Newsletter #70
It has been a busy start to the sitting calendar, with Urgency taken to complete the Children, Young Persons, and their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill (Fresh Start) and ACC legislation. I was particularly pleased to see the Fresh Start legislation become law, as that was a significant Bill that appeared in the Social Services Select Committee when I was the Chairperson.
This is a long newsletter as I missed the last one. There is a lot of information about what is happening in the electorate that I hope you will find interesting.
Aged Care Policy Becomes Reality
On 24 February an article appeared in the Timaru Herald about the South Canterbury DHB's decisions regarding how they will introduce increased access to respite care for aged New Zealanders who are still living in their own homes. Access to respite acknowledges the huge pressure on an elderly person's relatives and the need for them to have an occasional 'break' (respite), indeed to preserve their own health.
The aged care respite beds must be 'dedicated' so that they are available all year round and families can make plans to utilise that opportunity. I was really delighted to see evidence that a policy I fought hard to have included in National's 2008 election promises (worth $5 million nationwide), has now been implemented.
Questions in Parliament on ECAN
On 23 February I was able to ask oral questions of Hon Nick Smith at question time. I believe the answers were of interest to the general public and urge you to read the Hansard report below. Note that Hon Ruth Dyson tried a 'red herring' type question without effect!
10. JO GOODHEW (National—Rangitata) to the Minister for the Environment: What response has he received regarding the independent review of the performance of Environment Canterbury?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) : The report has been well received. All 10 of the Canterbury mayors, who originally sought intervention by the Government, have welcomed the report with a sense of relief that the problems with water management in Canterbury are now openly acknowledged. Secondly, stakeholders from across the environment and development spectrum—including the Environmental Defence Society, the Water Rights Trust, Irrigation New Zealand, as well as Federated Farmers—have concurred with its analysis of institutional failure. I also note that even some Environment Canterbury councillors have agreed with the criticisms and the review, and support change.
Jo Goodhew: Has the Government formed any view on the report; and what process does the Government have in place for addressing the review recommendations?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The Government endorses the view in the report that Canterbury’s freshwater resources are of huge strategic importance not just to Canterbury but to New Zealand, and that this resource is not being well-managed. The report calls for urgent intervention by the Government, and this is being considered. Tomorrow I and the Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide, will meet with Environment Canterbury, Canterbury mayors, water stakeholders, and Ng?i Tahu to discuss the recommendations. Tomorrow I have also scheduled a meeting here in Wellington with the reviewers, and I have invited all Canterbury MPs to hear first hand why the reviewers came to those conclusions.
Jo Goodhew: When were concerns first raised with the Minister about Environment Canterbury, and what led the Minister to initiate the independent review?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Concerns about Environment Canterbury were first raised with me by the Ministry for the Environment at my very first briefing as an incoming Minister. The ministry’s concern was that Environment Canterbury did not have the capacity to manage the water quality and allocation issues in the region. Numerous organisations have subsequently raised concerns. A report last year showed that only 29 percent of consents in Canterbury were being processed on time—the worst of New Zealand’s 85 councils, and in September, there was a letter from all 10 Canterbury mayors. All those factors triggered the Government’s decision to initiate a formal review.
Hon Ruth Dyson: What did the Minister discuss with the chairman of Environment Canterbury, the former National MP Alec Neill—who has pre-empted the Minister by publicly stating that it is unlikely there will be elections for Environment Canterbury this year—when he met with Mr Neill, in secret, on the evening of Sunday, 21 February?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: All the mayors of Canterbury met on Sunday night, and Bob Parker, the Mayor of Christchurch, thought that it would be good for me to go down to Christchurch and have an informal discussion with them about the report. The Government is of a view that we need to liaise closely not just with the chairman of Environment Canterbury but with all 10 mayors. The truth is that I have had regular discussions with all those mayors, including the chair of Environment Canterbury. I think people would expect an environment Minister to have discussions with the chair of an authority that has been in some difficulty for many years but was ignored by members opposite—hence the mess we have in water management.
