Armstrong on Nat’s attack on wages

Written By: - Date published: 8:01 am, October 12th, 2013 - 30 comments
Categories: welfare, workers' rights - Tags: ,

John Armstrong has a good column on National’s attack on Kiwi workers today. Covering off David Cunliffe’s speech to the CTU, Armstrong talks about the way the Nats have been playing small target on their raft of small employment changes that add up to a serious attack on the wages and rights of all of New Zealand’s workers:

The bill – now before a parliamentary select committee – claims in its explanatory note that it will “help create an environment where employers can grow their business while ensuring the rights of employees are well protected”.

The first part of that statement may be valid. The second is on a par with the double-speak in George Orwell’s 1984.

The bill will enable employers to walk away from collective contract negotiations at whim, thereby putting pressure on workers to sign individual contracts if they are to get any kind of pay rise. Employers will similarly be able to opt out of multi-employer contracts that set minimum conditions for the likes of the nursing profession.

The bill also removes the requirement that the pay and conditions for new staff is in line with any prevailing collective contract for the first 30 days of their employment.

Employers will be able to institute partial pay cuts for limited industrial action. Employers will effectively be able to dictate the timing of meal breaks and rest periods.

The verdict of presumably politically neutral officials in the old Department of Labour, since merged into the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, was that the proposed changes would increase “choice” for employers and reduce it for unions and employees.

The officials further warned that the proposed changes in the industrial relations regime might expose New Zealand to “critical international scrutiny” over meeting its obligations to workers’ rights in international treaties to which it is party.

But these changes aren’t just about unions. As Irish has previously noted:

…the thing is, union deals drag everyone’s wages up. It’s not just the hundreds of thousands of non-union members on union sites that get to enjoy union-cut deals either – the reason people get paid what they do at (non-union) TV3 is because they’re have to stay competitive with (unionised) TVNZ in the wage market. The reason people get paid what they do at non-union mills and factories is because they need to keep their wages close to the wages paid at union mills and factories. And middle-class people with degrees get paid what they do because public sector unions make sure those qualifications maintain their value. Unionised Kiwi workers are constantly pulling other Kiwi workers up with them.

I’d add to that the fact that the Government’s welfare changes are pushing people off benefits without a job to go to. Aside from the human misery this is causing, that creates a pool of desperate workers who will take any job they can get at any price and places further downward pressure across the employment market.

And while this is going on National’s Labour Minister, Simon Bridges, is refusing to be interviewed about the changes at all – let’s hope the media start calling him out on that.

Armstrong claims that the left has “dropped the ball” on this attack on workers. I’d argue that the media has ignored the warnings and protests of the left about the changes. That said, work rights and wage policy is now getting the attention it deserves and will be a battleground issue going into the 2014 election. About bloody time.

30 comments on “Armstrong on Nat’s attack on wages ”

  1. GregJ 1

    Goo post Eddie – the raft of changes National has made or is proposing to Industrial Law make a mockery of the claims I’ve seen some on the right make that some sort of bi-partisan consensus been reached on Industrial relations because National have retained the Employment Relations Act rather than replacing it. Sure they’ve kept the title on the surface but the tinkering under the hood is dramatic. Another case of pretending to be “steady as she goes” when in reality this is a government that is seeking to make fundamental transformations to New Zealand society (and not for the better).

    P.S. your second sentence doesn’t quite read properly – a missing word or additional word in the wrong place?

    Eddie: Thanks. Fixed.

    • Murray Olsen 1.1

      Take a look at Queensland to see what NAct would like to do, besides the obvious huge holes in the ground. The State Attorney General, in the interests of workplace safety, is requiring “militant union thugs” to give 24 hours notice before entering a work site. The police have been ordered to pull over all “bikies” for intelligence gathering purposes, whether they are breaking any laws or not. “Bikies” are automatically denied bail for absolutely anything the police feel like charging them with.

      Perhaps the worst of all is that the SAG, Jarrod Bleckie, accepts that many of his laws will be overturned by the courts. In an approach that would make Key proud, he says something like “We’ll just write new ones.”

      Maybe Armstrong has had a look across the ditch and realises that not even he wants to wake up inside a WhaleSpew wet dream. I hope more follow him, because I refuse to believe that a majority of Kiwis actively want the sort of society Key and his banksters are designing for us. The danger is that we’ll get it by omission, by not actively fighting against it.

