Zealand First Party
The Government’s intervention in tackling the housing shortage takes with one hand, and gives with the other says New Zealand First. The Government has forced first home buyers to now have a 20% deposit for a bank loan, but today announced a social ... More >>
Bill to tackle migrant exploitation introduced
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 2:36 pm | New Zealand Government
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse today introduced a new Bill to Parliament that will crack down on employers who exploit migrant workers. Under the Immigration Amendment Bill such employers will face a jail sentence of up to seven years, a fine ... More >>
District Court Judge appointed
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 2:30 pm | New Zealand Government
Whangarei lawyer Christina Cook has been appointed a Family Court Judge to serve in Invercargill, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. Ms Cook was admitted in 1990. Her early career began in Whangarei as junior counsel with ... More >>
District Court Judge appointed
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 2:29 pm | New Zealand Government
Blenheim lawyer Murray Hunt has been appointed a Family Court Judge to serve in Whangarei, Attorney-General Christopher Finlayson announced today. Mr Hunt was admitted to the bar in 1984 and is of Ngai Tahu and Pakeha descent. More >>
Expressions of Interest - Business Transformation programme
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 2:27 pm | New Zealand Government
Revenue Minister Todd McClay has welcomed the start of the formal Expression of Interest process of Inland Revenue’s Transformation programme. “This is the next step in transforming Inland Revenue into a more user-friendly agency that will allow New ... More >>
Millions saved through South Island Alliance
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 2:03 pm | New Zealand Government
District health boards around New Zealand are saving millions of dollars by working together to reduce back office costs, with the savings reinvested back into frontline health services for their communities. More >>
John Key should stand up for rights of Kiwis in Australia
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 1:56 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
John Key has an obligation to stand up for the rights of Kiwis no matter where they live and he should have been tougher with Tony Abbott last night, Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson David Shearer says. More >>
Govt injects $18.9m into CPIT earthquake recovery
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 1:23 pm | New Zealand Government
The Government has approved a capital injection of $18.9 million to the Christchurch Polytechnic and Institute of Technology (CPIT) to enable it to further expand its trades training capacity as part of its campus rebuild following the Canterbury earthquakes. More >>
Affordable housing development for Weymouth
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 1:06 pm | New Zealand Government
New Zealand’s largest community housing development involving 282 social and affordable homes on surplus Government land at Weymouth in South Auckland was announced today by Housing Minister Dr Nick Smith and Auckland Mayor Len Brown. More >>
New health and safety guidance for mine managers
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 1:04 pm | New Zealand Government
Specialist guidance for mine, quarry and tunnel managers to help them build a strong health and safety culture was released today by the Minister of Labour, Hon Simon Bridges. More >>
Cantabrians denied democracy twice in a row
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 12:06 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
Cantabrians have again been shut out of local democracy by the National Government, which has banned them from electing their Environment Canterbury representatives for the second election in a row, says Labour’s Local Government spokesperson, ... More >>
Winston Churchill Fellows honoured
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 11:19 am | New Zealand Government
Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Jo Goodhew today acknowledged 25 Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellows at a special awards ceremony held at Government House. More >>
UK International Security Strategy Minister visits NZ
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 11:17 am | New Zealand Government
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Christopher Finlayson and Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman are holding talks this week with visiting UK Minister for International Security Strategy, Dr Andrew Murrison. More >>
Bridges: stop crowing and start funding
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 11:14 am | New Zealand Labour Party
Simon Bridges is trying to have a bob each way on housing – he’s claiming the Warm Up New Zealand scheme as a success, while at the same time gutting the policy, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Phil Twyford. More >>
Treasury support modernisation of Reserve Bank governance
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 10:30 am | Green Party
Treasury recommendations to modernise the Reserve Bank align with Green Party legislation that will require the bank to move a board governance model and regularly publish its minutes, the Green Party said today. More >>
Plenty more to do on home insulation
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 10:11 am | Green Party
The Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart scheme that grew out of Green Party negotiations with successive Labour and National governments was a huge success but there’s plenty more to do to adequately insulate Kiwi homes and the current Government needs ... More >>
National War Memorial Park on track
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 9:40 am | New Zealand Government
Work towards the National War Memorial Park is progressing well and is on target to be open in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on 25 April 2015, Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee and Culture and Heritage Minister ... More >>