Hon Nick Smith and Hon Rodney Hide will have some tough decisions to take to Cabinet in the coming weeks, in relation to the way forward for ECAN. The Government will have to address the issues raised in the Ministerial Review, as these same issues have been holding Canterbury back for years. Water management is hugely important to my electorate and the entire ECAN catchment.
I can assure you that I have faced complaints about ECAN since well before I entered politics. It is now time for the issues outlined in the Review to be addressed.
Youth Parliament and Selecting a Youth MP
Young people will be getting their voice heard when they take over New Zealand’s Parliament in July for Youth Parliament 2010. Youth Parliament 2010 is open to young people aged 16 – 18 years old who want to represent young people’s views to Ministers and Members of Parliament. I want to hear from young people who have a passion for the future of New Zealand and are willing to stand up and have their voice heard.
Anyone interested in becoming a Youth MP should contact the Rangitata Electorate office on the details below or can find out further information on: www.youthparliament.govt.nz
• Rangitata Electorate Office, 139 Stafford Street, Timaru Ph 03 686 1386
South Canterbury DHB to benefit from voluntary bonding
The voluntary bonding scheme encourages health graduates to establish careers in hard to staff specialities and communities in New Zealand by offering student loan debt write offs or cash incentives over three to five years.
Back in August 2009 I wrote to the Hon Tony Ryall to highlight the need for SCDHB to be included in the voluntary bonding scheme, as recruitment and retention of health professionals to our region has long been a challenge. I had earlier raised the issue with the Minister, and he advised me to get my request in writing, so I did.
The reply from the Minister committed to possibly adding SCDHB to the scheme at the time, but this was by no means a certainty.
This scheme has proved enormously popular with health graduates, and I wanted our DHB to also have access to this tool in attracting new health professionals to the region.
Visit to Rangitata by Louise Upston, MP for Taupo
On 26 February, my fellow colleague from the Education and Science Select Committee, Taupo MP, Louise Upston, visited Timaru. My Electorate office had put together an itinerary that allowed us both to visit providers of education programmes.
It was a fascinating day in which we visited the Take2 programme (currently located on the old Watlington Intermediate site) where students spend some time if they are at risk of being 'stood down'.
We then addressed a good crowd at the Rangitata Lunch Club before heading up to Mountainview High School. Assistant Principal Simon Lees took us on a quick tour of the school, we called in on the Special Needs unit (and sampled the lovely fruit savouries they had made in the am), saw one of the refurbished science labs and one of those that will soon be updated. The tour ended with a discussion about the Rock On programme which aims to reduce truancy.
Louise and I then visited the Aoraki Alternative Education where we discussed the challenges facing this provider. These visits enabled us to see a sample of what is available for students who are challenging to keep at school, and also in the case of Alternative Education what is available for those who can no longer remain at school. The people involved in this work are doing a great job with very challenging young people. It would be fair to say that youth crime would be a lot higher if it wasn’t for the work these people do, and young people might miss out on valuable opportunities and a future worth looking forward to.
Affordable, sustainable, and fair ACC
Legislation passed this week will ensure ACC is affordable, sustainable, and fair for current and future generations.
ACC claim costs have risen 57 per cent in the past four years - five times the rate of inflation - and the unfunded liabilities have grown from $4 billion to $13 billion.
The scale of levy increases required this year without these law changes would be crippling for workers, motorists, and businesses. The law changes enable the levy increase this year for the average worker to be reduced from $550 to $150. The levy increase for motorists is $30 a car, down from $104. And for employers the average levy increase is 12 per cent instead of 44 per cent.
This law change is part of the Government’s objective to secure the long-term future of ACC as an effective and fair 24/7 no-fault insurance scheme for all New Zealanders.
