Know your Nat: Judith Collins

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, April 30th, 2008 - 45 comments
Categories: families, same old national - Tags: , ,

If National were the Government, Judith Collins would be Social Services Minister. That should be enough to send shudders down the spine of anyone who is worried about ensuring there is a safety net for the most vulnerable members of our society. Collins is rabidly anti the welfare state and a nasty piece of work. Whereas her predecessor as National’s Welfare spokesperson, Katherine Rich said ‘I’m not your DPB-bashing sort of person most of the people I meet on the DPB are pretty motivated people who have the same dreams and aspirations as the rest of us. Beneficiary bashing is a most unsatisfactory practice. It doesn’t really take you anywhere’, Collins agrees with Key who spoke of women ‘breeding for a business’

Collins’ latest attack on our most vulnerable citizens, ‘Labour gives up on long-term jobless‘, claims 60,000 people have been getting benefits for being ‘jobless’ for more than ten years. She’s being deceptive and she knows it. Yes, 60,000 people, 2.3% of adults, have been getting benefits for 10 or more years. But 38,000 of them are invalids that is, they have an ongoing physical or mental disability that prevents them from being part of the workforce. Of the rest, 16,000 are parents raising kids on the DPB, that’s not a task that’s over within a couple of years. 5,000 have a long-term sickness. Only 1,000 are on the unemployment benefit, and less than 300 have been on the unemployment benefit for the whole 10 years [data here].

What Collins doesn’t want you to know, because it wrecks her anti-welfare state argument, is that the number of long-term beneficiaries is decreasing rapidly (down 20% since December 2003).


A day after a report reveals that the only children left living in poverty in New Zealand are in beneficiary households and the Minister says we should aim to eliminate child poverty, all National can come up with is more hollow beneficiary bashing. Pathetic.

45 comments on “Know your Nat: Judith Collins ”

  1. roger nome 1

    “A day after a report reveals that the only children left living in poverty in New Zealand in beneficiary households and the Minister says we should aim to eliminate child poverty, all National can come up with is more hollow beneficiary bashing. Pathetic.”

    When I point these things out at kiwiblog all I get is the totally irrational slogan “welfare causes poverty”. Of course no facts are ever presented in support of the argument, it’s merely backed up with more welfare dependency rhetoric.

    Following this I usually direct them to some OECD research papers, showing that lack of welfare/income inequality creates a poverty trap, with low levels of social mobility.

    See the graph on page 46 of the following report:

    http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/27/28/38335410.pdf

  2. mike 2

    Youre not talking about the underclass that dear leader said didn’t exist are you?

  3. r0b 3

    Youre not talking about the underclass that dear leader said didn’t exist are you

    Interesting Mike, would you mind pointing me to the quote where HC makes such a claim? Thanks.

  4. roger nome 4

    Mike:

    Yes, an underclass exists, but is shrinking with Labour’s policies (working for families, increasing minimum wage, cheaper doctors visits, cheaper day care and lower unemployment).

    Yes, the problem will be made worse by cutting benefits (what Collins seems to want).

  5. Ben R 5

    It’s great that unemployment has dropped & overall long term beneficiaries is decreasing, but the DPB figures are surprising.

    16,000 are parents raising kids on the DPB” for over 10 years? Surely they’re abusing that benefit? It seems they’re using it as a long term way to fund having a large family, something others don’t have the luxury of doing.

    Also between 2003 and 2008 those receiving an invalid’s benefit numbers have increased by 14,000, while sickness beneficiaries have increased by about 8,000. When I was duty solicitor it surprised me the number of people who seemed able bodied enough to commit various offences, but who were on invalid’s or sickness benefits. Why has the number on these gone up so much?

  6. Daveo 6

    Ben R – if you think life on the DPB is a luxury you truly have no idea.

  7. mike 7

    “Yes, an underclass exists, but is shrinking with Labour’s policies”

    More likely that as real after tax incomes continue to fall under Cullens watch (bracket creep/inflation) the underclass is absorbing more of the middle class. Soon we will all be dependant on the state and Labour will be happy campers.

  8. r0b 8

    Why has the number on these gone up so much?

    I’m not an expert, but my understanding is that it is partly to do with NZ’s growing population and ageing demographic. I recall also reading somewhere that there was an increase in the number of obesity related issues appearing in these benefits. Someone better informed than I may have more to say on this…

  9. Steve Pierson 9

    Ben R. You really have to look deeper into the figures. you can’t just assume that because some has been on a benefit for a long time that they are abusing it. You have no evidence that they are having larger families than others.

    Bare in mind that only 16% of DPB beneficaires have been on benefits longer than ten years. Also, those figures are for people now on the DPB who have been continously on any benefit for 10 years – many of them would have previously been on the invalid’s benefit and were moved to DPB when they had kids.

    the number of invalid’s and sickness beneficiaries are increasing because our population is aging – you have more people that are still of working age but are more likely to have developed a health condition that means they can no longer work.