      The election of Cunliffe gives me some hope, not because he is a socialist super hero, but because issues have been put back on the agenda and are being discussed in a way they haven’t for years. People are realising that choosing to eat and live with dignity are more important than choosing your brand of light bulb, and about bloody time.

      • miravox 1.1.1

        “In an approach that would make Key proud, he says something like “We’ll just write new ones.””

        Anyone would thing they have each other’s phone numbers.

        I really hope you’re right about most Kiwis not wanting the the society Key and the Banksters are creating. I keep reading the comments on controversial stuff (like the fact the poor people exist /sarc) to look for changing attitudes and I feel people are realising that the government is creating more difficulties rather than solutions.

        I also think that is the importance of the Cunliffe leadership change is the debate that has been enabled about what sort of society we want to live in. No-one in leadership on the Left has been able to inspire this for quite some time. It’s not just Cunliffe, but also a growing realisation the NAct way is not delivering a place that fits the values that are important to New Zealanders.

  2. karol 2

    It does look like an extraordinary shift by Armstrong. No backhanders amidst the support for Cunliffe and his policy proposals.

    Good to see mention of the relationship between strong employment laws for workers and unemployment benefits/social security. I’m still hoping for something more explicit on social security from team Cunliffe.

    And, just an aside: it seems no-one is immune from being victim of the 90 day fire at will legislation, no matter what one’s past successes. In an article on Georgina Beyer’s current health problems, this:

    At one point she got a retail job in Masterton but was quickly shown the door by her boss when a story about her plan to run for the Masterton mayoralty in 2010 was splashed in the local paper.

    “He essentially said, ‘well, we’ll let you go now’. I was a victim of the 90-day fire-at-will law,” says Beyer.

  3. Te Reo Putake 3

    One of the changes actually removes the right to strike over collective bargaining, which is the most likely breach of the ILO commitments Armstrong refers to in his article. The effect is to bring back the Contract Act by stealth.

  4. Sosoo 4

    Seems to me that journalists are increasingly seeing the writing on the wall. It sounds weird, but I’m starting to get the feeling that Cunliffe is going to get a much easier ride from the media than people might think. Some of it might be down to his habit of actually answering their questions.

    • tc 4.1

      Yes journalism driven by opinion polls and self interest rather than facts and objective reasoning, no change there.

      Grandad wants to keep his place at the trough.

      • Anne 4.1.1

        I actually think it was more to do with them being so ‘up themselves’ they couldn’t see the real Cunliffe for love nor money. They were too engrossed in interviewing their own – and each others – typewriters. And since Cunliffe’s elevation to the leadership they are acting almost with surprise and wonder.

        Well, the members and affiliates could have told them 2/3 years ago, but they couldn’t stoop to listening to the proletariat could they!

  5. Disraeli Gladstone 5

    “The bill will enable employers to walk away from collective contract negotiations at whim.”

    That’s simply incorrect journalism. Employers cannot walk away at a whim under the amended Employment Relations Act. They require the Employment Authority under a new s50K to conclude that negotiations have reached a point where they are finished. Under s50K, the Employment Authority would not rule that negotiations are over unless mediation and facilitation have been undertaken. Any attempts to obstruct the negotiation or simply ignore the unions and twiddle their thumbs through facilitation until the Employment Authority can make their ruling would be a breach of s 4 and s 33 of the Act and therefore would lead to the Authority possibly making a binding determination on the collective agreement under s 50J.

    The level of misinformation and scaremongering about this one proposed amendment has been staggering.

    Especially when there’s far worse amendments being passed. The ability to opt-out of multi-employer collective agreement has no s 50K safeguard. That’s concerning. Also, even more concerning, the requirement for an employer to disclose information to an employee when making a decision is being severely, perhaps fatally, undermined. Those are the attacks on the employee’s rights.

    But when you or Armstrong make misinformed comments about other amendments, credibility is lost.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      That’s simply incorrect journalism. Employers cannot walk away at a whim under the amended Employment Relations Act. They require the Employment Authority under a new s50K to conclude that negotiations have reached a point where they are finished. Under s50K, the Employment Authority would not rule that negotiations are over unless mediation and facilitation have been undertaken.

