Nicky talks about the New Zealand democracy and the importance of running an electoral system everyone can count on. Last month, Nicky was an election observer in the Solomons as part of a UN team and she describes some of her experiences and responsibilities as a member of that team.

Paul talks about the concentration of the National-led Government on the economy and some of the milestone gains we have made so far in making New Zealand a better place to live. He goes on to talk about gains in the war on 'P' and events happening in the electorate and the importance of a rural voice on the new Auckland City Council.

Colin talks about the Freedom of Association Bill - affecting the payment of fees to student associations - and the Government's new actions to curb alcohol abuse inNew Zealand. He encourages viewers to make submissions on the alcohol legislation as it makes its way through Committee to the Floor. For more information on the proposed alcohol abuse legislation and extensive background papers, follow this link 
 

Louise talks about the Government's newly proposed legislative initiative to combat alcohol abuse in New Zealand. For more information on the proposed alcohol reform legislation and extensive background papers, click here and for the quick quide National Party "one pager" at
http://www.national.org.nz/web/alcohol_onepager.pdf. In the electorate, Louise talks about the Taupo 'rebranding' as Great Lake Taupo and the campaign to pronouce Taupo (toe-paw) correctly. In the northern part of the electorate she talks about the "Cambridge Section" development and the NZTA presentation of what's coming www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/cambridge/

Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak. I am delighted to be here on behalf of the Honourable Dr Nick Smith who is unfortunately unable to be here tonight, having prior climate change business in Australia this evening.

I want to start by congratulating the Glass Packaging Forum members on behalf of the Government for the leadership they have shown in achieving voluntary product stewardship accreditation under the Waste Minimisation Act.

While the Forum received its official accreditation certificate from the Minister in May, tonight is the opportunity to reflect on progress made to date and to celebrate this achievement with your members.

You have been one of the first to step up to the voluntary accreditation challenge under the Act. On behalf of the government, I congratulate you on your willingness to take leadership in the new and challenging field of product stewardship. I know the Minister is looking forward to watching how your scheme develops and hearing about more innovative initiatives funded through your levy.

Product stewardship schemes are an excellent way of getting all parties involved in the production and distribution of a product and to take responsibility for its environmental impact at the end of its life.

I led the National Party’s role in the Select Committee refinement of this legislation two years ago, and it is a great pleasure to see the voluntary accreditation provisions bearing fruit. In shaping the Waste Minimisation Act, the committee knew that there were some very successful voluntary product stewardship schemes in existence already. We wished to highlight the need for these schemes and encourage more schemes to be developed. To do so, the Act gives the Minister for the Environment the power to accredit product stewardship schemes which meet the criteria for reducing waste and environmental harm.

Without any regulation, you have managed to get excellent coverage of your sector. I’m told some four out of five of the glass containers on our shelves are covered by your voluntary levy, and membership of the forum includes more than 100 companies that produce, import, fill or sell glass containers.

As we have heard, the Forum’s Product Stewardship Scheme collects a levy from participating companies that make or import glass containers, fill glass containers or sell glass containers in New Zealand. I understand that you first introduced this levy in 2005, and have raised over $1.6 million for projects to increase glass recycling and thus reduce container glass to landfill.

This is a significant achievement and the range of projects funded by this levy is quite remarkable. I enjoyed hearing about the “Class Rap” competition that the Forum ran with well known Kiwi musician Che Fu in 2008 to promote glass recycling amongst 9-15 year olds. This competition illustrated the Forum’s ongoing commitment to raising awareness and is an excellent example of an initiative specifically targeted at our youth.

It is evident that the Forum’s commitment to promoting glass recycling doesn’t just stop with youth. The Forum’s involvement in the More FM Winery Tour managed to spread the word about glass recycling to an estimated 50,000 concert goers around the country during last summer and successfully diverted 8400 bottles from landfill. This is a great achievement.

A lack of comprehensive data has long been recognised as an issue for improving waste management and minimisation in this country. Therefore I commend the Glass Forum for acknowledging the importance of utilising robust data and information to inform your work. An example of this is through the collection of data on the amount of glass packaging and recycled glass used by members.

I understand that the Forum’s scheme will also facilitate research into markets which have a high value for recovered glass. This is an excellent opportunity for the Forum to continue to investigate higher value options for used glass products and contributing to the development of New Zealand’s economy.

Glass packaging of course has always been recyclable. When many of us were growing up it was also widely reused as well. During the Parliamentary debates on the Bill, my colleagues recalled the bottle drives and milk bottles that were once a part of our community. Now instead, we tend to use a bottle once and throw it away.

I understand the main aim of the Forum’s scheme is to divert glass packaging from landfill and increase the quantity of used glass for use in new glass packaging manufacture. When recovered glass is not suitable for use in the manufacture of new glass packaging, alternative high value uses will be researched and promoted.

The latest New Zealand Packaging Accord data tells us that in 2008, 64 percent of glass containers used in New Zealand were diverted from landfill. Some 60 percent of new glass is from recycled glass. These are excellent achievements. But, there’s always more that can be done. For such an eminently reusable resource as glass, 36 percent still going to landfill is too much.

During the select committee process for the Waste Minimisation Bill, now Act, the committee visited South Australia and saw their Container Deposit Legislation in operation. Their levy on glass packaging, paid by consumers at point of purchase, is redeemed on return for reuse or recycling. The person who actually puts effort into collection gets the value for it, and they have very high diversion rates from landfill. Some similarities to that scheme can be seen in the Dunedin based voluntary glass bottle reuse initiative “Smart Bottles” that has been supported by the Glass Forum. This provides the Forum with a unique opportunity to be able to monitor and report on the effectiveness of a voluntary container recovery system.

Increasingly we are living in a world where resources are used much faster than they can be replenished. For the benefit of future generations and the health of the planet, we need to seek out options for our products that “close the loop” - retaining high value in the material. Glass is a perfect example of a resource which can be reused or recycled many times over… which is why burying it in the landfill after one use makes no sense at all. We must begin to better identify and quantify the economic benefits of more efficient use of our valuable natural resources.

Product stewardship recognises that manufacturers are able to redesign their products and its packaging in light of its future use and where they end up. Too often, we have seen products that have been created with no thought given to their final disposal. We need manufacturers to make smart decisions at the beginning of the design process. It is easy and cost-effective to make good choices about a product at the start. This includes finding ways to make effective diversion from landfill easier.

I am aware that many companies and industry sectors can successfully manage their waste but some struggle to get all their members involved. The majority of people and organisations are prepared to do the right thing, but there are a minority who may not be prepared to contribute. Collaboration is critical to the success of all product stewardship schemes; your scheme is no different. I encourage all members to support the scheme and to encourage others to play their part.

The Waste Minimisation Act provides the government with the potential to adopt a range of regulatory tools for managing products. At this stage the Minister is keen to give industry the chance to step up to the challenge, and develop effective, industry-led voluntary product stewardship schemes. The Glass Forum has the opportunity to validate this approach and demonstrate to the wider waste sector that voluntary product stewardship can achieve real success without the need for unnecessary regulation.

We need to find innovative, reasonable and rational solutions that are good for the environment as well as for business. That is why schemes such as yours are so important.

