Govt (through the PGF) poured $3.79m into a wine research centre but it has torpodoed the businesses of livestock shippers

Buzz from the Beehive

While the PM was pumping up the prospects of wine producers – and, presumably, their potential for export growth – Trade Minister Damien O’Connor was scuttling shipments of livestock by sea.

Jacinda Ardern has officially opened the New Zealand Wine Centre in Blenheim, saying investments like these give us cause for optimism for the future.

Speaking as Minister of Agriculture, O’Connor was thinking of our future too when he said the passage of the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill (which ends the export of livestock by sea)

“… future-proofs our economic security amid increasing consumer scrutiny across the board on production practices.” 

In other news from the Beehive, our hard-working Ministers tell us they have…

• Fortified the Court Martial Appeal Court

Attorney-General David Parker announced the appointment of Colonel Craig Ruane, Commander Robyn Loversidge, and James Wilding KC as Judges of the Court Martial Appeal Court.

• Better protected migrant workers from exploitation

Or rather, the Government intends to do that after introducing the Worker Protection (Migrant and Other Employees) Bill. The Associate Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, says this is designed to protect migrant workers from exploitation.

The Bill will introduce changes resulting from the Government’s Temporary Migrant Worker Exploitation Review completed in 2020, including establishing an infringement regime.

Govt goes gunning for the gangs but Nats grouch about the time it has taken and ask why firearms ban won’t be much tougher

The government’s intention to get tougher on gangs with a firearms ban triggered almost immediate statements of support from ACT and – less generously – a better-late-than-never grouch from the Nats.

The Nats, moreover, pressed for the legislation to be even tougher.

The only other announcement from the Beehive since we last posted news from that source deals with steps being taken to bring more migrant workers into the country.

About 500 Managed Isolation and Quarantine rooms will be made available for “large groups” every fortnight.

Ministers are making much of the boost they are giving to the building industry and to agriculture, horticulture and viticulture.

Tsunami of Nanny State summer safety warnings includes a welcome reminder to avoid a tsunami

Jacinda’s Nanny State wants us to have a happy Christmas and a safe one. 

Ministers devoted to improving our wellbeing have issued advice and warnings on how to avoid food poisoning, how to keep skin cancer at bay and – you can never be too careful, people – how to respond to a tsunami warning.

We are also being equipped to recognise the conditions that increase fire risk.

And there’s advice on the summer programme of resealing and repair work on state highways, to help steer motorists through the holiday driving season.

Transport Minister Michael Wood brought infrastructure investment  and job creation into considerations on that one:  more than 2,000 people will be working on highways across the country this summer, resealing and repairing around 1,900 lane kilometres of state highway (the equivalent of a two-lane road from Picton to Bluff or a single lane on SH1 from Bluff to Kaitaia).

The wellbeing of businesses has not been forgotten.  The Government is working with New Zealand businesses, industry representatives and other stakeholders to ensure they are prepared for all Brexit eventualities from 1 January.