Amy Adams MP - News

Faster rural broadband one step closer

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:09:00 +1200

The Government has asked for final proposals to roll out broadband to our rural communities.

In April, we asked for expressions of interest to roll out faster broadband to rural New Zealand. It was clear that, while regional bidders were able to make a significant impact on broadband coverage, they would not achieve our targets.

We’re now seeking national coverage proposals, but are encouraging partnerships between regional infrastructure companies and national bidders.

With this approach, we are confident of achieving our target of 80 per cent of rural households and businesses having access to broadband at 5Mbps or better within the six year period.

Rural broadband is part of National’s plan to boost our infrastructure and ensure we’re competitive in the 21st century.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/rural+broadband+final+proposals+sought

Putting more paramedics on the road

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:07:00 +1200

The National-led Government has put 100 extra paramedics in New Zealand ambulances.

St John New Zealand has allocated the new paramedics in more than 40 centres throughout New Zealand, including many of our smaller towns. The new paramedics are part of our $48 million, four-year spend to support national ambulance services.

The impact on the ground is significant. Otaki has three new paramedics, and the number of incidents attended by two officers has doubled to 88 per cent. Otorohanga and Te Kuiti each have two extra paramedics, meaning an ambulance officer will be on duty in the town seven days a week.

Kaitaia, Dargaville, Kaikohe, Waihi, Paeroa and Thames now have 24-hour, seven-day-a-week cover. Wellington's reliance on volunteer staff to fully crew ambulances has been reduced, and the average number of ambulances available both day and night has increased.

National is committed to better frontline health services so more New Zealanders get access to better, sooner, more convenient healthcare.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/100+extra+paramedics+join+health+frontline

A balanced plan for alcohol reform

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:23:03 +1200

National has announced a fundamental reform of New Zealand’s alcohol laws.

Many New Zealanders told us the pendulum has swung too far towards relaxation of alcohol laws. Our package adopts in full, or in part, 126 of the 153 Law Commission recommendations, as well as making other changes. We’re tackling alcohol-related harm, including crime, disorder, and public health problems.

Alcohol is estimated to contribute to 1000 deaths a year, and is implicated in 30 per cent of all police recorded offences, 34 per cent of recorded family violence, and 50 per cent of all homicides.

We cannot legislate away New Zealand’s binge-drinking culture, but legislation can contribute to a culture change. This package will support a moderate drinking culture through controls on the availability and proliferation of alcohol.

Our package strikes the right balance between not unfairly affecting responsible drinkers, and dealing with the considerable harm alcohol causes.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government+outlines+balanced+plan+alcohol+reform

Saving for New Zealand’s future

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:57:06 +1200

National has set up an independent Savings Working Group to consider how New Zealand can improve its national savings.

It’s a critical issue for New Zealand, as we rely heavily on borrowing money overseas. This means high and rising debt to the rest of the world.

We have deliberately set wide terms of reference for the Working Group. The only exclusions are New Zealand Superannuation, which this Government will not change, and broad taxation of capital gains or land, which we have previously said we will not introduce.

Otherwise, we are not ruling anything in or out.

The Savings Working Group will canvass a range of options for improving New Zealand’s overall savings performance, including government savings. It will report back to the Government by January 2011.

Improving our level of savings is the next step in National’s economic plan to boost growth, create jobs, and grow a stronger economy.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/wide+brief+expert+group+savings+options

More competition for mobile phone users

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:19:12 +1200

National has accepted a Commerce Commission recommendation to regulate mobile termination rates. This will promote more competition between different mobile operators, and better prices for mobile phone users.

Mobile termination rates are the wholesale prices charged by mobile network operators like Telecom, Vodafone, and 2 degrees, for providing services to customers from other networks.

The Telecommunications Act requires the Minister to make decisions that best promote competition for the long-term benefit of end-users of telecommunications services.

Better prices will mean more money in your pocket. More competition will help contribute to our plan to grow the economy, and boost long-term growth and incomes for all New Zealanders.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/decision+mobile+termination+rates

Better system for high country rents

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:16:25 +1200

National has announced a new system to calculate rents for high country pastoral leases, which will benefit a significant number of farmers.

There are 231 pastoral leases covering 1.6 million hectares of pastoral land, mainly in Canterbury and Central Otago. The current system for setting rents is complicated, costly, and often produces disputes over both the process and the result.

The new approach will see rents for Crown pastoral land based on the earning capacity of the land, and will consider other factors such as pastoral economic conditions. It will be easier to administer, more transparent, and provide a fair rent.