Again, on behalf of the Minister and the government I congratulate the Forum for its leadership and successful achievement of accreditation. I encourage you to build on this success and keep ahead of the pack in exploring new ways to help our economy and our country as a whole use our resources more efficiently. Let’s all work together to encourage innovative solutions that will provide long term benefits for future generations.

Thank you.

 

Good afternoon.  I really appreciate the opportunity to visit one of the Philippines’ top universities, and talk to you about what I think is an increasingly important relationship both for New Zealand and the Philippines.

Its great to be back in Manila in this warm, vibrant and colourful city. I’ve just stepped off the plane from the midst of New Zealand’s winter and driven straight into the city to be here. 

The main reason for my visit is tomorrow’s inauguration of President-elect Aquino and Vice-President-designate Binay.

But while I’m here, I hope to get a feeling for what’s going on in the Philippines, and also to see how the New Zealand – Philippines partnership is developing.

Our two countries are becoming more intertwined.  Today I want to talk about that relationship and where I think it is going.

People-to-people

People-to-people links are growing rapidly and nearly 40,000 of your compatriots live in my country.  The Philippines is a very important trading partner with New Zealand.  And as a frontline member of ASEAN, the Philippines is an important partner as New Zealand increasingly integrates with the wider Asian region.

I’d like to look at these different aspects of the relationship in turn.

To be honest, New Zealanders don’t know very much about the Philippines.  Kiwis do like to travel, but the Philippines doesn’t really feature on the list of places that most of us go to.  And ten years ago, probably very few of us had ever met a Pino unless like me they’d had the good fortune to visit your country.

But New Zealanders’ understanding of Filipinos, and Pinoys’ understanding of Kiwis, is starting to grow.

How is this happening?  Because Filipinos are now part of our society, and are starting to make their mark in New Zealand.

New Zealand and the Philippines have about the same land area, but New Zealand has only about 4 million people.

And in New Zealand we don’t have enough skilled labour in sectors such as healthcare, engineering and dairy production.  We look to the rest of the world to provide people with the necessary skills to fill those gaps.

As a result, New Zealand has quite a liberal immigration policy — we need people will certain skills, so we’re not going to make it overly difficult for them to get in.

A large number of Filipinos have recognised that.  They’ve realised that a great opportunity is available in New Zealand, and they’ve taken advantage of it

The figures are quite remarkable.  The Philippines is now New Zealand’s fourth-most important source of skilled migrants, and sixth-most important source of residents.

That’s a huge change from even a few years ago.  And by some estimates Filipinos make up close to 1% of New Zealand’s population — about 40,000 in all.

Filipinos are going to New Zealand, not as OFWs to work in a menial job for a few years before returning home.  We take very few low-skilled workers.  No, the Filipinos going to New Zealand are skilled migrants, and are ending up in a range of professions.

A lot of those Filipinos living in New Zealand are working in the healthcare sector or in manufacturing.  Many more are working on New Zealand’s dairy farms, making dairy products that often get exported back to the Philippines.

They have a good reputation as hard-working and loyal employees, and as positive and law-abiding members of the community.  While a lot of those Filipinos live in New Zealand’s two biggest cities, Auckland and Christchurch, Philippine communities are also starting to spring up in smaller towns.

Especially in rural New Zealand, Filipinos are developing an excellent reputation as hard workers with a great sense of loyalty.  Some farmers are even saying they’d rather hire a Filipino than a New Zealander!

I know the Philippines takes great care of its outward migrants, so I want to emphasise how well Filipinos are looked after in New Zealand.  Sure there are some cultural challenges for Pinoys in New Zealand — such as calling your boss by his or her first name, or hearing swear words at work.  The country is a lot colder than the Philippines, a lot colder, and rural areas are often quite remote and thinly populated.

But Filipinos in New Zealand are well looked after.  We have very stringent labour laws, and these apply to all workers in New Zealand, regardless of where they’ve come from.  So those Filipinos who are working in New Zealand must get treated with the same respect and on the same minimum conditions as their kiwi counterparts.

For example, the minimum wage in New Zealand is around 400 pesos per hour, and it’s the same for everyone.  By law, no worker in New Zealand can be paid less than that.

So we have a lot of Filipinos already working in New Zealand, and their numbers will continue to grow.  For instance, our government recently set up what’s called the Silver Fern job search stream, to fast-track young skilled migrants into New Zealand.  Of the 300 places in this new category worldwide, 10% were Filipinos.  This shows that Filipinos are interested in our country, and have the sort of education levels and work experience that we’re looking for.

But it’s not all about work.  One of the things I’m excited about is the prospect of a working holiday scheme between New Zealand and the Philippines.  We have more than 30 of these schemes around the world, but this will be a first for the Philippines.

Reciprocal working holiday schemes allow young people, from 18 to 30, to vacation in the other country for up to a year, and take on casual work to support that extended holiday.

Working holiday scheme are great for building links for the next generation.  Working holidaymakers leave with a much deeper impression of the country than you can get from a short visit, and often maintain ongoing business or personal links with the other country.

New Zealand and the Philippines have already agreed to negotiate a working holiday scheme, and I hope the new administration will respond to New Zealand’s written proposal soon.

Tourism

So far there isn’t much tourist trade between the Philippines and New Zealand: between 8,000 and 10,000 in each direction per year.
I think that’s a pity, given the good holiday experiences each country has to offer.

There are plenty of good air links to New Zealand, but so far none of them are direct.  That’s a mental block for some people, though I don’t think it needs to be.  Still I think we need to pursue a direct air connection as soon as practicable so as to facilitate the movement of people and perishable goods.

I’m sure that the number of Filipinos in New Zealand, and the quality of their experience there, is already starting to have a snowball effect on the numbers of visitors and students coming from the Philippines to New Zealand.

This happens because Filipinos are learning more about New Zealand and New Zealanders, they’re sometimes marrying New Zealanders, and of course their relatives go to New Zealand to visit from time to time.

We have a new air services agreement that allows direct flights to begin, and I’m sure that in time commercial interest will result in direct services.

Trade

The Philippines is one of New Zealand’s top 20 goods export markets, typically fluctuating from 12th to 14th as markets change.  It’s currently at number 14, and two-way trade was around 30 billion pesos last year.

If you go into any supermarket in the Philippines and look at the milk products on the shelves, you’ll find out what’s behind this trade.

New Zealand exports a lot more to the Philippines than the level of trade in the other direction, and our exports are dominated by dairy products.  Believe it or not, just a couple of years ago this country was New Zealand’s second-biggest dairy market.  In the world.  More recently it has been eclipsed by China and Japan, but is still in fourth place.

New Zealand is probably the world’s most efficient producer of dairy products.  And we’re definitely the biggest exporter of them.  The Wairarapa, which is the district that I represent in parliament, is where quite a lot of those dairy products come from.

The Philippines, on the other hand, doesn’t have a lot of dairy cows.  I understand this country produces only a very tiny proportion of what it consumes.

We know that eating dairy products is healthy.  For example, milk, cheese and yoghurt are a major source of calcium, and also provide other nutrients that are important for growth and development.

Experts tell us that adults should eat two or three servings of dairy products every day, and children should drink between 2 and 4 glasses of milk every day, to get enough calcium for their growing bones.

There is simply no way that the existing dairy production in the Philippines can meet those needs.  Buying product from New Zealand fills that very important nutritional gap.

