In the House

Tax Cuts, Minimum Wage and New Responsibilities

It’s hard to believe Easter and Anzac Day have been and gone already. The Government has been working hard the past two months in preparation for the April changes, most significant of which is the tax cut package, and also looking forward to the May budget. It is always good to tick off another of our promises and reaction to the tax cuts, as you might expect, has been overwhelmingly positive.

Labour has attempted to put up some misleading figures on this package but it’s hard to argue with the raw facts. As of April 1 1.5 million workers, about 68 percent of the working population, received a boost to their take home pay. Of those, 630,000 are lower income workers who are eligible for the new Independent Earner Tax Credit. This is available to workers earning between $24,000 and $48,000 who do not get other state support.

The only workers who do not get a tax cut are those already getting generous Working for Families entitlements and some part-time workers. The entire package is estimated to pump about $1 billion back into the New Zealand economy, which is significant in anyone’s language.

The minimum wage changes also took effect this month with the rate rising from $12 to $12.50, effectively putting an extra $20 a week into the pockets of those affected. There have also been income boosts for beneficiaries, superannuitants, veterans and students this month, as we recognise the increased costs people are facing at this time.

On a more personal front, I am delighted to be appointed Associate Minister of Conservation. I have officially been delegated responsibility for the day-to-day operational side of the Department of Conservation, including Treaty issues. I will also be heavily involved in policy matters concerning hunting, fish and game and the use of 1080. The new portfolio brings with it a vast range of challenges, which I look forward to getting to work on. One of my first acts was to open the Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park in Mid Canterbury on April 22. The park was absolutely spectacular and features some remarkable landscapes in the Two Thumb Range. The surrounding streams are used by spawning salmon and the park itself is full of natural wildlife, so it was quite a thrill to be invited down for the official opening - a great introduction to the conservation portfolio. My next venture into conservation is a trip to visit the Kakapo recovery programme on Codfish Island, which I’m really looking forward to.

In the Electorate

The House has returned following the Easter break so it’s back to business as usual. The break did allow me to spend some quality time talking with constituents and getting out and about, so that was good.

Anzac Day and the Passchendaele exhibition

I was incredibly fortunate to be invited to attend the opening of a new exhibition called Passchendaele: The Belgians have not forgotten, in Christchurch in the week leading to Anzac Day. The Waimakariri region lost a lot of men in that specific battle and it was a pleasure to meet and talk with a delegation from Passchendaele for the event, including the Mayor of Zonnebeke-Passendale Dirk Cardoen. Waimakariri District Ron Keating was also on hand as our two districts were formally twinned during the 90th commemorations of the battle in 2007. The exhibition was incredibly moving and a perfect reminder of why Anzac Day is so important. I enjoyed a busy day on the 25th, laying a wreath at the Christchurch dawn service before heading into the electorate for the Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Tuahiwi services.

LPG training initiative

Incidents of overfilling LPG cylinders in North Canterbury over the past 12 months lead to a joint initiative between the LPG Association, Contact Energy and the Department of Labour to run training sessions in Kaiapoi. An overfilled or leaking LPG cylinder can cause fire or explosions in homes, so are a significant safety risk. The problem was identified as incorrect filling procedures, so letters were sent out to 16 service stations in the region inviting them to attend one of the training days on the 16th and 17th of April. I went along to Rockgas for a look-see myself and even got a few lessons from the experts. It was good to be involved in an initiative run collaboratively between industry and Government that addressed an issue in practical terms.

Job Summit

Following the LPG training session I headed into the city for the Canterbury Job Summit. There are still a lot of positive attitudes in the region and it’s important that doesn’t change despite the recession. One of the questions that was asked was: "well what can we actually do?". There are things that can be done, such as councils streamlining consent processes so building projects can get underway earlier than expected or on time. Little things can make a big difference and it was good to be part of the debate.

Clinics

11 May 2009 = Kaiapoi, Kaiapoi Library (10am -12pm)

25 May 2009 = Redwood, St Silas Church Hall, Redwood

All clinics run 10am – 11am unless stated

Posted by staff in Newsletter at 13:55

E nga iwi, e nga reo, e nga mana tena koutou, tena koutou, tena tatou katoa

[the people, the voices of the people, the mana of the people, I greet you once, I greet you twice and I greet us all]

I greet Kingi Tuheitia (Tuhaytia), and at this time Heeni Katipa and the house of royals. Greetings to you all – tena koutou.

Greetings to all the elders and ng

I also greet my colleague, the Honourable Georgina te Heuheu, here today in her capacity as Associate Minister of Māori Affairs - Tena koe, Georgina.

I greet the representatives from the Marae that took part in the pilot of the project and who have travelled far and wide to be with us today - tena koutou katoa.

And to Andrew McKenzie and his team from the New Zealand Food Safety Authority, including their kaumatua Bunny Tumai, and project manager Raniera Bassett – greetings to you all this day – tena koutou katoa.

