VSM – why it needs to go.

Written By: - Date published: 8:35 am, August 2nd, 2018 - 62 comments
Categories: act, community democracy, democracy under attack, education, greens, labour, nz first, roger douglas, tertiary education - Tags: , , , ,

In 2010 the ACT Party with the help of National managed to pass a piece of legislation that damaged student democracy, and blatantly ignored public opinion. Voluntary Student Membership or VSM sounds like a horrendous STI, and its impact has been to screw student democracy.

Prior to 2010 students had a choice as to whether membership of their students’ associations at tertiary institutions would be universal or voluntary. This was due to New Zealand First who in coalition with National in 1998, could see the contribution democratically elected students’ associations make. In 1999 all campuses had a vote on whether students’ association membership should be universal or voluntary. In the University sector all but Auckland and Waikato voted to retain universal membership, and Waikato voted to return to universal membership shortly.

Students’ Associations provided democratic representation at all levels of tertiary institutions. They represented students who faced difficulties with the institution and provided support for dealing with agencies like Studylink. They lobbied institutions for welfare services like foodbanks and hardship grants, and in many cases helped provide these services directly.

When ACT put forward the bill to make all students’ associations voluntary, the National Party said it would listen to submission at select committee and then make a decision. Over 90% of submissions were against this bill sponsored by Roger Douglas. Students from around the country highlighting importance of democratic representation.

More of Roger's harmful policies

Roger Douglas did the same to Students’ Associations in 2010 as he did to the NZ economy in the 1980s. In both cases his polices have done lasting damage.

Recently on my blog I have been talking about my time on the students’ association exec. Looking back much was achieved. Students’ Associations provide strong representation on campus and valuable services to students. The student movement struggled for nearly 30 years to end crippling student fees, and in 2017 a Labour led government was elected on the promise they would do just this. Students’ associations continue to play an important role. Sadly after half a decade of VSM many of them are now struggling to survive.

The legislation NZ First got National to pass in 1998 putting the question of membership of Students’ Associations to a democratic vote of all students work well. NZ First, now in coalition with Labour and the Greens should unlike national, listen to the 90% of submissions on the current law and repeal Roger Douglas’s 2010 VSM legislation.

By Nick Kelly

62 comments on “VSM – why it needs to go. ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Gosman 1
    2 August 2018 at 9:07 am

    If you are correct and student Associations achieve a lot then there should be no problem attracting members. I am not sure why you would worry about forcing people to join an organisation that gives them lots of benefits.

    Your argument would equally apply to membership of ANY Trade Union so does this mean you support compulsory Trade Union membership as well if it is accompanied by a similar democratic vote of all workers in a business or sector?

    • ianmac 1.1
      2 August 2018 at 9:28 am

      A hard up student would not sign up because it costs money. By the time an issue did become urgent and relevant, there would be too few to fight it because the union would hardly exist. Many unions are sort of dormant but arise when there is an issue. Teachers are very non militant and most of the time branches have trouble gaining a quorum. About every 20 years the dragon stirs.
      Everyone should belong to a union. (The National Party is a Union which jealously guards its interests sometimes with devious actions. Dirty Tricks?)

      • Gosman 1.1.1
        2 August 2018 at 11:33 am

        The National party does not force people to join it.

        • lprent 1.1.1.1
          2 August 2018 at 12:04 pm

          From what I have heard the membership fee is the cost of raffle ticket – about 2 dollars. And that is how most ‘members’ are signed up.

          And they have no objection to people buying raffle tickets for others. Usually you know from the type of junk mail they start to pester you with.

          Unfortunately that doesn’t pay for real services. Unlike the National Party which tends to rely on few wealthy donors who pay for the services to themselves (and run raffles to get “members” as a figleaf), student unions are real world organizations trying to provide a widespread service.

          Of course that could be just a rumour. Albeit a remarkably persistent one.

          But in any event, if university students were able to sign up for a two dollar raffle ticket to get free junk email then I suspect that they would do so.

