Newsletter: 2021

Participate 28

beehive.govt.nz — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:01:37 +1300

What a great year!

This year we completed several key planks of our strategy for creating an inclusive society. This included a strong demonstration of our commitment to the Human Rights of disabled New Zealanders:

We signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Peoples and
we repealed the outdated 1960 Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Act.

These planks have been a lot of work to nail down and a long time coming. They are a testament to our collective dedication to a non-disabling society over the last six years.

Our dedication has been recognised internationally. We can feel truly honoured that New Zealand won the prestigious Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award. This achievement acknowledges New Zealand efforts to raise national and international consciousness about disabled people’s needs and aspirations, and enhancing their full acceptance in society.

To ensure we know as much as possible about the progress we are making and any barriers to progress that we need to address, we are collecting more information about disability. This helps inform policy development and priority setting.

Recently collected information has shown that our achievements to date are positively impacting on outcomes in a variety of areas of a disabled person’s life – from employment and environment, to transport and citizenship.

Of course, there is more work to do to fully realise the vision outlined in the New Zealand Disability Strategy. I can assure you that the accolades we have received internationally will not result in complacency nationally.

I am pleased to able tell you about many exciting new initiatives in this Newsletter.

This is a bit of a bumper Christmas edition which reflects on the achievements of the past year and looks forward to consolidating these and meeting the new challenges of 2008.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Ruth Dyson

In the attached issue of Participate:

Policy Updates.

Moving forward with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Measuring progress
Enjoying the right to work
Accessibility
Transport

News

Roosevelt award applications
Research shows how disabled children can do well in mainstream
Paralympics Athletics in Christchurch

Watch this space

A taste of what is coming in 2008
Blogs

Beehive Bulletin 7 December 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:00:00 +1300

A sustainable future for NZ

A new online interactive Sustainability Portal was launched this week by Prime Minister Helen Clark, part of the Sustainability Challenge.

www.sustainability.govt.nz is a new interactive website about giving each of us practical information about what we can do to help.

"The benefits of individuals taking steps for sustainability flow far beyond the environment. Taking steps like insulating our homes, inflating car tyres correctly, and walking short distances can save us money and/or make us healthier or safer," said Helen Clark.

Moving towards sustainability for New Zealand can fit in to everyone's lifestyle. The aim of this challenge is to have as many steps as possible registered on the new online Sustainability Portal in the run-up to New Zealand hosting World Environment Day next June 5.

Helen Clark was the first to register a sustainable step at www.sustainability.govt.nz, deciding to take reuseable bags to the supermarket.

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard also registered a sustainable step of buying products with less packaging, or with packaging that is able to be recycled.

The launch came as the United Nations negotiations on climate change after 2012 get under way in Bali this week.

The Labour-led Government’s move to introduce an emissions trading scheme and other measures to tackle greenhouse gas emissions gives New Zealand international credibility and helps safeguard markets for goods and services -- first world consumers want to know that they are buying is sustainably produced.

New Zealand's proposed Emissions Trading Scheme is an 'impressive piece of policy development' and will form a significant part of New Zealand’s contribution to tackling climate change, according to an independent report released this week. The Motu Report also says the scheme will enable New Zealand to make credible commitments in international negotiations setting new greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for the period after 2012. You can find more information, along with a downloadable copy of the report itself, is here.

Legislation to establish the Emissions Trading Scheme was introduced to Parliament this week. The Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill:

establishes the scheme and legislates for the government’s preference for new renewable electricity generation. The Emissions Trading Scheme establishes a market which provides incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
maintain economic flexibility, equity, and environmental integrity at least cost in the long term.

You can find more information, including the Bill itself and an FAQ here.

The New Zealand Emission Unit Register went live this week as part of New Zealand’s commitment to the Kyoto Protocol. The NZEUR is the system for issuing, holding, transferring and retiring of Kyoto-related emission units that are monitored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Information on the register is available on the NZEUR website at www.nzeur.govt.nz.

Savings: KiwiSaver numbers surge

The number of people joining KiwiSaver continues to defy initial expectations with over 316,000 New Zealanders signing up in just the first five months.

