New report on New Zealanders’ wellbeing

A new government report shows New Zealanders' general well-being continues to improve in a number of key areas. The annual Social Report tells the story of how New Zealanders are living, reporting on trends and identifying sectors such as early childhood education and employment where we’ve improved, as well as those where we can do more. The Labour-led government's focused and consistent efforts to improve the well-being of all New Zealanders have paid off.

• In comparison to other developed countries New Zealand has the third lowest unemployment rate, and we rank higher than the median for participation in tertiary education, employment, and representation of women in Parliament.
• In comparison to Australia, we are more employed, less unemployed, less corrupt leave school with higher school qualifications have more access to the Internet, trust each other more, and not as fat.
• NZ regions that have in the past trailed behind are making great strides; with more people in work, better access to telephone and Internet services, and fewer low-income families.

Maori are enjoying better education, employment and living standards than they did in the 1990s, but there is still a gap with non-Maori. Of the 15 outcomes available for Mâori, 13 have improved since the mid-1990s.

• Maori life expectancy improved by 2.4 years for males and 1.9 years for females from the mid-1990s to 2000-2002, resulting in the gap between Mâori and non-Mâori life expectancy decreasing by 0.6 years.
• Housing: The proportion of households spending 30 per cent or more of their income on housing and containing at least one Mâori adult dropped sharply from 31 per cent in 2001 to 21 percent in 2004. Between 2001 and 2004 the percentage gap between Mâori and European New Zealander's housing affordability outcomes closed from 11 percentage points to just two percentage points.
• Incomes: Between 1996 and 2004, the proportion of families containing a Mâori adult living with low income decreased by 21 per cent - a larger decrease than for the total population.
• Mâori unemployment is the lowest since records began. Where one in four Mâori were unemployed in 1992, we have reduced this to about one in 13 today. More Mâori in real jobs means more bread on the table, more options for health and education, and a greater ability to contribute to the care and wellbeing of their families and communities.

For a copy of the report go to: www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz

Work Stoppages Drop

The number of work stoppages has dropped. There were 35 stoppages in the June 2007 year, compared with 60 stoppages for the June 2006 year according to Statistics NZ figures released this week. The report reinforces Department of Labour statistics showing our government's Employment Relations Act compares much better than the Employment Contracts Act across all work stoppage indicators. Department of Labour figures show:

• average rate of stoppages has dropped by 21 per cent under the ERA;
• average rate of person days of work lost has reduced by a third;
• wage losses have dropped by almost 50 per cent.

These results have been achieved because the Employment Relations Act is fair and balanced, and good for employers and employees - unlike the Employment Contracts Act under National's regime. For more information on employment relations in NZ, please see www.ers.dol.govt.nz.

New Zealand on the world stage

Funding support for Tonga recovery
New Zealand will contribute $5 million to further help Tonga’s economic recovery following the civil unrest which saw many businesses destroyed last year. The announcement was made during Prime Minister Helen Clark’s visit to Tonga for the Pacific Islands Forum. The Government of Tonga has sought help to ensure the rebuilding of the central business district in Nuku’alofa, which was badly affected by the unrest of 16 November 2006. Rebuilding has been slow, affected by a lack of affordable loan finance. The $5 million from New Zealand will:

• support a Private Sector Reconstruction Facility,
• enable cheaper loans through local banks to rebuild commercial buildings,
• help businesses to get back up and running,
• stimulate economic recovery and provide employment opportunities.

Australia will also contribute AUD$5 million to the facility. For more information on New Zealand's aid for Tonga: www.nzaid.govt.nz/programmes/c-tonga.html

Funding support for tuna tagging programme
A $5 million contribution to a Pacific tuna tagging programme was announced by Prime Minister Helen Clark at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga this week. Fisheries was a key issue discussed during the Leaders Retreat. New Zealand is committed to sustainable fisheries management in the Pacific, and Tagging enables more accurate assessment of fish stocks -- essential for sustainable management. The tuna fishery is a valuable resource for the Pacific's developing nations, with potential to increase export earnings and create jobs, so the fishery needs wise management. To help, NZAID will contribute up to $5 million to the five-year $13 million Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme to be coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. NZAID is a key funder of tuna tagging programmes and of the Forum Fisheries Agency.

Minister conveys concern over live dolphin exports

The government is gravely concerned at the resumption this week of live dolphin exports from the Solomon Islands. Previous attempts have resulted in too many dolphins dying during captivity and in transit. The trade in live dolphins requires the animals to be rounded up, kept in pens and then loaded into aircraft -- incredibly stressful for intelligent mammals. The Solomon Islands government has obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which says any country exporting wild animals must be able to show it will not be detrimental to the survival of the species. It is understood the animals exported are a species of bottlenose dolphin listed in Appendix II of CITES. Conservation Minister Chris Carter has conveyed his concerns in a letter to Solomon Islands Forests, Environment and Conservation Minister.

NZ takes anti-nuke lead

New Zealand leading a call at the United Nations General Assembly for countries to remove their nuclear weapons from high alert status. Eighteen years safter the fall of the Berlin Wall thousands of nuclear weapons -- each one eight to 40 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima -- remain on high-alert. The New Zealand-led resolution to the UN aims to encourage concrete steps to tackle this risk to global security. All nuclear weapons need to come off high alert status, then further steps need to be taken to decrease their operational readiness. There would be little time to prevent catastrophic retaliation if a missile is fired by accident, miscalculation or through terrorist intrusion into a nuclear weapons facility. The current situation cannot persist.

Energy generation

Generating energy from waves or tides around NZ comes a step closer under the Labour-led Government. The Government is offering funding to set up generating devices.

Energy Minister David Parker has called for applications from interested parties for funding form the Marine Energy Deployment Fund, which will be making grants of up to $2 million a year for the next 4 years.

The development of Marine Energy is the next logical step in the development of new sustainable and renewable energy sources. More information here: www.eeca.govt.nz/renewable-energy/marine.html

New Zealand needs to move step away from the path of building new gas-powered generation -- failing to do so would mean higher power prices. The Labour-led government’s Energy Strategy will see no more fossil fuel baseload generation being built for a decade, and a target of 90 percent renewable generation by 2025. Some critics suggest this will mean higher power prices, but the opposite is true. Sources of wind and geothermal are more affordable than gas. The Maui gas field is almost out of puff, we are running out of other gas reserves, and importing gas it would expose New Zealand to the high and volatile international price of Liquefied Natural Gas. So New Zealand needs to pursue renewable energy and steer clear of new gas generation, except where we need to ensure security of supply.

The government's Energy Strategy, launched last week by Prime Minister Helen Clark, is about how New Zealanders get their energy; it sets out the government’s vision for a sustainable, low emissions energy system, and an action plan to make that vision a reality. Launched alongside it was the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, about smart technology and thoughtful use of energy for light, warmth, power for business and fuel for transport. It aims to help families, business, the travelling public save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.