        • DS 1.1.1.2
          2 August 2018 at 1:16 pm

          Wake me up when the National Party finds itself as a service-provider for 20,000 students.

    • DS 1.2
      2 August 2018 at 1:11 pm

      Ever heard of the free-rider problem in economics?

      VSM is basically like trying to run a government based off voluntary taxation.

      • Brwildered 1.2.1
        2 August 2018 at 2:33 pm

        Went to a number of universities found most student union where simply there as first rung of the lefty ladder In politics, big waste of time and more of a left “””” fest

    • Draco T Bastard 1.3
      2 August 2018 at 1:42 pm

      Student Associations are a lot like unions in that they provide essential services that are almost never seen or felt by the people in them – until they no longer exist. At that point we see wages and conditions deteriorating but nobody connects it to the loss of the unions/student associations.

      The truth goes the other way. The rise of unions and student associations saw a rise in wages and conditions in both places. It’s the better conditions that come with being a democracy rather than a top down dictatorial entity such as a business.

  2. millsy 2
    2 August 2018 at 9:11 am

    I actually favour a system in which we have student ‘councils’ that do the same things that associations do, only you are not a ‘member’ of them. Seems less messy.

    In any case, VSM is just another part of the commodification of tertiry study,in which the life and culture is sucked out of our universities and the only say that students have is ‘if you don’t like it, vote with your feet and go elsewhere’.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 2.1
      2 August 2018 at 12:38 pm

      Strongly agree re commodification of the tertiary sector.

      https://jacobinmag.com/2017/08/grade-inflation-corporate-university

      Neoliberalism is recognized as the dominant political and economic philosophy across the globe, and new managerialist, corporatized practices, as its “organizational arms,” are ubiquitous within the higher education sector worldwide.

      “Do You Want Fries With That?”: The McDonaldization of University Education—Some Critical Reflections on Nursing Higher Education

      http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244018787229

    • Ed1 2.2
      2 August 2018 at 12:46 pm

      I am not sure whether we want a “less messy” system – if it meant a student “Council” appointed by the University, or with no ability to levy fees, it could not “so the same thing that associations do” – would they have any power, or any authority?
      You do however raise an important point – receiving legislative power to levy all students should needs perhaps some philosophical reason to pass a bill. I believe life and culture is what it is about – students should be joining an institution of learning that goes beyond the narrow confines of courses in which they are enrolled – they should be able to represent their own interests, but they should also realise that what they are learning relates to a world around them, and that they have a place in that world as part of a generation that will be in a position to make decisions that change that world – for many, through becoming eligible to vote, but hopefully also for calling out wrongdoing, hypocrisy, and abdication of stated ideals of a university. Let us at lest have one time in the life of our idealistic students when they feel that ideals do matter, that collectively they can make a difference, that some traditions should be supported, and that there is more to life than . . . ..
      What reason do others have for giving effectively the power to tax students, and what restrictions should such an association have on its activities?
      Are student associations in any way equivalent to those organisations such as professional associations that retain similar (or arguably more coercive) powers? Should the law society become a voluntary body without power to regulate its members?

  3. R.P Mcmurphy 3
    2 August 2018 at 9:16 am

    The people who destabilised the student unions were mad ideologues who did not care about anything except their own stupid ideas. They tried to bugger everything just to justify their inanity.

    • Phil 3.1
      2 August 2018 at 9:51 am

      mad ideologues who did not care about anything except their own stupid ideas. They tried to bugger everything just to justify their inanity.

      That also describes the people who I saw run for student union positions
      (hashtag anecdote is not data).

      • ropata 3.1.1
        2 August 2018 at 12:10 pm

        Sure student councils are colourful but the important thing is they are a powerful voice representing all students, and they can mobilise a lot of people if necessary

        • Phil 3.1.1.1
          2 August 2018 at 1:06 pm

          If you’re using ‘colourful’ as a euphemism for ‘inexperienced groups often completely unaware of basic governance oversight principles, and exposed to a wide array of risks without any real robust mitigant processes in place’, then I agree with every single part of your comment 100%.

