Yes, we know about the Rotorua councillor’s resignation – but the legality of the mayor’s secrecy motion has gone unquestioned

Malcolm Harbrow, an admirably dogged campaigner against governmental secrecy on his No Right Turn blog, has drawn attention to something the mainstream media missed.

He has focused on the legality of Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick’s actions at a stormy meeting of the Rotorua Lakes Council.

RNZ is among the media which reported on the meeting, where a motion to move into confidential session over the controversial Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill triggered a councillor’s immediate resignation.

No Right Turn has provided a link to the council’s livestream recording of the meeting (from 4:15 to 8:15), so we can see for ourselves what happened.

It then notes that RNZ‘s focus is on the resignation, but something has been missed – the mayor’s secrecy motion:

At a full council meeting today, Chadwick moved to include a discussion about the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill into a confidential section of the meeting.

She said it was to “enable us all as council, together, to have a free and frank discussion in response to the attorney general’s request for further information needed to develop policy work”.

Mahuta and Robertson are flushed with enthusiasm as they pump revised Three Waters plans back into the political pipes

The Labour Government is again using a Friday while the Prime Minister is on leave to dump information, ACT Leader David Seymour claimed in a press statement today.   

He referenced an announcement on Friday last week setting out the  next steps on He Puapua, the government’s programme for extending the meaning of “Treaty partnership” and discriminating in favour of “indigenous” people as “special”.

Today, the government has released its decision on Three Waters.

Just one thing.  Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta and Infrastructure Minister Grant Robertson certainly have announced the Government’s Three Waters plans.

But when Point of Order checked The Beehive website at 3.30pm – well, it still wasn’t there.

In his statement, David Seymour noted that Three Waters and He Puapua involve major constitutional reform.

“They are issues that deserve sunlight and proper debate,” he said.

“It’s frankly pathetic from Labour to try to quietly release these on Friday while Jacinda is unavailable for interviews.”

Fonterra is well placed to win Kiwi acclamation as a corporate champion

Can  Fonterra, with  its capital restructured,  become   the national champion,  it  was always  intended to be?.

The  stars   are  aligned  as  they  never have been before.

The  dairy  giant  has  the  products,  the  bosses,  the  markets, the  support of almost  all  its suppliers,  plus  the  government’s  backing.

It seems the  high  international prices  currently  prevailing  will  persist  for  another  season, and  maybe  two, which  would  be  the  longest stretch   in  Fonterra’s 20-years- or-so history.

With  Peter McBride as  chairman  and  Miles  Hurrell as  CEO, Fonterra   has  re-shaped the  leadership  and  narrowed  the   goals.

Buzz from the Beehive – nothing yet posted about Three Waters but you can be sure Nanaia will sting her critics any minute

The Point of Order team was awash with expectations that something big would be showing up on the Beehive website.

But no – not yet.  Just two fresh announcements had been posted at the time we checked, neither of them related to Three Waters.

The big news about Three Waters and the Government’s intentions was embargoed to 11am and we checked around 11.10am.

We will keep you posted.  Our money is on co-governance remaining a controversial feature of reforms to be translated into legislation thanks to the Government’s Parliamentary majority.

Latest from the Beehive

29 APRIL 2022

Pacific Business Village launched in Tauranga

A new Pacific Business Village that will grow Pacific businesses, fundamental to our COVID-19 recovery, was launched by the Minister for Pacific Peoples Aupito William Sio in

28 APRIL 2022

Another COVID-19 drug in the medicine chest

Health Minister Andrew Little says New Zealanders who contract COVID-19 now have access to six medicines proven to safely prevent the most severe and life-threatening symptoms of the virus.

 

Jackson explains co-governance in terms of democracy and equity – but don’t look too hard at what 50:50 means down south

Anyone bothered by the insidious spread of Treaty-based co-governance arrangements will have been enlightened if not reassured by Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson’s defence of the concept when questioned by Jack Tame at the weekend.