Maori Party welcomes insulation of 235,000 homes
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 9:25 am | The Maori Party
The Maori Party welcomes the announcement that 235,000 homes have been insulated under the Government’s Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme, well above the original target set. More >>
235,000 homes warmed up – breaks all targets
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 9:07 am | New Zealand Government
235,000 homes have been insulated under the Government’s Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme, well above the original target set More >>
Minister sat on power price rise info to avoid bad press
Thursday, 3 October 2013, 8:48 am | New Zealand Labour Party
Energy Minister Simon Bridges delayed the release of information showing consumers were paying $50 more for their power in an apparent attempt to bury bad news, Labour’s Energy and Resources spokesperson David Shearer says. More >>
Joyce’s meddling removes important voices on uni councils
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 4:56 pm | Green Party
Steven Joyce’s tinkering with the size of university councils won’t save money while it will shut out important voices, Green Party MP Gareth Hughes said today. More >>
Tertiary strategy could have been so much better
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 4:52 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
The Government’s draft tertiary education strategy not only lacks real vision, it also focuses over-much on employer gratification, says Labour’s Associate Tertiary Education Spokesperson Megan Woods. More >>
Dolphin petition puts more pressure on Nick Smith
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 4:50 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
International pressure is growing to get Nick Smith to do more to save the Maui’s dolphin from extinction, with thousands of people signing an online petition aimed directly at the Conservation Minister, Labour’s Conservation Spokesperson Ruth ... More >>
Turia: Official Opening of the Kaumatua Village
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 4:11 pm | New Zealand Government
It is indeed an honour to follow the korero of Matiu Dickson, the Chair of Te Runanga o Kirikiriroa. Mere Balzer, the Chief Executive of the Runanga and Owen Purcell, the Chair of the Rauawaawa Kaumatua Trust. More >>
Turia: New Zealand Healthcare Summit 2013
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 3:43 pm | New Zealand Government
I am delighted to be with you at the 2013 New Zealand Healthcare Summit. There is nothing closer to my heart than thinking about performance criteria to improve Maori health outcomes. As such it was pleasing to receive your letter advising me that ... More >>
Investment to support Art Deco Weekend
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 3:29 pm | New Zealand Government
The Government is investing $530,000 through the Major Events Development Fund to support the 2014 and 2015 Art Deco Weekends in Hawke’s Bay, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce announced today. More >>
Village Mentality Over Grass Sweeps Supercity
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 3:20 pm | New Zealand First Party
The arguments sweeping Auckland over the responsibility for cutting the grass on the road side outside houses shows that the “Super City” is still a collection of arguing villages, says New Zealand First local government spokesperson Andrew ... More >>
First compulsory acquisitions in Christchurch CBD
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 3:19 pm | New Zealand Government
The Crown is using its post-earthquake powers of compulsory acquisition for the first time to ensure the crucial rebuild of central Christchurch is not held up, says Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee. More >>
Government misses chance to lead way on health and safety
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 2:45 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
The Government has missed its opportunity to put in place a world’s best practice health and safety regime as it sends its Bill to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Pike River back to Parliament, says Andrew Little, Labour's ... More >>
$30 million community fund opens
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 2:38 pm | New Zealand Government
Internal Affairs Minister and Presiding Member of the Lottery Grants Board Chris Tremain today announced the opening of the $30 million dollar Lottery Grants Board Significant Projects Fund. More >>
Government supports school cycle and fitness tracks
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 2:31 pm | New Zealand Government
Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye today announced a change in how schools can use their capital funding to support building bicycle or fitness tracks at schools. More >>
Health Insurance Requirement For Parent Reunion Migrants
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 1:54 pm | New Zealand First Party
New Zealand First would require all parent reunion migrants entering New Zealand to take out health insurance on their arrival to ease the pressure on New Zealand’s healthcare system. More >>
The power of local
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 1:48 pm | Green Party
The Green Party welcomes the New Zealand Initiative’s (NZI) paper ‘A Global Perspective on Localism’, as a timely contribution to the debate on the future of local government in New Zealand. More >>
New prisoner reintegration service to get under way
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 1:13 pm | New Zealand Government
Corrections Minister Anne Tolley says a new reintegration service to help steer just-released prisoners away from a return to crime will begin this month. Five providers have been selected to operate the $10 million “Out of Gate” service, funded over two ... More >>
University governance changes a power play
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 12:32 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
Stripping away democratic governance is not the answer to ensuring New Zealand’s universities remain internationally competitive and flies in the face of best practice, says Labour's Association Tertiary Education spokesperson Megan Woods. More >>