          • Draco T Bastard 3.1.1.1.1
            2 August 2018 at 1:51 pm

            Sounds like a really good place for inexperienced people, such as students, to get a better understanding of politics then.

  4. Anne 4
    2 August 2018 at 9:27 am

    That must have been Roger Douglas’ last hurrah under a neoliberal/corporate backed banner. He retired permanently from politics in 2011 since when he must have had a bit of an epiphany because last year he was reported to have said he was backing a Labour led government again.

  5. Tuppence Shrewsbury 5
    2 August 2018 at 9:37 am

    Still trying to win the war you lost?

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/hiroo-onoda-japanese-soldier-dies

    Student unions are suffering because they are stacked with incompetents, the majority of whom then normally go on to the labour party and sometimes wind up running countries.

  6. Chris T 6
    2 August 2018 at 12:49 pm

    The important bit of your article is here

    “In the University sector all but Auckland and Waikato voted to retain universal membership, and Waikato voted to return to universal membership shortly.”

    Students democratically voted they didn’t want compulsory Union membership.

    Why do you want to go against the democratic choice of students?

    As and aside, I find it funny how when this topic is brought up the anti-VSM people have this severe aversion to using the word compulsory and keep using the weasle word “universal”

    • McFlock 6.1
      2 August 2018 at 1:31 pm

      Because it wasn’t compulsory. If someone had genuine objections to membership, they could opt-out.

      And the situation we have now is that the democratic choice of students has no power – VSM is forced upon them no matter how they would vote.

      • Chris T 6.1.1
        2 August 2018 at 2:16 pm

        And it is opt in now

        What is the difference?

        It is the same argument as the religion in schools argument

        I personally think that should be made opt-in. You presumably disagree and want to keep opt-out?

        • McFlock 6.1.1.1
          2 August 2018 at 2:21 pm

          The difference is that there’s little to no direct incentive for people to sign up for a service that they receive anyway. Even if declining membership rates will affect that service in the future.

          Whereas if they sign in automatically and then have to expend effort to leave, only the ones who give a shit will expend that effort.

          And wtf has the religion in schools argument got to do with anything?

    • Draco T Bastard 6.2
      2 August 2018 at 1:56 pm

      Students democratically voted they didn’t want compulsory Union membership.

      Two student bodies did and then one went back.

      Why do you want to go against the democratic choice of students?

      The choice was actually taken away from them by central government in a dictatorial manner.

      • JohnSelway 6.2.1
        2 August 2018 at 2:02 pm

        Um no – it was taken away because it violates the NZ Bill of Rights

        • Draco T Bastard 6.2.1.1
          2 August 2018 at 2:09 pm

          [citation needed]

          • JohnSelway 6.2.1.1.1
            2 August 2018 at 2:21 pm

            Well, let me put it another way. I don’t know if that was specifically the reason but it does violate the BoR which guarantees freedom of association

            • Draco T Bastard 6.2.1.1.1.1
              2 August 2018 at 2:26 pm

              Freedom of association was maintained. You didn’t have to study at that particular tertiary institution but in doing so you do actually do become a student that associates with the other students.

  7. JohnSelway 7
    2 August 2018 at 12:59 pm

    Freedom of association is an important freedom and compulsory student membership actually violates the NZ Bill of Righs

    • DS 7.1
      2 August 2018 at 1:15 pm

      Except that the old system wasn’t compulsory. It was universal, with a provision to opt-out (I actually signed off the last opt-out request at Otago).

      • JohnSelway 7.1.1
        2 August 2018 at 1:24 pm

        Some years ago I opted out from Massey but I still had pay each year.

        So yes you could “opt-out”….sort of…

        • DS 7.1.1.1
          2 August 2018 at 3:47 pm

          You paid because otherwise you get the Free Rider problem. You benefited from the existence of services that would not otherwise exist. Again, VSM is basically trying to run a government based off voluntary taxation.