More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/affordable+sustainable+and+fair+acc
Fresh Start for serious youth offenders
Fresh Start legislation targeting the country's most persistent, serious young offenders with a range of tough new measures has now become law.
We know that intervening early can divert these young people from a life of crime. This benefits us all.
The legislation, aimed at the worst 1000 young offenders, provides greater Youth Court powers, including extending jurisdiction to 12 and 13 year olds, and tougher, more effective sentences.
We have given Youth Court judges the ability to determine what's needed to change the behaviour of our most serious youth offenders, and order them to go through with it.
The reforms include tougher sentences, increased supervision, and military activity camps to teach self-discipline, respect, and responsibility. There are also mentoring, parenting, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes to address the causes of offending.
We have the opportunity with Fresh Start to make a real difference in the lives of young offenders.
More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fresh+start+serious+youth+offenders
Super payments will rise under tax changesNew Zealand Superannuation payments will immediately rise in two separate ways if the Government decides to increase GST.
The Government is considering across the board tax cuts and changes to property taxation as part of a tax package that might also include a rise in GST from 12.5 percent to 15 percent.
In a speech to North Shore Grey Power, Prime Minister John Key outlined how the changes would increase superannuitants' income.
"Superannuitants would get an income tax cut, which would apply both to Superannuation payments and to any other income they receive; for example from interest, dividends or part time work," says Mr Key.
"Second, and in addition to their tax cut, Superannuation payments would be increased up front, by just over 2 percent, to reflect the general rise in prices.
"The increase in Super payments would be immediate from the day GST went up, without waiting for the usual annual inflation adjustment.
"This double-whammy increase means that under an income tax/GST switch, superannuitants would have their incomes lifted quite significantly, and by an amount that exceeds the increase in prices."
In addition to the two immediate increases, across-the-board tax cuts would lift the after-tax average wage – raising the floor for Superannuation payments, which are linked to the average wage.
"Super payments for a married couple cannot drop below 66 percent of the after-tax average wage, so any tax cut that affects the average wage will also affect this floor for Super.
“So when people talk about GST they should bear in mind these different means of compensation, which together are quite substantial.”
The Prime Minister also reiterated the Government's commitment to maintaining Super payments linked to 66 per cent of the after-tax average wage from age 65.
For a copy of the Prime Ministers to North Shore Grey Power, please visit:
http://beehive.govt.nz/speech/address+north+shore+grey+power
Be in to raise your Heart to the Sky!
I have organised flights by the Southern DC3 from Ashburton and Timaru Airports on Sunday, March 21, with all profits going to the New Zealand Heart Foundation’s Cardiovascular Research Fund.
The Heart Foundation is seeking to raise a $5 million endowment fund for a University of Auckland research hub for heart health. The new preventative heart health research would be specific to New Zealand’s needs.
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke and blood vessel disease) is New Zealand’s number one killer of men and women, responsible for 40% of all deaths. Many of these deaths are preventable. Heart attacks are currently increasing in younger adults.
Thirty minute aerial tours of Mid Canterbury or South Canterbury in the DC3 will cost $100 per person. It is anticipated either one or two flights will be made from Ashburton Airport during the morning and two from Timaru Airport during the afternoon.
Bookings can be made by contacting 03 3087510 (Ashburton) or 03 6831386 (Timaru)
Snippets:
3 March - Welcome International Students to South Canterbury
5 March - Accompany Hon Georgina Te Heuheu for the opening of the Timaru Courthouse
5 March - Officiate at the opening of the Agriculture ITO's facility
6 March - Attend Temuka/Geraldine A & P Show
7 March - Attend Children’s' Day celebrations in both Mid and South Canterbury
9 March - Attend Ashburton District Wellbeing Forum
11 March - Rakaia and Methven Clinics (for appointments phone 03 3087510)
13 March - Attend Mayfield A & P Show
20 March - Attend Methven A & P Show
21 March - Lift Your Hearts to the Sky in a DC3
It has been a busy start to the sitting calendar, with Urgency taken to complete the Children, Young Persons, and their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill (Fresh Start) and ACC legislation. I was particularly pleased to see the Fresh Start legislation become law, as that was a significant Bill that appeared in the Social Services Select Committee when I was the Chairperson.