Launch of Draft Tertiary Education Strategy
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 12:15 pm | New Zealand Government
Launch of Draft Tertiary Education Strategy and proposed changes to university and wānanga governance More >>
Speech to PPTA Conference
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 11:39 am | New Zealand Government
I’m delighted to be here with you today. I would like to acknowledge the kaumātua for their welcome. More >>
Solid Energy banks got a trim not a haircut
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 11:31 am | New Zealand Labour Party
John Key has folded yet again in negotiations with big corporates, and backed away from his threat of a haircut for Solid Energy’s banks, says Labour’s SOEs spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove. More >>
Minister opens mountain bike track built by offenders
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 11:24 am | New Zealand Government
Corrections Minister Anne Tolley has officially opened a new mountain bike track in Taupo, which was built with the help of offenders serving community sentences. More >>
RBNZ review of non-bank deposit takers tabled
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 11:19 am | New Zealand Government
The Government has today tabled in Parliament the Reserve Bank’s review of the prudential regime for non-bank deposit takers, Finance Minister Bill English says. More >>
Changes proposed to strengthen university & wānanga governance
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 10:46 am | New Zealand Government
Proposed changes to university councils will help New Zealand universities remain internationally competitive, Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce says. More >>
Draft Tertiary Education Strategy released
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 10:42 am | New Zealand Government
Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment Minister Steven Joyce today released the Draft Tertiary Education Strategy (2014-2019) that seeks to improve the way tertiary education supports achievement, industry, innovation, and economic growth. More >>
International search for Convention Centre operator
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 10:01 am | New Zealand Government
Following initial engagement with five shortlisted consortia for the master planning and development of Christchurch’s Convention Centre Precinct, an operator will now be sought for the facility. More >>
Problems at private prison all too predictable
Wednesday, 2 October 2013, 9:36 am | New Zealand Labour Party
News that more than half of 20 new staff at Serco’s Mt Eden prison have reportedly left their jobs amid fears for their safety is an unfortunate but predictable consequence of the Government’s privatisation agenda, Labour’s Corrections spokesperson Jacinda ... More >>
Guy: Speech to the Primary Growth Partnership expo
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 5:30 pm | New Zealand Government
I would like first to extend a special welcome to industry and business leaders, my parliamentary colleagues, and our partner PGP programmes here today as we showcase the wide range of PGP programmes underway to date and exciting innovations they are ... More >>
Revolutionary seafood project showing great promise
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 5:08 pm | New Zealand Government
Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy has welcomed exciting progress on seafood harvesting technology, developed through the Government’s Primary Growth Partnership (PGP) scheme. More >>
New house deposit rules a travesty for low income whanau
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 4:55 pm | The Maori Party
The Maori Party say that the Reserve Bank’s new rules on house deposits which came into force today discriminates against low and medium income earners trying to buy their first home and are another example of economic policy with disastrous social ... More >>
Subsidy to buy state homes won’t tackle affordability
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 3:30 pm | ACT New Zealand
“National’s plan to subsidise the sale of state houses to first home buyers in provincial areas will do nothing to tackle the housing affordability crisis which is occurring in our biggest cities, ACT Leader John Banks said today. More >>
Axe the ACC tax now, not in election year
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 3:16 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
The Government talked up a crisis in ACC so it could push levies to artificially high levels as a backdoor route to get to surplus, ripping off Kiwis in the process, Labour’s ACC spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says. More >>
McCully to welcome Australian counterpart
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 3:10 pm | New Zealand Government
Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully will host his Australian counterpart, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, in Auckland tomorrow for their first six-monthly Australia-New Zealand Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. More >>
Crime Statistics Don’t Mean Less Crime
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 2:46 pm | New Zealand First Party
The latest crime statistics are no cause for gloating by the Police Minister who should be redoubling efforts to get more front line police back in action, says associate Law and Order spokesperson Asenati Lole-Taylor. More >>
National breaks its promise to elderly state housing tenants
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 2:42 pm | New Zealand Labour Party
Older New Zealanders will be thrown out of their state homes in the latest round of tinkering by Housing Minister Nick Smith, Labour’s housing spokesperson Phil Twyford says. More >>
Errors Do Not Help Local Government Elections
Tuesday, 1 October 2013, 2:24 pm | New Zealand First Party
“Thousands of residents may have been put off voting in the Christchurch local government elections because of an error in the pamphlet telling people how to vote,” says New Zealand First Local Government spokesperson Andrew Williams. More >>
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