          Meanwhile, nothing was stopping you opting out.

    • McFlock 7.2
      2 August 2018 at 1:32 pm

      Well, if that were the case they wouldn’t have had to amend the law in 2010.

      • JohnSelway 7.2.1
        2 August 2018 at 1:57 pm

        Bill of Rights specifically states freedom of association.

        Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for associations/unions not for them to be compulsory

        • McFlock 7.2.1.1
          2 August 2018 at 2:10 pm

          Between depending on institution service agreements for income and the freeloader problem, making them opt-in is killing them by a thousand cuts.

          But if universal membership were against the NZBoR, this would have been unnecessary.

          Nobody forced you to join a specific students’ association. Even if you hadn’t been able to opt out as you did (cry me a river about your hundred bucks or whatever which probably went to charity anyway), nobody forced you to study at that institution. That was your choice.

          • JohnSelway 7.2.1.1.1
            2 August 2018 at 2:24 pm

            So what your saying is that I can get fucked and not study at my local uni I I don’t want to join the union?

            People have many reasons to not want to join a union. If a union started getting right-wing or religious I don’t want to find them or be a part of it

            • Draco T Bastard 7.2.1.1.1.1
              2 August 2018 at 2:27 pm

              So what your saying is that I can get fucked and not study at my local uni I I don’t want to join the union?

              By going to that tertiary institution you become a student that associates with the other students and you did so voluntarily. At that point you owe it to those other students to put some effort into that association.

              If a union started getting right-wing or religious I don’t want to find them or be a part of it

              That would only happen if it was democratically decided to do so which would probably never happen.

              • JohnSelway …
                2 August 2018 at 2:32 pm

                Actually you don’t owe it to anyone if, like I did, actually studied abroad and didn’t associate with anyone.

                And the point I was making was that of a union started going religious people of other religions or atheists shouldn’t have to support it. Whether it is likely or not is irrelevant. It’s a hypothetical

            • McFlock 7.2.1.1.1.2
              2 August 2018 at 2:33 pm

              Does the BoR require every service you desire to be available locally?

              Is there some legislative requirement that every school and university within 10km of your residence fully complies with your political and religious ideals?

              What makes you so special?

              • JohnSelway …
                2 August 2018 at 2:40 pm

                Im no more special than anyone else.

                Look man, I don’t get the attitude you are hitting me with – I support unions etc but I support the greater laws of freedom to associate, speak and the like

                • McFlock …
                  2 August 2018 at 2:51 pm

                  Freedom to associate doesn’t mean that you get to choose the terms on which someone associates with you.

                  If I want to socialise with particular people, I know I’ll also have to put up with their annoying partners from time to time. Otherwise I can choose to not associate with both people.

                  And the attitude is because while you might support unions, you’re spouting the exact arguments that ACT on campus used to weaken them.

                  • JohnSelway …
                    2 August 2018 at 2:59 pm

                    No that’s right but it gives me the freedom to chose whether I not I want to join, participate or fund an organization or association based on its policies or beliefs.

                    If a stupid union started doing things I was unhappy with I can withdraw support and others can join or vice versa.

                    It might have been ACTs idea but it is still in accordance with the Bill of Rights

                    • McFlock …
                      2 August 2018 at 3:03 pm

                      Nobody forced you to join in the first place, any more than I’m forced to associate with my friend’s annoying spouse.

                      But a consequence of my choice to not associate with that spouse is that I need to not associate so much with my friend, if at all.

                    • JohnSelway …
                      2 August 2018 at 3:08 pm

                      Indeed – so compulsory union membership or student association membership conflicts with the Bill of Rights.

                      I’m not quite what you are arguing for or against

                    • McFlock …
                      2 August 2018 at 3:12 pm

                      my friend is the university
                      my friend’s spouse is the students’ association.