      Please quote the relevant section of the Bill which enacts the bolded statement above.

      • Disraeli Gladstone 5.1.1

        Clause 12 of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill. Clause 12 of the Bill inserts a new s 50K into the Employment Relations Act. Bargaining does not end until the Employment Authority has determined that bargaining has concluded.

        Furthermore, from cl 12 “The Authority must not make a determination unless satisfied that the parties have attempted to resolve the difficulties in concluding a collective agreement by way of mediation and, if applicable, facilitation under the Act.”

      • Tracey 5.1.2

        http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2013/0105/6.0/DLM5160202.html

        Disraeli, isnt it for the employment authority to determine IF bargaining has finished, and parties can stop bargaining until it has decided (up to 3 months)?

        and further

        “Clause 12 inserts new section 50K, which enables a party bargaining for a collective agreement to apply to the Employment Relations Authority (the Authority) for a determination as to whether the bargaining has concluded. The Authority must not make a determination under new section 50K unless satisfied that the parties have attempted to resolve the difficulties in concluding a collective agreement by way of mediation and, if applicable, facilitation under the Act, that those attempts have failed, and that further attempts are unlikely to be successful. New section 50K(3) to (5) enable the Authority to determine that—

        bargaining has concluded, in which case the Authority may make a declaration to that effect; or

        bargaining has not concluded, in which case the Authority may either make a recommendation to the parties as to the process they should follow to resolve the difficulties or decide not to make a recommendation.

        In cases where the Authority determines that the bargaining has concluded, none of the parties to the bargaining may initiate further bargaining earlier than 60 days after the date of the declaration, unless the other parties agree. In cases where the Authority determines that bargaining has not concluded, none of the parties may make another application under new section 50K(1) until the recommended process has been followed or (if no recommendation has been made) until 60 days after the Authority’s determination, unless the other parties agree.”

    • Te Reo Putake 5.2

      You’re dreaming, pal. The ERA will rule based on what they see as Parliament’s intent in making the changes. And that intent is to make collective bargaining optional for the boss.

      • Disraeli Gladstone 5.2.1

        Thank you for that insightful legal opinion built on your own intuition rather than academic research. It’s appreciated. Fascinating to read.

        • Colonial Viper 5.2.1.1

          Uhhhhh…apart from being stuck up an Ivory Tower, please explain how you can you do academic research on ERA rulings which haven’t occurred yet, and legislation which hasn’t passed yet?

          What’s your academic background in employment law?

          Regardless, I trust that Labour will be giving the ERA far more teeth in their first 100 days in power.

    • Aspasia 5.3

      I know this is a late response but I simply cannot allow this misinformation to stand.

      “Any attempts to obstruct the negotiation or simply ignore the unions and twiddle their thumbs through facilitation until the Employment Authority can make their ruling would be a breach of s 4 and s 33 of the Act…”

      The most fundamental change proposed is to COMPLETELY REVERSE reverse the current s33 ERA 2000. If the clause is enacted there will be NO requirement to conclude bargaining. Therefore the general good faith duties in s4 and especially the current good faith duties in s33 would no longer apply to concluding bargaining. So there would be no protection against a surface bargaining approach to mediation or facilitation in this situation

      “..therefore would lead to the Authority possibly making a binding determination on the collective agreement under s 50J.” The power to make a binding determination has never been exercised by the Authority because the threshold to enable this to happen is so incredibly high.

      The paragraph beginning “Especially…”does not seem to have any meaningful information about the current statute or the proposed amendments.

      Clause 12 of the Bill has not been correctly cited.The “must” applies to the requirement for the Authority to “consider” whether the parties have attempted to resolve their difficulties by mediation and facilitation, if applicable. The threshold for facilitation is not as high as for determination unders50J but does not apply to every situation. The “must” also applies to a requirement to “direct that mediation, further mediation, or facilitation (as the case may require) be used…”unless the Authority considers it won’t help. This in fact leaves considerable discretion with the Authority and also would require that the appropriate threshold for facilitation was met before the Authority would direct the parties to facilitation. So although it is not possible to second guess how the Authority would respond to a particular situation, it has considerably more discretion than the incorrect citing of the Bill’s wording indicates. TRP is correct in so far as the meaning of all legislation must be “ascertained from its text and in light of its purpose” s5(1) Interpretation Act 1999.