As at 30 November, 316,865 New Zealanders were actively saving for their retirement through KiwiSaver. This news comes just a month after KiwiSaver numbers reached the quarter million mark.

New Zealanders are embracing KiwiSaver in huge numbers because they know the scheme makes saving for retirement easier than ever before.

“One of the most encouraging signs is the large numbers of younger New Zealanders who are joining the scheme," said Finance Minister Michael Cullen. “Nearly 20 per cent of KiwiSavers are younger than 25 and over 33,000 KiwiSavers are less than 20 years old."

KiwiSaver is set to build up a substantial pool of domestic capital available for local firms to draw from for investment. The large pool of savings built up as a result of superannuation schemes in Australia has been cited by some commentators as the single most important factor behind the growing wealth across the Tasman.

More information here.

Schools get $22 million for new buildings

Fifty-nine schools around the country will share in extra funding of $22 million this year to help them provide enough space for things like libraries and administration areas.

The funding, from the School Property Guide Deficiencies Programme, enables schools around the country to improve areas where their property has not caught up due to roll increases.

Schools will be able to combine this latest funding with other property budgets they have, such as their five-year capital works programme, to add area and upgrade existing property at the same time. More information here

Briefings to new ministers

Government departments, ministries, and other bodies have begun publishing their briefings to incoming ministers (BIMs) after the reshuffle that occurred in October.

From the afternoon of Monday 10 December, the Beehive website is providing a list of BIMs as and when they are published:

www.beehive.govt.nz/bims2007

Electoral Finance Bill being debated

The Select Committee and the Government have listened to concerns about the Electoral Finance Bill and have made a number of changes to considerably improve the legislation. Clarifications and amendments include:

Narrowing the definition of 'publish,'
Allowing the Electoral Commission and the Chief Electoral Office to decide that an alleged breach of the legislation is so inconsequential that there is no public interest in reporting it to the Police.
Shortening the period prior to an election during which third parties cannot register with the Electoral Commission
greater transparency around disclosure of the contributors to 'secret trusts'
Clarifying that only promoters, and not the general public, need to place a name and address on an advertisement

The amendments make it clear that the bill aims to limit undue influence by people who can afford to buy elections – it does not set out to prevent free speech. Some political commentators and parties are persistently ignoring the worthwhile changes the Select Committee and the Government have made. Fior more info, please click here.

Beehive Bulletin 23 November 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 17:00:00 +1300

More Kiwis gain tertiary qualifications

New Zealanders are more skilled and obtaining higher qualifications under the Labour-led government. Almost 40 per cent of New Zealanders now hold a tertiary qualification and 14 per cent have a bachelors or higher qualification.

The Labour-led government spent $3.3 billion on tertiary education in 2006 and this investment is vital to our sustained economic and social development. Since 2000 workplace learning has more than doubled, from 81,000 trainees to more than 176,000 in 2006 including 9,470 modern apprentices.

Having a more highly qualified population means higher wages for New Zealanders and a better economy, allowing
New Zealand
to compete on the global stage.

Kiwi food products stars in Chinese trade exhibition

Economic Development Minister Pete Hodgson welcomed the success of Food Hotel China, held in Shanghai last week.

Food Hotel China was the first of three key events organised by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. It provided 18 New Zealand companies with an opportunity to showcase some of our top food and beverage products, including those from the wine, horticulture, dairy, meat and seafood sectors.

New Zealand's high-value food and beverage exports received a major boost under the Labour-led Government's work programme for partnering with industry in July. The Minister for Economic Development announced that $19 million of additional funding over the next four years is to be dedicated to expend in-market for New Zealand food and beverage firms.

Helping students learn about money

Figure It Out booklets - tell younger students how to earn, spend, save and borrow money. It was launched earlier this week by the Education Minister Chris Carter. Some of the characters in the books have bright business ideas and some have financial dilemmas, with students encouraged to think how they would resolve the problems.

Figure It Out is a series of seventy books being published as part of the Numeracy strategy. It contributes to the Labour-led government's goal of ensuring students are confident and capable both mathematically and financially, recognising that everyone needs to be able to make considered, sensible financial decisions.

