Pay up Compass

Written By: - Date published: 10:22 am, June 21st, 2016 - 39 comments
Categories: class war, democratic participation, health, national, same old national, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, Unions, wages, workers' rights - Tags: ,

Compass hospital food Coleman

John Campbell and Checkpoint are doing some sterling work.  On issue after issue they are presenting real news to New Zealand and changing hearts and minds.

One of their latest stories is about a group of dedicated cooks who used to work at Middlemore Hospital and who spent most of their lives providing the sick with meals.

As part of a corporate takeover of public services the provision of hospital meals in some DHBs was privatised a couple of years ago.  Compass, a private UK based corporation, was awarded contracts to provide food to different Health Boards.  The takeover was clearly coordinated by the Government.

Somehow the Government thought that feeding patients was a backroom activity and not a frontline one.  Feeding patients was thought to be secondary to keeping people alive.

With typical neoliberal arrogance the Government thought that privatising the service would save money.  The usual corporate techniques were used.  Old equipment was not replaced, workers were paid less and less and the quality of food was skimped upon.

The changeover was traumatic for those involved.  Jill Ovens describes what happened when the changes occurred in 2014:

It isn’t just the jobs that will be lost when Auckland Hospital workers are contracted out to multi-national company Compass.

Nor is it just food quality and food safety that will be sacrificed when fresh food is replaced by pre-packaged, processed food coming into our hospital kitchens.

A big loser of the past week was democracy.

The Auckland DHB voted last Wednesday to go ahead with the HBL proposal to contract out its food services and outsource most food preparation to external suppliers.

On Friday, the Waitemata and Counties Manukau DHBs’ Chief Financial Officers also decided to go ahead with the proposal to replace food freshly cooked in the hospital kitchens with chilled food brought in from external suppliers. The CFOs had been delegated by the respective DHBs to make their supposedly independent decisions.

Hundreds of submissions were received opposing the proposals, including 164 individual submissions from hospital staff. Major concerns were expressed about loss of kitchen workers’ jobs, food safety, and the new nutritional food standards about to be imposed nationally.

When the decision was announced yesterday, the kitchen workers, ward assistants and café workers were so upset and angry that they walked off the job. Today most called in sick.

These were people dedicated to their jobs and wanting to help.  Their treatment was appalling.

Fast forward to now and putting to one side the joke that hospital food has become there is still an outstanding issue relating to the reorganisation.  Some workers have not been paid what they believe they were entitled to.  From Radio New Zealand:

Ten staff who worked for decades in Middlemore Hospital’s kitchen before the Compass Group took over the operation say they are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the company.

Compass is one of the world’s biggest catering companies, and supplies nearly half of all public hospital meals in New Zealand.

The company has been the focus of protests in recent months about the quality of the food that it has supplied to hospitals in Otago and Southland.

Last July, Compass switched from cooking food in-house to pre-packaged meals and made 14 Middlemore kitchen staff redundant in the process.

Ten of those workers, many of whom had been working there since the 1970s, took voluntary redundancy on the basis of retirement.

Under their union’s collective agreement, because they had worked there for so long, they were owed gratuity pay – a sort of thank-you payment for long service, E Tū said.

The women were owed roughly $30,000 each, the union said.

Industry co-ordinator Jill Ovens said the women got their redundancy pay, but 10 of them were still waiting for retirement gratuities.

In a statement, Compass human resources director Marion Hetches confirmed the two sides were still discussing the payment and acknowledged the process was taking longer than it should.

The company hoped to come to a deal over the “coming weeks”, she said.

The accompanying video is really upsetting. It uses the powerful technique of letting ordinary decent people describe what has happened in their own words.  Clearly these are a group of workers who were dedicated to their job and were upset by what happened and who just want to get what they are entitled to.

Time to pay up Compass.