This is a long newsletter as I missed the last one. There is a lot of information about what is happening in the electorate that I hope you will find interesting.
Aged Care Policy Becomes Reality
On 24 February an article appeared in the Timaru Herald about the South Canterbury DHB's decisions regarding how they will introduce increased access to respite care for aged New Zealanders who are still living in their own homes. Access to respite acknowledges the huge pressure on an elderly person's relatives and the need for them to have an occasional 'break' (respite), indeed to preserve their own health.
The aged care respite beds must be 'dedicated' so that they are available all year round and families can make plans to utilise that opportunity. I was really delighted to see evidence that a policy I fought hard to have included in National's 2008 election promises (worth $5 million nationwide), has now been implemented.
Questions in Parliament on ECAN
On 23 February I was able to ask oral questions of Hon Nick Smith at question time. I believe the answers were of interest to the general public and urge you to read the Hansard report below. Note that Hon Ruth Dyson tried a 'red herring' type question without effect!
10. JO GOODHEW (National—Rangitata) to the Minister for the Environment: What response has he received regarding the independent review of the performance of Environment Canterbury?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) : The report has been well received. All 10 of the Canterbury mayors, who originally sought intervention by the Government, have welcomed the report with a sense of relief that the problems with water management in Canterbury are now openly acknowledged. Secondly, stakeholders from across the environment and development spectrum—including the Environmental Defence Society, the Water Rights Trust, Irrigation New Zealand, as well as Federated Farmers—have concurred with its analysis of institutional failure. I also note that even some Environment Canterbury councillors have agreed with the criticisms and the review, and support change.
Jo Goodhew: Has the Government formed any view on the report; and what process does the Government have in place for addressing the review recommendations?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The Government endorses the view in the report that Canterbury’s freshwater resources are of huge strategic importance not just to Canterbury but to New Zealand, and that this resource is not being well-managed. The report calls for urgent intervention by the Government, and this is being considered. Tomorrow I and the Minister of Local Government, Rodney Hide, will meet with Environment Canterbury, Canterbury mayors, water stakeholders, and Ng?i Tahu to discuss the recommendations. Tomorrow I have also scheduled a meeting here in Wellington with the reviewers, and I have invited all Canterbury MPs to hear first hand why the reviewers came to those conclusions.
Jo Goodhew: When were concerns first raised with the Minister about Environment Canterbury, and what led the Minister to initiate the independent review?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Concerns about Environment Canterbury were first raised with me by the Ministry for the Environment at my very first briefing as an incoming Minister. The ministry’s concern was that Environment Canterbury did not have the capacity to manage the water quality and allocation issues in the region. Numerous organisations have subsequently raised concerns. A report last year showed that only 29 percent of consents in Canterbury were being processed on time—the worst of New Zealand’s 85 councils, and in September, there was a letter from all 10 Canterbury mayors. All those factors triggered the Government’s decision to initiate a formal review.
Hon Ruth Dyson: What did the Minister discuss with the chairman of Environment Canterbury, the former National MP Alec Neill—who has pre-empted the Minister by publicly stating that it is unlikely there will be elections for Environment Canterbury this year—when he met with Mr Neill, in secret, on the evening of Sunday, 21 February?
Hon Dr NICK SMITH: All the mayors of Canterbury met on Sunday night, and Bob Parker, the Mayor of Christchurch, thought that it would be good for me to go down to Christchurch and have an informal discussion with them about the report. The Government is of a view that we need to liaise closely not just with the chairman of Environment Canterbury but with all 10 mayors. The truth is that I have had regular discussions with all those mayors, including the chair of Environment Canterbury. I think people would expect an environment Minister to have discussions with the chair of an authority that has been in some difficulty for many years but was ignored by members opposite—hence the mess we have in water management.
