News Worthy

Friday 13 April 2007 - No. 105

The fastest law in the west

In 1979 Sir Geoffrey Palmer said in his book “Unbridled Power” – “the New Zealand Parliament passed the fastest law in the west”. Later editions of the work removed that reference but it remains a telling comment.

Recently the Clerk of Parliament (David McGee QC) published an article entitled “Concerning Legislative Process” which contains the following table.

Public Acts enacted, pages of legislation and time sat

Parliament / Public Acts Passed / Pages of Legislation / Time sat (mins) / Minutes of sitting required to pass each page of legislation

1954-57* / 329 / 3,811 / 83,961 / 22.0
1963-66 / 382 / 4,197 / 97,957 / 23.3
1975-78** / 493 / 5,620 / 111,525 / 19.8
1984-87 / 541 / 5,882 / 131,893 / 22.4
1993-96 / 422 / 6,330 / 80,684 / 12.7
1996-99 / 375 / 5,635 / 106,386 / 18.8
1999-02 / 229 / 4,814 / 88,198 / 18.3
2002-05** / 355 / 8,760 / 107,785 / 12.3

*Statutes Amendment Bill passed as separate Acts for the first time

**Excludes Income Tax Acts passed in those Parliaments

Source: David McGee, Concerning Legislative Process, Otago Law Review – 2007, Vol 11 No. 3

The speed of law making is in substantial measure the consequence of a unicameral Parliament and the absence of review by an Upper House.

Truancy Policing

Those of us who are not of “tender years” will remember a time when the then Department of Education employed Truancy Inspectors and parents would face prosecution if their children were absent from school.

The truancy rate since 2002 has increased 41%. The rate rose from 2.9% of students in 2002, to 3.4 percent in 2004 and last year peaked at a whopping 4.1 percent.

We have a situation where 30,000 students are wagging school each week."

The puzzle of sickness and invalids numbers

While there has been a substantial decrease in the level of unemployment what's puzzling is the relentless increase in the number of people collecting sickness and invalids' benefits, when there appears to be no epidemic of sickness and injury.

In December 1999 there were 32,870 on the sickness benefit and 52,195 on the invalids benefit. By February 2007 that figure had grown to 47,344 on sickness benefits and 76,317 on invalids benefits.

Both invalids and sickness numbers have gone up by nearly 50% since Labour took office, yet the pilot programmes to shift people off these benefits are struggling to make a significant difference.

In August 2006 there were 5,562 people on sickness benefit for stress, with 73 of those on the benefit for more than 10 years.

Aussie Rules on apples

Significant barriers of a non-tariff nature sour the CER relationship. A total ban on New Zealand applies has been imposed by Australia for 86 years. Last month Australia issued a final policy determination on an import risk analysis.

The issue centres on a non-science argument that the importation of New Zealand apples risks the spread of fire-blight.

In Aussie style however the final policy determination retains the earlier proposed strict conditions on our apple exports which are both onerous and unjustified.

Similar game-playing occurs in other sectors of the food industry – classically in the export of meat pies.

John Key & Richard Worth Post-Budget Breakfast

Date: Friday 18 May 2007

Time: 7.00 am for 7.15 am

Venue: Northern Club

Tickets $45.00.

Enquiries: Elizabeth (09) 524 4930

Political Quote of the Week

"Our elections are free--it's in the results where eventually we pay." Bill Stern - US actor and sportscaster

ENDS

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