Tax fraud, benefit fraud, proportional response

Written By: - Date published: 8:50 am, October 22nd, 2012 - 38 comments
Categories: class war, law, national, tax, welfare - Tags: , ,

This speaks for itself really:

Courts tougher on benefit fraud than tax dodging – study

New research reveals tax dodgers are ripping off the country at up to 150 times the rate of welfare fraudsters, but are being jailed much less often. …

Last year, tax evaders cheated the country of between $1 and $6 billion, while welfare fraud cost $39 million. “The problem of tax evasion is at best case scenario 25 to 50 times the financial amount of welfare fraud, and at worst case scenario potentially 100 to 150 times the amount,” says Dr Marriott.

And the latest research from Victoria University suggests our courts are far from equal in their treatment of the two groups.
“For tax evaders, the average offending is about four times as much, but have about a third of the likelihood of receiving a custodial sentence.”

The numbers tell the story. For tax evaders, the average offending is $270,000, and those found guilty have only a 22 percent, or one-in-five chance, of being jailed.

For welfare fraudsters, the average offending is $70,000, and those found guilty have a 60 percent chance of being jailed.
So is it a case of our courts demonising the poor?

“It highlights the prejudices we have against beneficiaries and that we’re judging them as different because of their work status,” says Sarah Thompson of Auckland Action Against Poverty.

So – structural discrimination against beneficiaries – gee I wonder if the Nats’ beneficiary bashing tactics will help, or make things worse? I wonder if the Nats will pursue the big problem, or continue to hound the one which is a fraction of the cost?

38 comments on “Tax fraud, benefit fraud, proportional response ”

  1. Policy Parrot 1

    So long as the tax system is based on self-reporting, there will always be an element of tax evasion. Understating income, overstating expenses – these are all relatively commonplace – whether it be the local panelbeater, or the international coffee firm. I think prosecution using the status quo would be preferable, perhaps more resources be allocated to perform more audits.

    A larger problem is the legal but immoral form, of tax avoidance. Now this is a problem that can be tackled by politicians, but it require serious intellectual brain power, and a rigorous assessment by those specialise at finding gaps. Simple systems are usually the best, minimise legal deductions and legislate in clear and unambigious terminology (with plainspeak where necessary).

    • LynW 1.1

      Great article. Thanks for the link. I have put this on my Facebook page.

      PP, perhaps the biggest problem is that many of the politicians, law makers and serious intellectual powers are the ones utilising the existing legal but immoral systems! How has such immoral and unjust behaviour become so acceptable, and those with a conscience the worse off and seen to be less clever?

    • stargazer 1.2

      “A larger problem is the legal but immoral form, of tax avoidance.”

      tax avoidance is not legal. see section BG1 of the income tax act 2007. hasn’t been legal for a long time, and you can thank the winebox inquiry for that.

  2. Bill 2

    So a very rough and ready calculation from those figures (dividing the average $ of fraud into the total $ of fraud) suggests approximately 500 odd people were claiming entitlements illegally. And that over 220 000 people were defrauding their tax.

    500 as against getting on for a quarter of a million. Quite a difference.

    I’m curious..anybody care to roughly work out the %age of dodgy claimants versus %age of dodgy tax payers? I ain’t that flash on numbers and need to get my skates on.

    Meanwhile, there’s the puzzle of how it is possible, besides cases of entirely false claims being made, to defraud welfare for large weekly sums of money. Total weekly payments are so low that large $ anomolies would stick out like dogs bollox. So it would be interesting to have a breakdown on the periods of time fraudulent claims go undetected. eg, five years at $20 per week = $5000, which sounds like a usable of money until it’s broken down into weekly amounts. But what does it say of welfare that people are willing to risk quite bad shit for the sake of $20 per week?

    And finally, to the best of my knowledge, another aspect to this is that somebody defrauding welfare gets whatever sentence and WINZ still pursues the recovery of all monies. But if my understandng is correct, that’s not the case in other instances of fraud where the sentence is seen as being in lieu of full repayment.

