Hard line on worst criminals
The government this week outlined new sentencing reforms that will see the worst murderers spending at least 17 years in prison. The government is also moving to abolish automatic parole for prisoners who have served two-thirds of their sentences. Justice Minister Phil Goff said the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill will be tougher on the worst offenders, provide greater flexibility in sentencing to reflect the seriousness of the crime and give victims a better deal.
The minimum non-parole period for the most violent murders will increase from 10 to 17 years. Mr Goff said 17 years will be just a starting point. Judges will be able to impose much longer minimum periods before parole eligibility. The Bill will be introduced to Parliament by mid this year. Following the select committee process and reporting back, it is intended that the Bill be passed into law by March next year.
Govt welcomes good economic news
The good news came in several instalments this week. The Reserve Bank cut official interest rates by 0.25 per cent. This will feed through in the form of lower home mortgage repayments. It was predicted that average home owners will get $190 more a year in their pockets after four banks cut their rates. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, in its March quarterly report, said the economy would stay on track for the next couple of years, with growth at around 2.7 per cent for 2002 and 2.8 per cent the following year. Likewise the BERL forecasting agency predicted good growth over the coming two years, peaking at 3.5 per cent in March 2003. Statistics New Zealand reported this week that output from the manufacturing sector rose 4 per cent in the December quarter. It also announced that the total value of merchandise exports for the year ended January was $29.7 billion - a 25 per cent improvement over the previous January year.
Budget date announced
Finance Minister Michael Cullen announced this week that he would deliver his second Budget on 24 May. He said it would be a tight budget with little room for new, big spending initiatives. Michael Cullen also predicted it would portray a careful government in fiscal control. There certainly wouldn't be any surprises to scare international finance markets.
Industry training review issued
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Associate Education Minister (Tertiary) Steve Maharey this week released a major review of industry training in New Zealand. They said it would contribute further to the government's efforts to raise skill levels in the New Zealand workforce and help our economy to thrive in the twenty-first century. The review, Skills for the Knowledge Economy, was conducted by the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Education in conjunction with Skill New Zealand. It was set up to identify ways of making the existing industry training system more effective. The review presents a number of options for boosting foundation skills training, including funding this area at a higher rate than other training, setting up a separate fund for foundation skills training and including a literacy / numeracy component in entry-level qualifications. Copies are available from Steve Maharey's office. There is a deadline of 11 April for submissions on the report.
Benefits increased
Social Services and Employment Minister Steve Maharey announced this week that payments for beneficiaries, superannuitants and veterans will increase by between about $4 and $13 a week from 1 April. Steve Maharey said the rise will help ease some of the financial pressures beneficiaries and others have been under recently. Benefit payments, student allowances, superannuation/Veteran's Pension and war pensions all increase from April 1 as part of the annual cost of living adjustment. The increase of 3.98 per cent in the net rates equates to the increase in the cost of living for the year to December 2000 as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Review of school staffing released
A report to the government on school staffing could mean another 3500 fulltime teachers, if it's adopted. Education Minister Trevor Mallard released the review of school staffing this week. It recommends several major changes to school staffing, including the reduction of the primary school maximum average class size from 28 to 25. The report also calls for the introduction of a new staffing component in primary schools called Professional Leadership. It would have the effect of giving the equivalent of one full time position for management and related leadership activities at a roll of around 110, instead of the current band between 300 and 350. Trevor Mallard said it was his job now to merge the report's priorities with the government's fiscal and other constraints. A full copy of the report is available on the Ministry of Education's website.
NZ continues push for whale sanctuary
Conservation Minister Sandra Lee will continue the push for a South Pacific whale sanctuary at a meeting in Samoa next month. Sandra Lee will lead a New Zealand delegation to ministerial talks in Apia from 18-20 April. The aim of the talks is to progress the joint Australia-New Zealand proposal. The proposed sanctuary would cover 12 million sq km of the South Pacific over a region inhabited by at least six whale species. Sandra Lee says she hopes to be able to put a proposal for the sanctuary to the International Whaling Commission at its meeting in London in July.
Tighter biosecurity measures announced
The government will spend an extra $4.6 million a year tightening New Zealand's borders. But it may mean longer delays for travellers as baggage is x-rayed.
The changes mean another 11 teams of detector dogs to cover New Zealand's nine international airports, and soft-tissue x-ray machines will be installed at secondary international airports. Acting Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton said extra x-ray machines will be installed at Auckland, Hamilton, and Wellington airports. Machines will also be installed at Whenuapai, Ohakea, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Palmerston North, which have not had x-ray machines. New dog teams will go to Auckland to enable 24-hour coverage and some coverage at Hamilton. Another two teams will go to Wellington, and will also assist at Palmerston North and Ohakea. A further two teams will be based in Christchurch, also providing cover at Dunedin and Queenstown airports. The remaining new team has yet to be allocated. Jim Sutton said the initiatives had been planned for some time but were being announced now to piggy-back on publicity about the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Britain.