39 comments on “Pay up Compass ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Clare 1
    21 June 2016 at 10:40 am

    YUM!
    J Coleman’s favourites

    • Tiger Mountain 1.1
      21 June 2016 at 11:09 am

      a regurgitated dogs dinner awaiting further interest could likely edge out some of the Compass “slops” menu–cook/chill/ship/store/reheat/bin untouched

  2. Tiger Mountain 2
    21 June 2016 at 10:54 am

    Compass is shortchanging patients and the workers they caused to be sacked, while transferring loot to the parent company offshore to minimise NZ tax payments–what a bunch of corporate bludgers

    “Campbell Live” lives via Checkpoint on TV channel 50 as well as radio and internet cast, the next struggle should be to lift the 8 year wage freeze and sinking lid at RNZ!! the workers would be sure to get some good support–they certainly deserve it

  3. Greg 3
    21 June 2016 at 11:00 am

    I bet compass isnt paying kiwisaver.

    Bellamies needs to be closed for 3 months, and MPs can be served Compass food.
    Lets see how that works out.

  4. One Anonymous Bloke 4
    21 June 2016 at 11:05 am

    Gone. By. Lunchtime.

    Preferably in such a way as to do the maximum amount of reputational and financial damage to all the private sector leeches that can only find employment from right wing political parties.

    That may sound unfair, and if the punishment for buying the National Party isn’t severe enough, they’ll simply do it all over again.

    I note that the National Party has had no traction with its attempts to privatise ACC since 2008: burn their fingers and they think twice.

    • Sacha 4.1
      21 June 2016 at 11:51 am

      The Australian insurers did not see part of ACC as a good enough deal. That’s the only reason these clowns did not privatise it again. And now they have financialised its investment fund to underpin their huge foreign debt.

      • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1.1
        21 June 2016 at 12:15 pm

        Labour won the 1999 election with a promise (among other things) to return ACC to its rightful owners, and then did exactly that. Are you saying that played no part in the Australian insurance industry’s reluctance?

    • RedLogix 4.2
      22 June 2016 at 7:03 am

      Require all companies that win any public sector contracts:

      1. Open their books to full public domain transparency

      2. Retain all profit in New Zealand and pay 50% tax on it

      3. Appoint 30% worker representation to their BOD

      4. Pay all workers a ‘liveable wage’

      5. Subject to strict rules on employment, operational and environmental standards

      The public sector should be setting the standard.

  5. Venezia 5
    21 June 2016 at 11:09 am

    Pay up Compass!!

  6. Draco T Bastard 6
    21 June 2016 at 11:40 am

    With typical neoliberal arrogance the Government thought that privatising the service would save money.

    No they didn’t. They thought that privatising these essential government services would provide their donors with government guaranteed profits.

    The company hoped to come to a deal over the “coming weeks”, she said.

    The deal was reached decades ago – now cough up the full amount.

    • Kiwiri 6.1
      21 June 2016 at 1:01 pm

      When a neolib govt dependent on political funding from big donors practise ‘trickle down’ economics, they are actually arranging political donations to flow into their own wallets and party coffers?

      Naaah 😉

  7. Pasupial 7
    21 June 2016 at 1:25 pm

    This is from last week, but still relevant if you aren’t in one of the DHBs that signed up for this slop:

    District health board bosses were grilled in Wellington yesterday on the need to make up their minds whether to join the Compass Group food contract.

    They were told to make a decision by the end of September, a spokesman for NZ Health Partnerships confirmed… ‘‘DHBs need to decide when they want to join or if they want to join. So we’re discussing with them today exactly where we want to go with the food services programme,” the spokesman said.

    The contract was drawn up by the defunct Health Benefits Ltd in the hope of saving up to $190 million over 15 years.

    But only six health boards signed up, far fewer than anticipated. Dunedin South MP Clare Curran said the delay suggested the revised savings figure would not be ‘‘good news”… NZ Health Partnerships is a DHB-owned entity set up to take over from the defunct Health Benefits Ltd. The meeting was a regular gathering of DHB chief executives and chairmen.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/387172/district-health-boards-told-decide-food-contract

    Get hold of your health boards now and remind them that this is a local government election year, and that their actions in cutting deals with Compass before September will be remembered! Unfortunately this is not an option for us in the south, as the SDHB’s elected representatives have been replaced by a commissioner and her minions.

    This shows how uncommitted the new NZHP organization is to public transparency (the image is particularly telling):

    A DHB-entity called NZ Health Partnerships released a 300-page overarching contract, and a 14-page agreement specifically related to Southern District Health Board, under the Official Information Act.