What about trade in the other direction?  You send us fruit, especially bananas, and light manufactured items such as electronic products and components.

I hope this trade will grow, in both directions, and become more diversified.

Many of you will know that at the beginning of this year a new free trade agreement came into effect between the Philippines and New Zealand.  This will cut tariffs over the next few years.  At the end of the phase-out period all Philippine exports will enter New Zealand tariff-free, and virtually all New Zealand exports to the Philippines will be treated the same way.

The tariff cuts that have already occurred are making it easier for New Zealand exporters to sell products to the Philippines — like the milk you see on supermarket shelves.

And it’s also easier for Filipinos to sell products to New Zealanders — like the car batteries that are made here and sent down there.

But this free trade agreement isn’t just a bilateral deal.  It has the unwieldy title of AANZFTA, which stands for the ASEAN Australia New Zealand Free Trade Agreement.

This is a ground-breaking free trade agreement for the ASEAN region, the first time it has negotiated a modern, comprehensive FTA that covers goods, services, and investment.  It also covers ‘behind the border’ issues such as competition policy and intellectual property.

The FTA means that products made in the Philippines have an advantage over products made in places that New Zealand doesn’t have a similar agreement with — that includes direct competitors like Japan and, for the moment, Indonesia, which hasn’t yet brought AANZFTA into force.  Products from those countries don’t get the same preferential treatment as products that are made in the Philippines.

Why was New Zealand interested in negotiating this deal?  Put simply, ASEAN, and the Philippines as a major part of that grouping, is now a major player in the world economy.  It is a market of nearly 600 million people and it’s an increasingly important destination for New Zealand’s exports.

Indeed, ASEAN as a whole is now New Zealand’s third-largest goods export market, with around 120 billion pesos worth of New Zealand goods being sent here in 2009.

It’s almost impossible to pick up a business publication these days without reading about how East Asia, and ASEAN as part of that broader region, will be the powerhouse of global economic growth in the 21st century.  This is another reason that New Zealand was interested in negotiating this agreement, and why we’re looking at other agreements in the region such as a potential ASEAN-plus-6 FTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  I know the Philippines is looking at further trade liberalisation too.

AANZFTA represents an important building block in the growing East Asian trade and economic architecture — something that we’re very keen to be involved in, and even to be at the forefront of.  We consider ourselves to be increasingly part of this region.

AANZFTA was the first FTA to be signed, and the first one to come into force, since the onset of the global financial and economic crisis in late 2008.  The fact that our countries signed and implemented this deal in the context of that crisis show that we were sticking to our guns.

We stuck to the theory of trade liberalisation, which all the lessons of history showed us was the only way, even as others were tempted into taking short-sighted protectionist measures for purely political reasons.

As well as the direct business benefits of the agreement, there’s also the ‘head-turning’ effect — where exporters become more aware of the possibility of entering different markets due to the publicity around FTAs.

I’ve been impressed by the way the Philippines has really embraced AANZFTA.  The Department of Trade and Industry has worked very closely with our embassy, and been very active in promoting the agreement and associated export opportunities.

Businesses are aware of the new agreement thanks to the extensive outreach programme led by DTI, and they’re keen to take advantage of it.

Labour and environment

When our two countries were negotiating this free trade agreement, the AANZFTA, New Zealand and the Philippines also signed two cooperation agreements on labour and environment.

These are legally-binding agreements.  They contain commitments that the two countries won’t use labour or environmental standards as a cover for protectionist actions.  They contain commitments to not let increased trade compromise either country’s standards on labour or environmental protection.

These agreements will also lead to meaningful joint operations by the relevant government departments in each country.  These cooperative activities are just being planned at this stage, but I expect they will bring mutual benefits to both countries.

Dairy cooperation

As we were negotiating AANZFTA, New Zealand and the Philippines were also talking about dairy cooperation. 

New Zealand is recognised as a global leader in dairy farming.  If there is one thing we know how to do best, it’s how to make high-quality dairy products in an efficient way.

I mentioned earlier that the Philippines currently produces only a tiny proportion of its dairy requirements.  So we’ve agreed to provide some assistance to the Philippines, to expand and develop the fledgling Philippine dairy industry over the next few years.

The New Zealand government has been working with the Philippine National Dairy Administration to come up with a plan for how this cooperation can best be tackled.

We’re going to start with a study into the best ways of doing dairy farming in the Philippines.  Obviously some things here are different from New Zealand, like the climate for starters.

The study will also look at what has failed in the past, and why.  I know that New Zealand has invested into model dairy farms in the Philippines in the past, but from what I understand most of them weren’t sustained.  We need to know why.

Once all that work has been done, we’ll have a think about kinds of support could be provided to build up the Philippine dairy industry.

Law enforcement cooperation

As you can see, the free trade agreement called AANZFTA has brought New Zealand and the Philippines closer together across a wide range of areas.

But our relationship isn’t just about Filipinos buying New Zealand milk.  The relationship was broader than that even before this particular agreement was signed.

One example is the fact that the New Zealand Police have been contributing to public safety and stability in the Philippines, by providing training for their Philippine counterparts.  Our countries have had an agreement on law enforcement cooperation since 2007.

Right now, there are two kiwi police officers on Dinagat Island in the south of the country providing some basic training for the local police force there.  It’s a remote place, but our ambassador was down there last week, and he tells me that the training is going really well.

This is all part of a model police station project that New Zealand is contributing too — helping the Philippine National Police to improve its ability to deliver community policing services.

Next week, those two New Zealanders will be providing similar training in Luzon.

We’ve done quite a lot of police cooperation in the Philippines.  Last year, New Zealanders provided training for the PNP, the drug enforcement agency and the National Bureau of Investigation, on how to safely find and destroy drug laboratories

I’m confident that this cooperation will continue.  From New Zealand’s point of view, we can see that a having a well-trained law enforcement community in the Philippines is an important factor in ensuring stability in this country, and in the region.

Stability helps the Philippine population, but is also an important factor in business confidence and prosperity.  Remember, we consider ourselves to be part of the Southeast Asian region, so we have a clear interest in its stability and its prosperity.

Official development assistance

New Zealand also gives aid, or official development assistance, to the Philippines.  Our programme in the Philippines is small, but we are able to help is some niche areas.  We contribute to peace and development in Mindanao, by joining with other countries in funding the United Nations Development Programme’s “ACT for Peace” project.

I know from our embassy’s reports that ACT for Peace helps put infrastructure into conflict-affected villages, and helps rebuild shattered communities by inculcating peace principles in the school curriculum.

We also contribute to programmes that reduce infant and maternal mortality in Mountain Province, and other programmes that help communities of indigenous people to secure land title so they’re better able to develop economic activities.

New Zealand is also working to develop a province-wide coastal resource management system in place in Camiguin, so that local people can develop businesses that are sustainable environmentally as well as economically.

The New Zealand Aid Programme is focussed on the Pacific, our own back yard and an area with its own economic and development challenges.  But we do extend assistance to other areas, including the Philippines, and in a small way we are able to make a difference to lives here.

Human rights

Another area where we are involved with the Philippines is in human rights cooperation.  This is a politically tricky area, but it’s one where New Zealanders have very strong views, and it’s not one we’re going to shy away from.