Substantial investment in children and families

$7 million to fund long term research into New Zealand families and children, to begin in 2008, was announced by Social Development and Employment Minister Ruth Dyson earlier on this week.

The study will help identify opportunities to improve children's lives by studying parenting behaviors, health and environmental factors, child development, education, nutrition and social interactions. This represents a substantial investment by the Labour-led government so it can identify and examine the key social issues that will affect future New Zealanders.

Beehive Bulletin 16 November 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 09:00:00 +1300

NEW ZEALAND FIRMS EXPORTING TO THE WORLD

Exporting is about more than arms-length trade – Export Year 2007 has been all about developing long-term relationships in international markets. New Zealand businesses will find it easier to grow their new offshore markets under a $100 million scheme announced by Economic Development Minister Pete Hodgson this week. Export Year 2007 has set new levels of export ambition for us. Part of that is removing barriers faced by businesses taking Kiwi enterprise to the world:

The New Zealand Export Credit Office is to offer two new products: a broader contract bond guarantee and a targeted short-term working capital guarantee – supporting growth of successful export companies. More info: www.nzeco.govt.nz.
The Export Year Private Sector Reference Group will continue to operate beyond Export Year, championing the ongoing work of the private sector

Also this week, it became easier for Kiwi businesses to develop export markets. The Labour-led Government is halving the amount businesses need to invest in their international market activities to $10,000 before they qualify for a 50 per cent reimbursement under the Market Development Scheme. The Prime Minister made the announcement during her speech at the 2007 New Zealand Export Awards. "Export Year 2007 has seen many events and initiatives involving the government and the private sector to improve New Zealand's competitiveness in the global marketplace," said Helen Clark. "These include addressing our skill levels, the capability and capacity of enterprises, technology, productivity, creativity and innovation."

Nearly 600 companies around New Zealand have signed up for the Labour-led government’s Market Development Assistance Scheme over the past year, taking advantage of new business opportunities overseas. In the last 12 months, $48 million of co-funding has been approved to 594 companies.

The recent trade mission to North America’s Pacific north-west region, led by Trade Minister Phil Goff, has resulted in significant value for the specialised manufacturing sector in New Zealand. Twenty representatives from leading New Zealand specialised manufacturing companies, including in aviation, electronics, engineering, marine and plastics, doing deals worth over US$23 million. The also secured agency agreements, alliances, marketing agreements, new clients, and potential new contracts.

TE REO

Revitalising the Maori language is vital to Maori cultural development and to New Zealand’s unique national identity. The government's commitment to Maori language revitalisation is paying dividends.

A report by the Office of the Auditor General shows that Maori Language Strategy is contributing to significant increases in the number of Maori adults who can speak, read, write and understand Te Reo Maori. The 2006 Maori Language Survey found 52 per cent of Maori adults had some level of Maori language speaking proficiency – up 10 percent from 2001; and 67 per cent had some level of Maori language listening proficiency – an 8 per cent increase.

The draft curriculum for Maori-medium schools Te Marautanga o Aotearoa was launched this week by Maori Affairs and Associate Education Minister Parekura Horomia and Education Minister Chris Carter. Te Marautanga is a world-leading curriculum with a truly indigenous perspective, setting the direction for teaching and learning for the 17,500 students in New Zealand’s 350 primary and secondary Maori-medium schools -- schools that use te Reo Maori for all communication, including teaching. Te Marautanga is a partner document to the New Zealand Curriculum, launched by the Prime Minister in early November.

EASTER

The government is encouraging public discussion on Easter trading restrictions – an issue that attracts a range of opinions held by a wide variety of organisations and individuals with different beliefs and preferences. The new discussion document considers the laws that affect Easter trading and proposes a number of options for addressing three key points:

what should happen to the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990 and Sale of Liquor Act 1989, particularly in regard to Easter Sunday
what should happen with the status of Easter Sunday
whether the enforceability and penalty regime for the Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act 1990 needs amendment, and the issue of adequate employee/leaseholder protection against the compulsion to work/trade on Easter Sunday.