Hon Nick Smith and Hon Rodney Hide will have some tough decisions to take to Cabinet in the coming weeks, in relation to the way forward for ECAN. The Government will have to address the issues raised in the Ministerial Review, as these same issues have been holding Canterbury back for years. Water management is hugely important to my electorate and the entire ECAN catchment.
I can assure you that I have faced complaints about ECAN since well before I entered politics. It is now time for the issues outlined in the Review to be addressed.
Youth Parliament and Selecting a Youth MP
Young people will be getting their voice heard when they take over New Zealand’s Parliament in July for Youth Parliament 2010. Youth Parliament 2010 is open to young people aged 16 – 18 years old who want to represent young people’s views to Ministers and Members of Parliament. I want to hear from young people who have a passion for the future of New Zealand and are willing to stand up and have their voice heard.
Anyone interested in becoming a Youth MP should contact the Rangitata Electorate office on the details below or can find out further information on: www.youthparliament.govt.nz
• Rangitata Electorate Office, 139 Stafford Street, Timaru Ph 03 686 1386
South Canterbury DHB to benefit from voluntary bonding
The voluntary bonding scheme encourages health graduates to establish careers in hard to staff specialities and communities in New Zealand by offering student loan debt write offs or cash incentives over three to five years.
Back in August 2009 I wrote to the Hon Tony Ryall to highlight the need for SCDHB to be included in the voluntary bonding scheme, as recruitment and retention of health professionals to our region has long been a challenge. I had earlier raised the issue with the Minister, and he advised me to get my request in writing, so I did.
The reply from the Minister committed to possibly adding SCDHB to the scheme at the time, but this was by no means a certainty.
This scheme has proved enormously popular with health graduates, and I wanted our DHB to also have access to this tool in attracting new health professionals to the region.
Visit to Rangitata by Louise Upston, MP for Taupo
On 26 February, my fellow colleague from the Education and Science Select Committee, Taupo MP, Louise Upston, visited Timaru. My Electorate office had put together an itinerary that allowed us both to visit providers of education programmes.
It was a fascinating day in which we visited the Take2 programme (currently located on the old Watlington Intermediate site) where students spend some time if they are at risk of being 'stood down'.
We then addressed a good crowd at the Rangitata Lunch Club before heading up to Mountainview High School. Assistant Principal Simon Lees took us on a quick tour of the school, we called in on the Special Needs unit (and sampled the lovely fruit savouries they had made in the am), saw one of the refurbished science labs and one of those that will soon be updated. The tour ended with a discussion about the Rock On programme which aims to reduce truancy.
Louise and I then visited the Aoraki Alternative Education where we discussed the challenges facing this provider. These visits enabled us to see a sample of what is available for students who are challenging to keep at school, and also in the case of Alternative Education what is available for those who can no longer remain at school. The people involved in this work are doing a great job with very challenging young people. It would be fair to say that youth crime would be a lot higher if it wasn’t for the work these people do, and young people might miss out on valuable opportunities and a future worth looking forward to.
Affordable, sustainable, and fair ACC
Legislation passed this week will ensure ACC is affordable, sustainable, and fair for current and future generations.
ACC claim costs have risen 57 per cent in the past four years - five times the rate of inflation - and the unfunded liabilities have grown from $4 billion to $13 billion.
The scale of levy increases required this year without these law changes would be crippling for workers, motorists, and businesses. The law changes enable the levy increase this year for the average worker to be reduced from $550 to $150. The levy increase for motorists is $30 a car, down from $104. And for employers the average levy increase is 12 per cent instead of 44 per cent.
This law change is part of the Government’s objective to secure the long-term future of ACC as an effective and fair 24/7 no-fault insurance scheme for all New Zealanders.