                      If I associate with my friend, I have to associate with their spouse.
                      But I’m not forced to associate with my friend, so I’m not forced to associate with their spouse.

                      No conflict with BoR.

                    • JohnSelway …
                      2 August 2018 at 3:18 pm

                      Would be interesting to see the challenged in court actually using that example because I understand the point you are making but wonder what legal basis/precedent has been set

                    • McFlock …
                      2 August 2018 at 3:32 pm

                      The fuckers tried everything back in the day. When democracy didn’t work, they needed to change the law to suit themselves.

                      Says it all really.

    • SPC 7.3
      2 August 2018 at 6:36 pm

      It’s not compulsory to go to university and be a student.

      And if one does, to become a professional, then one becomes (no opt in or out) and be part of the professional body’s code of behaviour, or be struck off – doctor, lawyer, teacher etc.

      Also as a citizen you have no opt out, and you pay tax accordingly. A university is just a subset of this.

  8. Stuart Munro 8
    2 August 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Not sure the student associations can compare themselves to unions. In my time they were characterized by self-aggrandizing individuals who inspired universal apathy.

    • McFlock 8.1
      2 August 2018 at 2:01 pm

      I’ve known one or two workplace unions like that, though 🙂

      But the thing about my old students’ association was that in my time there we lobbied for and got blind marking of exams (the student name wasn’t on the paper above the marks tally if the student so desired), formalised assessment of papers that included student opinions, a food bank, lockers on campus, and a variety of other support services for students. None of which were restricted to the membership rather than all students.

      Fuck the student politicians. The ones who really made a difference were the advocates, the coordinators, the admins – most of whom were part-time staff paid minimally.

      The biggest change I observed from VSM is that student advocacy, from issues with papers to more strategic issues like divisional restructuring, has taken a back seat and is largely delivered as a supplicant to the university on the occasions it does happen. Because if the association pisses off the institution, the service contract takes a hit, just to send a wee message about the power dynamic at play. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

      • Ed1 8.1.1
        2 August 2018 at 5:30 pm

        I raised a few issues above which have been at least partly answered in the 7 and 8 post numbers. I see a student association as acting partly as an advocacy group for student interests (fees, loans, services from the university etc), and also partly as a proxy for the professional associations that many students will find themselves members of later in life. I recall student associations speaking out on a range of issues, including academic freedom, the place of universities in our society, and also on moral issues such as ensuring that students are informed on issues such as drugs, alcohol, rape (prevention and related laws), foreign affairs, integrity of government. rental laws and requirements, human rights, employment law, etc . . .

        Some of these are of course directly of interest to students, but many are a-political. While Student Associations are often linked with the left of politics, I know there are a number of students who come from the dark side and remain there while contributing to the affairs of the association.

        As far as legislation to bring back strong / compulsory with opt-out associations, there will never be support from some who see no problems with legislative recognition of compulsory associations for doctors, lawyers and accountants – can they be justified?

  9. Jum 9
    2 August 2018 at 5:36 pm

    I submitted against this bill back then, in the secure knowledge, apart from researching and finding the bill’s inadequacies and separatism, that whatever Roger Douglas (and his fan Roger Kerr) wanted to do was never for the benefit of all New Zealanders, only a few.

    He was a nat party construct, knowing that nats were on the political wane and invented to pretend empathy for the low wage workers and beneficiaries of New Zealand, to get into power again and continue nat’s destructive people policies. The proof of that was always in the eventuating act party.

  10. Philj 10
    4 August 2018 at 9:31 pm

    Compulsory unionism no. Freeloaders Benefiting from union negotioations, no.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • 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
    18 hours 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    7 days 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

  • Opinion: It’s time for an arts and creative sector strategy
    I was initially resistant to the idea often suggested to me that the Government should deliver an arts strategy. The whole point of the arts and creativity is that people should do whatever the hell they want, unbound by the dictates of politicians in Wellington. Peter Jackson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Eleanor ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-04-26T02:59:16+00:00