  10. r0b 10

    So mike – re your post of 4:26, do you have a source for that claim please?

  11. roger nome 11

    Ben R:

    “When I was duty solicitor it surprised me the number of people who seemed able bodied enough to commit various offences, but who were on invalid’s or sickness benefits”

    Would you also be surprised to find out that there’s a correlation between criminality and various mental illnesses?

    “16,000 are parents raising kids on the DPB’ for over 10 years? Surely they’re abusing that benefit? It seems they’re using it as a long term way to fund having a large family, something others don’t have the luxury of doing.”

    So you want kids to be growing up in poverty with all the associated consequences – i.e. increased likelihood of behavioral, educational and criminal problems and the subsequent poverty trap. Or didn’t you look at the link that I supplied?

    Mike:

    “More likely that as real after tax incomes continue to fall under Cullens watch (bracket creep/inflation) the underclass is absorbing more of the middle class.”

    “median personal income” in New Zealand rose at an average rate of 1.4% during the decade of 1991-2001 (roughly National’s time in power) and 3.26% during the period of 2001-2006 (roughly Labour’s time in power so far).

    http://rogernome.blogspot.com/2007/10/median-personal-income-over-time.html

  12. Pete 12

    Ben R –

    Due to recognition of a number of conditions and illnesses, previously not considered factors in determining whether someone qualifies, the number of people on invalid’s benefit has risen. This is in line with international research, you can do an internet search for this if you care enough to.

    Mike –

    It’s always preferable to debate the facts, not the political rhetoric devised to garner support. Robust debate is better than finger pointing, especially when it’s off on such a tangent. Just a thought

  13. James Kearney 13

    Disgraceful behaviour from Judith Collins but sadly expected. National’s ‘New Zealand Sucks’ campaign strikes again.

  14. Matthew Pilott 14

    Soon we will all be dependant on the state and Labour will be happy campers.

    Na Pete, mike has it all wrapped up. y’see, when we’re all on benefits, we’ll all vote Labour, according to the RWNJ lobby. The money from benefits will come from… underpants! Step one – we collect underpants; enact step two, and step three is profit. An author from The Standard covered it on a post a few months back. Or wait – was that John Key’s productivity/tax cut schtick?

  15. roger nome 16

    Ben R-

    “Due to recognition of a number of conditions and illnesses, previously not considered factors in determining whether someone qualifies, the number of people on invalid’s benefit has risen. This is in line with international research, you can do an internet search for this if you care enough to.”

    I’ll take your word on that. But why is it a bad thing to provide a basic minimum quality of life for those who are unable to fend for themselves? From memory this spending accounts for about 2-4% of government spending. Now you can say that it isn’t worth it, but my instinct is the most New Zealander’s would think you cold-hearted.

  16. higherstandard 17

    To quote Collin’s

    “If you don’t collect the data, if you don’t know who these people are, how can you help them? Is Labour giving up?”

    “With low unemployment, the time was never better to start targeting those long term beneficiaries and helping them into paid work or training.”

    Just how is that “Hollow beneficiary bashing” ?

  17. Ben R 18

    “Would you also be surprised to find out that there’s a correlation between criminality and various mental illnesses?”

    No, and certainly in some cases people did have serious mental illnesses, while others needed drug/alcohol counselling. I just am curious as to why the number has increased so much over the past 5 years. It may well be that an ageing population explains part of it, I concede that I have just skimmed over it.

    “So you want kids to be growing up in poverty with all the associated consequences – i.e. increased likelihood of behavioral, educational and criminal problems and the subsequent poverty trap. Or didn’t you look at the link that I supplied?”

    Interesting report (will try to read more of it later), I’d actually read some of Herb Gintis’ stuff before in a book called “Origins of Wealth”. I know that growing up in poverty has many unfortunate consequences. I’m not saying scrap the DPB. I’m saying that once on it, people should try to use contraception so they don’t stay on it indefinitely. I thought it was introduced to support vulnarable people who already had dependent children.

  18. Lyn 19

    Ben R – let’s say you were a cleaner by trade with three children under five. Your marriage dissolves and you become sole parent for most of the time. Your parents live in another country, and your partner is effectively not able to help you financially.

    After five years all the children are in school, but the money that you would get from going back to commercial cleaning is very similar to what it would cost for childcare to cover the evenings when you’d have to be in paid work and so you don’t go back to work.

    After 10 years the youngest is still in primary school and the oldest still isn’t old enough to legally babysit, and in any case you want the best for your kids so even when the oldest hits 14 you try and encourage them to keep going to afterschool sports rather than babysitting their siblings. Like a good friend of mine you head to polytech with the government’s blessing and study part-time around your children’s schedules, knowing that when the time comes you’ll be better placed to get work.