    • Wayne 2.1

      Is it likely that 7% of all taxpayers are tax evaders? Most taxpayers don’t really have an opportunity to be tax evaders. Think of all the PAYE earners, the retired on NS with interest or dividend income – all tax deducted at source. Really only the self employed can be tax evaders and 250,000 would imply at least half of them are. So I am not convinced by the higher end estimate.

      Six billion is nearly 3% of GDP and implies tax being totally evaded on at least $18 billion income which is 9% of GDP.

      Now in some countries 9% would be an unexceptional figure (think Greece), but no credible estimate has virtually 10% of New Zealand’s GDP being completely outside the tax system. Much more likely to be around 3% (which I recall is the Treasury estimate).

      As you will know IRD is boosting its tax compliance system, especially for the self employed.

      Of course the difference between taxes and benefits is that in the tax situation a person earns money and fails to declare it, whereas in benefit fraud a person is actually claiming the money from someone else.

      • One Tāne Huna 2.1.1

        Of course the differences between tax and benefit fraud are that the former is 150 times worse than the latter, and the punishments are distorted by bias and prejudice.

      • karol 2.1.2

        Of course the difference between taxes and benefits is that in the tax situation a person earns money
         
        Are you sure that is always the case?  Some people are paid well more than is warranted from the effort they put in and/or the contributions these efforts make (or don’t) to the good of society.

    • @ Bill

      Your questions align with the comment I was going to make.

      As I understand it, when someone is done for fraud in WINZ they are expected to pay back their whole benefit for the time the fraud was committed.

      i.e if a person was on a single person’s benefit and yet in a relationship, they would be getting approx $20 a week more than ‘they are entitled to’. They would be required to pay back the entire benefit (approx $190 per week) not the $20 extra in the event they were done for fraud.

      This was the case a decade or so ago, and was information I’d gleaned from someone who had been done for fraud. I asked them how they’d managed to clock up the tens of thousands they were required to pay back and this was their answer.

      • Vicky32 2.2.1

        They would be required to pay back the entire benefit (approx $190 per week) not the $20 extra in the event they were done for fraud.

        I did not know that, but I am not surprised…

    • Andrew 2.3

      Once a person has had a penalty imposed for tax evasion, there is no ability for the IRD to write off the balance owing. They can only have it wiped through bankruptcy. Refer para 75 – SPS 06/02 on the IRD website.

  3. PlanetOrphan 3

    Great questions Anthony, We all know the Gnats’ want to stomp on beneficiaries.

    Know we know the numbers they are using too justify it are a complete fraud.

    Aoteoroa is bankrupt because of the Gnats’ not the beneficiaries.

    • Draco T Bastard 3.1

      Aoteoroa is bankrupt because of the Gnats’ not the beneficiaries.

      QFT

      It’s always been the capitalists that destroy the economy.

  4. Chalupa Batman 4

    I’d like to see a govt not talk about cracking down on bene fraudsters and tax fraudsters but actually do it

    • One Tāne Huna 4.1

      Then you should probably try opening your eyes.

      Although the volume of cases reviewed reduced between 2004/2005 and 2009/2010 (see table IS.1), the dollar value of overpayments in 2009/2010 was close to the levels reached in 2004/2005 and 2006/2007. Benefit fraud debts as a percentage of the total level of MSD Crown expenditure on income support equates to around 1/10th of one percent.

      The phased implementation of the Fraud Risk Workflow model from August 2009 onwards has led to improved efficiencies and a better allocation of resources. This is achieved through risk profiling allegations as they are received and allocating cases to either a desk-based review at the Integrity Intervention Unit or a full investigation at the appropriate Fraud Investigation Unit.

      My emphasis.

  5. ak 5

    eg, five years at $20 per week = $5000, which sounds like a usable of money until it’s broken down into weekly amounts

    Precisely Bill. It’s a sort of “reverse widow’s mite” situation, and if one factored in the costs of the small army of “invesigators” and consequent legal costs involved in pursuing these mites, it would quickly become obvious that the aim is political pursuit of Bennybash votes rather than economic rationality.

