Deciding that the best way to keep a tidy house is to make people live in the garage, a vexed John Key has accepted the resignation of senior Ministerial hopeful Phil Heatley.
Although Heatley's decision has spared the Government days and possibly weeks of Opposition outrage, his is the second forced departure from Cabinet in a year - something normally associated with a Government in its autumn years, rather than one fresh out of the box.
It's not a good look for National, particularly at a time when Labour is making some capital out of its fevered allegations of Government's GST perfidy.
Unfortunately for Key, too, Heatley's departure does not rob Labour entirely of a target. There remain in Cabinet others whose adherence to the letter of ministerial spending rules has been lax, even if their approach to reimbursement has not. Labour may have less to go on with them, but as any politician knows it's the perception that counts.
Labour may yet keep after Heatley. After all, Ministers may have been known to get teary-eyed over a couple of bottles, but they don't tend to resign over them. Then again, Heatley may be the exception. A guy with religious convictions and a reputation as an earnest trier, his account of things may be all there is to it - that and the presence of a steely-eyed Prime Minister standing immediately to his rear. We shall see.
For now Key can wave his credentials as a Prime Minister with zero tolerance for Ministerial gaffes and for being tough when it counts. But this is scant consolation for what has been an unnecessary blooding and entire own-goal. And Ministers, particularly senior ones ought to have known better as Key readily pointed out. "Stupid, but not corrupt" was his damning summation.
Untidy as it all has been, it's hardly fatal. Heatley's departure leaves shoes that are readily filled and Key will doubtless use the opportunity to elevate some worthy from the backbench when shuffle time comes around again. Heatley's rehabilitation is also possible - assuming the Auditor-General gives his accounts a pass mark. In the meantime the PM will be content to rely on veteran players, Carter and a no doubt bemused Maurice Williamson to hold the fort.
Donald Rumsfeld assessed this type of situation aptly, saying of the White House, "it may look as untidy as a stomach [but] things may be going better than they look from the inside."
Three Strikes Bill Grows Tentacles
The Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill is not yet law and already its reach is being expanded. Itself a knee-jerk response to the moral panic fostered by the Sensible Sentencing Trust and banner headlines, the Bill is now the vehicle for another knee-jerk, this time occasioned by assaults upon the Police.
The risk that the list of qualifying offences would be expanded incrementally was one of the many criticisms of the Bill. The related likelihood that the cumulative violence done to the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act would be over-looked was another concern, as was the actual value of the initiative in deterring violent crime.
Officials have joined that criticism. Pointing Ministers to the increase in crime in places where three strikes laws have been introduced, as well as to the heightened risk to police and corrections officials from people with nothing to lose, they are understood to have relegated the policy to the file reserved for Whacky Ideas. Perhaps this is why Simon Power - ever one with a good eye for low-hanging political fruit - has left its picking to others.
Capital Markets Development - SOE Shareholding off the Table
Commerce Minister Simon Power has released the Government's response to the Capital Markets Development Taskforce's December 2009 Report. Suggestively, the response comes in the form of an action plan, along with anticipated timeframes.
One thing off the table, though, is a partial stock market listing of government-owned companies. The idea is one that has been pursued by several players, not least the major iwi. Unwilling to invest offshore and alive to the potential of sitting at some of the State's more significant boardrooms, the better heeled of the tribes are understood to have been pushing hard for state investment to be opened up.
The Government's rejection of the idea is a blow not just for Māori. With limited onshore investment options - particularly with the prospect of residential property investment being made less attractive - New Zealand's mom and pops would also have welcomed a chance to buy in.
Whatever rationality may lie behind the Government's decision, the decider, as ever, was politics. Maintaining the Government's election commitment not to sell any state-owned company during its first term, it has insulated itself against those voices in Labour claiming a neo-right conspiracy to buy up the People's Assets.
This leaves the door open to a post 2011 change of heart, but only if Labour doesn't force National into another self-limiting pledge.
In the meantime, the Government has said that the disposal or otherwise of assets in local authority hands will be up to them. However, as Phil Twyford's "Not Yours to Sell" campaign has demonstrated in Auckland, there will be few councillors with the bottle to buck the populist trend.