    After 14 years all the kids are legally able to be left unattended, but they benefit from supervision and care from a parent who isn’t exhausted and has the time to cook meals from scratch and maintain a reasonable relationship with them. After 15 years the youngest has got their first NCEA and doesn’t look like they’ll be ending up in trouble and you finally are able to breathe a sigh of relief after keeping it together alone all these years and get a day-job to help your oldest pay their university fees.

    This is not to say that all those on the DPB are in a similar position, but merely to sketch out a possible timeline in which 10 years on the DPB is a responsible and reasonable thing to do and which doesn’t involve promiscuity or bludging. One of the reasons we have this benefit is because the state recognises that making more citizens is a really important job, and there are inevitably reasons why a sole parent might not be able to work and parent at the same time.

  19. Policy Parrot 20

    I’ve previously posted over on NewZblog about what I think Judith Collins as a Minister would be like.

    Dawns raids for beneficiaries – to be dragged out and put to work on chain gains digging ditches, picking up rubbish, and cleaning up graffiti.

    Surely this type of work would be more appropriate to those sentenced to periodic detention – which, I’m sure Collins wouldn’t object to.

    Essentially, she is equating beneficiaries – many of whom through misfortune struggle to survive on a state-funded stipend, with small time criminals.

  20. randal 21

    nah she just loves beating up on people who cant fight back…typical of tory women…dominance for pleasure, extortion for profit.

  21. higherstandard 22

    And what’s typical of the women on the political left then Randal ?

  22. Hillary 23

    Lyn, I agree with you re a possible scenario for being on the the DPB long term, except about keeping kids in afterschool activities. On the pittance that the DPB is paid at, I suspect sole parents would be lucky to be able to afford them.

    Shame on people who are so grudging about supporting sole parents. What about the much larger slice of Government spending that goes on paying a universal entitlemnet of Government Super – including to Bob Jones and other millionaires over the age of 65? I bet Judith Collins doesn’t have a problem with that.

  23. Lyn 24

    Agreed – my friend has one child and good family support so that made it much easier for her.

  24. stargazer 25

    well i saw ms collins at the launch of the “left behind” report on wednesday night. i can’t believe she sat through that presentation and was so unmoved as to respond in this way. the main point of the presentation was that it wasn’t enough just to get beneficiaries into work. improving child poverty means increasing the level of the benefit. it seems that none of that sunk in at all.

  25. Dave 26

    Firstly most of the 38,000 invalids should be on the sickness bnefit, and some on the dole, like the friend of mine who got a highpaying job after two years on the invalids benefit studying for a PhD. If invalids are so invalid, why are there so many being transferred FROM invalids to unemployment and then back to sickness?

    I know for a fact that if you are on a benfit for 10 years you are shunted onto the sickness benefit if at all possible. Thats why less than 300 have been on a benefit for 10 years.

    Bare in mind that only 16% of DPB beneficaires have been on benefits longer than ten years. And the rest that have been on a thedpb benefit longer than 10 years had breaks when their cycle was started again. If you keep up this rhetoric I`ll set Lindsay Mitchell onto you to sort you out.

  26. Draco TB 27

    we will all be dependant on the state

    We’re all dependent upon the state and society anyway so what’s your point?

  27. Draco TB 28

    I know for a fact that if you are on a benfit for 10 years you are shunted onto the sickness benefit if at all possible.

    Got proof?

  28. Felix 29

    I know for a fact that he fucks pigs.

  29. Ben R 30

    “One of the reasons we have this benefit is because the state recognises that making more citizens is a really important job, and there are inevitably reasons why a sole parent might not be able to work and parent at the same time.”

    Yes, I think most people support it for that reason. But, once receiving it don’t you think there’s some responsibility to use contraception so you don’t stay on it indefinitely? Many people delay having children until their 30’s because they can’t afford them. I think it irks them that others have several while receiving a benefit.

  30. Hillary 31

    Ben R, where is the evidence that people on the dpb are having furter children while they are on it, and are not using contraception?

    There are no doubt some people who rip off the welfare system, just as there are some people who rip off the tax system or cheat the share market by insider trading or rip off their employees by not paying them properly or not providing them with a safe work environment.

    Not sure what Felix was adding with his comment about pigs. Atleast Robinsod is funny when he is being obnoxious.

  31. Lyn 32

    Ben R – the example I gave was an indication of how a person could be on the DPB for 10 years, never have sex in that time, never get pregnant and still qualify for the benefit. I’m always wary of arguments about people getting pregnant in order to get more money because it’s so complex. Mostly I’d ask – how many of them are there actually? Why do they think this way? What real opportunities do they perceive they have? What real opportunities do they actually have? How much control do they have in real terms over their contraception? It’s impossible to know these things and the assumptions are just tarring everyone with that bludger brush.