Co-governance is shared decision-making and partnership and it is democratic because democracy has changed, he explained.

At least, that’s what Point of Order thinks he was saying.

So how has democracy changed?

Well, under co-governance Maori would have the same representation as non-Maori on the proposed Three Waters bodies that administer the management of water services.  This would be done because Article Three of the Treaty gives Māori an opportunity in terms of an equitable right …

“That’s not a superior right, that’s an equitable right. Why would you not buy into Māori working in terms of the Three Waters.”

According to this reasoning, we should not get too excited about numbers.  Equitability would translate into a proposal to give Ngai Tahu the same clout as around 20 elected councils over the management of South Island water services.    

• One lot of co-governors would represent Ngai Tahu, a tribal business entity that claims the affiliation of 68,000 people,
• The other lot would represent 20 or so councils representing around 750,000 people.

Buzz from the Beehive: NZ is warned to brace for climate warming and its costs

From a self-interest perspective, one of the latest Beehive announcements was warmly welcomed by the veteran scribes in the Point of Order newsroom.  It was the news of the Government’s Older Workers Employment Action Plan, aimed at supporting older people to stay in the workforce and transition their skills as they age and their circumstances change.

Recognising that older workers make up around a third of the New Zealand workforce and almost half of all New Zealanders aged 65 to 69 are employed, the plan focuses on people aged 50 and over.

But the announcement with the most significant nation-wide implications was the invitation to all New Zealanders to have their say on a proposed National Adaptation Plan to help communities across the country adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

The consultation document is HERE. 

The draft plan outlines the actions the Government will take over the next six years in response to the priority climate-related risks identified in the 2020 National Climate Change Risk Assessment, so that all sectors and communities are able to live and thrive in a changing climate. The consultation also outlines proposals for flood insurance and managed retreat policies.

Oh – and Climate Change Minister James Shaw warned that councils and property owners must shoulder some of the costs.

On the other hand, the Government will spend $1.4 billion on infrastructure for five Auckland suburbs.  Around 400 urban renewal projects in Mt Roskill, Mangere, Tāmaki, Oranga and Northcote will receive funding from the Government’s $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund (HAF) to develop build-ready land to enable up to 16,000 homes in the suburbs over the next five to 16 years.

Latest from the Beehive

28 APRIL 2022

Government supports extra housing development

The Government is funding further infrastructure for five Auckland suburbs undergoing regeneration to support new and existing housing for New Zealanders and their families, Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods has announced.  Around 400 urban renewal projects in Mt Roskill, Mangere, Tāmaki, Oranga and Northcote will receive funding from the Government’s $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund (HAF) to unlock more housing.

27 APRIL 2022

Government puts port safety under the spotlight

The health and safety practices at our nation’s ports will be investigated as part of a range of actions taken by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety in response to two

New Government plan helps support older workers

Supporting older people to stay in the workforce and transition their skills as they age and their circumstances change is a key part of the new Older Workers Employment Action Plan.

Flora, fauna and communities set to flourish through Jobs for Nature

An initiative that has provided tourism workers with alternative employment into the lead up to New Zealand’s borders reopening is being extended to ensure staff are retained.

Supporting communities to prepare for climate impacts

From today New Zealanders can have their say on a proposed National Adaptation Plan to help communities across the country adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.

Buzz from the Beehive – exemption cards are to become available (but not for taxes)

Tax Minister David Parker’s speech about his quest for better information about who is paying how much in taxes and the development of tax principles can now be found on the Beehive website.

The speech (yet to be posted when Point of Order reported yesterday) mentions “an important stage of the project”, which will be wide public consultation on the proposed principles and reporting framework. It’s a shame Parker couldn’t persuade his Cabinet colleagues to take the same principled approach to

• The discriminatory consultative process adopted by the Ardern government to develop Treaty-based governance and constitutional arrangements; and
• Constantly changing “Treaty principles”.