The New Zealand Human Rights Commission has been working with the Human Rights Commission of the Philippines for the last two years.  This formal cooperation programme has two aims.

One is to develop the ability of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines to deal with human rights violations.

The second is to increase awareness and protection of human rights in three separate groups of indigenous people — one each in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

The New Zealand embassy here in Manila has also been a keen supporter of the new Kasama programme.  This initiative brought together several donors, including New Zealand, and they encouraged civil society to come up with innovative human rights projects.

As a result of that, New Zealand has funded a group called the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Fund, which is helping to clear congested prisons in Manila.

The visit

Unfortunately my visit to the Philippines will be for only for a few days.  But while I’m here I will be trying to see as much as I can of what New Zealand is doing in the Philippines, and what things are going on here that are of interest to my country.

For instance I’ll be visiting a business process outsourcing centre, where Filipino workers are serving clients based in New Zealand.

I’ll be taking a look at some dairy products that have been imported in bulk from New Zealand, and are being packaged in Manila ready for the supermarket shelf.

I’ll also be visiting a Philippine dairy farm.  I’m sure it will be different from what I’m used to seeing in my district at home — there will be more coconut trees for starters.

But above all I’ll be attending the inauguration of the new Philippine president — Noynoy Aquino — and vice-president Jejomar Binay.

We in New Zealand watched the May elections with great interest, and our embassy had staff in different parts of the country observing the day’s activities.

The embassy reported that the process of casting and counting votes was overwhelmingly successful.  I really congratulate the Philippines for this fantastic achievement.

To go from a fully manual voting, counting and tallying system — to a fully automated system — in one fell swoop, is a truly impressive achievement.  I take my hat off to the Commission on Elections for their great work.

But above all I salute the volunteers, particularly the PPCRV and other poll-watchers.  And especially I recognise the efforts of the people of the Philippines, who I understand in many cases queued for hours in scorching temperatures to exercise their democratic right.

The highly successful May elections were a huge boost to democracy in this country.

It’s important to us in New Zealand that democracy is flourishing in the Philippines, which is an increasingly important partner for us.

Conclusion

As I said at the outset, the Philippines is increasingly important to New Zealand.  In the past we’ve had a friendly but not very close relationship.  The ‘close’ dimension of the relationship is changing fast.

So many Filipinos are choosing to make their homes in New Zealand, and in time will become Pinoy Kiwis.  I understand that a new word has been coined for them — Piwis.

These people-to-people links will have spin-offs in all sorts of directions, increasing tourism volumes, strengthening business links, and building a better understanding and dialogue between the two countries at a political level.

A working holiday scheme would really help to cement those bonds, for generations to come.

The Philippines is a very important trading partner with New Zealand.  I hope that as the AANZFTA free trade agreement beds in, the volume of trade will grow in both directions, and that the trade will become more diversified.

And as a frontline member of ASEAN, the Philippines is an important partner as New Zealand increasingly integrates with the wider Asian region.

This is a relationship that is growing, become stronger, and becoming more diverse.  Pinoys and Kiwis — getting closer together.

Thank you

Thank you for inviting me here today- thank you for the interesting and intriguing invitation.

I bring Best Wishes from the Hon John Key, Prime Minister who is well aware of the St Thomas’s Young Enterprise schemes - he really enjoyed the time he was able to support one of the schemes. And has followed the St Thomas success in this arena ever since. And I will make sure he knows about this one. 

I said it was an interesting and intriguing invitation- the invitation was interesting because we know that whatever Enterprise NZ projects St Thomas’s do - they do it well.

Over years they have come up with some fabulous products – several have been to do with cars, and monitoring anti-social road user behavior,   There has been books, cookies, hats – or sorts and they have often been recognized in the Young Enterprise awards.  But there is another dimension to the businesses that the boys of St Thomas’s set up.

They also have a social responsibility component - in making their Salam biscuits they brought young people of different religious groups together. The book they wrote was aimed at breaking down racial barriers and encouraging better literacy. The hats and clothes were made of eco friendly materials. So what social dimension will the product we are seeing today have?

Intriguing because the “commercial sensitivity” around the product.  We can only guess what it might be…..

I looked at the name Oceanic Fusion- with all the excitement around the All White and their representations of Oceania – I thought it was a great name and good timing.

The Fusion- which that hints of exciting and interesting results.  Like the Asian pacific fusion food that New Zealand is getting known for? 

So Oceanic Fusion you have caught my imagination - and I am looking forward to hearing more about your business.

Congratulations to the team involved in their project- it’s a always a big effort creating their companies, and congratulations to St Thomas’s for supporting such an active, exciting and successful programme.

 

Good evening.

It’s great to see you all here tonight.

When we went to the polls in November 2008, we asked the public what they thought were the main law and order issues that we should address as government.

The message we received was loud and clear.

Many people believed the criminals were getting the upper hand in this country.

They were concerned that violence, dishonesty and drug offences have been increasing.

They were concerned about the rise of organised crime and the spread of methamphetamine that went with it.

We listened, and we’ve acted.

Over the past 18 months we have given Police the tools, the manpower and strong new laws to push back on crime.

We have made changes to the justice system so it focuses on the rights of victims and other law-abiding members of the community, rather than the rights of criminals.

Since November 2008 we have passed 11 new laws - and introduced three more - to toughen sentences, removing parole for the worst repeat violent offenders and crack down on gangs and methamphetamine.

We are also rebuilding the Serious Fraud Office after years of neglect by the previous government.

We’re bringing peace to neighbourhoods and safety to our roads by sending a very strong signal to illegal street racers that their cars will be crushed if they continue with their anti-social behaviour.

And we’re exploring the possibility of greater private sector involvement in the corrections sector to raise standards and reduce costs to taxpayers.

I’d now like to talk about these initiatives in a bit more detail.

More Police on the beat

Nothing deters crime like healthy numbers of Police officers on the streets and in our neighbourhoods, tackling crime where it takes place and deterring further crime from taking place.

In Counties-Manukau, the country’s fastest growing Police district, the need for extra Police officers was acute.

Violent crime in Counties-Manukau increased by 69 percent between 2003-04 and 2007-08.

Recorded violent offences per 10,000 of population rose from 124.1 in 2003 to 191.9 in 2007.

We promised to put an additional 300 officers into Counties-Manukau by the end of 2010, and a further 300 into the rest of New Zealand by the end of 2011.

I’m delighted to report that 208 new officers have been deployed in Counties-Manukau to date.

Tomorrow a new Wing of around 40 officers will graduate from the Royal New Zealand Police College and almost all will be deployed in Counties-Manukau.

In total, 368 additional officers have been employed nationwide since November 2008.

We’ve also given Police the tools they need to keep themselves and the public safe.

Police have been given 733 new Tasers and the power to DNA test offenders arrested for imprisonable offences.

Tasers are currently being rolled out throughout the country and have already showed how effective they can be in keeping Police and the public safe.

There is a growing list of violent events around the country that have been resolved without injury thanks to the Taser.

Taking on the methamphetamine barons

New Zealand has always had an underbelly - networks of criminals who have made a living from the proceeds of crime.

In the 1940s and 1950s we had the bookies. In the 1960s and 1970s it was cannabis. In the late 1970s and early 1980s it was heroin.