Recommendations the Government will implement include:
- Making investment statements and prospectuses more user friendly for mum and dad investors, including placing warning signs on risky or complex products.
- Better coordinating efforts to improve the financial literacy of New Zealanders.
- Ensuring the duties of fund managers and supervisors are clear and are enforced.
- Clarifying and broadening the exemptions to the Securities Act and to the Takeovers Act.
- Supporting the development of derivatives markets in the commodities sector and energy sector.
- Considering consolidating parts of the Companies Office, Securities Commission, and the NZX Disciplinary Tribunal into a new market conduct regulator.
The Government's action plan, and the Report of the Taskforce, can be found here.
State Services Under the Gun
Over the last two decades terms like "improved sector productivity", "enhanced performance" and "outcomes management" have been staples of central agency exhortations to do more, better.
However, for anyone who has watched the sector for any length of time, there has been about the sector's self-analysis a sense of déjà vu. Long on problem analysis and short on solutions, administrative theory seems to have cycled endlessly through the thinking about doing rather than the actual doing.
This is certainly the view of Ministers frustrated at the failure to date of some parts of the sector to grasp the big hint dropped by Bill English in the last budget: if you can't trim the fat, we'll do it for you.
Of course, some have no fat to trim, even in Wellington. The demands of Ministers have not always been light and there are many public servants more than earning the Queen's shilling as they toil routinely into the wee smalls. But the airy revelations from others that there are a few million to be saved here and there by the expedient of a tweak or two has left some wondering why those tweaks weren't made a long time ago.
Small wonder that "big and enduring change" is what the Prime Minister and a flinty Minister of Finance want. This was the reminder delivered in the PM's opening address to Parliament. "The Government," said Key, "will continue to drive savings in the public sector, demand stronger performance from government agencies, and lift the quality of public services."
And judging from the scuttlebutt from the Beehive, significantly more than tweaks will be involved. Having already signalled the possibility of doing away with the sometimes costly policy/funder/provider split in the case of the science agencies it's clear that Government is opting for a shake-up. The Budget will tell.
Review Recommends that Environment Canterbury Be Scrapped
The Ministerial Review Group has issued its Report on Environment Canterbury (ECan), the regional council for the Canterbury region. A brutal assessment, the Report concludes that "the extent of the gap between the capability of ECan and what is required for it to adequately manage freshwater issues is enormous and unprecedented" and that "ECan’s performance on water policy and management issues (allocation and quality) falls well short of what is essential".
These conclusions provide a mandate for strong intervention by central Government. The Report recommends that a new Canterbury Regional Water Authority be created to assume all water related responsibilities in the Canterbury region. The Report also recommends that the current ECan be sacked and replaced with a special Commission until elections for new ECan councillors can occur.
Environment Minister Nick Smith is engaged in a number of meetings with stakeholders and the Review Group this week, and is still developing the Government's response. Suggesting that he will resist the temptation to precipitate a wider regional government reform and accelerate the Government's water allocation programme, Smith has sent a letter to stakeholders saying events will not detract from the work of either the Land and Water Forum or the Canterbury Mayoral Forum on Water Management. The full Report can be found here.
A UMR's latest poll on MMP found 49 percent wanted to retain MMP while 42 percent favoured a change. It remains a split result with even less clarity about what should replace it. Going back the world pre-1996 was supported by only 37 percent of those polled. Eighteen percent opted for the single transferable vote option, 12 percent backed preferential voting, and 4 percent the supplementary member system.
The House to Vote on the Right to Vote
National MP Paul Quinn's Member's Bill to further restrict the right of prisoners to vote has been drawn from the ballot of Member's Bills. Currently, prisoners cannot vote if they are serving a sentence of more than three years, which is also the period of time between general elections. Quinn's Bill would extend this so that all people serving prison sentences cannot vote in general elections.
It will be interesting to see if the Attorney-General tables a report that the Bill is inconsistent with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZBORA), which affirms the right of all citizens of 18 years of age and above to vote in general elections.