None of the options proposed reduce the holiday weekend. The full discussion document is available now at www.dol.govt.nz/consultation/shoptrading

ENVIRONMENT

Prime Minister Helen Clark and Environment Minister Trevor Mallard this week announced the first four areas in New Zealand to trial recycling facilities in public places under the Labour-led Government's Recycling in Public Places Initiative. The first councils to receive government support to set up recycling bins in public places will be Wellington City Council, Far North District Council, Kaikoura District Council and Christchurch City Council.

The aim is to help improve tourist experiences and give more substance to our clean and green reputation. This initiative is one of many sustainability initiatives being progressively rolled out, as part of a broader work programme to lead New Zealand to greater sustainability in our use of resources and our way of life.

One of the key goals in the New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 is to ensure environmental sustainability. It is our natural environment and the associated selection of outdoor activities available that make our country such a major attraction for visitors.

In the same vein, a report announced this week by Associate Environment Nanaia Mahuta shows New Zealand industry is listening to peoples’ concerns and helping to reducing waste to protect the environment. The New Zealand Packaging Accord, run partly by the Environment Ministry, plays a crucial part in helping everyone to waste less and be more efficient when making, using and recovering packaging materials reducing packaging waste. The overall recovery of packaging has hit 57 per cent, which is significantly higher than last year.

PM ON THE WORLD STAGE

Prime Minister Helen Clark will represent New Zealand at international summits in Singapore and Uganda, address a sustainable development conference in Germany, and open New Zealand’s embassy in Egypt in the latter part of November.

The East Asia Summit, in Singapore will focus on climate change and environmental sustainability
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) occurs in Kampala, Uganda, from 23 – 25 November. New Zealand expects CHOGM to send a clear message in support of the restoration of constitutional and democratic government in Fiji and Pakistan.
At the German Sustainable Development Council’s annual conference in Berlin on 27 November, Helen Clark will meet Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Federal Foreign Affairs Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
In Egypt on 28 November the Prime Minister will attend the official opening of the New Zealand embassy in Cairo, meet President Mubarak, the Prime Minister and other ministers, host a meeting for New Zealand and Egyptian businesspeople, and visit the New Zealand Defence Force contingent in the Multinational Force and Observers deployment in the Sinai.

Beehive Bulletin 9 November 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 09:00:00 +1300

Kiwis' working lives

News came out on Thursday of record low unemployment -- 3.5 per cent. The new Social Development and Employment Minister, Ruth Dyson, says the latest Household Labour Force Survey throws into focus the employment policies and responsible economic management of the Labour-led government.

Participation: A key goal of the Labour-led government's agenda to transform the economy is to get more New Zealanders participating in the work force; we are clearly on track, with participation up from 65.4 per cent in December 1999 when Labour took office, to 68.3 per cent today.
Unemployment Rate: For more than three years, NZ's unemployment rate has been under four percent. We have the fifth lowest unemployment rate in the OECD and we are the only country in the OECD to achieve such a low unemployment rate over such an extended period. The number of people unemployed has dropped from 81,000 in the June quarter to 79,000 this quarter.
Pacific people: The HLFS figures confirm the huge gains made by Pacific people under the Labour-led government, with Pacific unemployment at 5.5%, the third lowest on record and down from 14.9% for the September 1999 quarter.

For a full copy of the Household Labour Force Survey, go to: www.stats.govt.nz

On the back of the HLFS figures, the government released reports detailing the thriving state of New Zealand’s regional labour markets, with some regions experiencing unprecedented growth.

Taranaki has shown the strongest labour force participation growth rate and the largest rise in employment rates, with strengthening oil and gas industry having a positive impact on the labour market.
Bay of Plenty and Waikato also enjoyed strong employment growth.
The lowest annual average unemployment rate was 2.6 per cent in Southland. The annual average rate of unemployment declined in eight of the 12 regions between September 2006 and September 2007. All South Island regions recorded unemployment rates at or below 3.5 per cent.
The largest falls in unemployment rates in the year to September were in Bay of Plenty, Northland, and Wellington.