We have been fortunate that organised crime has not been deeply embedded in our culture and way of life.

The criminals who ran illegal enterprises often formed into small-time groups on the fringes of society.

The arrival of home-made methamphetamine a decade ago opened a new and incredibly lucrative market for those who were prepared to operate outside the law.

No longer do gangs exist solely to assert their identity, as a support group for the disenfranchised or a reflection of members’ other common interests.

Today’s gangs exist to make money and gain power. They have a catalogue of criminal activity with which they do that.

Not only does this cause unspeakable misery in the community, it creates the risk of corruption. That is something we do not want taking root here in New Zealand.

We’ve launched a full-scale attack on organised crime.

We are restricting access to the precursor chemicals gangs use to make P, creating dedicated anti-drug Customs taskforces, devising a new police strategy to go after gangs and dealers, creating additional places in drug and alcohol rehab and providing increased support for families and communities to protect people from gangs and the dangerously addictive drugs they sell.

We’re going after the profits of crime.

The new Assets Recovery Unit (ARU), a team of 22 seasoned Police investigators, will support new legislation the Government has introduced to target the proceeds of crime, including the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act and Anti-money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill.

This legislation gives Police the power to detect and seize the assets and profits gangs and organised crime obtain illegally.

Already $36 million of assets are under investigation by Police, and there is more on the way.
Recently a Mongrel Mob pad in Dunedin was seized. Long suffering neighbours are reportedly delighted the building is now in the hands of the Crown.

No parole for the worst repeat offenders

Late last month Parliament passed the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill into law.

The new legislation upholds the Government’s election pledge to remove eligibility for parole for the worst repeat violent offenders and incorporates significant aspects of ACT’s Three Strikes policy.

The Bill denies parole to repeat serious violent offenders and to offenders who are guilty of committing the worst murders.

It also imposes maximum terms of imprisonment on persistent repeat offenders who continue to commit serious violent offences.

With this Bill the Government is sending a strong message that we are serious when we say that parole is a privilege, not a right.

The new legislation ensures that the rights of victims and their families are put before the rights of those offenders who choose to continue to offend.

This Bill has a lot of critics who say we are being too hard on offenders.

I say the Government has a fundamental obligation to do what it can to keep the public safe from those who repeatedly commit violent crimes.

An offender who has committed three serious offences will, in all likelihood, go on to commit a fourth.  By imposing maximum sentences without parole, Three Strikes gives offenders much less opportunity to do so because they will be in prison.

Moreover, all 40 qualifying offences for Three Strikes involve serious violence or sexual offending, and all have a maximum penalty of at least seven years in prison.

We don’t want our version of Three Strikes to be like that used by California where small offences result in long prison sentences.

Safeguards have been put in place to ensure that the appropriate charges are laid, particularly at the third stage of the regime.

At stage 3 Police will refer all charges that qualify for the mandatory maximum penalty to the Crown Solicitor for review either pre-charge or by second appearance.

In addition, all cases involving offenders on a final warning, who are subsequently charged with committing a serious violent offence, will have their cases heard in the High Court.

Only the High Court, the Court of Appeal or Supreme Court will be able to sentence an offender for a stage 3 offence.

Helping offenders turn their lives around

Three Strikes recognises that some prisoners are incorrigible and no matter what is done, they will present a serious risk to the community.

Some, but not all.

Many turn to crime partly because they lack even the most basic work skills, or the ability to read or write.

The vast majority of prisoners in our jails have ongoing drug and alcohol problems, and will continue to reoffend unless they can kick their habits.

Last week we had a record 8706 people behind bars in our prisons and Police cells.

We cannot go on locking such large numbers of people up – the social and economic cost is simply too high.

One thing many of our prisoners have in common is that they have been in prison before.

91% of all offenders starting new prison sentences in 2009 had a previous history with Corrections.

Approximately 43 percent or prisoners – and 65 percent of prisoners under 20 – reoffend within a year of their release. Within four years approximately 70 percent of released prisoners will have reoffended.

If we can stop their reoffending then we will make a real impact on the number of offenders in our prisons.

For those prisoners who want to turn their lives around, we have an obligation to give them the opportunity to do so.

Approximately two thirds of prisoners enter prison in New Zealand with drug and alcohol problems. Corrections’ drug and alcohol rehabilitation strategy will be a major step in getting them off the treadmill of crime and incarceration.

This Government has stated from the beginning that tackling drug and alcohol addiction is a priority.

We are meeting our commitment to double the number of places in prison providing drug and alcohol treatment, from 500 to 1000 by 2011.

Three additional Drug Treatment Units will be operating in New Zealand prisons by 2011.

The link between employment and reduced re-offending is well documented. International studies have shown that participation in employment can reduce the risk of re-offending by between a third and a half.

The employment and job skills strategy will result in at least 1,000 extra prisoners gaining skills and work experience on any given day.

Prisoners generally have higher literacy and numeracy needs than people in the community. There are currently 650 prisoners participating in targeted literacy and numeracy training in any given week.

The Department will increase this by offering literacy and numeracy training as part of employment and on-the-job training by another 1000 prisoners per year.

The best way to lower rates of crime is to address the conditions that lead to criminal behaviour.

The Government has been looking hard at the drivers of crime. The initial focus has been on four main areas:

• Antenatal, maternity, and early parenting support,
• Programmes to address behavioural problems in young children,
• Reducing the harm caused by alcohol,
• Alternative approaches to managing low-level offenders, and offering pathways out of offending.

Efforts to reduce crime cannot be pursued separately from efforts to address other social harms, but need to be part of a co-ordinated response across sectors.

Ministers will work together, and with community groups, to achieve change that will have wide-ranging benefits.

Of course, the best way to see a sustained reduction in crime and safer neighbourhoods is to encourage young people from embarking on a criminal career.

The Government has invested $72.4 million in the Fresh Start programme to turn young offenders away from crime.

This will provide the Youth Court with new powers to place young offenders in 3000 new programme places,  including new military-style activity camps, mentoring courses, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and outdoor activities.

Just last week a new "boot camp" residential unit on the former Hobsonville air base was opened by the Prime Minister.

The boot camp, formally known as the Limited Service Volunteer course, is the expansion of a course run by the Defence Force at Burnham military camp for the past 10 years.

Up to 2000 young people aged between 17 and 25 will go through the six-week course this year in one of three centres.

I think the friendships, the skills and, above all, the confidence these young people will gain will benefit them for the rest of their lives.

Keeping pace with prisoner numbers

As I mentioned earlier, we now have a record number of prisoners behind bars in this country.

This is not a statistic of which we should be proud.

The fact remains that Corrections has an obligation to ensure it has enough beds for the prisoners sent to it by the courts.

An additional 2270 additional prison beds will be needed by 2019 to cope with forecast growth in prisoner numbers and the need to replace obsolete prison cells.

To manage short-term prisoner numbers we have expended the use of double bunking and are trialling container cells, which are around 30 percent cheaper than standard construction.

Longer term we are exploring designing, building and managing a new, 1000-bed prison through a public-private partnership.

It costs an average of $91,000 a year to keep a prisoner in New Zealand.

We can do better.

A custodial PPP is an opportunity to inject new ideas and new innovations into the corrections sector to enhance public safety, improve rehabilitation and lower costs.

