JOBS

WIRES:

Scoop >> Parliament

Statement from Hon John Banks re: Talent2

Thursday, 22 November 2012, 2:30 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand

Statement from Hon John Banks re: Talent2

The Hon John Banks Family Trust has not held shares in Talent2 International Limited since 28 May 2012 when Talent2 moved to privatise the company and de-list from the Australian stock exchange. Mr Banks advised the Cabinet Office of the sale of his Family Trust’s shares on 29 May 2012.

Mr Banks became a shareholder in Talent2 as a result of Talent2’s acquisition of Sugar International Limited which the Hon John Banks’ Family Trust held shares in.

Mr Banks declared his Family Trust’s shareholding in Talent2 to the Cabinet Office when he first became a Minister. He has never received any government information or briefings regarding Talent2 (or any company they are connected to), or participated in any discussions at either Cabinet or Cabinet Committee.

The issue of the pay system is outside Mr Banks' responsibilities as Associate Minister of Education, and the Novopay contract was signed off in September 2008 by the previous Labour Government.

Note: Andrew Banks, Chairman of Talent2, is not related to Hon John Banks.

ENDS

Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

NEW ZEALAND POLITICS > >

Full Scoop Coverage: NZ Budget 2013

Public Address Link:
A (Sweary) Analysis Of Urgency Abuse And
The Consititution

Keith Ng: You’re looking at the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) for the Public Health and Disability Amendment Bill. Basically, the courts said that the Government had to pay family members who looked after people with disabilities (because not doing so was discriminatory), so the Government passed this law to say: “Yeah nah.”

The RIS isn’t just redacted for the public – it was redacted for MPs. *Parliament* voted on this, with all the relevant facts blacked out.

Sure, it’s understandable, right? If you’re passing a law that’s really dodgy, you don’t want advice from civil servants saying “uh, this is pretty illegal” to be public. But actually, that’s not really a problem here, because in the same piece of legislation, THEY SAID THEY CAN’T BE TAKEN TO COURT. More>>

Almost 2000 submissions have been received by the four Wellington councils consulting on possible change to the region’s local government, demonstrating support for change. More>>

ALSO:

Wellington City Council - Wellington Residents Support Big Single-tier Council with Mayor and 29 Councillors

Salvation Army Report: Pacific Peoples Making Progress Despite Increasing Adversity

Co-author Ronji Tanielu says the report shows that while Pacific communities continue to face social, health, education, and economic problems that became pronounced in the 1970s, and in many cases have worsened, the Pacific community is tenaciously making progress in some areas, but struggling in others. More>>

ALSO:

Labour - Pacific Ministry Set Up to Fail
Greens - National Government’s Inaction On Poverty Fails Pacific Kids
Service And Food Workers Union - More Evidence of Growing Need for Living Wage

Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement: NZ-Born Fair Deal Coalition Gets Global Makeover

The Fair Deal Coalition announces that it is ramping up its presence with a global publicity and education campaign that will raise awareness of intellectual property rights proposals in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). More>>

ALSO:

NZ Govt - Groser to attend Partnership Forum in Washington
First Union - Will working families be hurt by a TPPA agreement?
Out-Link - Home | Our Fair Deal

Gordon Campbell: On The 2013 Budget

We are apparently on track for a margin-of-error $75 million surplus, now in sight for 2014/15. But this sickly creature is hobbling out of the lab on the basis of all kinds of facilitative conjuring... With this strictly nominal surplus in sight, the 1984-ish justification for eternal austerity will have a news talisman: namely, getting Crown debt down to 20% of GDP by 2020. More>>

ALSO:

The Scoop Team - Scoop Coverage of Budget Day 2013
Scoop Business - BUDGET 2013 COMMENT Plain sailing, but it’s no America’s Cup
Scoop Full Coverage - New Zealand Goverment Budget 2013 Full Coverage

Auckland Discord: Govt’s Power Hungry Housing Approach A Threat - Labour

Last week the Government said this, ‘The Government commits not to use any proposed or existing powers ... to override the council's planning and consenting processes’. But its housing Bill says this; ‘If an accord cannot be reached in an area of severe housing unaffordability, the Government can intervene by establishing special housing areas and issuing consents for developers’. More>>

ALSO:

NZ Govt - Housing accords legislation passes first reading - Legislation For Housing Accords, Land Supply - Housing package improves affordability, access - Government acts on housing affordability in Auckland
Greens - Budget numbers show National’s failure on home affordability
Auckland Council - More work needed on housing accord bill
Auckland Chamber of Commerce - Budget 2013: Housing intervention needed
Out-Link - Gareth Morgan: Response to housing problem limp-wristed
Earlier, Pre-Budget - Auckland Accord announced
Scoop Full Coverage - New Zealand Goverment Budget 2013 Full Coverage

Unitary Plan:

Auckland Council - Unitary Plan: myths busted
No More Rates - List of ‘myth-busters’ will not fool ratepayers
Cameron Brewer - Three stories for ‘mixed housing’ changes everything
Dick Quax - Kiwi Lifestyle under Attack
Auckland 2040 - Heritage Heavyweight Partners Auckland 2040
Dale Smith - Auckland Unitary Plan to make housing less affordable

Extending Protest Ban, Relaxing Permit Rules: Govt Abuses Urgency To Extend Anadarko Amendment

The Government is trying to pass legislation under urgency which would make the Anadarko Amendment – which limits protest at sea – apply to an additional 1.7 million square kilometres, the Green Party said today. More>>

ALSO:

Parliament Today - Parliament Resumes To Pass Budget Bills
Labour - Government to extend protest ban
Greenpeace NZ - Oil Companies Lacking ‘Expertise’ and ‘Financial Ability’ Set to Be Handed Drilling Permits
2010 image via: Pacific.Scoop - Media watcher gives NZ press nil score card for China oil spill coverage
Scoop Full Coverage - New Zealand Goverment Budget 2013 Full Coverage

Gordon Campbell:
On Stonewalling About The GCSB And MMP

This week has seen two examples of turkeys refusing to vote for an early Christmas – while busily denying the evident self interest involved. First, the GCSB is refusing to identify the 88 people it has illegally spied upon – as revealed in the Kitteridge report – and is donning the cloak of national security to justify its refusal to be transparent.
… More>>

ALSO:

In Scoop Politics - No Changes To MMP Before Election
Alex Parsons - Alex Parsons Cartoon: Cheers Aaron!

Canterbury Quakes: Residential Advisory Service Going Live

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the Residential Advisory Service available from tomorrow to all property owners having difficulty with insurance and other repair or rebuilding challenges will play an important role in recovery. More>>

ALSO:

Image Women's Refuge - Quakes & Ladders Game Raises Funds for Canterbury Families
NZ Govt - Residential red zone demolition full steam ahead - Southern Response making good progress - Further rebuild zone reductions
Labour - Govt and Council must jointly support residents
NZ First - “Too Little, Too Late” for Christchurch Home Owners
Christchurch City Council - Community workshops planned for Main Road Master Plan
Christchurch Centre for Architecture - The Wounded Brick film screening in Christchurch
University of Canterbury - Christchurch homes sold by auction almost doubled since 2010

School Audit Costs: Another $2 Million From Taxpayers For Novopay

Taxpayers will fork out another $2 million for auditors to deal with the mountain of complications created by Novopay, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins has revealed. More>>