The regional reports are available at: http://www.dol.govt.nz/publications/lmr/regional/joint/index.asp.

Education: New Zealand Curriculum launch

The new New Zealand Curriculum for schools aims to help students develop values and competencies, and gain knowledge 21st century needs to achieve their full potential. The curriculum was launched this week by Prime Minister Helen Clark and new Education Minister Chris Carter, with strong support from school principals and teachers.

The curriculum builds on New Zealand's world class education system, setting a clear direction for teaching and learning to help creating a knowledge-based society which provides a unique quality of life for all New Zealanders.

The new curriculum:

Concentrates on the practical application of knowledge outside the classroom
Shifts away from the old focus on recalling facts and figures
Replaces seven documents with one simplified document
Contains eight areas of knowledge: English, mathematics, languages, technology, science, the arts, social sciences, health and physical education.
Includes key competencies young people need to acquire; such as thinking, using language, symbols and texts; managing oneself; relating to others; and participating and contributing
Emphasises more strongly statistics as part of mathematics, and the need to learn a second language
Clarifies the place of history, geography, and economics within the social sciences at senior school
Embraces Te Reo Maori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages
Teaches students about climate change and the environment
Gives all students the opportunity to acquire knowledge Tikanga Maori, and to learn about the Treaty of Waitangi

More info:

Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia says he hopes the new emphasis on second language learning in the new curriculum will inspire more students to learn Te reo Maori.
Youth Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta welcomes new Curriculum
Teacher-only day for training to implement new curriculum
The New Zealand Curriculum online: http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz.
Sign up to receive a monthly email update on site news and information, and schools sharing their experiences and ideas

All NZ kindergartens now offer 20 hours free ECE

Every kindergarten in the country is now offering the Labour-led government’s 20 hours free early childhood education, saving families up to $4500 a year per child.

Figures released this week by Education Minister Chris Carter show:

Over 83 per cent of eligible three and four year olds enrolled at teacher-led early education providers are now benefiting from this visionary policy just four months after it was launched
More than 2000 early childhood services are now offering 20 hours free, lowering the cost and boosting access to early childhood education for the families of 76,924 children.
72 per cent of eligible teacher-led services are now offering 20 hours free, an increase of 10 per cent since the policy was launched on 1 July.
Forty-four Kohanga Reo have also decided to opt in, and more are getting ready to come on board.

The government recognises the importance of funding public education from the age of three. Only the Labour-led government is committed to delivering 20 hours free early childhood education a week to three and four year olds.

Kiwis with both eyes on the future

KiwiSaver has reached another major milestone much faster than predicted with enrolment figures now exceeding 260,000.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen says four months into the scheme, enrolment numbers are growing three times as fast as had been predicted. As of 29 October, the total number of KiwiSaver enrolments processed by Inland Revenue had reached 261,011. This is a 22 per cent increase in enrolments since figures were last reported on 5 October.

New Zealanders are also embracing the Labour-led government’s work to improve the skills of young people in the labour market. The number of young people actively participating in Modern Apprenticeships has reached 13,838, looking set to achieve its 14,000 target for 2008 before the end of this year.

Michael Cullen says the Labour-led government is delivering on its promises to New Zealanders.

"At the last election, we fought to deliver KiwiSaver against an opposition who had promised to scrap the scheme to pay for reckless tax cuts.

"Budget 2007 included major enhancements to the scheme to make it easier for all families to save for their future. The National Party voted against the enhancements and is still refusing to commit to KiwiSaver and they’re now talking about cutting superannuation rates.

"It is a similar story with Modern Apprenticeships. The Labour-led government has worked hard to restore the place of trades training in our economy after the last National government scrapped apprenticeships programmes. At the last election we said we wanted to see 14,000 young people gaining skills through active participation in Modern Apprenticeships during 2008. We now look set to achieve that before the end of this year.

Total overhaul of real estate industry

The government is to reform real estate law, ending the industry's self-regulation, introducing better consumer protection.

