Media Statement

Hon Peter Dunne
MP for Ohariu
Leader of UnitedFuture

Monday, 5 December 2011

Super, asset sales limits, Families Commission lead UF deal

Public consultation on Flexi-Super, locking in a 49 percent statutory limit on any asset sales, supporting public-private partnerships in transport and health, and refocusing the Families Commission for the role it was always supposed to have are key UnitedFuture achievements in its confidence and supply agreement with National, the party’s leader Peter Dunne said today.

“We are delighted with the very substantial and specific items we have negotiated with National and will be able to deliver in the next three years,” Mr Dunne said

Other key points in the agreement include:

• Placing the Income Sharing Bill currently before Parliament in the Government‘s reinstatement of legislation motion
• Continued development of the long term medicines strategy
• Reducing elective surgery waiting lists with greater planned use of private hospital capacity where this cannot be met by the public hospital system
• Investigating free annual health checks for over 65s when fiscal circumstances allow
• No sale of any part of Kiwibank or Radio New Zealand and ensuring water quality standards and existing management of water supplies
• Maintaining at least current Budget funding tracks for TVNZ and Radio New Zealand to ensure they continue to fulfil their existing public broadcasting roles
• Support public-private partnerships for major roading infrastructure developments (including Transmission Gully)
• Outlawing heli-hunting on the conservation estate
• Investigating cross-agency co-operation for developing and establishing ‘Youth One Stop Shops’ to offer support services for at-risk youth
• Introducing pre-release assessments for all sentenced prisoners appearing before the Parole Board regarding their alcohol and/or drug dependency
• Passing the Game Animal Council legislation currently before Parliament into law
• Maintaining free public access to rivers, lakes, forests and coastline;
•
Mr Dunne said he was delighted with the agreement.

“The term ‘commonsense’ comes to mind on all aspects of it.

“I believe New Zealanders will look at this agreement and see great value in many if not all of the items UnitedFuture has negotiated.

“They are practical and achievable and will benefit New Zealand and New Zealanders, from Flexi-Super to youth services ‘One Stop Shops’ to holding the line on how asset sales can be conducted, and much more.

“This is an excellent agreement and UnitedFuture is committed to playing a very positive part in a very positive and stable government for New Zealand over the next three years,” he said.

The full National-UnitedFuture Confidence and Supply Agreement can be found at www.unitedfuture.org.nz

Ends

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