Quinn's Bill will only be consistent with the NZBORA if the infringement on the right to vote is a reasonable limitation that can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. To be so, the infringement must be pursuing an important policy objective and the extent of the infringement must be proportionate to that objective. It will be difficult to satisfy both of these aspects, given that many believe that the current law represents the maximum infringement on the right that can be justified.
However, inconsistency with the NZBORA has rarely proven to be an obstacle to the passage of legislation and the present Bill will give a solid indication whether MPs consider that the ability to vote is a right that the State should not take away from citizens, or whether it is a privilege that the State bestows on citizens and, along with the other privileges of society lost when one is imprisoned, is a privilege that the State can take away.
Quinn's Bill will not be considered until late March at the earliest.
Animal Welfare Amendment Bill
Type of Bill: Government
Member in charge: Hon David Carter
Starting as a Member's Bill in the name of Tauranga MP Simon Bridges, the Bill amends the Animal Welfare Act 1999 by doubling many of the penalties of offences, replacing the current offence of wilful ill-treatment of animals, creating a new offence of reckless ill-treatment of animals, amending the Courts' power to ban people from owning animals, and allowing offenders to lose all their animals (not just the animals they have committed offences against).
Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill
Type of Bill: Government
Member in charge: Hon Simon Power
This Bill is the Government's solution to the new section 92A of the Copyright Act. This new proposal involves the following:
- Copyright owners who can prove copyright infringements will be able to request that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) give notice to alleged infringers that they stop their activity.
- Internet account holders will be sent three notices and can challenge these notices.
- If the person continues to infringe, the copyright owner may seek a compensation award at the Copyright Tribunal. The amount of the award will be up to $15,000 based on the amount of damage caused to the copyright owner.
- Internet account holders will be able to request a hearing if they feel they should not be penalised.
Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill
Type of Bill: Member's Bill
Member in charge: Paul Quinn
Currently, people serving prison sentences of more than three years are not eligible to vote. This Bill would extend this so that all people serving prison sentences are not eligible to vote.
Employment Relations (Workers' Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill
Type of Bill: Member's Bill
Member in charge: Hon Tau Henare
This Bill would amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to require unions planning on holding a strike to undertake secret ballot votes of their members before any strike action can be approved.
Minimum Wage (Mitigation of Youth Unemployment) Amendment Bill
Type of Bill: Member's Bill
Member in charge: Hon Sir Roger Douglas
This Bill would allow different levels minimum wage to apply to youth workers and other workers, which it is said would help address growing youth unemployment.
Smart Meters (Consumer Choice) Bill
Type of Bill: Member's Bill
Member in charge: David Clendon
This Bill would set minimum standards for the features of smart electricity meters and would require information about smart meters to be disclosed to consumers. It has been promoted by the Green Party following the recommendations of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment's report on smart electricity meters.
Bills To Select Committee
Animal Welfare Amendment Bill
Child and Family Protection Bill
Financial Service Providers (Pre-Implementation Adjustments) Bill
Open for submissions
Bill |
Select Committee |
Submissions close (2010) |
Report due (2010) |
Child and Family Protection Bill |
Justice and Electoral |
1 April |
11 August |
Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill |
Education and Science |
31 March |
28 May |
Electricity Industry Bill |
Finance and Expenditure |
26 February |
15 June |
Fair Trading (Soliciting on Behalf of Charities) Amendment Bill |
Commerce |
19 March |
9 June |