Parker wants the tax principles enacted in a Bill before the end of the current Parliamentary term, resulting in the Tax Principles Act taking its place alongside the Tax Administration Act and other revenue Acts “to create the tax system that New Zealanders can understand and be proud of”.

The speech was posted alongside news of exemption cards becoming available – no, not an exemption from having to pay taxes.  The card attests to an exemption from having to wear a mask.

And Energy Minister Megan Woods brings news of Auckland harbour ferries being set to get quieter, cleaner and greener, thanks to two new fully-electric ferries for commuters and sightseers to travel on.

The project is a collaboration between the Government, Auckland Transport, EV Maritime and boat builders McMullen & Wing.

Auckland Transport receives a $27 million grant funding from the Government to pay around 75% of the costs of constructing two new electric ferries.

The funding comes from the Infrastructure Reference Group’s COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund.

Latest from the Beehive

27 APRIL 2022

Conservation cup win runs in the family

Wetlands expert and advocate Dr Beverley Clarkson was today presented with New Zealand’s most prestigious conservation award, the Loder Cup by Minister of Conservation Kiri Allan.

New mask exemption card to remove uncertainty

People who have genuine reasons for not being able to wear a face mask can access a new personalised exemption card from the end of May.

Shining a light on unfairness in our tax system

Those coming here expecting announcements of new tax policy will be disappointed. None are being made. We have no secret plan to introduce a CGT nor a wealth tax or a deemed income tax, nor others.

26 APRIL 2022

Auckland harbour goes electric

Auckland harbour ferries are set to get quieter, cleaner and greener, thanks to two new fully-electric ferries for commuters and sightseers to travel on.

Budget 2022: Robertson must weigh the need to curb state spending against the urge to win popular support

The Ardern Government’s  popularity  appears  to  be  waning, according  to  recent  opinion polls – and  even  news  media  which previously were  unduly friendly  (no doubt influenced by the succour from state subsidies)  are   now  finding   flaws  in  ministerial performance.

A  column in Stuff  by  its  experienced  Kevin  Norquay has skewered  the  Ardern  team’s  propensity to  call  on New Zealanders to “be kind”, “listen to the science”, and boast “we’re so transparent”.

Norquay  likened the  Ardern-Robertson government to a “friend” who would like you to look the other way while it gets on with doing what’s good for its own best interests, such as getting re-elected.

O’Connor now will support law changes needed for Fonterra’s capital restructuring

Agriculture  Minister  Damien  O’Connor has  overcome  his objections to  the  capital restructuring of  dairy giant Fonterra  and  says  the  government  will  now  amend the Dairy Industry Restructuring Act.

The dairy giant wants to make it easier to join the company, while maintaining farmer ownership amid falling milk supply.

O’Connor  recognises  Fonterra as a key part of New Zealand’s world-leading dairy industry and a major export earner for the economy, sending product to over 130 countries.

Around 95% of all dairy milk produced in New Zealand is exported, with export revenues of  $19.1bn a year. It accounts for 35% of NZ’s total merchandise exports and around 3.1%  of GDP. The industry employs around 49,000 people.

Under-taxing the wealthy is a challenge for our Revenue Minister – but evidence for a new policy will be destroyed

Having got things admirably correct with his opinion as Attorney-General on the wretched Rotorua local body bill being promoted by Tweaker Coffey,  it looked  like David Parker had stumbled as Revenue Minister

The impression of a stumble was given by a Stuff headline which read   Revenue Minister David Parker lashes very wealthy for being undertaxed, calls for new tax principles

But if someone is being undertaxed, very wealthy or not, shouldn’t someone at the Inland Revenue Department be hauled into the Minister’s office to explain what’s going on?

And if it turns out that the undertaxed individual is breaking the law, then the next step is clear. Prosecution is the path to be taken.

If the fault lies with the law, then the next step is clear, too, albeit on a different path.  In this case, the law must be changed.