edithatogo/nz-hansard-corpus huggingface dataset:
Cameron Mark; Rurawhe AdrianMARK CAMERON (ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. Rural New Zealand has seen firsthand the extreme weather events. Sadly these are quite routine and quite often we're very isolated in rural New Zealand and know firsthand what it feels like. Episodic events like Hale and Gabrielle are few and far between but routinely they hurt us in rural New Zealand quite often worse than our civilian urban counterparts. We're resilient people in rural New Zealand. We're bloody tough people and quite often we find ourselves on our own for lengthy periods of time.I've got to go home when Parliament rises to hand-milk 300 cows for probably two weeks because we won't have power. This is the kind of ongoing reality in rural New Zealand when these episodic events happen. Central areas around New Zealand—Northland the East Coast potentially without power for up to a week. Significant infrastructure—bridges gone houses gone people's lives destroyed. I'm here as my own livestock—some of them have gone. Forgive me if I break down; I invested 33 years of my life into this farming career. Houses swept away as I've mentioned; people's livelihoods upturned. Gracious me—where I live thousands of acres of water currently reside in what are normally farm paddocks. Thirty percent of Ruawai is underwater. It'll recede I'm sure but will the lives be untouched? I very much doubt.Logistical support? Sporadic. I wager anyone worth their salt—it'll be weeks before that's back to normal. Tankers livestock freight and food for animals. What about the animal welfare issues? The good Minister I'm sure might be able to enlighten us what that looks like. Runaway mastitis that quite often does away with livestock in rural New Zealand and the massive somatic cell count problem we're going to have with dairy cows let alone the beef animals that have been swept away in low-lying areas.I am thinking of rural New Zealand; the ACT Party is thinking of rural New Zealand. Goodness gracious me I am still in this House representing my people because I absolutely believe in rural people my people—ACT people. I come here to represent rural people talking about He Waka Eke Noa and what that looks like in their lives. Significant natural areas and the erosion of property rights freshwater concerns and on-farm grazing—what does that mean to rural New Zealand? Yet again I am here as my farm is being swept away because I absolutely love rural New Zealand and everyone in it. ACT members and myself will stand up for rural New Zealand as long as I am in this building. Thank you very much.SPEAKER: The National Party have 2½ minutes left if you want to take that now.
McAnulty Kieran; Rurawhe AdrianHon EUGENIE SAGE (Green): Tēnā koe Minister and thank you for the national emergency. Just weeks after Cyclone Hale dumped tonnes of forestry slash on farmland on crops under bridges in riverbeds above people's homes and on beaches Cyclone Gabrielle is doing the same again. People in the Tai Rāwhiti East Coast area have had to cope with repeated states of emergency. What reports has he had from civil defence and emergency management teams about the issues with forestry slash in the East Coast region and what is being done in response?Hon KIERAN McANULTY (Minister for Emergency Management): There's no doubt that forestry slash is causing an unwelcome and unneeded additional element to the weather event—particularly in Tai Rāwhiti but not exclusively there. I have not received a report specifically about that from emergency management other than the impact that it is causing. However I have discussed the matter with the Minister of Forestry and I understand that he has made public statements indicating his likely work progress moving forward on that so I refer the member to those statements.SPEAKER: I understand this is a split call as well—David Seymour.
McAnulty KieranDr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green): Ka tukuna te aroha ki te hunga e noho pōuri ana nā te whakamōti o ngā waipuke ki Te Tai Tokerau Tāmaki-makau-rau Waikato Bay of Plenty Tai Rāwhiti me te Hawke's Bay. [I express my sympathy for those impacted by the destruction of the floods in Northland Auckland Waikato Bay of Plenty the East Coast and Hawke's Bay.]What steps is the Government taking to ensure power and internet companies can safely and quickly reconnect houses currently cut off including in remote areas of the Tai Rāwhiti where a substation is currently underwater?Hon KIERAN McANULTY (Minister for Emergency Management): I've been constantly engaging with the relevant Ministers—the Minister of digital communications in particular but also the Minister of energy. Lines companies are experts at reconnecting communities at the earliest possible convenience—the fact being of course that during a severe weather event the earliest possible convenience can be delayed substantially. We need to ensure the safety of practitioners throughout the country but we have in our constant engagement received assurances that as soon as it is safe to do so and as long as it is safe to do so they will continue to work hard to reconnect communities.Dr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green): What support will be available for people stuck without power for days or even weeks in these areas?Hon KIERAN McANULTY (Minister for Emergency Management): Of course at the moment we are assessing the impact of the power outages and continually looking at what provision could be provided. At this stage we haven't had an indication that it could be the longer end of the time frame that the member provided but if that is the case we will ensure that welfare provision is in place and that first and foremost people's safety remains a priority in the recovery.Dr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green): Kia ora. And what support will be available to address the mental health impacts of all of these events?Hon KIERAN McANULTY (Minister for Emergency Management): There is no doubt that these events cause significant anxiety to people involved to those that have family members involved and to even those that may have experienced them previously but aren't currently impacted by this. I know that the provision and support through mental health services is a priority; I've discussed this with the Minister of Health. I would encourage everyone that feels anxious that might be impacted by this that their mental health is being hit by this to reach out and seek help. There is no weakness in doing so. The support is there and we encourage everyone to access that.
