Budget 2001
The 2001 Budget was presented in Parliament on Thursday. Full details are available on www.executive.govt.nz. Finance Minister Michael Cullen said the Budget achieved its two key objectives: to consolidate the government's reputation as a prudent and responsible fiscal manager, and to advance the government's policy agenda. Prime Minister Helen Clark said the Budget demonstrated the government was committed to leading economic and social transformation. Highlights were a projected operating surplus for the 2001/02 year of $641 million; spending at its lowest level as a proportion of gdp since 1977; net debt forecast to fall to 17.8 per cent of gdp by 2003, down from 21.7 per cent when the government took office; an extra $467 million over four years for education; an extra $1.4 billion over four years for health; an increase of $173 million over four years for Child, Youth and Family Services; a $34.35 million package for economic and regional development.
Youth suicide prevention measures
Youth Affairs Minister Laila Harre announced this week that a new service to help monitor children at risk from suicide will be established through the provision of an extra $1.2 million for youth suicide prevention this year. She said $700,000 would be spent on the new service while the remaining $500,000 would go towards continuing and expanding the suicide prevention community information programme. Latest Health Ministry statistics show almost three young people
a week killed themselves in 1998. Although the number was marginally lower than in 1997, suicides among Maori, young women and children increased.
The monitoring programme will focus on young people in contact with the Department of Child, Youth and Family who are at risk of suicide.
Children's advocacy strengthened
Social Services Minister Steve Maharey announced this week that funding for the Commissioner of Children's office will almost double within two years. The new funding will include new funding for the Office of the Commissioner of Children to strengthen its role, including monitoring and compliance costs in relation to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The funding boost consists of $2.8 million over four years, with $400,000 of that being available in the coming financial year, followed by $800,000 in subsequent years. Steve Maharey said the decision is part of the government's commitment of ensuring that the office can be an effective advocate for New Zealand children.
NZ signs pollutants' convention
Environment Minister Marian Hobbs and Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff jointly announced this week that New Zealand will sign the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) along with more than 100 other countries in Stockholm. The convention aims to protect people and the environment from some of the world's most dangerous pollutants. It bans production and use of 10 POP chemicals and requires countries to minimise releases of a further two
unintentional by-product pollutants. The 12 pollutants are known as the `dirty dozen'' because they are highly toxic, degrade very slowly, accumulate in the food chain and travel long distances.
Govt issues proposals for cutting offending
Corrections Minister Matt Robson has issued a Department of Corrections report called About Time, which makes 10 recommendations to reduce offending. They include screening selected new entrants in schools to treat conduct disorders at an early age, sentencing selected teenagers to day reporting centres and, Mr Robson said, reducing the number of ``highest-risk births''. This would involve giving extra sexual and health education, including contraceptive advice, to teenage girls in a bid to discourage unwanted pregnancies. Recipients would be teenagers already in the justice system or in contact with Child, Youth and Family. Matt Robson says the likelihood of going to prison does not seem to
stop people offending. The most effective way to reduce crime is to intervene before people start out on a life of crime and to stop them from re-offending, the minister said.
Lashlie issue resolved
Education Minister Trevor Mallard said this week that Celia Lashlie was unfairly treated when the Specialist Education Services dumped her for speaking out on problem children. Ms Lashlie is to return to work in Nelson schools. Mr Mallard also accepted the resignation of SES chairman Graham Lovelock, saying that while Mr Lovelock was not directly involved in the dismissal, he had not acted satisfactorily to ensure a fair remedy for Ms Lashlie. Mr Mallard said this seek that the SES board's proposal to see the ``right thing was done'' did not go far enough. It appeared the board did not understand the damage the incident
had done to the SES. Ms Lashlie's new job will involve working with schools in the Nelson region with children with special learning needs. It will be funded by the SES at a cost of $60,000 and will run through to the end of the school year.
Govt responds to Whitianga project concerns
Acting Prime Minister Jim Anderton announced this week that legislation would be fast-tracked through Parliament amending the law that has stymied a multi-million canal development in Whitianga. Conservation Minister Sandra Lee earlier stalled the 1500-section, 250ha development. Sandra Lee sent the issue back to Environment Waikato, which granted a resource consent for the canal last December, saying it had failed to take the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Act into account in its decision. Treasurer Michael Cullen said after meeting a Whitianga group this week that he believed the matter was progressing as well as it could. Whitianga people will learn on 13 June whether the development in their town can go-ahead, though Sandra Lee will still have the final say.
Instant fines at border
Instant fines for passengers bringing prohibited food and plant matter into New Zealand would be implemented from 18 June, Biosecurity Minister Jim Sutton said this week. Jim Sutton says biosecurity and border controls measures were vital for New Zealand's continued well-being, because of our reliance on agriculture. Two-thirds of New Zealand's export earnings come from animals, fruit and vegetables, and timber, and from processed products of those. As an island nation New Zealand does not have a lot of natural pests or diseases, so when something makes its way here, such as Asian gypsy moth, potentially it has a huge effect. The minister said the Labour-Alliance Government recognised that and had put a significant amount of extra funding into biosecurity and border controls.