The measures will:

Bring accountability and transparency to the real estate sector,
Establish an independent complaints system that protects consumers and supports honest real estate professionals.

Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove says since New Zealanders' greatest asset is often their home, they need access to an independent, transparent and effective disciplinary process if they feel ripped off. Good honest agents also need an independent body that will review complaints efficiently, fairly and objectively.

The Government is:

Removing the industry's privilege of self-regulation.
Creating an independent Real Estate Agents Authority, to oversee licensing, complaints, discipline and enforcement. It will have wide investigative powers.
Creating a tribunal to deal with serious cases, able to cancel licences and award compensation
Establishing a register of real estate agents and salespeople that records breaches of industry standards
Require ongoing professional development training for licences

The new structure will be funded by the industry, not taxpayers, and it will cost consumers nothing to lodge a complaint. A Real Estate Agents Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament this year and passed in 2008.

Beehive Bulletin 2 November 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:00:00 +1300

NZ - Ireland film agreement signed

NZ and Irish governments have signed a film co-production agreement to facilitate screen industry partnerships between the two countries.

Like NZ, Ireland has a strong screen industry which has performed well in recent years, and both governments have demonstrated a firm commitment to supporting screen production. Co-production agreements enable approved joint film projects to gain official co-production status.

"International film agreements give our screening industry better access to a wider pool of creative and financial resources. They provide economic and cultural benefits for the partnership countries and promote the development of diverse local screen industries," Prime Minister Helen Clark said.

New homes to be warmer, cheaper to run

The most significant improvements to the energy efficiency of new homes in 30 years came into effect earlier on this week.

The new reforms will deliver a triple win for our health, environment and lower gas and electricity bills and with projected annual savings for households of between $1,800 (Dunedin) and $760 (Auckland).

Positive review for emissions trading framework

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has praised NZ on the design of its proposed Emissions Trading Scheme. The government invited the IEA to review the emissions trading framework, following on from that organisation's in-depth review of NZ's energy policies last year.

The IEA compliments the Labour-led Government for a "well-intergrated" strategy which takes a "very realistic approach". It is particularly interested in the way the scheme links to existing Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, which it offers a "lower cost" method for reducing NZ's emissions

NZ has been invited to join the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) places NZ in the leading group of nations on climate change issues.

William Wallace Award winners announced

Every year, Child Youth and Family Services honors remarkable young people who have defied the odds and achieved excellence with the William Wallace Awards.

Among this year's winners are young New Zealanders who have overcome huge barriers, with the love and support of their caregivers and social workers, are now pursuing their dreams of further education and travel. Some are going to university; other winners are training for careers in a diverse field, or in one case, going to Gallipoli as part of Army Cadet training.

The awards are given from a total of $20,000 and got towards supporting the young New Zealanders in fulfilling their potential through leadership, vocational or tertiary training.

Young Entrepreneurs Making their Mark

Our young people are the business leaders of the future. This week Youth Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta praised the skills of the young entrepreneurs who were honoured at the Lion Foundation's Young Enterprise Awards this week.

"We have much to be proud of in our young people. They are paving the way to a brighter future for all New Zealanders."

"The success of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) is a result of a healthy partnership between government, through the education sector, and business." said Nanaia Mahuta.

Beehive Bulletin 26 October 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:00:00 +1300

Stronger connections with Asia

Building stronger connections with the Asia is the focus of a new position paper launched this week, Our Future with Asia.

"New Zealand already has substantial and wide ranging interests in Asia, but further opportunities for us will open up if we are well positioned," said Prime Minister Helen Clark launching the document.

Regional co-operation is growing within Asia. New Zealand needs to be part of this trend, and the growing relationship will depend on more than just commerce. New Zealand can achieve this through various initiatives, including trade, economic and science and technology co-operation, education and cultural exchanges, development assistance and defence/security ties.

New Zealanders also need to be more 'Asia literate', gain familiarity and knowledge of Asia and its peoples. NZ's Asian communities, with their Asia-relevant skills and connections, have a role to play, and the Government is looking forward to working with the private sector in a long term, sustained commitment to Asia.