Brownlee GerryHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National): Can I thank the Minister for that very full statement of exactly what the state of national emergency means not only for the formalities of it but in particular for the people who are affected by this disaster. The National Party supports the actions that have been taken by the Minister in declaring this state of emergency across the affected areas. This event is still unfolding and so this is the right thing to do after so many people being affected. We would like to extend our concern and our best wishes—which seems a little trite but none the less—for those who are so badly affected by the floodwaters by the slips and by the other consequences of the natural disaster. We also offer our heartfelt thanks to the local and national emergency management personnel and the many volunteers who are out there going about their job to help. We also want to extend to those first responders who do take on those extra risks our great admiration and thanks. For those local communities who have battled away for so long with their local states of emergency this national state of emergency should be seen as an affirmation of the work that they are doing and the scale of the disaster that they are trying to mitigate. Nothing will be clear about the full extent of the damage that has come from this event until it has well passed. Those assessments will come in due course. There are many questions that could be asked in the usual exchange that occurs when a ministerial statement is made but it seems to me that while we're in the middle of that emergency such questions are going to only detract from the necessity to focus on the best interests of those people who are most affected. So can I simply say to the Minister thank you for your engagement and thank you for the work that you're doing. We will of course want to discuss further with you what might happen once the state of emergency has passed. Thank you.
Ngarewa-Packer DebbieDEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Paati Māori): I rise on behalf of Te Paati Māori to send our aroha to the people of Syria and Türkiye whose worlds as we've shared this afternoon were shattered in the middle of the night. People who have lived under the oppression of imperialism and civil war are now living through one of the deadliest humanitarian disasters that the world has ever seen.On February 6 Syria and Türkiye were struck by two devastating earthquakes. The first happened in the middle of the night while families slept. Sadly whatever was weakened by the first earthquake was later destroyed by the second. Since then at least 800 aftershocks have rippled their land. Some of those aftershocks alone are more powerful than the earthquakes that forever changed Christchurch in 2011. To date 36000 people have lost their lives. At least 70000 more have been injured. Over 500000 have been displaced. In total 23 million people have been affected. Families children and elderly are stuck outside in freezing cold temperatures that are as low as negative 3 degrees with no homes trying to recover their loved ones.Citizens of both nations have been hit so hard by inflation that helping their neighbours with basic necessities has become an expensive luxury. But people are doing all they can—I want to acknowledge the resilience of these peoples who—despite losing their loved ones their homes their everything—have maintained this sense of kotahitanga and love for one another. It is now up to us to match that aroha and manaakitanga.I was absolutely disgusted this morning to see a cartoon in a major European publication depicting damaged buildings rubble and toppled cars with the caption no need to send tanks." Aotearoa we need to show we are better than our so-called allies. We cannot allow these racist and imperialist attitudes to influence how we respond to global humanitarian crises. The Western World has proven its capability for destruction in the Middle East. Now is the time for Aotearoa to lead by example: to transcend politics and pledge all the support we can afford to rebuild and help erase and ease the mamae of the people of Syria and Türkiye. He maungārongo ki te mata o te whenua he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa tēnā koutou katoa. [May there be peace on earth and may good thoughts come to all people greetings one and all.]Motion agreed to."
Motions — Türkiye and Syria Earthquake—Condolences
van Velden BrookeBROOKE VAN VELDEN (Deputy Leader—ACT): Thank you Mr Speaker. The ACT Party supports this motion and we offer our deepest condolences to all of those who have lost loved ones in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria and in the subsequent aftershocks. We think of New Zealanders with connection to Türkiye and Syria seeing the effects of the earthquakes from afar and our thoughts remain with the hundreds of thousands of Turkish and Syrian peoples who have been displaced by the earthquakes. People have lost loved ones their homes and their possessions. They will now be processing the shock of what has occurred and wondering what the future will now look like. The impact of this event on lives will become more apparent over the coming weeks as more information comes to light but it has been reported that in Syria alone some 5.3 million people may have been left homeless because of the earthquakes. That is more than our entire population and it is truly hard to grasp that number. Refugee settlements sheltering some of the world's most vulnerable were also among many of the settlements impacted by the earthquake and the aftershocks and it's feared that many will not be able to be protected from the freezing temperatures those regions are currently experiencing. Efforts to aid those most desperate people have also been hindered by the ongoing geopolitical tensions and continued conflict in Syria. This further compounds the complexity and the urgency of the situation at hand and shows the importance of a unified international response. The ACT Party wishes to acknowledge the international efforts of States from across the world in response to the event so far—and it's been truly international. Not only have we seen aid and financial support for Türkiye and Syria but we have also seen significant commitments of manpower. As of 10 February just four days after the initial earthquake over 130 international urban search and rescue teams were working in the earthquake-impacted areas of Türkiye and a further 57 international search and rescue teams were en route. For many of us New Zealanders who see pictures of the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye it will bring back painful memories of earthquakes here in our own country. We know the tragedy the heartache and the effort that it takes to rebuild from earthquakes in our recent memory. And as a small State ourselves with significant seismic activity we know just how important and valuable the global aid can be in the aftermath. We encourage the Government of New Zealand to continue our aid efforts to Türkiye and Syria. Although we've already given much—$4.5 million in aid—we must continue to play our part in the international response to this disaster and support those who have been affected by it. Once again our thoughts are with the people of Türkiye and Syria.