More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/affordable+sustainable+and+fair+acc
Fresh Start for serious youth offenders
Fresh Start legislation targeting the country's most persistent, serious young offenders with a range of tough new measures has now become law.
We know that intervening early can divert these young people from a life of crime. This benefits us all.
The legislation, aimed at the worst 1000 young offenders, provides greater Youth Court powers, including extending jurisdiction to 12 and 13 year olds, and tougher, more effective sentences.
We have given Youth Court judges the ability to determine what's needed to change the behaviour of our most serious youth offenders, and order them to go through with it.
The reforms include tougher sentences, increased supervision, and military activity camps to teach self-discipline, respect, and responsibility. There are also mentoring, parenting, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes to address the causes of offending.
We have the opportunity with Fresh Start to make a real difference in the lives of young offenders.
More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/fresh+start+serious+youth+offenders
Super payments will rise under tax changesNew Zealand Superannuation payments will immediately rise in two separate ways if the Government decides to increase GST.
The Government is considering across the board tax cuts and changes to property taxation as part of a tax package that might also include a rise in GST from 12.5 percent to 15 percent.
In a speech to North Shore Grey Power, Prime Minister John Key outlined how the changes would increase superannuitants' income.
"Superannuitants would get an income tax cut, which would apply both to Superannuation payments and to any other income they receive; for example from interest, dividends or part time work," says Mr Key.
"Second, and in addition to their tax cut, Superannuation payments would be increased up front, by just over 2 percent, to reflect the general rise in prices.
"The increase in Super payments would be immediate from the day GST went up, without waiting for the usual annual inflation adjustment.
"This double-whammy increase means that under an income tax/GST switch, superannuitants would have their incomes lifted quite significantly, and by an amount that exceeds the increase in prices."
In addition to the two immediate increases, across-the-board tax cuts would lift the after-tax average wage – raising the floor for Superannuation payments, which are linked to the average wage.
"Super payments for a married couple cannot drop below 66 percent of the after-tax average wage, so any tax cut that affects the average wage will also affect this floor for Super.
“So when people talk about GST they should bear in mind these different means of compensation, which together are quite substantial.”
The Prime Minister also reiterated the Government's commitment to maintaining Super payments linked to 66 per cent of the after-tax average wage from age 65.
For a copy of the Prime Ministers to North Shore Grey Power, please visit:
http://beehive.govt.nz/speech/address+north+shore+grey+power
Be in to raise your Heart to the Sky!
I have organised flights by the Southern DC3 from Ashburton and Timaru Airports on Sunday, March 21, with all profits going to the New Zealand Heart Foundation’s Cardiovascular Research Fund.
The Heart Foundation is seeking to raise a $5 million endowment fund for a University of Auckland research hub for heart health. The new preventative heart health research would be specific to New Zealand’s needs.
Cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke and blood vessel disease) is New Zealand’s number one killer of men and women, responsible for 40% of all deaths. Many of these deaths are preventable. Heart attacks are currently increasing in younger adults.
Thirty minute aerial tours of Mid Canterbury or South Canterbury in the DC3 will cost $100 per person. It is anticipated either one or two flights will be made from Ashburton Airport during the morning and two from Timaru Airport during the afternoon.
Bookings can be made by contacting 03 3087510 (Ashburton) or 03 6831386 (Timaru)
Snippets:
3 March - Welcome International Students to South Canterbury
5 March - Accompany Hon Georgina Te Heuheu for the opening of the Timaru Courthouse
5 March - Officiate at the opening of the Agriculture ITO's facility
6 March - Attend Temuka/Geraldine A & P Show
7 March - Attend Children’s' Day celebrations in both Mid and South Canterbury
9 March - Attend Ashburton District Wellbeing Forum
11 March - Rakaia and Methven Clinics (for appointments phone 03 3087510)
13 March - Attend Mayfield A & P Show
20 March - Attend Methven A & P Show
21 March - Lift Your Hearts to the Sky in a DC3