New tax policy

The government has announced its tax policy work programme to the end of 2008.

New projects:

A discussion document on income splitting is planned for release in April, exploring the idea of making income splitting available to couples with children, to make it a more viable option for one partner to stay at home, or to work part-time, whilst caring for children.
Simplifications for small and medium-sized businesses.
A review of imputation rules
New consultation on reform of international tax rules, taxation of life insurers, tax incentives to promote charitable giving,
Proposals to exempt relocation payments and overtime meal allowances,
An omnibus tax bill scheduled for introduction in May 2008 to include reforms currently under way, focusing on changes to international tax rules

Several large reforms are continuing:

The Business Tax Review,
the reform of New Zealand’s international tax rules,
measures to increase personal savings, and
tax changes to increase our international competitiveness have all been carried over from the previous work programme and will continue to be a major focus over the next few months.

This week also saw the historic passage of the nearly 3000-page Income Tax Bill, which rewrites New Zealand’s income tax law.

Government supporting sustainable business

The Sustainable Business Network is getting $750,000 in government funding, recongnising the importance of the Network's organisations work in helping businesses become more sustainable. The Sustainable Business Network provides sustainable business support programmes, where business can learn about new ideas and share experiences.

The award is part of the Labour-led Government commitment to working with business to help them become more sustainable.

Buying Kiwi Christmas

New Zealanders can make it a real Kiwi Christmas if they Buy Kiwi Made this coming holiday season. The Buy Kiwi Christmas message launches this Sunday with a revised television commercial that still features assembly of the robotic Oliver Driver.

New Zealanders can make a real difference in their purchasing decisions, from the Christmas turkey and chutneys, to the jandals and frisbees they'll be shopping for this coming Summer.

To help, the Buy NZ Made Campaign already more than 800 member manufacturers, and many more are labelling their goods as made in New Zealand. Retailers are being encouraged to develop instore displays and Buy Kiwi Made promotions. Buy NZ Made has recently launched an online product locator at www.buynz.org.nz.

NZ on the world stage: Rugby World Cup 2011

NZ is in the international spotlight, looking forward to welcoming international guests in 2011 to show the world what NZ has to offer– as a great place to visit, to work in, to live in and to do business, with innovation and technology, fantastic scenery, great cities and unique culture.

It's estimated the Rugby World Cup 2011 will inject over $500 million into the economy.

The Labour-led Government wants business to get involved. A marketing and communications project will be launched this year to help the World Cup deliver lasting and tangible economic, environmental and social benefits to NZ. The campaign has already begun in Paris, using the "NZ Inc" giant Ruby Ball Venue in front of the Eiffel Tower. More than 20,000 people have watched the audio visual presentation, many thousands more being exposed to the brand outside the ball.

For more information, including videos of Tourism NZ's Rugby Ball venue, please click here.

Message from the Minister of Veteran’s Affairs, Rick Barker

beehive.govt.nz — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:00:00 +1300

Nelson and South Canterbury RSAs

I enjoyed meeting some RSA members on courtesy visits to both Nelson and South Canterbury RSAs in September.

For more information click on the link below

Beehive Bulletin 19 October 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:00:00 +1300

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.

Beehive Bulletin 12 October 2007

beehive.govt.nz — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:00:00 +1300

Energy and Efficiency

The New Zealand Energy Strategy sets the country firmly on a path towards clean, renewable energy.

Launched on Thursday the New Zealand Energy Strategy puts our country on an ambitious but achievable pathway towards greater sustainability, and a secure energy future.

"New Zealand needs to play its part in tackling climate change. We need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions from energy use. This strategy, and its companion document, the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, help us do that," said Prime Minister Helen Clark at the announcement.

The New Zealand Energy Strategy sets out the government’s vision for a sustainable, low emissions energy system, and an action plan to make that vision a reality. It says how we will deliver secure energy at affordable prices to support economic development, whilst being environmentally responsible and reducing carbon emissions from our energy production and use.

The Energy Strategy was launched alongside the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy. Work on that strategy has been led by Jeanette Fitzsimons, Government Spokesperson on Energy Efficiency and Conservation.