    Commercial sensitivity is cited frequently to keep secret most information around service requirements, pricing, termination, liability, exit clauses, minimum standards, remedies/procedures for failed key performance indicators (KPIs), and menus.

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/387294/public-still-dark-compass-deal

  8. save nz 8
    21 June 2016 at 1:57 pm

    Great post. Great work by John Campbell.

    Increasingly companies do not even care about their reputation and ripping people off.
    It’s considered ‘good’ business in some way to spend more money on Lawyers than actually on contractual payments.

    I hope it goes to court and Compass get asked to pay additional costs for being so in breach.

    It also reflects very poorly on Auckand and Middlemore DHB who awarded Compass the contract and did not make sure that their workers would get their payments.

    How the hell is this helping their patients, by giving them worse food and having the complexity of managing Compass and all the complaints!

  9. Rodel 9
    21 June 2016 at 2:23 pm

    As a young student I stayed in a hostel, The kitchen manager/cook was contracted a specific amount per individual per meal. What remained was his profit. Needless to say we got miserable fare e.g.on one occasion an evening meal of a saveloy and about 6 thin chips.Many of us would go up the road later to buy takeaways.

    Sounds like DHB -CEOs and managers collaborating with Compass are doing the same kind of deal but this time at the expense of sick people. Ever wonder what the kick backs might be? Who knows what conflicts a good investigative journalist might uncover?

  10. M. Gray 10
    21 June 2016 at 2:52 pm

    People need to start asking where is my taxes going? why am I paying high taxes but not getting proper quality health care when I need it. The selling of our assets was suppose to go on hospitals schools etc what has happened more lies and spin I suspect.

  11. Dave 11
    21 June 2016 at 2:58 pm

    Compass says it will come to a deal what deal the bastards owe these ladies money
    Black and white .

  12. AsleepWhileWalking 12
    21 June 2016 at 3:31 pm

    Just looking at that food is depressing.

    Why even bother serving it like this when you could just puree the lot and tube it in. Ugh.

  13. TC 13
    21 June 2016 at 4:44 pm

    Campbell should keep digging through all of Ryall’s work in health, an area that impacts all kiwis the nats have again been wilfully destructive and deceptive over.

    They fubar’d alot more than meals and coleman is a foot soldier plodding along a path cut by Ryall, Blinglush etc.

    The health system has been ryally screwed over.

  14. Richardrawshark 14
    21 June 2016 at 4:55 pm

    At the top, is THAT what they are actually serving,?

    Got better food in UK prisons, seriously.

    • Pasupial 14.1
      21 June 2016 at 6:01 pm

      Richardrawshark

      That is indeed what Compass expects the SDHB’s patients to swallow. Except for the one in the top right which was made especially on premises for the minister to sample and proclaim to be perfectly fine. The other three are what the food looks like after it is transported to meals on wheels recipients by volunteers. Many of those in Dunedin have now cancelled and moved to a more expensive (but edible) alternative. Sadly for the housebound elderly in Invercargill, it’s pretty much a choice between this slop and nothing.

      • Richardrawshark 14.1.1
        21 June 2016 at 6:14 pm

        and nothing seems to be said, so many scandalous things going on, and no media in sight.

        Who ever owns compass, how do they sleep at night, like a baby without a developed conscious I suppose.

        • One Anonymous Bloke 14.1.1.1
          21 June 2016 at 6:30 pm

          The relationship between Grey’s Law and Hanlon’s Razor is probably a false dichotomy.

          • Richardrawshark 14.1.1.1.1
            21 June 2016 at 6:43 pm

            That’s far too deep OAB, seriously dude. Flisni Anglez?

            BTW not probably, definitely, and I think you know that 🙂

            • One Anonymous Bloke 14.1.1.1.1.1
              21 June 2016 at 7:11 pm

              Too deep for whom? Seems pretty straightforward.

              • Richardrawshark …
                21 June 2016 at 7:21 pm

                Because i’d never heard the term, and I read a bit of A C Clarke I don’t remember that, and I had to work out what relationship to what I said it had, and why you thought the statements were a false dichotomy which is not a dichotomy and I got a freaking head ache and realized this is way to deep why am I having to learn all this irish shennanighans.

