Simon Power
Release

Simon Power, the MP for Rangitikei and the fourth-ranked Minister in John Key's National-led Government, is to retire from politics at the election in November.

Mr Power said he was looking forward to continuing to contribute to New Zealand's growth, but in the private sector.

"It's time for new challenges and new opportunities.

“I've been extremely privileged to serve in the Cabinet under Prime Minister John Key, and as the Member for Rangitikei since 1999.

Simon Power Commerce Deputy Leader of the House Finance Justice Law Commission Leader of the House State Owned Enterprises
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Thank you for inviting me to speak to you. It’s a pleasure to be here.

Today I would like to speak about the Government’s plans for reform of the Family Court and the wider justice system.

One of the first decisions I made after being appointed Minister of Justice was to move away from using bricks and mortar solutions to resolve inefficiencies in the justice system. Building more court houses and appointing more judges gets us precisely nowhere if the justice system itself remains slow and overburdened.

Simon Power Justice
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Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced that David Mayhew is stepping down as Commissioner for Financial Advisers, effective from 30 April or earlier upon the establishment of the Financial Markets Authority.

“Mr Mayhew has advised me that the substantive work of the commissioner will have been completed by April and the remaining work can be subsumed by the FMA as soon as it is established,” Mr Power said.

Simon Power Commerce
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Thank you for inviting me to open this forum. I would particularly like to acknowledge the Institute of Policy Studies for hosting this important public debate, fellow MPs, and all the organisations and NGOs here today from the coalface of dealing with crime.

I’ve been asked to speak to you about government policy on the costs of crime in the public sector.

Simon Power Justice
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Commerce Minister Simon Power today released a discussion document on funding for the regulation of electricity and gas lines, and airports under Part 4 of the Commerce Act.

The discussion document proposes to increase levies paid to the Commerce Commission by the regulated businesses, which are considered monopolies.

“Since the level of funding was set there have been significant changes to the regulations, mainly in 2008, which is why we need to revisit the levels of funding,” Mr Power said.

Simon Power Commerce
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John Marshall QC will undertake an inquiry into the part the Ministry of Justice played in the publication of names of victims on the Judicial Decisions Online website, Justice Minister Simon Power announced today.

“Mr Marshall will look at the circumstances surrounding the publication of the names contained in judicial decisions, and report back to me with regard to any changes that could be made to the Ministry's procedures to prevent this happening again,” Mr Power said.

Simon Power Justice
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Cabinet has approved the appointment of Simon Allen as chair of the soon-to-be established Financial Markets Authority, Commerce Minister Simon Power announced today.

Mr Allen is the current chair of Crown Fibre Holdings, a former chair of NZX, and the founder and a former managing director of ABN AMRO New Zealand. 

“I’m delighted Mr Allen has agreed to do this crucial job,” Mr Power said.

Simon Power Commerce
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The discretionary grant for victims of sexual violence has been increased from $250 to $500, Justice Minister Simon Power announced today.

The grant helps victims of sexual violence cover one-off costs associated with offending, such as repairing locks, replacing items of clothing taken for forensic evidence, or providing temporary accommodation.

The grant was introduced in January last year as part of a package of initiatives for victims of serious crime which are funded by the $50 offender levy.

Simon Power Justice
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Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced the reappointment of David Jones as chair and Colin Giffney as deputy chair of the Takeovers Panel.

“I am pleased that both Mr Jones and Mr Giffney have agreed to continue on the panel until the end of September next year,” Mr Power said.

“The panel’s work is highly regarded and the institutional knowledge Mr Jones and Mr Giffney provide is invaluable.”

Mr Power also announced that two new members Simon Horner and Roger Wallis are joining the panel for five-year terms, beginning tomorrow.

Simon Power Commerce
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Finance Minister Bill English and State Owned Enterprises Minister Simon Power have formally asked Treasury for advice on the merits and viability of extending the mixed-ownership model to four more state-owned enterprises.

As Prime Minister John Key outlined this week, the ministers have asked for advice on the merits and viability of:

Bill English Simon Power Finance State Owned Enterprises
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Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced the appointment of Denise Bowen as a member of the Governing Board of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ).

Simon Power Commerce
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Justice Minister Simon Power has welcomed the unanimous passing of a bill to honour a pre-election promise to hold a referendum on the voting system.

“I’m particularly pleased with how parliamentary parties have worked constructively together on this important constitutional issue,” Mr Power said.

“I also want to thank the public for helping to shape the referendum during the select committee process.”