Financial Service Providers (Pre-Implementation Adjustments) Bill |
Commerce |
25 March |
4 May |
Submissions not yet called
Land Transport (Driver Licensing) Amendment Bill
Marine Reserves (Consultation with Stakeholders) Amendment Bill
Submissions closed
Bill |
Select Committee |
Report due (2010) |
Arms Amendment Bill (No 3) |
Law and Order |
28 May |
Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill |
Justice and Electoral |
27 April |
Franklin District Council (Contribution to Funding of Museums) Amendment Bill |
Local Government and Environment |
30 April |
Human Assisted Reproductive Technology (Storage) Amendment Bill |
Health |
8 June |
Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Bill |
Finance and Expenditure |
8 June |
Limitation Bill |
Justice and Electoral |
2 April |
Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill |
Auckland Governance Legislation |
4 May |
Marine Reserves Bill |
Local Government and Environment |
30 December |
Ngāti Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill |
Māori Affairs |
17 March |
Patents Bill |
Commerce |
30 March |
Private Security Personnel and Private Investigators Bill |
Justice and Electoral |
30 March |
Public Works (Offer Back of and Compensation for Acquired Land) Amendment Bill |
Local Government and Environment |
17 June |
Sale and Supply of Liquor and Liquor Enforcement Bill |
Justice and Electoral |
30 June |
Sale of Liquor (Objections to Applications) Amendment Bill |
Social Services |
30 June |
Search and Surveillance Bill |
Justice and Electoral |
1 May |
Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill |
Law and Order |
30 March |
Sustainable Biofuel Bill |
Local Government and Environment |
29 July |
Statutes Amendment Bill |
Government Administration |
1 April |
Taxation (Annual Rates, Trans-Tasman Savings Portability, KiwiSaver, and Remedial Matters) Bill |
Finance and Expenditure |
8 June |
Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill |
Māori Affairs |
30 June |
Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill |
Māori Affairs |
19 March |
Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Amendment Bill - Report of the Primary Production Committee
Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Bill - Report of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee
Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill - Interim Report of the Law and Order Committee
Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill - Interim Report of the Māori Affairs Select Committee
Wanganui District Council (Port and Harbour) Bill
Bills Awaiting Second Reading
Antarctica (Environmental Protection: Liability Annex) Amendment Bill
Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 2)
Carter Observatory Act Repeal Bill
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Amendment Bill (No 6)
Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Amendment Bill
Dog Control Amendment Bill (No 2)
Education Amendment Bill
Electricity (Continuance of Supply) Amendment Bill
Infrastructure Bill
Māori Trustee and Māori Development Amendment Bill
Motor Vehicle Sales Amendment Bill
Oaths Modernisation Bill
Privacy (Cross-border Information) Amendment Bill
Public Health Bill
Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill
Rail Network Bill
Regulatory Improvement Bill
Regulatory Responsibility Bill
Reserves and Other Lands Disposal Bill
Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill
Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill
Trade Marks (International Treaties and Enforcement) Amendment Bill
Trade (Safeguard Measures) Bill
Trustee Amendment Bill
Waka Umanga (Māori Corporations) Bill
Bills Awaiting Third Reading
Appropriation (2008/09 Financial Review) Bill
Cultural Property (Protection in Armed Conflict) Bill
Gambling Amendment Bill (No 2)
Judicial Matters Bill
Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement (Regional Agreements) Amendment Bill
Unit Titles Bill
SOP 111 - Accident Compensation Bill (formerly the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Bill)
SOP 107 - Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill
Accident Compensation Bill (formerly the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Compensation Amendment Bill)
Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill
Student Loan Scheme (Exemptions and Miscellaneous Provisions) Amendment Bill
There have not yet been any Acts assented this year.
Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Institution (The Bridge, Auckland) Order 2010
Aōrangi Māori Trust Board Order 2010
Commodity Levies (Meat) Order 2010
Customs and Excise (Specified AANZFTA Parties—Thailand) Amendment Order 2010
Deposit Takers (Goldman Sachs JBWere Capital Markets Limited) Exemption Notice 2010
Deposit Takers (Moratorium) Exemption Amendment Notice 2010
Deposit Takers (Public Trust) Exemption Notice 2010
Double Taxation Relief (Australia) Order 2010
Game Licences, Fees, and Forms Notice 2010
Health Entitlement Cards Amendment Regulations 2010
Health Practitioners (Quality Assurance Activities—Hutt DHB) Notice 2010
Health Practitioners (Quality Assurance Activities—Nelson Marlborough DHB) Notice 2010
Health Practitioners (Quality Assurance Activities—Wairarapa DHB) Notice 2010
Health Practitioners (Quality Assurance Activity—Compass Health Wellington Trust) Notice 2010
Immigration Amendment Regulations 2010
Minimum Wage Order 2010
Public Finance (Departmental Guarantees and Indemnities) Amendment Regulations 2010
Securities Act (Eligible Service Superannuation Schemes) Exemption Amendment Notice 2010
Securities Act (PSIS Limited) Exemption Notice 2010
Social Security (Childcare Assistance) Amendment Regulations 2010
Social Security (Income Exemption: Home-based Care) Amendment Regulations 2010
Social Security (Long-term Residential Care) Amendment Regulations 2010
Social Security (Long-term Residential Care—Value of Land) Amendment Regulations 2010
Social Security (Rates of Benefits and Allowances) Order 2010
Social Security (Temporary Additional Support) Amendment Regulations 2010
Student Allowances Amendment Regulations 2010
Student Loan Scheme (Charitable Organisations) Amendment Regulations 2010
Takeovers Code (Michael Hill International Limited) Exemption Notice 2010
Tariff (Specified AANZFTA Parties—Thailand) Amendment Order 2010
The House is now in recess and sits again on 16 March.
Auckland Governance Legislation Committee
The Committee has been meeting in Auckland to hear submissions on the Local Government (Auckland Law Reform) Bill, the final Bill to implement the new super city Auckland Council.
Commerce Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial reviews of Radio New Zealand, the Broadcasting Commission, Kordia Group Limited, and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
Education and Science Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial reviews of the Tertiary Education Commission, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, Landcare Research New Zealand Limited, the New Zealand Teachers Council, and Career Services.
Finance and Expenditure Committee
The Committee has been hearing submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates, Trans-Tasman Savings Portability, KiwiSaver, and Remedial Matters) Bill, and received a briefing on the Budget Policy Statement 2010.
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee
The Committee received a briefing from the Helen Clark in her new role as Director of the United Nations Development Fund. It also been hearing evidence in its examination of the Agreement between the Government of New Zealand and the Government of the United States of America On Science and Technology Cooperation Contributing To Domestic and External Securities Capabilities.
Government Administration Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial reviews of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa Board, Sport and Recreation New Zealand, and the New Zealand Lotteries Commission.
Health Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial reviews of Hawke's Bay District Health Board, South Canterbury District Health Board, and Auckland District Health Board.
Justice and Electoral Committee
The Committee has been hearing submissions on the Electoral (Administration) Amendment Bill,
and the Search and Surveillance Bill.
Law and Order Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial review of the Independent Police Conduct Authority.
Local Government and Environment Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial reviews of the Environmental Risk Management Authority, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
Māori Affairs Committee
The Committee has been hearing submissions on the Ngati Apa (North Island) Claims Settlement Bill, and submissions on the Whanganui Iwi (Wanganui (Kaitoke) Prison and Northern Part of Wanganui Forest) On-account Settlement Bill.
Primary Production Committee
The Committee has been hearing submissions on the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Raw Milk Pricing Methods) Bill. It has also been hearing the 2008/09 financial review of Quotable Value Limited.
Transport and Industrial Relations Committee
The Committee has been hearing the 2008/09 financial review of New Zealand Railways Corporation (KiwiRail).
Alliance Party v Electoral Commission
Court of Appeal, 10 February 2010
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the election broadcasting provisions in the Broadcasting Act 1989 require the Electoral Commission to allocate broadcasting time for an opening address and a closing address to every eligible political party. These are the provisions that will be retained under the announced electoral finance law reforms.
This case arose from the 2008 general election where the Alliance Party received one minute of time for an opening address, but received no time for a closing address. The Electoral Commission had 72 minutes available to allocate for opening addresses and just 30 minutes available for closing addresses, so decided that only eight parties should be allocated time for a closing address.
This decision clarifies that the Electoral Commission must allocate time to each eligible political party, no matter how much total time it has available. This was decided as a matter of statutory interpretation of the Broadcasting Act.