Shaw JamesHon JAMES SHAW (Co-Leader—Green): E te Māngai o te Whare tēnā koe. I stand with the others in this House to express the Green Party's deep condolences and support for the people of Türkiye and Syria. The tragic and shocking loss of life in Syria and Türkiye is difficult for us to comprehend so far away and I have to say I struggle to find words that can truly do justice to the depth of human suffering that this disaster has wrought. The images are shocking showing the terrible scale of destruction and the death toll which currently stands at about 35000 is a truly horrific loss of life equivalent to the entire population of our town of Gisborne.Beyond those killed in Türkiye more than 1 million people are displaced. In Syria which is a country of course already ravaged by years of war the estimate is around 5.3 million people—larger than the entire population of Aotearoa—many of whom are stuck sleeping outside in freezing winter temperatures. The Green Party urges the Government to put in place emergency measures to assist in the global efforts to address the huge refugee crisis that this disaster has generated. We ask that the response include the resettlement of victims support for people in New Zealand whose families have been affected the extension of visas of people from Türkiye and Syria onshore and an expanded refugee quota. We do acknowledge the humanitarian relief already provided by the Government and we would urge continued commitment beyond this. The displacement that natural disasters exacerbated by the effects of the climate crisis will cause globally has long been a pressing issue and Aotearoa must be part of the global effort to reckon with it. Inadequate humanitarian responses in the past have left many in affected regions in poor temporary or transitional arrangements which of course has contributed to disproportionate death and injury rates in this particular disaster. We must do better in a world where experts predict over a billion refugees by 2050 many or most of whom will have been displaced by climate change. A compassionate and urgent approach amongst all countries committed to human rights must begin now in response to this disaster. As I said the scale of suffering wrought by the quake is enormous but it is individual human stories that really stay with us such as that of a newborn baby rescued from the wreckage found alongside its mother who had died. Many of us in New Zealand will feel a connection to the earthquake and to its destruction particularly those in Christchurch who of course know firsthand the damage to lives and the fear and anxiety that these sort of disasters can wreak. I urge all of us to hold the people of Türkiye and Syria in our thoughts as we deal with the impacts of our own crises here at home. We must reflect on the urgency with which we must move to create a world where all people are safe and supported where as a planet we extend all the support that we would hope to receive if such a disaster befell our own. Nō reira tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā tātou katoa.
Brownlee GerryHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National): The New Zealand National Party joins the Government in supporting the motion before the House this afternoon. We join the Government in the expression of condolence for the losses suffered by those affected both in Türkiye and Syria as a result of those devastating earthquakes.The scale of losses and damage seen in coverage from sites evokes in those of us who directly experienced the Canterbury and Kaikōura earthquakes a strong empathy for the suffering of so many people who are mourning the loss of what is sure to be near 40000 people and who are trying to patch up their lives and see a future ahead of them. We have at least some understanding of what they are going through albeit on a much greater scale. We recognise the agony of distance that will be playing on the minds of Turkish and Syrian New Zealanders.As the Minister said the scale of the aid effort there is quite phenomenal and the expanse across which that aid has to be delivered is vast. New Zealand will I'm sure continue to support international efforts to assist not only as we are at the moment in the offshore search and rescue but also in the coming reconstruction.I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank two New Zealand reporters: Mei Heron and Lisette Reymer whose work for both TV ONE and TV3 have very much brought into our lives the devastation that so many are suffering in Türkiye and Syria. They've worked in very difficult circumstances to ensure that we understand just how big this event is from our own perspective. So with those words I commend this motion to the House.