Simon Power Justice
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Parliament today voted overwhelmingly to pass new electoral finance laws to govern next year’s General Election.

The Electoral (Finance Reform and Advance Voting) Amendment Act passed its third reading 116 votes to 5.

Justice Minister Simon Power said the new Act fulfils an election promise to repeal Labour’s 2007 Electoral Finance Act and replace it through a process which involves all parliamentary parties and the public.

“One of the most important aspects of the new regime is the process we used to construct it,” Mr Power said.

Simon Power Justice
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Justice Minister Simon Power leaves today for a meeting of the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General in Canberra.

The Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) is comprised of the Attorneys-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, its states and territories, and New Zealand's Minister of Justice. Norfolk Island has observer status at SCAG meetings.

SCAG provides a forum for Ministers to discuss matters of mutual interest, progress projects to harmonise laws across jurisdictions, and simplify legal transactions across state and trans-Tasman boundaries.

Simon Power Justice
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A new report analysing results from government-owned companies and investment funds will help improve their performance, Finance Minister Bill English and State Owned Enterprises Minister Simon Power say.

The Treasury’s Crown Ownership Monitoring Unit today published the first of what is expected to be a series of annual publications about the performance of the 37 Crown-owned entities that have full or partial commercial objectives.

Bill English Simon Power Finance State Owned Enterprises
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Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced the reappointment of Mike Willing as a member and vice-chair of the governing board of the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ).

JAS-ANZ is responsible for overseeing a joint accreditation system that ensures safety and quality, and underpins environmental management schemes. As a trans-Tasman organisation, JAS-ANZ strengthens trade between New Zealand, Australia and other countries.

Simon Power Commerce
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Commerce Minister Simon Power has released a discussion document aimed at making investing in KiwiSaver easier to understand for everyday investors.

The discussion paper outlines proposals that require retail KiwiSaver providers to report quarterly on key investment information, including:

Simon Power Commerce
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Good afternoon.

I’d like to acknowledge the members of the judiciary and the legal profession for being here today for the official opening of the Papakura - Pukekohe Public Defence Service.

The opening of this branch is significant because it marks the completion of the PDS rollout to the Auckland region.

It’s a journey which began back in 2004 when the idea of using an in-house, high-quality legal aid service, through the use of salaried staff rather than contracted lawyers, was trialled in the Auckland and Manukau courts.

Simon Power Justice
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Justice Minister Simon Power today officially opened the Papakura-Pukekohe Public Defence Service. 

The PDS provides an in-house legal aid service, through the use of salaried staff rather than contracted lawyers.

“The opening of this PDS branch is significant because it marks the completion of the PDS rollout to the Auckland region,” Mr Power said.

Simon Power Justice
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State Owned Enterprises Minister Simon Power today announced the appointment of Chris Moller as chair of Meridian Energy.

Mr Moller was appointed to the Meridian board as a director in May last year. His appointment as chair is effective from 1 January next year to 31 October 2013.

"Mr Moller brings strong governance skills, aligned with extensive senior executive experience to the board,” Mr Power said.

“I look forward to the contribution he will make to Meridian as it further develops its strategy over the coming years."

Simon Power State Owned Enterprises
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Commerce Minister Simon Power today announced the establishment of a committee to conduct disciplinary proceedings arising out of complaints against authorised financial advisers.

“The aim of the Financial Advisers Act is to build confidence in the professionalism and integrity of financial advisers,” Mr Power said.

“A key part of that is making financial advisers accountable for the advice they give.”

Simon Power Commerce
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Ladies and gentlemen, this event is the annual opportunity for the legal profession to celebrate the valuable work the foundation does as New Zealand's only funder of pure legal research, independe

Simon Power Justice
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Justice Minister Simon Power welcomes public submissions on a bill which contains the biggest changes to criminal procedure in decades.

The 526-page Criminal Procedure (Reform and Modernisation) Bill, which contains the changes, was sent to select committee today after it passed its first reading in Parliament.

Mr Power said the bill is designed to simplify and speed up the criminal justice system, while ensuring that a defendant's right to a fair trial is maintained.

Simon Power Justice
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Commerce Minister Simon Power has welcomed changes to a bill which enables greater co-operation between the Commerce Commission and its international counterparts.

Mr Power said the Commerce Commission (International Cooperation and Fees) Bill is particularly important to advancing the Single Economic Market Outcomes Framework announced by the New Zealand and Australian Prime Ministers in August last year.

Simon Power Commerce