High Courts Rules on Fishing Restrictions to Save Dolphins
The High Court has ruled on a legal challenge against restrictions on set net and trawl fishing in in-shore areas, which were imposed to manage threats to Hector's and Maui's dolphins. The High Court has ruled that:
- the extension of set net closures on the North Island's West Coast from four nautical miles to seven nautical miles should be referred back to the Minister of Fisheries for reconsideration; and
- the closure of an area of the South Island's East Coast to targeted fishing for butterfish should be referred back to the Minister of Fisheries for reconsideration.
The other four restrictions are not affected. These are:
- The extension of the set netting prohibition further into the Manukau Harbour
- The seasonal two nautical miles set net prohibition on the West Coast of the South Island
- The four nautical mile set net closure outside Te Waewae Bay of the South Island
- The decision not to exempt the targeted fishing of butterfish in the Bluff area
The Ministry of Fisheries is now examining possible next steps.
MMP Referendum Takes Shape
Details of the MMP referendum that will take place in conjunction with the 2011 general election have been announced. Voters will be asked whether they wish to retain the present MMP voting system. They will also be asked to indicate a preference from a list of four alternative voting systems, regardless of how they voted on the initial question.
The four alternative voting systems suggested will be:
- First-Past-the-Post - voters make one vote for the candidate to represent their electorate, and there is one MP per electorate.
- Preferential Vote - voters rank candidates to represent their electorate, and there is one MP per electorate.
- Single Transferable Vote - voters rank candidates in their electorate to represent their electorate, and there are several MPs per electorate.
- Supplementary Member - voters make one vote for the candidate to represent their electorate, and there is one MP per electorate. There are also supplementary seats filled by list MPs. These supplementary seats may be determined on the basis of a separate party vote, or on the basis of the total number of votes that each party's electorate candidates received throughout the different electorates. Unlike MMP, this may not result in proportional representation.
A Bill will be introduced to the House in April containing the exact wording of the questions, which will then be consulted on through the Select Committee process.
Depending on the result of the 2011 referendum, there may be a further referendum in 2014 with the prospect that the 2017 election will take place under a new electoral system.
The Government is currently not planning a change to the Māori seats or the 120 seat Parliament.
New Electoral Finance Law Announced
Justice Minister Simon Power has announced the policy of the new electoral finance law, following from a consultation process last year. This policy will now be drafted into a Bill that will be introduced to the House and consulted on through the Select Committee process.
The key features of the new regime will include the following:
- There will be spending limits for parties and candidates in the three months preceding an election. These spending limits will rise with inflation.
- Parties and candidates will have to disclose details of donations (the level of detail will depend on the amount of the donation).
- There will be no spending limits for parallel campaigners. Those who spend more than $12,000 on parallel campaigning will have to register with the Electoral Commission.
- There will be more certainty on what constitutes "election advertising", including requiring the Electoral Commission to issue guidance and advisory opinions about election advertisements.
- The current rules for state funding and broadcasting will be retained. Parties receive state funding based on their level of support, and this funding can only be spent on purchasing broadcasting time and on the production costs of broadcast advertisements. Parties also receive free broadcasting time. Additionally, parties cannot spend their own money purchasing broadcasting time (but can spend their own money on the production
costs of broadcast advertisements). The Government is retaining this status quo as it considers that this area is contentious and so there is not a broad base of support necessary for reform.
- The relationship between electoral law and the law governing the Parliamentary Service, which provides funds to incumbent MPs, will also be clarified.
Animal Welfare Code for Dairy Cattle
Agriculture Minister David Carter has issued a Code of Animal Welfare for Dairy Cattle. There has previously been no specific code of animal welfare in this area.
Work on the Code has been under way for some time and the Code does not deal specifically with long-term or permanent housing of dairy cattle.
The Code is already in force. Failure to comply with its minimum standards may lead to prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act.
The Code can be found here.
Interim Report on Waikato River Bill
The Māori Affairs Committee has issued an interim report on the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Bill.
The Bill gives effect to the Deed of Settlement signed by the Crown and Waikato-Tainui in August 2008. However, the Minister for Treaty Negotiations had the Waikato River co-management arrangements reviewed and subsequently signed a revised Deed of Settlement on 17 December 2009. Accordingly, the Bill must be amended and the Māori Affairs Committee will now consider these amendments.
