Mining u-turn exposes lack of a plan
It was to be one of the big changes by which New Zealand could catch up with Australia. In February John Key announced it at the opening of Parliament, and he and Gerry Brownlee said it would be worth billions of dollars to the New Zealand economy.
But now they have backed down in one of the most embarrassing u-turns for this Government.
A Cabinet paper that proposed digging up 467,000 hectares of national parks and then a much smaller scale version that focused on big mines in Coromandel and Great Barrier Island are now both dead. Mining is fine but not in our protected areas.
It was a stupid idea to remove protection from national parks and our most important recreation areas. New Zealanders know we need to protect our natural heritage for future generations.
And tourism, worth $21 billion a year and employing 185,000 Kiwis, is much more important and more sustainable than mining heritage areas. Mining benefits principally the overseas companies which repatriate their profits.
But perhaps most importantly what the collapse of National’s mining policy has exposed is a lack of any real plan to create growth in jobs and incomes.
This follows the failure of the much-hyped Job Summit last year.
National needs to stop chasing fantasies and focus on the core things we need as a country to grow.
We need policies to promote savings so we can invest in and own our own future. Instead they cut the Cullen Superannuation Fund and Kiwisaver.
Both Brian Gaynor and Rod Oram highlighted at the weekend our chronic lack of savings and the impact this has on our economy.
We need investment in a skills strategy so Kiwis are highly skilled. Instead apprenticeships have been cut back and thousands of young New Zealanders are being locked out of universities.
We need more research and development so we have a smart economy, but National ditched the 15 per cent R and D tax credit and the $700 million Fast Forward fund.
It’s time National focused on the basics rather than floating half-baked ideas and letting New Zealand slip further and further behind Australia.
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90-day changes unfair
National’s decision to expand its 90-day probation period to all workplaces is a slap in the face for all salary and wage earners. Labour is not against a probationary period. That already existed under law. But nobody deserves to be sacked without being given a reason.
The new law allows employers to sack employees without explaining why and without any comeback if the dismissal was unfair.
How would it feel if, less than three months into your new job, you were told you were surplus to requirements? No reason given, no discussion, no comeback.
John Key claimed he wanted New Zealand wages to catch up with Australia’s. It is hard to reconcile this with his new workplace rules which will depress wages and weaken work conditions.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2010
He kaitautoko whakahīhī ahau i Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. He wāhanga nui tonu tā te Reo Māori mō tā tātou tuakiri ā-motu, kua whai wāhi ki te tirohanga pūtake, ko wai tātou, me pēwhea tātou e noho ora nei, ia rā, ia rā, hei tāngata o Aotearoa. Nā reira, i te wā o Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, mahia ōu mahi ki te whakaora i Te Reo Māori, haere atu ki waho rā, whāia ko te Reo Māori.
I am a strong supporter of Maori language week. Maori Language plays a huge part of our National identity, it has become an integral part of who we are and how we live our everyday lives as New Zealanders. So during Maori Language do your part to keep te Reo Maori alive by getting out there and giving Maori language a go!
National needs to get its act together on the RWC
Labour pulled out all the stops to convince the International Rugby Board that New Zealand was more than capable of hosting a fantastic Rugby World Cup tournament.
The event will be huge for New Zealand. Many thousands of extra visitors will come to watch the games and in doing so will provide a substantial boost to our economy.
Television rights will also showcase the best of our beautiful country to millions of overseas viewers.
So we cannot afford any more of National’s mistakes during event preparations.
The way the Government handled TV broadcasting rights was a shambles, it showed no judgement picking Andy Haden as an ambassador, and the debacle over Party Central risked making us a laughing stock.
Stop messing around National. No more mistakes!
The Papatoetoe High School Mafia
Ricki Herbert, David Shearer and myself all had the good fortune of attending Papatoetoe High School. We looked a bit different in those days.
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