In April the Government announced its intention to establish a new men’s prison in Wiri under a public-private partnership.

This PPP prison is estimated to offer savings of between 10 and 20 percent over conventional procurement methods over the 25-30-year life of the proposed contract.
It would be good to ease the burden on the taxpayers of New Zealand.

The Wiri facility is also expected to have a positive economic impact on the Manukau Community.

While Corrections is still assessing the economic benefits, it’s clear from previous experience that corrections facilities bring jobs and work for local businesses and local people.

By way of example, the Otago Corrections facility injected a large sum of money into its local community.

Over 1850 people worked on the site during construction. In its biggest month of expenditure $12 million was spent.

Of the 186 corrections staff working on the site, over half were recruited locally and 80 families moved into the region.

When the Government announced it was considering a new prison, it was approached by the councils from three North island cities asking that it be build nearby so they could reap the ongoing economic benefits.

That’s how much of an asset they see a facility such as this.

Rebuilding the SFO – our guardians against white collar crime

It’s not just street crime that we’re focusing on. It’s also white collar crime.

The serious Fraud Office was once this country’s premier lead law enforcement agency for investigating and prosecuting serious and complex financial crime.

However, it suffered years of political neglect under the last Government.

At a time when there was a pressing need to boost oversight of the financial services industry, the Clark Government signalled its intentions to actually disband the SFO.

There are still too many cowboys out there for our liking, so we have decided to retain and rebuild the SFO.

Recently the new SFO CEO Adam Feeley has embarked on a restructuring programme to ensure the office is well positioned to tackle the threat from sophisticated white collar criminals.

The SFO also has an important role to play in maintaining New Zealand’s reputation as a safe place to invest and do business.

Through the Minister responsible for the SFO, Judith Collins, the office will have strong support from the Government as it rebuilds its capabilities.

The SFO has some challenging goals for the next three years. The Minister is expecting that the SFO to work closely with receivers, the business community, professional organisations and others who have an interest in a corruption free New Zealand.

It will also be crucial that the SFO works more effectively with other regulators to ensure a speedier, united response to cases of suspected fraud.

Perhaps most importantly, it will be expected to set clear priorities based around their impact on the public and the New Zealand economy.

Peace in the neighbourhoods, safety on the roads

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed lately, it’s that much fewer people are saying they are being kept awake at night by illegal street racers.

Illegal street racers had become a serious problem in many of our communities.

Not only did illegal street racers and their friends endanger other road users and destroy the peace and quiet in our neighbourhoods, but a certain mob mentality had taken hold.

When a lone Police officer in Christchurch was attacked by a large mob of illegal street racers last year, we realised it was time to act.

We passed two new laws in October last year that gave police, courts and local authorities greater powers to crack down on illegal street racing, including seizing and crushing the vehicles of the worst repeat offenders.

The new laws seem to be having the desired effect.

Since they were introduced, reported offending is down by over 15 percent.

No cars have been crushed. Feedback from frontline staff is that the threat of their car being reduced to a cube has made many young offenders modify their behaviour.

It’s great to see the deterrent effect is working.

Looking ahead, we have great work under way in our prisons to rehabilitate offenders and put them on the straight and narrow.

Our PPP prison project is progressing well. We will be driving a hard bargain with potential contractors in order to they deliver the innovation, the outcomes and the value that we are seeking.

The Government’s priorities for Police the 2010/11 year reflect our commitment to reinforcing Police visibility, accessibility and responsiveness to the community.

We’ll see some common sense changes.

Police will make it easier for victims of crime to get help and to keep updated with how investigations are progressing.

Rosters will be changed so there are more officers on deck where and when they needed.

Officers will be given the flexibility to use discretion when dealing with some less serious offences while still holding offenders to account.

When they dial 111 people expect a fast and professional response from a well-trained and well-resourced Police service.

Officers will spend less time behind desks and more time on the streets where they can respond quickly to calls for service.

Police will utilise new technology which will enable them to manage cases more quickly and cut back on time spent on paperwork.

Taking strong steps to reduce crime is not an unreasonable thing to ask of a Government. In fact, this is one of the fundamental reasons that government exists.

People expect safe communities, where they can walk the streets without the threat of violence or intimidation, where they can sleep at night knowing their families are safe in their homes, where there is respect for property, people and the law.

Since becoming the Government we have put the interests of victims of crime, the security of law-abiding citizens and a commitment to a better, safer New Zealand at the heart of the Government’s priorities on law and order.

My pledge to you is that this will continue to be our focus in the years ahead.

Thank you, again, for the opportunity to talk to you tonight.

It is a real honour to stand here today as the Member of Parliament for Taupo and see Taupo receive accreditation as an International Safe District.

I’d like to acknowledge Dr Caroline Coggan, director of Safe Communities Foundation NZ and Mayor Rick Cooper.  I’d like to thank the Representatives here from the World Health Organisation, Lakes District Health Board, ACC and the Police.  It is wonderful for Taupo to be recognised on this scale. 

The Taupo District Council has done a lot of fantastic work towards this accreditation from setting up learn to swim classes, REAP and teaching our young children road safety.

The recent Segways gifted to Police also show Taupo’s dedication to keeping our community safer.

In my maiden speech in Parliament, 18 months ago I talked about law and order and creating safer communities, and it is a real privilege to represent a town that puts so much time and energy into creating a safe environment for everyone.

As an MP I take a lot of inspiration from the Taupo community.  Taupo residents are always willing to lend a hand and get behind important causes.  From sporting events like the Cycle Challenge and the Great Lake Relay to the recent ERUPT Arts and cultural festival you know it is going to be a success with the power of the Taupo community behind it.

Throughout NZ and the world Taupo is regarded as a great travel destination, and this accreditation only boosts our image.  It is great to know that we are recognised as a safe destination for national and international tourists. 

This accreditation is an acknowledgement to everyone that has a passion for making Taupo a great place to live and visit.  I would also like to acknowledge the police for their continued hard work.  Your presence in and around Taupo does not go unnoticed.

This is a great accolade for Taupo and I congratulate the Council on their hard work in gaining this accreditation, congratulations.

It is wonderful to see so many familiar faces and meet other members of the Cambridge community. For those of you who won’t know me, I am Louise Upston, the Member of Parliament for Taupo. I was elected in 2008 and have well and truly found my feet in the political world. I live here in Cambridge with my husband Craig and three children. It is an absolute pleasure to be here tonight to celebrate the launch of the ‘Cambridge Connections’ Health and Social Services community Directory.

Healthcare has always been important here in Cambridge. A few months ago I attended the opening of the new and improved Cambridge Medical centre and it is great to carry on that support for health tonight.

I would like to extend a big thank you and congratulations to Hannah Cleland. I am always delighted to see members of the community getting involved with issues that interest them and I think I speak for everyone here in saying you have done the Cambridge community a wonderful service in producing this directory. Hannah has developed the ‘Cambridge Connections’ directory after research towards her Clinical Psychology degree showed a lack in easily available mental health services information for health service providers.

Mental Health services throughout NZ are continuing to improve. Having a directory that opens communication and improves networking between support providers and the community will mean faster and more efficient care for those who need it. As an MP, it is important that my staff and I have access to information that can help constituents and we will be able to use this directory efficiently.