The Interim Report invited further submissions on proposed amendments to the Bill by 19 February, despite it being issued less than two weeks earlier.
The full Report, which includes the proposed amendments to the Bill, can be found here.
Michelle Boag has stepped down from her role in recruiting the executive team for the new super city Auckland Council because of the perception of a conflict of interest from her role advising on John Banks' mayoral campaign. She is one of 12 consultants from the recruiting company Momentum, which was contracted by the Auckland Transition Agency to recruit the new Council's top executives.
Who |
What |
By when… (2010) |
Biosecurity New Zealand |
Draft Import Health Standard for milk and milk products for human consumption for the European Union and Switzerland |
19 March |
Draft Import Health Standard for importation of dried and preserved plant material |
1 April |
Ministry of Economic Development |
Telecom's proposed variation of the its Operational Separation Undertakings |
26 February |
Electricity Commission |
Interconnection asset capacity and grid configuration |
15 March |
Discussion paper on security, web services, and EIEP data exchange |
19 March |
Ministry for the Environment |
Discount regulations under the RMA |
1 March |
Proposed National Environmental Standard for assessing and managing contaminants in soil |
19 April |
New Zealand Food Safety Authority |
Industry standard for slaughter and dressing of animal products |
5 March |
High Court Rules Committee |
The duty of parties to comply with the High Court Rules and the duty of lawyers to assist |
7 May |
Inland Revenue Department |
Application of the time of supply rules for GST purposes |
3 March |
GST treatment of futures contracts |
19 March |
Fringe benefit tax of motor vehicles |
26 March |
Whether a lease term is a relevant factor in determining an item's depreciation rate |
26 March |
Depreciation rate for automated dairy drafting systems |
26 March |
Ministry of Justice |
Implementation of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009 - Regulations and Codes of Practice |
19 March |
Department of Labour |
Review of Part 6A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 |
15 March |
Revision of the working in a confined space guideline |
9 April |
Revocation of the safe use and erection of scaffolding approved code of practice |
9 April |
Revocation of the Power-Operated elevated work platforms Approved Code of Practice |
9 April |
Revocation of the Demolition Approved Code of Practice |
9 April |
Revision of the Approved Code of Practice for Boilers |
9 April |
New Industrial Rope Access Best Practice Guidelines |
9 April |
Land Information New Zealand |
Bulk data product development |
5 March |
Law Commission |
Controlling and regulating drugs Issues Paper |
30 April |
PHARMAC |
Proposals regarding the funding and access arrangements for a number of special foods |
19 March |
Standards New Zealand |
Safety of toys |
22 March |
Timber framed buildings |
7 April |
Who |
What |
By when… (2010) |
Department of Conservation |
Foliar Browse Index (FBI) manual |
31 March |
Kauri National Park proposal |
tbc |
Draft Guidelines for Aircraft Access for Canterbury Conservancy |
Ongoing |
Ministry of Economic Development |
Criminalisation of cartels |
31 March |
Ministry of Education |
Review of special education |
19 March |
Environmental Risk Management Authority |
Data requirements for evaluating the effects of pesticides on bees and other beneficial invertebrates |
26 February |
Group standard for pharmaceutical active ingredients |
11 March |
Human Rights Commission |
Status of human rights and the Treaty of Waitangi |
19 March |
Ministry of Health |
Criteria for regulating health professions |
5 March |
Ministry of Justice |
Criminal Procedure Simplification Bill Plan |
1 March |
A Focus on Victims of Crime: A Review of Victims' Rights |
31 March |
Reserve Bank |
Liquidity requirements for the non-bank deposit takers |
15 March |
Standards New Zealand |
Safety inspection and testing for repaired electrical equipment |
26 February |
Safety inspection and testing for second-hand electrical equipment |
26 February |
Electrical cables |
26 February |
Pool water quality |
26 February |
Fire detection and alarm systems in buildings |
11 March |
New Zealand Transport Agency |
Driver licensing and driver testing fees |
26 February |