    Further compounded by the fact that many of those prosecuted would have evaded punishment if they could have afforded decent legal representation.

    $20 a week? Hand over your children, you’re off to jail my dear.

    Hundreds of millions? Thanks, banks, we’ll take 30. Your lawyers are bigger than ours, and who knows what they’ll dig up about us?

    Arise Sir Michael.

  6. AwakeWhileWalking 6

    1) Let’s plug the holes in the welfare system first. Ira Bailey pointed out in his interview with RNZ that it looks as though MSD are auditing the kiosks, but even though it is absolutely possible with the level of access available that someone could have set up fraudulent benefits to be paid to themselves that it appears MSD are not auditing or looking for this type of activity. In other words they don’t want to look for the fraud. Gosh, is it at all possible that one of the many disgruntled IT peeps made redundant from MSD deliberately left the hole there so they could get back at the ministry by committing fraud? Possibly, and they would also know how to cover their tracks and the where MSD would try and cut costs by not looking for unfettered and unauthorised access.

    2) I had an issue with MSD where a counsellor had falsely declared he was a member of the NZAC (New Zealand Association of Counsellors). Work and Income policy states they will not fund counselling for anyone who is not a member of the NZAC. MSD refused to prosecute as they said that their system wouldn’t allow them to search for him. This means that anyone can declare themselves to be a counsellor and a member of the NZAC and get funding via beneficiaries. I estimate he would have made somewhere between $15K – 70K from MSD, CYFS, and Department of Corrections contracts in the years he was operating. This particular counsellor was found guilty of professional misconduct by the HDC. Who knows how many human rights abuses were funded by our government through his deceit?

    3) Let’s not forget that the bene-bash is a sport almost exclusive to National and Act. Changing their focus to tax dodgers DOES NOT PLEASE middle New Zealand who can’t relate to the lazy money sponge beneficiaries, but do strongly associate with tax dodgers and might dearly like to join them if they safely could. If proof were needed you need only look at the punishments handed down, QED.

  7. RedLogix 7

    Tax evasion is one of those non-problems that could be easily made to go away.

    It’s simple.

    1. Change the tax system to something close to the Big Kahuna idea. This eliminates much of the incentive for tax avoidance because all income from all sources is effectively taxed exactly the same. No wriggle room.

    2. Eliminate all Company Tax and tax all company profits returned to shareholders and fringe benefits at the personal rate. This eliminates a lot of tax evasion because there is simply no longer any point.

    3. Make all personal tax records open and transparently online as Norway does.

    None of this is actually hard or even that radical; it’s just that too many people don’t want it solved.

    • Draco T Bastard 7.1

      None of this is actually hard or even that radical; it’s just that too many people don’t want it solved.

      Bingo!!!

    • (2) has the interesting side-effect of incentivising re-investment in a company. I like that.

      You’d probably also want to integrate dividends into the PAYE system too, to save time.

      • RedLogix 7.2.1

        Matt,

        Can’t take credit for the idea; it came from my son-in-law during a good discussion we were having a while back. At first I was quite repelled by the idea, but to his credit the little bugger was quite persuasive.

        But you are right, the tax system is pretty broken from the perspective of most SME’s as well. Provisional tax being perhaps the most invidiously stupid tax of all.

        • Draco T Bastard 7.2.1.1

          Provisional tax probably isn’t a silly idea when working on manual accounts especially for large firms. It’s just not so great when we have the technology for real time accounting.

    • Descendant Of Smith 7.3

      As I have posted before just tax at the gross rate and leave business owners and shareholders to worry about expenses and profits. We already tax at gross with gat and the sky hasn’t fallen in.

      This is simple and disincentivises the layering of businesses to reduce tax – which also wastes productivity and effort – and stops rorts such as charging branches for the use of your name e.g. banks. It would stop businesses that make losses being used to offset profits and ensure that tax is paid before profit heads offshore.

  8. gobsmacked 8

    It was a good, clear story on 3 News. The discrepancy between popular perception and reality is huge.