I want to quickly outline the importance of mental healthcare for the Government also. Health Minister Tony Ryall announced that funding to mental health services will increase by $40 Million over the next four years. In addition, it is expected that DHBs will allocate $174 million to mental health services from the extra funding they received from Budget 2010 released last week.

Local Cambridge organisations have also really got behind Hannah and the directory by offering moral and financial support to get the project to the printers and into the community, and that is something we can all be proud of.

The work that your organisations do here in Cambridge does not go unnoticed and I thank you for your hard work.

Congratulations again Hannah, your dedication to this project is much appreciated. I wish you all the best with your final years of study.

Before I make some general comments about Maori in general seats, can I begin by noting where I whakapapa to? My background in itself I believe sheds some light on some of the differences between Maori in general seats today and Maori in Maori seats. My mother’s history is simple. She comes from British stock who came to New Zealand and were dairy farmers in Waikato. My father’s background is more exotic. His father was a Pakeha plasterer, Alf Bridges, also of British stock, but his mother was Naku Joseph of Ngata Maniapoto. She grew up in rural Oparure near Te Kuiti, and as I learnt upon a recent visit there my (I think) great-great-grandfather on her side was in fact a Jewish man who in Aotearoa gained himself a couple of Maori wives, from one of whom I come. Politics was in his blood, and I understand he eventually left New Zealand and was a reasonably successful local body politician in Sydney.

As I said in my maiden speech, Naku Joseph remained in an unhappy relationship with her hard-living husband, but did so because in those days, early last century, she thought marriage to a Pakeha man was bettering herself and her children’s prospects. She continually told my father that she wanted her children and grandchildren to have letters behind their names, without really understanding what that meant. I think her move from Oparure to Hamilton, where my father grew up, severed the link in my family to matters Maori until reasonably recent times.

With that personal background, can I turn to discuss Maori in general seats? A basic point I make is that Maori in general seats are different to Maori in Maori seats. We, I think as a general rule, want to be different, but even if we didn’t want to be, we have to be. I think the nature of general seats is such that we have to do things differently.

The Hon. Shane Jones, while not a Maori who has held a general seat, has previously made – I think – related points to those I would like to make. Namely that Maori in the two large parties must be pragmatic and prepared to compromise. We must appreciate that to most of our colleagues what might be called Maori issues are but one very small set of issues in most MPs’ minds. That then raises an issue of one’s integrity: does one do what Tariana Turia did and leave the tent because you can’t keep going if things get so inconsistent with what you believe? How much compromise is too much?

Let me come back to those themes relating to the difference between Maori in Maori seats and Maori in general seats shortly. But first a point that surprised me upon looking into the issue of Maori in general seats: the rarity of such MPs. By my count, there were none in the last Parliament, and there have only been eleven ever. I am tenth equal with the Hon. Paula Bennett, both of us having won general seats this last election.

I think that these numbers hold even when we take a fairly broad view of who can be said to be Maori. The eleven in order are:

1. James Carroll – Waiapu then Gisborne in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
2. William (Rex) Austin – Awarua 1975–1987
3. Ben Couch – Wairarapa 1975–1984
4. Winston Peters – Hunua then Tauranga from 1978 onwards until 2005
5. Leslie Ian Peters – Tongariro 1990–1993
6. Clem Simich – Tamaki 1991–2005
7. Sandra Lee – Auckland Central 1993–1996
8. Jill Pettis – Wanganui 1993–1996
9. Georgina Beyer – Wairarapa 1999–2005
10. Paula Bennett – Waitakere 2008–
11. Simon Bridges – Tauranga 2008–

The rarity of Maori in general seats runs up against another contrary generalisation, in my view. Of the eleven, five have been ministers, so far! And I say ‘so far’ because I am reasonably optimistic. That must be better than the general proportion for members, at nearly half.

This leads me to a tentative conclusion that Maori in general seats find it harder to get there but once there do well. Put another way, there are not many of us, but if I can say so immodestly, those of us there are of high calibre. Arguably, we have to be to make it. We have got through the rigours of a tough selection process, and in my case, and in Winston Peters’, where the seat is ‘blue ribbon’, that’s often the hardest battle. We’ve been selected by all ethnicities in our electorate. From then on we are prepared for anything.

Another interesting factor is that of the eleven I would argue that eight were clearly right of centre, or at least started political life that way! Moreover, those who were left of centre did not hold their general seats for long. With the exception of Georgina Beyer, it was only for one term each.

I want to stress that I am exceptionally tentative about the potential significance of this. But it may say something about the kind of Maori that put themselves forward for general seats, and of course the kind of Maori general seats are prepared to accept. So is it Maori self-selecting or general seats self-selecting? Are Maori who want to stand in a general seat more likely to be conservative? I am, so is that how that works, or is it that electors in general seats prefer conservative Maori? Or is the reality that because there have only ever been eleven Maori in general seats we cannot say either thing safely – and I am clutching at straws?

Whatever the case, these are interesting issues that I would like to flesh out with reference to my own and other MPs’ experiences. I recall back earlier in the 2000s when the Maori Party was considering whether to run candidates in general seats: an argument against was that doing so could potentially water down the party’s core principles. In Maori seats one can run as being solely or mostly for Maori interests. Such a position is impossible in general seats, where you represent everyone. As I say, the Hon. Shane Jones has made related points previously regarding making it in one of the two big parties, where you have to be for everyone’s interests and not running solely on a Maori platform.

As was often said about Winston Peters, arguably Maori in general seats may tend to play down their Maori-ness, and more often than not have not been fluent in te reo. I, for example, do not see myself as a Maori politician the way my Maori Party colleagues do. Rather I am a politician who is Maori. I believe there is a difference, although it is one that’s difficult to pinpoint.

In my maiden speech I quoted from Winston Peters’ maiden speech, in which he said: ‘I am a New Zealander, I am a Maori, and I am also a lawyer. New Zealand is not a monotonous garden where every flower is the same; it is a garden where the diversity of the blooms enriches the view.’ This is a lovely quote, but for my purposes today note the order in which Winston Peters stated matters. New Zealander first (perhaps even then he knew what he’d be calling his future party?), Maori second. Interesting – and different I think to the view of some Maori in Maori seats.

Lastly, can I note a few points about the history regarding Maori seats. I do so because in thinking about Maori in general seats I came across this history, and it was news to me – and perhaps even to others. From 1896 until 1967 Maori (except ‘half-castes’ such as James Carroll) were not allowed to stand as candidates in European seats. The law was changed that year by a National Government, but it was not until 1975, when National’s Ben Couch and Rex Austin were elected, that Maori were successful in general electorates. The 1967 changes were important.

In the debates in the House at the time of the changes, J R Hanan, the then Minister of Justice, stated:
<Q>It has been said on many occasions by Maori spokesmen [sic] both inside and outside this House that they would consider a change in the system of Maori representation only when they saw Maoris [sic] nominated as candidates for European electorates where they had a chance of being elected, and this is not an unreasonable attitude. If that happened it would prove that European voters were prepared to vote for a Maori candidate.

I think this argument, combined with the rarity of Maori in general seats, even in 2009, provides a strong justification for the retention of Maori seats, accepting that MMP party lists also provide an avenue for Maori into Parliament.