National has worked closely with stakeholders. We’re giving farmers greater certainty, and letting them get on with their jobs instead of fighting bureaucracy.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/govt+announces+new+pastoral+lease+rent+policy

A closer look at Government spending

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:13:18 +1200

National is reviewing spending on policy advice across all departments and agencies.

Under Labour, total spending on policy advice jumped from an estimated $510 million to $880 million between 2003 and 2009. Policy advice now accounts for nearly three quarters of the total annual police budget, and almost matches our annual spending on social housing.

The review will examine whether the focus and level of spending line up with Government priorities. We spend $50 billion a year running the public sector, and it is important we get value for taxpayers as well as better frontline services.

Delivering a better, smarter public service is one of National’s six policy drivers to achieve faster growth. This review is the latest step in that process.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government+review+spending+policy+advice

Protecting our children

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:10:35 +1200

National is serious about addressing New Zealand's high child abuse rates. This week Police and Child Youth and Family signed a Memorandum of Understanding, which will ensure a close working relationship in particularly critical cases.

We know that no single agency or organisation can tackle child abuse alone. It is a problem that requires the expertise, knowledge and resources of a wide range of agencies, organisations, individuals, and the community.

The memorandum is part of a wider Government programme. Measures include partnering with NGOs through the First Response pilot, extra social workers in hospitals, multi agency discharge meetings, positive parenting classes, respite holiday programmes, and the ‘Never Shake a Baby’ campaign.

Police and CYF are two of the frontline agencies who deal with the terrible results of child abuse every day. This memorandum shows their commitment to tackling child abuse.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/police+and+cyf+sign+child+protection+mou

Lifting student achievement

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:07:10 +1200

National is changing the way the Ministry of Education supports teachers and pupils. We have announced targeted funding and support for children identified through National Standards as needing extra help.

At least 50 expert practitioners from the Ministry and the education sector will be appointed to work closely with schools, use student data to assess where support will be most effective, and make sure schools get help sooner.

We’re also investing $36 million in new intervention programmes for students who need extra support in reading, writing and maths outside classroom teaching.

The Ministry of Education will also change its approach to professional development for teachers and principals to focus squarely on lifting student achievement.

More information:http:
//www.beehive.govt.nz/release/major+new+approach+lifting+student+achievement

250,000 NZers benefit from Govt drug budget

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 06:46:00 +1200

A $60 million funding boost to medicines funding under the National-led Government, means a quarter of a million Kiwis are receiving government subsidised medicines they couldn't have got two years ago.

Health Minister Tony Ryall says, "The community pharmaceutical budget is $710 million this year, and there's another $4 million for cancer treatments and other initiatives."

"The Government's funding boost is benefiting thousands and thousands of patients, making their lives better and healthier."

"When combined with Pharmac's savings-related activity, the extra funding gives considerable scope for more New Zealanders to access new medicines, including new cancer treatments.

“In the past year, Pharmac has funded 13 new medicines and increased access to another 17 medicines, benefiting more than 105,000 patients. And already this year Pharmac has funded 11 new medicines and widened access to another seven benefiting an additional 150,000 patients."

New listings to take effect this year include the first Alzheimer's disease drug, diabetes medicines and a new acne drug.

The medicines that more people are getting include several for cardiac and respiratory problems, depression, and widened access to a drug for Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and severe psoriasis.

"The number of Government-funded prescriptions has risen by 1.5 million since Budget 2009, indicating that more New Zealanders than ever before are receiving funded medicines.

“We made an election commitment to lift the pharmaceutical spending per head of population, and the extra $60 million so far has brought us up from $151 in 2008/09 to $160 per head of population, and means more patients are benefiting from community medicines and cancer treatments.”

Improving Employment Law will Help Grow the Economy

nospam@example.com (admin) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:39:22 +1200

As we continue to grow out of the recession, we need to have the right environment to create more jobs. Economic growth happens when a business sees an opportunity and is prepared to invest, expand, take risks, and hire new workers.

The National-led Government is committed to giving businesses of all sizes the confidence to do these things.

We introduced the 90-day trial period in 2008 to encourage employers with fewer than 20 employees to take on new staff, and to expand job opportunities for people who often struggle to get work.

It is working extremely well. A Department of Labour report found that the vast majority of people employed on a trial period have remained employed.

The report said most employers viewed dismissals during the trial period as an unfavourable outcome, and actively tried to avoid them.

The voluntary 90-day trial is a win-win situation for employers and employees. That’s why we’re extending the trial period to all employers so that every business and new employee can benefit from it.

Extending trial periods is just part of the package of employment law improvements we’re making.