I am honoured to be here today in my role as Minister for Food Safety to launch the resources from the project Te Kai Manawa Ora.

You might have heard that foodborne illness costs our country $86 million a year – this cost is made up of health costs as well as lost productivity due to people staying home from work when they’re ill. One of the Food Safety Authority’s roles is to inform, and educate people with the aim of reducing that financial and social burden on our country.

Often, this information is reactive – that is as a result of when something has gone wrong. Those are the things you hear about in the media – don’t eat certain foods after a processing fault, for example. The Food Safety Authority ‘s communications programme is also proactive – that is educating people to prevent them causing a foodborne illness at home or when they’re providing food for others. As part of this proactive programme, the Food Safety Authority works alongside community groups to meet their particular information needs. And fundamental to this principle, the Authority is committed to working with Māori on food safety issues based on the principles of partnership, participation and protection.

The Food Safety Authority’s first community-based food safety project with Māori involved putting basic food safety messages into a Māori setting. This was done in 2004 with the release of the Hangi Guide. I’m told that this booklet has been very popular to the extent that it has been reprinted several times. Stocks have again run out and it’s now being reviewed to ensure its messages are current.

The release of the Hangi Guide was followed up with many meetings on Marae, promoting the booklet and the food safety messages it contained. People attending these meetings regularly requested more information. They asked for practical information that would assist with training kitchen workers. These requests led to the formation of this project - Te Kai Manawa Ora.

It is recognised that Marae have special information needs in relation to food safety. They are places where food is often prepared for large groups of people by kitchen staff and willing helpers who are sometimes not trained in the art of catering, as they probably would be if they were doing a similar thing in a business setting.

The aim of this project was to combine scientifically-based information with traditional knowledge and present it in an appealing format. It was planned to develop a resource that would assist Marae cooks and their helpers source, prepare, cook and serve food safely and enhance the food safety practices already in place in many of the country’s wharékai.

A project team made up of people from the Food Safety Authority, public health units, kaumatua (komātua), whanau, hapu and iwi was assembled. It began with a survey looking at how often Marae kitchens were used, the types of food they prepared and how many people they catered for. This was all useful information for deciding what to cover in the resources. The team then collated the required information, had it checked by technical experts, ran a pilot trial of the resources and then developed the final versions as we see them today.

The main resource - Te Kai Manawa Ora booklet is structured along the lines of Te Pae Mahutonga Model – a framework aligned to the stellar constellation most commonly known as the Southern Cross. The four stars of the Southern Cross provide an outline for the four sections of the guide. They are:

1. Mauri (Mow-ri) Ora – access to Te Ao Māori, or the Māori world. This relates to the essence of wellbeing and in the guide this section covers personal health, as well as topics on how to keep food safe.

2. Waiora. This refers to protecting the physical environment. In the guide this section covers water, cleaning and pest control and so on.

3. The Toira (Toiora) section covers healthy lifestyles – good nutrition in this case.

4. The last section of the guide, Whaiora, relates to participation in the wider community. A range of helpful contacts for Marae is listed.

Thank you to everyone who was involved with this project. Thank you for your time, your guidance, your expertise and your commitment. To the people who will use this guide – I hope it serves you well and provides a focus for those very important discussions about how your Marae practices food safety.

I have pleasure in pronouncing Te Kai Manawa Ora resources well and truly launched.

Thank you. Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

Posted by staff in Speech at 00:00

A new food safety guide designed for marae cooks will be officially launched at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia tomorrow.

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority guide, named Te Kai Manawa Ora, provides up-to-date advice on food safety.

"Sharing kai is a core element of Maori culture, and the marae is often the centre of this experience," says Minister for Food Safety Kate Wilkinson.

"This guide aims to help maintain the mana and dignity of marae cooks by providing them with hints and tips for keeping food safe."

Associate Minister of Maori Affairs Georgina te Heuheu will join Ms Wilkinson for the launch.

As well as covering topics such as how to buy, store, cook and serve food safely, Te Kai Manawa Ora also gives food safety tips for some traditional Maori food practices.

This includes gathering puha, watercress and kaimoana, making a hangi and serving recreationally caught meat.

The guide was developed by NZFSA, public health units and Maori health providers.

It was written in response to requests for more information from whanau, hapu and iwi following the release in 2004 of NZFSA’s Hangi Guide.

Anyone can download the guide from NZFSA’s website www.nzfsa.govt.nz.

Posted by staff in News at 00:00

Good evening.

It is an absolute pleasure to be here tonight in recognition of the outstanding service every member of St John contributes to the community.

To say that the work St John does is critical is somewhat of an understatement. When I look at the figures, I am absolutely stunned to see what St John achieves – it is truly astounding. Last year you travelled nearly 16,000km across the country to treat 342,000 patients. You attended 275,000 emergency incidents and also trained 55,000 students in first aid, with 55,000 further children taking part in the Safe Kids programme. That is one heck of a workload.