                So sadly I concluded you may be screwing with my head. 🙂

                • One Anonymous Bloke …
                  22 June 2016 at 7:34 am

                  To put it another way, they probably sleep well enough in blissful incompetence and self-regard.

  15. Richardrawshark 15
    21 June 2016 at 6:24 pm

    “But only six health boards signed up, far fewer than anticipated. Dunedin South MP Clare Curran said ”

    Claire’s ex Labour south Dunedin get a commissioner, how did that remain silent on planet NZ?

    • One Anonymous Bloke 15.1
      21 June 2016 at 6:34 pm

      It didn’t. It just wasn’t reported at a sufficient level for you to notice.

      • Richardrawshark 15.1.1
        21 June 2016 at 6:58 pm

        I don’t get at all the apathy I see, this would not have gone on this long in Muldooms days. There would have been mass protests.

        This guy JK and his crew, picked on more and wrecked more IMHO than Rob did and the people freaking love him stay home and huddle in a blanket because powers so expensive, so to speak.

        What the …

        all I need is a protest, i’m bloody there !

        But i’m no leader.

  16. weston 16
    21 June 2016 at 6:37 pm

    its tempting to start a “most eligible for tar and feathering” list

    • Richardrawshark 16.1
      21 June 2016 at 6:54 pm

      The consequences to that could be the extermination of every feathered creature we have left.

      Mass extinction event stuff. 🙂

  17. Stuart Munro 17
    22 June 2016 at 5:47 am

    Well I don’t imagine any poitical party has the guts, but I don’t support systematic corruption in public service provision. Compass must go. Serco must go. And every dodgy Gnat chum must go, with bonuses clawed back and prosecution for theft as a servant. If we mean to pretend as a country that we follow the rule of law this kind of crap cannot be tolerated for a moment.

  18. Observer Toke 18
    22 June 2016 at 10:43 am

    .
    . I know Auckland is not renowned for its cuisine, but surely the shitty meal provided by Compass on behalf of the Health Boards is beyond the pail. See the photos above!

    What I want to know is whether the Health Boards who signed up for the crap are actually competent? Are their other services and standards as appalling ? If so God help us.

    Have studies been undertaken to assess their worth? To Whom are they accountable?

    The Minister for Health should set a good example and resign.

  19. Chrys Berryman 19
    22 June 2016 at 10:46 am

    The Selwyn Foundation contracted out their rest home kitchens to Compass in the early 2000’s…….workers hourly rates were slashed and they lost their penal rates.
    Today those same workers earn little more than the minimum wage.The Selwyn Foundation is a charity and pays no tax,it doesn’t pay dividends to shareholders, its directors got a massive 70% increase in their fees this year,the CEO earns $400,000+…..so much for Anglican Christian values……slave labour keeping Kings and Dio afloat so they can educate the elite……Jesus weeps

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Diplomacy needed more than ever
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges.    “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    52 mins ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address, Buttes New British Cemetery Belgium
    Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service.  It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – NZ National Service, Chunuk Bair
    Distinguished guests -   It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders.   Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Anzac Commemorative Address – Dawn Service, Gallipoli, Türkiye
    Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia.   Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • PM announces changes to portfolios
    Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New catch limits for unique fishery areas
    Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Minister welcomes hydrogen milestone
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Urgent changes to system through first RMA Amendment Bill
    The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Overseas decommissioning models considered
    Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Release of North Island Severe Weather Event Inquiry
    Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Justice Minister to attend Human Rights Council
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order.  “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Patterson reopens world’s largest wool scouring facility
    Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Speech to the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective Summit, 18 April 2024
    Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing  At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin    Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho    Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today.    I am delighted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Government to introduce revised Three Strikes law
    The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New diplomatic appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions.   “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says.    “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Humanitarian support for Ethiopia and Somalia
    New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today.   “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Arts Minister congratulates Mataaho Collective
    Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale.  “It is good ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Supporting better financial outcomes for Kiwis
    The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Trade relationship with China remains strong
    “China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.   Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • PM’s South East Asia mission does the business
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-26T19:07:13+00:00