  32. Steve Pierson 33

    Ben R. Can you see how small those numbers are?

    Even if (IF) there are some people abusing the system the numbers using it are very small, the cost is small, and any absue must be even smaller. And the DPB makes sure that children have some money to support them to give them a chance in life. It also allows women in desperate circumstances the opportuntiy to leave abusive relationships.

    Because some mythical abuse of the system that you just assume exists you want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. That’s just dumb.

  33. Ben R 34

    Lyn,

    I agree it’s more complex than people simply getting pregnant on purpose. You mention that they may not have much control in real terms over using contraception. That’s part of my point, as a corollary of expecting people to use contraception it should be more easily accessible. Getting contraception can be embarrassing.

    As for how many, I have no idea. I do know though that if you work in family law (or with social workers) you will see many people on the dpb who keep having children. Like you say, I doubt it’s motivated by money & they often have few opportunities.

    Steve,

    Where have I suggested scrapping the DPB? If you read what I said above, you’ll see I agree that it is necessary for women who are financially vulnerable. I’m suggesting that once on the DPB people should try to use contraception so they don’t have to stay on it indefinitely.

  34. Ari 35

    Ben R- if we want people on the DPB to be using contraception more regularly, we should be making it easier for them to get access to it, and making sure that everyone gets good sexual education that covers using many different types of contraception. This is clearly a case where carrot is far more likely to be effective than stick, especially any “stick” policies regarding welfare tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater by denying welfare to people who really need it if they’re to have a positive effect on society.

  35. Ben R 36

    Ari,

    I agree.

  36. Lyn 37

    Ben R – I’d say that contraception isn’t just embarrassing – it’s expensive. It can require a visit to the doctor and even a box of 12 condoms from the chemist can cost over $10. From my days as a beneficiary I remember when that was a lot of money.

    As you and Ari agree, education is very probably the key – the world over, women are less fertile the more educated they are. Education is empowering, it opens up choices and probably makes women better able to access contraception and (dare I say it) discern men who are likely to knock them up and leave. It does – after all – take two.

  37. Takes two Lyn, but men do all the paying. Ask Judith C about the child support deadbeat dad club.

  38. When I was duty solicitor it surprised me the number of people who seemed able bodied enough to commit various offences, but who were on invalid’s or sickness benefits.

    Doesn’t surprise me any. Back when I was a munter, I knew a cunt who parlayed a minor injury on his job with the railways into a sickness benefit. He was a fucking scary prick and if I’d been his doctor I probably would have signed the papers too. Presumably he wasn’t the only one to think of it.

  39. AncientGeek 40

    Lyn: Well there is always celibacy – the ultimate contraception technique. Of course there isn’t a lot of fun in that.

    Seriously though. I remember living with my little sister when she was on the DPB with two small kids. Having my income around was a great help with the shared expenses. Even so, she had to scratch around to try and make basic expenses meet. Minor luxuries were definitely for the uncles domain.

  40. Lyn 41

    AG – I reckon – and this is just me – that ideally as a society we should be paying out enough for someone on the DPB to raise kids who can participate fully in things like afterschool activities and camps and painting class or whatever and thus imagine a future where interesting things happen – and there should be at least a teeny bit of money in that for happy things for mum like a sex-life without fear of accidental conception. Parenting is really really important.

  41. AncientGeek 42

    I completely agree. From what I saw living on the DPB was no lap of luxury. I’d describe it at that time as being very close to the edge. Watching my sister agonizing between buying the kids shoes or getting safer tires wasn’t any fun. I’d hate to see someone do it without having a supportive family.

    In the end what the critics of the DPB seem to deliberately misunderstand is that it is paid to help bring up the children. For some reason they seem to think that it is done for the parents benefit.

  42. Lyn 43

    AG – that sounds really pretty painful. Agreed on all counts.

  43. Sa Paulo 44

    Gosh the woman is truly terrifying isn’t she? Judy that is.

    As for contraception you can get it free from Family planning yeh? And you can get anonymous private apointments and that kind of stuff?

    If you add up Judith Collins, Allan Peachey and the others who have sidled into this front beach you are looking at benefit cuts, vindictive and irational anti-welfarism, a return to bulk funding and attempts to crush the ppta and inject managerialism back into high schools. And if you have a long memory on John Key (the proposed finance minister of an incredibly right wing Brash party) you are looking at individual contracts, asset sales and ham fisted foreign policy. Particularly something as important as Iraq.

    This is not the friendly National party even with bovver Bill in the 2IC.

Links to post

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T20:36:50+00:00