    So who will challenge those perceptions? The media don’t usually, but at least this report did. Doing it once is not enough, but it’s once more than the leader of the opposition.

    Quote …

    I wonder if the Nats’ beneficiary bashing tactics will help, or make things worse? I wonder if the Nats will pursue the big problem, or continue to hound the one which is a fraction of the cost?

    If your opponents buy into your framing, you have won. So why would the Nats change?

  9. Herodotus 9

    Also the problem is the reluctance of the IRD to go to court and to establish where boundaries of avoidance and evasion are. many investigations are “agreed to”.
    The same for case law to backup trading in property. With no court ruling the tax avoiders just pay up and continue business, modified to take into consideration objections by the IRD. With case law then we have tangible data so as how to modify our tax laws so as to stop any major financial arbitrage to allow some to escape paying their”rightful tax”, and legal rulings as to right vs wrong. Unlike as some have mentioned the lack of ability for a PAYE worker to manage their affairs to mim. their tax. Except for property, and in many cases what they have done is tax evasion, pity the IRD and pollys don’t care. Perhaps because they are also actively involved in property speculation.

    • Andrew 9.1

      I think you’re missing the point of just how much it costs both the IRD and the taxpayer to take a case to court. Just to go through the legislated disputes process would cost tens of thousands (corner office accountants aren’t really upto the job of sufficently drafting these documents).

      The cases that you’re referring to are generally the ones in particularly grey areas (thus again increasing the costs of litigating), therefore in the interests of generating the most amount of additional tax revenue over time (which is one of the principles that the IRD operate on), they must look to settle where possible.

      Besides, its obvious how one fixes the mess that is land taxation law in NZ, implement a CGT…

      • Herodotus 9.1.1

        How else do you create certainty into how the laws are interpreted and if changes in legislation are warranted should the court judgements be at variance with what parliament intended ?
        Sure settle in many instances but still take cases to court for rulings IMO the trading in property is a case where this has all to infrequently occurred. Also should the IRD win a case there is the penalty & use of money add ons.
        CGT is not the answer in itself, as the government is dependant to maintain or increase tax revenue streams for property to always go up, and we could be in a situation that govt. policy is established only to fuel increase in property to the detriment of good social policy.

        • RedLogix 9.1.1.1

          As I’ve argued prior I’m happy for a sensible CGT regime to apply to all capital gain income. Including the family home. As Gareth Morgan persuasively argues in the long run CGT’s are useful in that they fairly tax all income from all sources and eliminate structural investment distortion for spurious taxation reasons.

          Just don’t expect a CGT to stop asset price bubbles. Those are driven by uncontrolled growth in bank credit … almost nothing else matters.

  10. ianmac 10

    A decade or so a NZ documentary had a go at this. It seems that there are 10 investigators going after Benefit fraud, for every 1 going after the big money. Cost effective???

    • AsleepWhileWalking 10.1

      Anyone remember the name of the doco?

      • ianmac 10.1.1

        Sorry Asleep. No. Fragments drift through my mind and I remember that I was offended that the little cheats were hunted ruthlessly where the big cheats money-wise seemed to have a good chance of escaping.

  11. http://www.3news.co.nz/Courts-tougher-on-benefit-fraud-than-tax-dodging–study/tabid/1607/articleID/273541/Default.aspx

    Where are the statistics on ‘WHITE COLLAR’ crime?

    Did you know that the ‘three strikes’ legislation does NOT apply to ‘white collar’ crime and ‘white collar’ criminals?

    When it comes to crime – where’s the ‘WAR ON THE ‘WHITE COLLAR’ CRIMINAL RICH?’