But what is truly remarkable about all of you in St John, is that you can carry this load on the shoulders of less than 10,000 people – and three-quarters of you are volunteers. Anyone who has had the misfortune of requiring an ambulance knows just how amazing your service is and I want to acknowledge that tonight.

The spirit of St John is very much about helping and caring for people in need. It is a testament to the organisation that so many people continue to step forward to volunteer, whatever their motivation. Without these volunteers St John simply could not function as it does and regions like North Canterbury would be at a huge loss as a result.

Volunteer ambulance officers alone clock up about 2 million hours on duty each year. That’s a direct contribution of over $40 million in labour for the benefit of New Zealand. If you added the thousands of other volunteers who teach first aid and attend events, that figure could possibly double. So I must thank all of you who unselfishly give so much of yourselves to help our community.

There are a number of issues facing our emergency services, particularly in rural areas with single-manned ambulances and a tendency for drunk or disorderly patients to lash out at paramedics trying to help them. The situations you deal with on a regular basis are extraordinary. When tragedy unfolds it is often you who are on hand to comfort people at the site of car crashes, or in the home. You are people of remarkable compassion.

So tonight I simply want to encourage and thank you for the job that you do. It is not an easy job, but it makes a real difference to our lives and you deserve every bit of recognition that comes your way. It is an honour to be here tonight and I look forward to the awards.

Thank you.

Posted by staff in Speech at 00:00

Welcome to Mesopotamia Station, an area shrouded in a history linking back to biblical times, and the one-time home of renowned writer Samuel Butler.

We are here for the opening of Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park, a park incorporating 93,856 hectares of true South Island territory, including the spectacular glaciated landscapes of the Two Thumb Range and a significant portion of Mesopotamia — one of the most famous of New Zealand's high-country sheep stations.

The name ‘Te Kahui Kaupeka’ translates as ‘gathering place of waters’, referring to Mount D’Archiac which, sitting at the top of the Two Thumb Range, gives rise to the waters of the Rangitata and Lake Tekapo.

As you can see the landscape here is truly spectacular, taking in stonefields, alpine screes and shrublands through to herbfields and beech forests – all of which will be conserved for future generations. Living within these are threatened birds, native lizards and weta species.

Human habitation goes back hundreds of years to early M

Today is made possible because of the patience and determination of Laurie, Anne, Sue and Malcolm Prouting. Their foresight in undertaking tenure review here is a real conservation gain for the New Zealand public.

Mesopotamia Station has been in the Prouting family since 1945 and it has been hard parting with its rugged ‘backcountry’. However, while the mountain tops and tawny tussock basins won’t hear the sound of the muster again, the nation will unquestionably benefit from the attainment of this incredible swathe of country now being protected for all New Zealand to enjoy.

I must thank the Proutings for staying the distance for over seven years - when they first initiated this journey. Without your loving custodianship of this land and without your tenacity, we would not be here today and the park would not be in existence. The department and I recognise this and extend our sincere gratitude.

Thank you too, to the other pastoral lessees in the area who, either through historic surrenders on Lilybank and Mt Gerald stations or, in more recent times, undertaking tenure review, have contributed to the formation of Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park.

The completion of the Richmond Tenure Review has allowed a significant area of land on the Lake Tekapo side of the Two Thumb Range to be protected. My thanks to Karoline and Oskar Reider from Richmond Station. Good access to the western slopes of the Two Thumb Range has been established through Richmond and Mount Gerald stations. I also acknowledge Michael Burtscher from Mount Gerald for allowing this informal access to continue over many years.

With increased public land comes increased tourism opportunities over a range of activities. These opportunities are important to the economy of the country and have given new blood to places like Omarama and Twizel. Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park, the fifth conservation park in the Canterbury high country, will provide, over time, new jobs and wealth for places like Geraldine, Tekapo, Fairlie and Twizel.

The opportunities for access to and recreation within the park are numerous both for tourism operators and individuals. A number of commercial companies already use the area for guided walking, mountaineering, heli-skiing, horse trekking, hunting, cross-country skiing and mountain biking and there is a great deal of room for expansion here.

The area has been popular with local mountaineers for a long time. Iconic peaks like The Thumbs and Mt D'Archaic now form part of the park and offer remote climbing experiences.

The most obvious gain for trampers has to be the connection between the Rangitata River and Lake Tekapo as part of Te Araroa — the walking trail being established from Cape Reinga to Bluff.

The park also includes several historic mustering huts, previously part of Mesopotamia and Richmond stations. In the headwaters of the Macaulay River, the local community, through the Mackenzie Alpine Trust, have provided another fine mountain hut for public use which is also accessible by four-wheel drive.

As you can see, this is an area of national, historic, ecological and economic significance and it is my pleasure, as a Cantabrian born and bred, to be able to open it up to the people of New Zealand.

I declare Te Kahui Kaupeka Conservation Park open and recommend you all get out there and make the most of it!

Posted by staff in Speech at 00:00