National is committed to maintaining a fair and equitable system that protects the rights of New Zealand workers.

We’re changing the personal grievance process to resolve employment problems more quickly, discourage poor practices, reduce costs, and improve confidence in the system.

We’re also looking at changing the law around sick days. Employers will be able to require a medical certificate from employees who take one sick day. This will be at the expense of the employer.

Employers aren’t going to waste their time and money asking every employee for a medical certificate when they take a day off sick. This option is about the ability to question those who may be abusing their sick leave. Common sense tells us it will be used sparingly, and good workers aren’t going to see any difference.

There will also be changes to the Holidays Act. This will include giving employees the ability to trade one of their four weeks’ annual leave for cash. Cashing in the fourth week of leave can’t be raised in salary negotiations and can only be at the employee’s request. Maximum penalties will double for employers who don’t comply with the Holidays Act.

National’s employment law package is pragmatic, credible, and effective. It’s one more step on the road to a growing economy and more jobs.

National Standards

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:17:00 +1200

We’re halfway through the year already, and children across Canterbury are back at school after a two-week break. Many of you who are parents will have received a National Standards report for the first time.

As a parent, you deserve clear information about your child’s progress in reading, writing, and maths, and that’s what National Standards deliver.

The Standards are benchmarks that teachers use to identify struggling pupils. These children can then be given the help they need to keep up with their class, continue learning, and prepare for entry into secondary school.

One in five students are currently leaving school without the basic skills they need to succeed. National is committed to tackling this long tail of underachievement, and we’re investing $36 million to help turn this around.

The new school reports offer a good opportunity for parents and teachers to work together to make sure National Standards are a success for schools, parents, and - most importantly - children.

The Standards are new this year, and schools are developing their own reporting systems, so it’s vital that parents give their feedback to teachers and principals.

Your school can help with any questions you may have about your child’s report, and together you can discuss the next steps to help them achieve in the classroom.

It’s great to see the vast majority of schools getting on with the job of rolling out National Standards. We’re getting some good feedback from principals, teachers, and parents after the first round of reports.

Many schools already provide excellent information for parents, which will continue with the Standards in place. But many didn’t, and parents of children at these schools are finally receiving the clear, plain language reports they deserve.

We’ve required schools to report back to parents at least twice a year, so if you haven’t received a report, you can call your school to find out when they will be sent.

National is ambitious for Kiwi children. We know that they benefit from having clear, achievable goals. This is why the Standards have been set higher than national averages, and parents should take this into account.

We want every child to get the reading, writing, and maths skills they need to succeed. With parents and teachers working together, National Standards will help all children gain the skills they need to reach their potential.

Ultra-fast broadband capability for more schools

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:28:58 +1200

The National-led Government is providing funding to a further 239 schools for network upgrades, getting them ready for ultra-fast broadband.

The latest $37.5 million investment is part of the National-led Government's $1.5 billion Broadband Investment Initiative. By the end of 2011 more than a third of state and state-integrated schools’ networks will be ultra-fast broadband-capable.

Broadband provides a wider range of learning opportunities for both students and their teachers, and bring education into the 21st century. National is working to ensure 97 per cent of schools, covering 99.7 per cent of students, are on fibre in the next six years. This will make our education system one of the most connected in the world.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/preparing+239+more+schools+ultra-fast+broadband

Supporting services in our communities

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:25:45 +1200

National’s Community Response Fund is injecting a further $5.7 million into critical social services in its third round of funding.

The fund provides support to a further 131 community organisations who were awarded funding based on financial pressures and increased demand. This round of funding applications saw more innovative solutions, showing organisations are thinking smarter about how to respond to increasingly complex needs in their communities.

The fund was established last year to help NGOs meet critical demand while under financial pressure from the recession. To date, $25 million has been provided to 479 organisations across the country. The fund aims to change the ways services are delivered, and ensure groups providing vital community services can continue to meet increased demand.

More information: http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/community+response+fund+provides+support

Putting victims first

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:21:37 +1200

Victims of crime have been neglected for too long. National is committed to placing victims at the heart of the justice system.

We are enhancing services to victims of violent crimes with a range of initiatives that address the financial and emotional costs that fall on them. Convicted offenders will now pay a $50 offender levy towards these services.

Late last year, we began rolling out initiatives funded by this levy. From 1 July 2010 further measures will come into effect including enhanced homicide support services, a court service for victims of sexual violence, and new information sources for victims and their families. Police will also be able to issue on-the-spot safety orders, giving immediate protection from dangerous situations for victims of domestic violence.

More information:
http://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/convicted+offenders+pay+50+levy+victims+thursday