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

    http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com

  12. NATIONAL MP FOR AUCKLAND CENTRAL – NIKKI KAYE – PROVIDES SOME INFORMATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE SFO AND SOME STATISTICS ON SFO ‘WHITE COLLAR’ CRIME PROSECUTIONS (May 2011)

    http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152196499840246&set=a.10150152651680246.414805.878405245&type=1&comment_id=17025251

    hi penny, not sure whether you saw this announcement last year which allocated an additional 8 million to the SFO to fight white collar crime http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/83m-fight-against-serious-fraud

    beehive.govt.nz – $8.3m for fight against serious fraud
    http://www.beehive.govt.nz
    beehive.govt.nz – The official website of the New Zealand Government
    ________________________________________________________________________________

    Judith Collins19 MAY, 2011
    $8.3m for fight against serious fraud

    The Government has allocated more than $8 million in funding for the Serious Fraud Office over two years to continue the fight against white collar crime, the Minister Responsible for the SFO Judith Collins says.

    “The SFO has an important role to play in maintaining New Zealand’s reputation as a safe place to invest and do business,” Ms Collins says.

    “A total of $8.3 million across 2010/11 and 2011/12 will enable the SFO to undertake an increased number of investigations and prosecutions of serious fraud.”

    In 2010, the SFO opened 27 investigations, including a number of investigations into finance companies.

    The cases investigated during that time had involved losses of more than $1.5 billion, affecting about 115,000 victims – many of whom were investors.

    “The SFO has laid more than 800 charges against 26 peoplein the last 12 months. Several white collar criminals are now behind bars,” Ms Collins says.

    During the past year, the SFO has cleared a backlog of cases, including investigations lasting up to seven years.
    The average length of a case is now six months.
    ________________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright Thank you Nikki. In terms of ‘white collar’ crime statistics – do you have, or can you get the figures for charges and successful prosecutions against ‘white collar crime’ taken by the Finance Markets Authority (FMA)?

    Do the Police keep separate statistics for ‘white collar’ crime?

    Is there an overall compilation of statistics for ‘white collar’ crime for all agencies /regulatory bodies that have the statutory authority to prosecute ‘white collar’ criminals?

    My understanding is that the Minister responsible for the SFO is the Minister of Police, and the Minister responsible for the FMA is the Minister for Commerce – so who ‘trumps’ who in the compilation of ‘white collar’ crime statistics – if indeed anyone has that responsibility?

    I appreciate your help Nikki in obtaining this information. Thanks. Penny Bright

    ________________________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright

    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

    http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com

  13. How can ‘corporate welfare’ fraud be prevented or detected at local government level, if the ‘books’ aren’t open, and full and accurate records are not maintained, showing the ‘devilish detail’ – including the NAMES of the consultants/ contractors; the SCOPE; TERM and VALUE of the contracts?

    A Local Government Official Information Act reply from Auckland Council dated 21 November 2011, from Darryl Griffin, (Auckland Council Manager for Democracy Services), confirms the lack of transparency in the spending of public monies by Auckland Council, in refusing to make available for public scrutiny the ‘devilish detail’ ie: the names, the scope, term and value of 5000 contracts related to 12,500 suppliers contracted to Auckland Council, on the basis that:

    ‘To collate and publish these would be a major exercise logistically and cost-wise’.

    How is this failure to maintain ‘full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor, not a breach of statutory duties arising from the Public Records Act 2005 s.17 (1) ?

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2005/0040/latest/DLM345729.html

    17 Requirement to create and maintain records

    (1) Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.

    (2) Every public office must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all public records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act or required by or under another Act.

    (3) Every local authority must maintain in an accessible form, so as to be able to be used for subsequent reference, all protected records that are in its control, until their disposal is authorised by or under this Act.
    ________________________________________________________________________________

    IS IT TIME FOR NEW ZEALAND TO ESTABLISH A GENUINELY INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION?
    ________________________________________________________________________________

    (Receipt of this ‘Open Letter’ was confirmed on Friday 19 October 2012 by the Sector Manager for Local Government, Office of the Auditor-General)

    OPEN LETTER TO THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL

    Under s.18 of the Public Audit Act 2001, we the undersigned request that you please conduct an urgent investigation into the following matters:

    1) The allegedly corrupt ‘conflict of interest’ of the CEO of Auckland Council, Doug McKay, who is also a member of the extremely powerful private lobby group – the Committee for Auckland.

