Police stations under threat
A Cabinet paper recommending the sell off of police stations surfaced this week which has caused a lot of concern. Rightly, there's been strong opposition from Kiwis.
Having a local police presence in each community is something we need and expect. That's why in the nine years to 2008 Labour built and refurbished about 35 new stations and increased police numbers by an extra 2500.
Cutbacks in policing are a real worry. First, 340 police cars have been taken off the road due to Budget cuts and now Kiwis face losing local police stations.
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ETS
For over nine months, progress on putting into effect Labour's ETS to cut pollution and reduce global warming has been put on hold in order to placate Rodney hide.
New Zealand needs a secure, durable and workable solution to combat climate change. That's why I wrote to John Key nearly four weeks ago offering to work with him to achieve that.
New Zealand cannot afford further uncertainty, or more delays in cutting emissions and planting forest carbon sinks because of the damage this does to our export branding as being clean, green and 100% Pure.
John Key needs our help to put in place a new regime. We are offering that assistance so long as the integrity and effectiveness of the ETS is preserved.
Mining the DoC estate
This proposal, from Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee, would seriously tarnish New Zealand's image and is frankly bizarre.
New Zealand prides itself and markets itself on its natural environment and magnificent scenery. So how can the prospect of mining some of our most pristine and fragile conservation areas make sense?
John Key's attempt to backpedal and call the proposal a "stock take" of NZ's minerals doesn't stack up. If that was the case why did he also say that mining in the Doc estate would be "surgical"?
Let's be clear - lignite - which is what National is hoping to mine, is a low quality coal usually sourced through open cast mining. New Zealanders aren't going to let that happen on conservation land.
Banking Inquiry
The inquiry has taken place despite the efforts of the Government and the major retail banks to scupper it.
Held by Labour, the Greens and the Progressives it got underway this week and heard from a host of submitters including Sam Knowles, CEO of Kiwibank, the only bank with the courage to front up.
Kiwis with mortgages deserve to know if banks are passing through all the recent cuts to the Official Cash Rate, and it's the aim of the inquiry to establish if that's happening.
Last word
This week I spent two days in Tauranga touching base with Kiwi communities.
It was great to open Labour's new "Bay Labour" office at 1262 Cameron Road, Tauranga, which will be Steve Chadwick, Moana Mackey and Jacinda Ardern's base to advocate for the people of the Bay of Plenty.
The trip also allowed me have discussions with Zespri and talk to their staff and workers, take a look at the upgrade to Tauranga Hospital and take a tour of the Port of Tauranga where they let me loose at the controls of a 32 metre container crane.
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