Can I say in conclusion, Maori in general seats are different to Maori in Maori seats. Of course neither is more important than the other, except perhaps if they come from Tauranga. But maybe given the differences, by having both, we ensure all Maori across the spectrum are represented, and Maori representation is not a monotonous garden where every flower is the same.

Introduction

Good morning – it is great to be here on behalf of Transport Minister Steven Joyce to welcome you to the ‘Paving The Way For Greener Roads’ conference 2010 .

While Steven was disappointed he was unable to attend, he sends his best wishes for what will no doubt be a very enlightening and enjoyable conference here in Taupo.

Roading is very topical in Taupo at the moment with construction of the East Taupo Arterial (ETA). The highway is really starting to take shape. We have four major bridges, a road with chip seal, road signage plus the first street lights are being installed. These are significant milestones for the ETA Chip sealing in the southern zone has commenced and 8km of the ETA has now been sealed with the majority of the main alignment expected to be completed before the depths of winter.

225 pre-cast concrete slabs have been positioned on the Waikato River Bridge and 288m3 of concrete (58 truck loads) was poured creating a 250mm thick bridge deck, and the last of 14 sections of the 440m Wairakei Steam Field Bridge has been put in place. It really is an impressive project.

Over the next few days you will have the opportunity to discuss and debate a range of road building issues. The theme of this year’s conference is ‘protecting our future’, which is fitting.

As we look to develop transport networks that respond to ever increasing demands for efficiency and value for money balancing this with the need for environmental and social responsibility for future generations will always be something to consider carefully.

I’m on the Local Government and environment Select Committee. We have passed legislation to simplify and streamline the Resource Management Act. As we have further RMA and local government reforms I understand the tension between economic growth and environmental protection.

Before I hand over to today’s keynote speaker, Professor Andrew Dawson from Nottingham University, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about the government’s vision for New Zealand’s road network and how we can ensure we develop it in a sustainable way.

Government investment

New Zealand is certainly a country where a lot of thought needs to go into finding innovative transport solutions to overcome the challenges of being a small population living in a long, thin and (I’m sure many people here would agree) often geographically challenging country to build roads in.

Despite these challenges the roading network is the core of New Zealand’s transport system. Eighty-four percent of journeys to work in urban areas are by car, truck or motorbike and 70 percent of freight tonne-kilometres are carried by road.

Over the next 25 years the amount of freight moved around the country is forecast to increase by 70 to 75 percent. While all transport modes will carry their share, the nature of freight means that a lot of it will be carried by road. Therefore we need to be in a position to cope with that demand.

The government’s overall focus in transport is to support New Zealand’s economic growth by getting our goods to market as efficiently as possible.

The movement of freight in particular plays a vital role in sustaining and supporting economic development and contributes to the high quality of life New Zealanders enjoy. As I’ve just mentioned, the freight sector is an essential part of this - linking areas of production to ports from where goods are sent to our export markets.

An efficient freight industry can provide cost-effective forms of transport, improving the overall competitiveness of New Zealand exports. Some goods are more suited to road transportation, some to rail and some to coastal shipping; however the reality is that to achieve this efficiency we need all our transport corridors operating effectively.

The government has increased funding for State highways by more than $1 billion over the three year period from 2009 to 2012 and lifted investment in State highways to 35 percent of the total National Land Transport Fund. This will see almost $11 billion invested over 10 years.

This refocusing of investment priorities has also fed in to the development of the government’s seven Roads of National Significance.

The roads are centred around New Zealand’s five largest population centres that have large traffic volumes, and each is critical to ensuring that users have access to significant markets and areas of employment.

All need work to reduce congestion, improve safety and support economic growth and it is the government’s goal to see these projects substantially completed within 10 years.

This investment in the Roads of National Significance and the broader state highway network will go a long way to addressing some important issues for New Zealand’s land transport infrastructure. In particular this will mean improved journey time reliability on key routes, less congestion in those areas with serious problems, upgrades to important freight and tourism routes, and improved access to markets, employment and areas that contribute to economic growth.

Planning is another area where the government can significantly influence the sustainability of the transport network.

In March the Transport Minister announced the development of a new state highway classification system. This classification system will guide future investment and management of the roading network.

It will involve categorising State highways based on the volume of traffic they carry and the function they perform - whether that's the movement of freight, everyday travel or tourism.

The end goal is for this system to help ensure that our planned state highway investment and operational activities are aligned to helping routes better perform their function, help improve safety and support economic growth and productivity, all within the available funding budget.

Sustainable must also mean safe. This year the government launched Safer Journeys – a road safety strategy for the next ten years. The strategy identifies roads and road sides as one of the key aspects of the transport system where we can make improvements to save lives and this will be taken into account in the classification system.

Taking this bigger picture view is vital if we are to achieve a longer term vision for transport in New Zealand. Infrastructure such as this provides a foundation for a wide range of economic and social services that affect all New Zealanders and businesses. But we also need to get it right because infrastructure assets typically have long lives and often involve large investments.

Making good decisions on infrastructure use and investment now will play a key part in our future economic success.

Government responsibility

Finally I want to touch briefly on some of the specific actions the government is taking to make the roading network more sustainable.

As the owner of the state highway network on behalf of the taxpayer, the government has a responsibility not only to build and maintain these roads, but also to manage and mitigate the environmental impacts of the thousands of kilometres of highway that run the length and breadth of the country.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is directly responsible for the roading network and manages over 4,000 consents – more than any organisation in New Zealand.

Managing the environmental issues associated with the scale of this work requires a broad approach across many disciplines; such as managing relationships, contracts, and experts.

Two of the most important pieces of legislation that set the agenda for this work are the Resource Management Act and the Land Transport Management Act.

The RMA ensures the promotion of sustainable management of natural and physical resources and requires avoiding, remedying or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.

The LTMA requires land transport activities to contribute to an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system. In addition to this the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding lists: ‘reductions in adverse environmental effects from land transport’ as one of the impacts we need to achieve in the transport sector.

The NZTA’s Environmental Plan describes how environmental impacts are avoided, remedied or mitigated across the transportation lifecycle from planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation.

Twelve environmental issues that arise from roading projects have been identified by this plan. These range from noise and air quality issues to the management of erosion and sediment, culture and heritage considerations and the impacts of vibration and visual quality.

Some of these subjects will be covered in later workshops so I will just touch briefly on managing some of these impacts now.

Noise is the most common public health issue associated with land transport development. To help mitigate against this the NZTA, in collaboration with Standards NZ, has developed road traffic noise standard guidance documents and web based tools for road builders.

Transport derived air quality is also of increasing concern. Every month the NZTA assesses transport related air quality across the entire State highway network to ensure people are not exposed to unacceptable levels.

The Agency has produced a national environmental standard for the treatment of stormwater run off from State highways in cooperation with regional councils and the Ministry for the Environment. Related to this is erosion and sediment control - the biggest environmental issue for capital projects. A national standard for this will be discussed in later sessions.

Social severance remains a significant problem as highways become more and more developed. Keeping communities connected is an important part of mitigation and on the occasions where a site of cultural significance is found NZTA works closely with the local iwi and Historic Place Trust to ensure they are managed appropriately.

Conclusion

In closing I wish you the very best for the rest of your conference. The programme of speakers and workshops will no doubt provide plenty of food for thought over the following days.

Thank you.