    http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations

    2) Please investigate how many contracts have been awarded by Auckland Council and/or any of the following Auckland Council Controlled Organisations to member companies of the Committee for Auckland:

    a) Watercare Services Ltd

    b) Auckland Transport

    c) ATEED (Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development Ltd)

    d) ACIL (Auckland Council Investment Ltd)

    e) AWDA (Auckland Waterfront Development Agency Ltd)

    f) RFA (Regional Facilities Auckland)

    g) APL (Auckland Property Ltd)

    3) Please investigate the following potential ‘conflicts of interest’:

    a) The CEO of Watercare Services Ltd, is Committee for Auckland member – Mark Ford.

    b) The Chair of the Board of ATEED – David McConnell, and Deputy Chair Norm Thompson are both members of the Committee For Auckland.

    c) Directors on the Board of ACIL, Pauline Winter and Brian Corban are both members of the Committee for Auckland.

    d) Director Evan Davies and CEO John Dalzell of AWDA, are both members of the Committee for Auckland.

    e) Deputy Chair Dame Jenny Gibbs, and CEO Robert Domm of RFA, are both members of the Committee for Auckland.

    4) Please also investigate the failure of Auckland Council to ensure that CEO Doug McKay carry out his statutory duties under s.42 (2) (e) of the Local Government Act 2002:

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2002/0084/latest/DLM171859.html

    42 Chief executive

    (2)A chief executive appointed under subsection (1) is responsible to his or her local authority for—

    (c)ensuring that all responsibilities, duties, and powers delegated to him or her or to any person employed by the local authority, or imposed or conferred by an Act, regulation, or bylaw, are properly performed or exercised; and

    (d)ensuring the effective and efficient management of the activities of the local authority; and

    (e)maintaining systems to enable effective planning and accurate reporting of the financial and service performance of the local authority;

    A Local Government Official Information Act reply from Auckland Council dated 21 November 2011, from Darryl Griffin, (Auckland Council Manager for Democracy Services), confirms the lack of transparency in the spending of public monies by Auckland Council, in refusing to make available for public scrutiny the ‘devilish detail’ ie: the names, the scope, term and value of 5000 contracts related to 12,500 suppliers contracted to Auckland Council, on the basis that:

    ‘To collate and publish these would be a major exercise logistically and cost-wise’.

    Further evidence to support this request for an urgent inquiry is:

    A) The LGOIMA reply from Wendy Brandon, General Counsel for Auckland Council, dated 10 February 2012 – re: Committee for Auckland – CE membership.

    B) The LGOIMA reply from Wendy Brandon, General Counsel for Auckland Council, dated 14 March 2012 – re: Register of Interests and contracts.

    ____________________________________________________________________

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

  14. Ben 14

    I a similar comment on a Gordon Campbell’s piece on this subject.

    Do these statistics hold when only first-time offenders are considered? That is, are the harsher sentences for beneficiaries due to previous run-ins with the law, or doesn’t it matter?

    I’m not suggesting this practice is OK – far from it – but I’m looking for what might be considered a “reason” for the harsher sentences.

  15. aerobubble 15

    A women, who didn’t tell WINZ that her hubby lived with her, was found guilty of welfare fraud.

    So obviously the welfare system pressures couples to split up.

    This is of course illegal except in NZ where the government is never held to account for being anti family.

    Haggling over how much a individual should get, depending on how they live, is costly, its wrong, and if only we had a libertarian party or a anti-tax burden party that would stand up for those on welfare. Because we all know they use the poorest to test their onerous interventionist policies on first.

    But we don’t have such a party, ACT and the Libertarian Party are paid up right wing rich people parties. As NZ children are finding, they have no rights in NZ

    • @ aerobubble

      Yes as I understand it, it is a human rights issue when someone is paid differently due to their marital status. (I guess they either get around this by the “payment” not being wages OR they simply ignore it)

      I agree with you re this issue being costly and wrong.

  16. james 16

    21 trillion hidden in tax havens around the world by the super rich.

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
    14 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    16 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    23 hours 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
    24 hours 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
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T18:33:20+00:00