      One reason why the reversal of s33 coupled with the power to declare bargaining at an end is so concerning is that currently refusal to negotiate for a collective agreement and instead insist on individual agreements is a breach of good faith. In the case of New Zealand Dairy Workers’ Union v Open Country Cheese Company Ltd [2009] ERNZ 275 an employer was refusing to do anything else but offer individual contracts. Good faith was breached under s33 because currently this is not a good reason based on reasonable grounds to not reach agreement. If there is no onus to reach a collective agreement, as will be the situation if the amendment is enacted, then there is no onus on an employer to do anything else but offer individual agreements.

      And, of course, as we all know from the Ports of Auckland dispute, where there is no requirement to reach agreement and the employer sucessfully applies to have bargaining declared at an end, then strikes or lockouts come to an end for 60 days. In that 60 day period of no industrial action there would then be no protection under s97 (as there was potentially found to be by Judge Travis last year)against the union members’ work being contracted out.

  6. Tracey 6

    And many dont get that even if you dont belong to a union and need them around a dismissal they let you pay the joining fee and they represent you so they service a broader range than just current members.

  7. Olwyn 7

    This is the sentence that struck me in Armstrong’s article: “Taken individually, the bill’s parts do not mean the end of the world for organised labour. Taken as a whole, they all add up to a very different story.” This is Key’s modus operandi in a nutshell. Everything he’s done has taken something like that form, which allows him to sell himself as centrist while running a cruel, one-sided government. Unfortunately for him, as more and more people are harmed by the reality of the policies, his soothing centrist presentation of them starts to fall on deaf ears.

    • Rogue Trooper 8.1

      stomach-churning scrunch by Watkins, sticking to the menu.

    • Paul 8.2

      From the Watkins’ paeon to neo-liberal orthodoxy in the Dom Post.
      “But the size and scale of Labour’s economic “activism” is yet to be unveiled and Labour’s big problem at the moment is that the current economic prescription seems to be doing pretty well.”

      “The current economic prescription seems to be doing pretty well.”

      She is kidding , right?
      Doing pretty well for whom,Tracy?
      The people who pay for bills, the owners of Fairfax?

      • Colonial Viper 8.2.1

        I think Tracy Watkin’s attitude is that the unemployed and the poor should eat pavlova.

  8. RedBaronCV 10

    Salami tactics – a little slice here a little slice there. So there need to be some big bang changes from the left but maybe a large dose of smaller slices too.

    Personally I have at least one fantasy, that the proposed power buying authority buys enough to give each ordinary home “base power” at a reasonable rate and then tells the state power companies to keep their profits up so 50 downlights and a heated pool suddenly gets very expensive.

    Millband should do something like that in the UK – why have price controls for the owners of large mansions FFS

    • tc 10.1

      Excellent idea, encourages efficiency and lower consumption with enough to live coming at a reasonable cost. User pays for the rest, watch the neo libs go spastic.

      • RedBaronCV 10.1.1

        Trickle down tc as it was meant to be and yes if the neolibs go into orbit just remind them of that

      • I thought that was essentially the Greens’ policy?

        • aerobubble 10.1.2.1

          Make public transport free (even for a month each year to get a better view of demand) and carbon pollution, congestion and oil use will drop.

          Thirty years ago, reports dropped on the desks of western governments showing thirty years of ever cheap high density fuel. So not for nothing the governments of the western world loosened finance, in the hopes that we’d all get richer, active in using the oil growth to progress society. But wait, there was one faction who wanted more, instead of wages rising debt would, and they would corral the wealth for the few (them, or so they thought, turns out only so many can be part of the 1%). In order to achieve their goal they created think tanks, who needed to put a blossom on the turd, they came up with ‘trickle down’, yes you could get a share of the wealth despite the reality that government legislation and regulation had been hijacked to push debt up and build the great spiral staircase of leveraging that even now has not begun to unwind.
          To much paper is in existence, debts and claims on it, there is not enough real value in the world for all the money (claims on value).

          Its not the first time we’ve been here, governments had to go left and write the new deal, and the rich weren’t having it and triggered two successive world wars.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T05:51:02+00:00