U-turn on fuel taxes could pump up poll support for Hipkins and Co but the poor – perhaps – won’t notice who benefits most

Buzz from the Beehive

Cost-of-living pressures loomed large in Beehive announcements over the past 24 hours.

The PM was obviously keen to announce further measures to keep those costs in check and demonstrate he means business when he talks of focusing his government on bread-and-butter issues.

His statement was headed –

Cost of living support extended for families and businesses

The Government is providing extra cost of living support to families and businesses, delivering on new Prime Minister Chris Hipkins’ promise of a greater focus on the issues facing New Zealanders right now.

The timing was exquisite.

When Sepuloni finds time to check on the latest benefit stats, perhaps she will explain what has been happening on her watch

Buzz from the Beehive

Again we must report that nothing fresh has been posted on the Beehive website since 19 January, when Jacinda Ardern announced the General Election will be held on 14 October and her resignation as Prime Minister.

But we are eagerly awaiting the posting of a statement by Carmel Sepuloni, the new deputy prime minister, which will update a statement she posted on 20 January last year headed Quarterly benefit numbers show highest number of exits into work.

As Minister of Social Development and Employment, she was commenting a year ago on data reported in the Benefit Fact Sheets from her department for the December 2021 Quarter.

She brayed that the Government’s strong focus on supporting more people into work was reflected in benefit figures released at that time which showed a year-on-year fall of around 21,300 people receiving a main benefit in the December 2021 quarter.

 “Our response to COVID has helped to create a resilient labour market which in turn has ensured our economy remains strong. Protecting jobs and livelihoods, and supporting more jobseekers into work will continue to be a key priority of the Government,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

Bold ambitions – Govt aspires to rid us of bashers and the Security Council veto while building a “great” workplace for women

 

Buzz from the Beehive

The Government has declared or reiterated three bold ambitions, one of them (the elimination of family violence) probably unachievable.

Whether progress is being made towards the achievement of another (ensuring New Zealand is “a great place for women to work”) raises measurement issues. No matter what is accomplished, there are bound to be demands for more to be done – and what is “a great place” for women to work?

A third bold ambition – which looks like another mission impossible – was declared in a speech headed PM’s comments to NATO session. 

Jacinda Ardern said Russia’s use of its UN Security Council position to block consideration of its invasion of Ukraine is morally bankrupt “and demonstrates why we must continue to seek reform of the UN”.

After a flurry of wellbeing initiatives for Kiwis, the Govt lifts the wellbeing (and profit hopes, presumably) of Amazon movie-makers

The screen industry – or some of its more well-heeled operators – today learned the government is keen to improve its wellbeing.  This followed several blasts  of Beehive trumpeting about initiatives to improve the wellbeing and wellness of we Kiwis.

The announcements yesterday included the heartening news that the Government’s COVID-19 response has meant a record number of people moved off a Benefit and into employment in the March Quarter, with 32,880 moving into work in the first three months of 2021.

We further learned that

• More children will be able to access mental wellbeing support with the Government expansion of Mana Ake services to five new District Health Board areas.
• New measures are being proposed to accelerate progress towards becoming a smokefree nation by 2025.
• Aupito Williams Sio announced Pacific people in New Zealand will be better supported with new mental health and addiction services rolling out across the Auckland and Wellington regions. 

This somewhat suggests Pacific people in the Auckland and Wellington regions will be better supported with new mental health and addiction services, rather than Pacific people across New Zealand.

But hey.  This was a press statement, right?

There’s Budget money for the primary sector – but not nearly as much as for the tourist industry ($400m) or Maori ($900m)

A press statement that seemed to have missed the bus on Budget day was among the announcements, proclamation, edicts and what-have-you posted on the Beehive website yesterday.

It came from Agriculture and Biosecurity Minister Damien O’Connor who presumably wanted to show the rural community he has been earning his keep and that Budget 2020 makes major investments in the primary sector that will support more than 10,000 people into jobs.

But if we tot up the numbers in his statement, it’s not nearly as much major investment as the $900 million for Maori or the $400 million for the tourist industry.  Taxpayers (or will it come from the government’s lending sources?) will be called on to cough up –

What they have been up to in the Beehive (for better or worse) – jobs stats bring cheer from Grant Robertson

The Point of Order Keep on Eye on ‘Em Monitor taps into the proclamations, edicts, announcements, boasts and what-have-you that flow daily from the Beehive.     

 

The latest batch of ministerial statements from the Beehive includes three items that triggered the Point of Order Trough Monitor (two Provincial Growth Fund announcements and the revelation of a new $25 million research fund in the science domain) and three announcements related to COVID-19.

One of the COVID-19 statements essentially was another brag from Grant Robertson about the splendid job he was doing as Minister of Finance before this pesky pandemic wreaked havoc socially and economically. It was triggered by the latest employment statistics.

Stats NZ reported yesterday that the number of employed people rose by 19,000 over the March quarter, while the number of unemployed was up by only 5,000. The employment rate rose to 67.5%, while the unemployment rate also rose slightly from 4% to 4.2%, remaining near its lowest levels in a decade.

Wages were also rising at an annual rate of 3.6%, with average ordinary time hourly earnings up to $33.14. This was well above inflation at 2.5%.