You can find all the media statement, speeches, backgrounders and Powerpoint presentations on the Beehive website, here.

New Zealand on the world stage

Prime Minister Helen Clark returned from a successful trip to Europe earlier this week.

Britain and France: New Zealand shares common views and perspectives on major international issues with both countries. The meetings with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and new French President Nicolas Sarkozy come at an important time soon after each has taken office. While in Britain, Helen Clark also

Met former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now the Quartet Middle East Envoy.
Attended a service at the grave of former NZ Governor-General and World War 2 military commander Lord Freyberg.
Delivered the speech on New Zealand's place in international affairs at the Oxford Union, mentioned in last week's eehive Bulletin
Spoke at Southampton University on social democracy, arguing that New Zealanders are fundamentally more at ease with the reassertion of social democratic policies than those of the neo-liberal variety of the late 1980s and 1990s.

European Union and NATO: the Prime Minister joined up NZ to the European Union's efforts to improve Afghanistan's police force – crucial to the country’s long-term stability. Helen Clark also formalised arrangements for New Zealand and NATO to share classified information. The PM's statement on agreements with NATO and European Union is here.

Remembrance: a highlight of the visit were commemorations at Passchendaele in Flanders, the scene of NZ's worst military disaster. A Shared Memories Arrangement was signed with the regional government of Flanders

Promoting tourism, trade and cultural expression. the Prime Minister also:

Officially opened the "New Zealand Rugby Ball" (pictured), the tourism and trade promotion venue at the base of the Eiffel Tower during the Rugby World Cup. The World Cup presents was an ideal opportunity to promote the trade and tourism opportunities New Zealand can offer.
Announced that New Zealand will host the SolOceans round the world yacht race which starts in 2009 – News Release and speech.
Announced NZ's accession to the convention to promote cultural expression. The Convention complements and supports New Zealand’s existing policies around the freedom of cultural expression.

KiwiSaver enrolments exceed 200,000

In the first three months of KiwiSaver the enrolment figures have already broken through the 200,000 mark. Hundreds of thousands of Kiwis are finding it easier to save for their retirement by joining KiwiSaver.

Demographic data indicates that while the KiwiSaver enrolment rate increases as people near 65 years of age, almost half (49 per cent) of people joining KiwiSaver are younger than 45. Members under 20 years of age are 8.6 per cent of the total. The enrolment figures show many parents wish to give their kids a head-start and view KiwiSaver as important for their children’s future, and younger people entering the workforce are getting into the saving habit early.

Two families a day now helped into home ownership

The government’s major Welcome Home Loan initiative helping first-time buyers into their own home has reached 3000 loans, providing two families a day with the security that comes with home ownership. Korina Rangihuna and Richard Jenkins are the 3000th borrowers to benefit from the Welcome Home Loan initiative since its introduced. Korina and Richard brought their first home in Linwood, Christchurch, using a $265,000 Welcome Home Lone which they were able to top up with a gift. Korina said "This is a fantastic opportunity for us. We were struggling to get banks to lend to us, but we persevered with our dream and thanks to the Welcome Home Loan, it’s paid off.

Immigration changes set new focus on family

New immigration policies will make it easier for people to bring family members to visit New Zealand. The changes recognise the importance of family support in making settlement in NZ easier, whilst making the immigration system more transparent, with enhanced character and sponsorship requirements ensure a transparent and sustainable family residence programme. The changes include:

From November the new multiple visit visa will allow parents or grandparents to make multiple visits over a three-year period without having to apply for a visa each time.
quota places for sponsoring parents, adult children, and adult siblings to come to NZ as permanent residents
Stronger character criteria for people wishing to sponsor partners to come to NZ
A minimum annual income requirement for sponsors of parents
More time for sponsors to guarantee support for their parents (from 2 to 5 years)
Withdrawal of existing Family Quota category.

There will be no change to the current distribution of residence places, with 60 per cent for skilled migrants, 30 per cent family related and 10 per cent for NZ's international and humanitarian obligations.

Immigration Minister David Cunliffe's media statement and factsheet is here.