New Zealand Parliament Opens

[hipeter924]

The National-led Government is promising to spend its second term building a more competitive economy, reducing debt, creating jobs and lifting incomes.

Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae has just delivered the Speech from the Throne which officially opens the new Parliament and sets out the Government's legislative agenda.

The speech reiterates National's pre-election promises and outlines already publicised concessions to support partners ACT, United Future and the Maori Party.

Sir Jerry said the Government had made good progress in its first term despite some ''very testing times''.

''New Zealand has experienced three challenging years, including a major recession, the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression, and a devastating series of earthquakes that destroyed whole parts of Christchurch,'' he told Parliament.

''But in the worst of times we have seen the best of New Zealanders, as they have risen to these challenges.'' The biggest risk to the New Zealand economy in the coming Parliamentary term was the European debt crisis, Sir Jerry said.

The Government intended to return to an operating surplus in the 2014/15 financial year and start to reduce core Crown debt as a proportion of GDP.

''This will be achieved through tight fiscal discipline, including new operating allowances of only $800 million in each of the next two Budgets.''[...]Under its agreement with ACT, the National-led Government would introduce legislation to limit the growth in core government spending to a rate no faster than the combination of population growth and inflation.

Once the books were back in surplus, the Government would introduce auto-enrolment into the KiwiSaver retirement scheme.

Sir Jerry outlined the Government's lower cap on the core public service and its plans to partially sell four state-owned energy companies and further reduce its shareholding in Air New Zealand.

Under its agreement with United Future, legislation would be introduced to limit the sale of public assets to not more than 49 per cent of the shares and limit the ownership by a single entity.

The other focus of the Government was overhauling the welfare system and legislation would be introduced to create a new system of benefits.

The Government would clamp down on beneficiaries using recreational drugs and committing benefit fraud.

Sir Jerry said there would also be a more hands-on approach with teenage beneficiaries. Under its agreement with the Maori Party a ministerial committee on poverty would to be established.

The Government will also put considerable investment into infrastructure with $12 billion forecast to be spent on state highways over the next 10 years. [...]The Government had set aside $5.5 billion in the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Fund to help rebuilding local infrastructure.

It would also continue to release land for residential subdivision to ensure there was an adequate supply of land to rebuild on, he said.

ACC's work account would be opened to competition next year and the Government would consider introducing competition into motor vehicle and earner's accounts.

Legislation would be introduced over the term to implement the Government's new ''starting-out wage'' which would be set at 80 per cent of the adult minimum wage, in a bid to provide opportunities for young people.

The Government would progress its overhaul of securities law and moves to ban anti-competitive behaviour. Tougher consumer credit rules to target loan sharks and protect consumers would also be introduced.

Reforms of the Resource Management Act, including a six-month time limit for the consenting of medium-sized projects, would continue and the Fresh Start for Fresh Water programme would be advanced.

The Emissions Trading Scheme would be amended to phase in the introduction of the energy, transport and industrial sectors.

Sir Jerry said the Government would also encourage oil and gas exploration through a competitive new system for processing permits.[...]Improvements in the health sector would continue to be pursued including the establishment of free after-hours general practitioner visits to children under six and a comprehensive after-hours telephone health advice service.

The Government aimed to give more people elective surgery, and reduce waiting times for cancer treatment, specialist appointments, diagnostic tests and emergency departments admissions.[...]Sir Jerry said the fact that this was New Zealand's 50th Parliament should be celebrated.

''New Zealand can boast of an unbroken parliamentary democracy stretching back to the 1850s, and universal suffrage from 1893.''

MPs, officials gather for opening of Parliament | Stuff.co.nz

 

[Douger]

Good stuff. I'm suprised the murkins haven't started screaming Socialist at that artcle.

 

[hipeter924]

The government is center-right at the moment, but there is still an active welfare state, supported by left and right. There have been cuts in government spending but nowhere near as bad as austerity cuts in Europe.

That is due to the fact we have done better at keeping down unemployment (below 7% currently), and unlike many nations the homeless are provided housing, along with the unemployed (state housing program), renting is subsidized for lower income, most drugs are subsidized by the government, health care is relatively affordable (though getting to the doctor costs $30 and dental care isn't subsidized as well so visits can cost $100+) and operations are free. As such the welfare state is affordable for the country and fully funded, we don't have funding shortfalls like the UK or US when it comes to that.

I wouldn't say I support the government but it isn't as radical as many feared when it came to power. The National coalition government aren't great at running the economy, the worst estimates put GDP growth at around 2-3%. But regardless both sides of the spectrum have policies to cut debt, either through raising taxes or cutting back government spending.

 

[Douger]

Looks like you're only spending about 1.2 % GDP / military. That leaves quite a bit to benefit your people. You got it going pretty good.
if you want to be just like " The Greatest Nation Ever Seen", elect an Aborigine.

 

[hipeter924]

Looks like you're only spending about 1.2 % GDP / military. That leaves quite a bit to benefit your people. You got it going pretty good.
if you want to be just like " The Greatest Nation Ever Seen", elect an Aborigine.

We could go and beg China/US/Russia to set up a military/naval base here, but I really don't see the point. It's not like we could become a great military power with only 4.2 million people anyway. ANZUS went well for us, at least till everyone got sick of nuclear weapons and nuclear power, then we left and got bombed by France and the US disliked NZ for a decade or so, while we cosied up to China in the meantime.

Our foreign policy is to drink and eat with all nations, so long as they aren't too scary. But at the end of the day, New Zealand is an economic battleground between China, America and Australia. Whereas Australia got a free trade agreement with the US. We got a free trade agreement with China, and special economic privileges for our companies, so China might be scary to the US and Australia, but for New Zealand its a cute and cuddly panda. So military power isn't everything, you get more trust and respect being weak, honest, trustworthy, reasonable, and showing ethical fiber now and again.