By-Election Result and Member Sworn
Rurawhe Adrian; Potaka TamaBY-ELECTIONHamilton West—Tama PotakaSPEAKER: I have received from the Electoral Commission a return declaring Tama William Potaka to be elected a member of Parliament. I understand that Tama Potaka is present and wishes to take the oath. Would he please come forward to the chair on my right.MEMBERS SWORNTAMA POTAKA (National—Hamilton West): Te oati noho pūmau: ko ahau ko Tama William Potaka e oati ana ka noho pūmau taku pono ki a Kīngi Tiāre te Tuatoru me tōna kāhui whakaheke e ai ki te ture. Ko te Atua nei hoki taku pou.[I Tama William Potaka swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III His heirs and successors according to law. So help me God.]
Rurawhe AdrianTUESDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2023The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.KARAKIA/PRAYERSSPEAKER: E te Atua kawa rawa ka tuku whakamoemiti atu mātou mō ngā manaakitanga kua waihotia mai ki runga i a mātou. Ka waiho i ō mātou pānga whaiaro katoa ki te taha ka mihi mātou ki te Kīngi me te inoi atu mō te ārahitanga i roto i ō mātou whakaaroarohanga kia mōhio ai kia whakaiti ai tā mātou whakahaere i ngā take o te Whare nei mō te oranga te maungārongo me te aroha o Aotearoa. Āmene.[To the Lord God we give thanks for the blessings which have been bestowed on us. Laying aside all personal interests we acknowledge the King and we pray for guidance in our deliberations that we may conduct the affairs of this House with wisdom and humility for the welfare peace and compassion of New Zealand. Amen.]
Tuesday 13 December 2022 - Volume 765
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the Oranga Tamariki Amendment Bill be now read a third time.Ayes 76New Zealand Labour 64; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati Māori 2.Noes 43New Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.Motion agreed to.Bill read a third time.
Oranga Tamariki Amendment Bill — Third Reading
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the Electoral Amendment Bill be now read a third time.Ayes 74New Zealand Labour 64; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10.Noes 43New Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.Motion agreed to.Bill read a third time.
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill be now read a third time.Ayes 76New Zealand Labour 64; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati Māori 2.Noes 43New Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.Motion agreed to.Bill read a third time.[Applause]ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Order! Order! No apologies to the gallery but they must not be part of this debate enthusiastic as they are.
Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Bill — Third Reading
VoteA party vote was called for on the question That the motion be agreed to.Ayes 76New Zealand Labour 64; Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand 10; Te Paati Māori 2.Noes 43New Zealand National 33; ACT New Zealand 10.Motion agreed to.
12. Question No. 12—EducationTEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 12—Education12. TEANAU TUIONO (Green) to the Minister of Education: Does he think the wages of rural school bus drivers in Aotearoa are fair?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): I appreciate the valuable work that all bus drivers do to ensure children and young people are transported to and from school safely. I note that the Government's made additional funding available to support better terms and conditions to attract and retain public transport bus drivers. I'm committed to ensuring that rural communities are not disadvantaged by the additional support provided to public transport bus drivers.Teanau Tuiono: Is he aware of a discrepancy in wages between rural school bus drivers and urban bus drivers and if so what is this discrepancy?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated in my primary answer yes I am aware of the current discrepancy.Teanau Tuiono: Is he confident that no tamariki will be left outside their farm gates at the beginning of term one next year as drivers seek better pay in other parts of the bus industry?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Yes I am confident that those who've contracted to delivering bus services will continue to deliver them. We've just recently gone through a contracting round for school bus services and there was a particular emphasis during that contracting round on improving the employment conditions of bus drivers including on improving their wages. Obviously the decisions the Government has taken around public transport bus drivers postdate that recent contracting round for school bus services and therefore we are considering how best to deal with the flow-on consequences of that.Teanau Tuiono: Does the $61 million allocated in Budget 2022 to standardise minimum base-wage rates apply to rural bus drivers and if not why not?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: No because they are funded through two entirely different funding sources.Teanau Tuiono: Why does the Ministry of Education not set a wage floor or base rate for its school transport services?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: One of the conditions in the contract is around making sure that bus drivers are appropriately treated. It doesn't specifically have a wage floor but it does have provisions within the contract—and it was used as one of the criteria in determining who was allocated contracts.Teanau Tuiono: How will he ensure rural school bus drivers are paid fair wages without having to wait until fair pay agreements have come into force?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: As I indicated one of the things that the Government is considering at the moment is the implication of the recent moves to increase public transport bus driver wages—we're considering the flow-on implications of that to school bus drivers.
8. Question No. 8—TourismNAISI CHEN (Labour) to the Minister of TourismQuestion No. 8—Tourism8. NAISI CHEN (Labour) to the Minister of Tourism: What reports has he seen on New Zealand's tourism recovery?Hon STUART NASH (Minister of Tourism): Data released from the International Visitor Survey shows that spend from all international visitors totalled over a billion dollars in the September quarter. I've always been confident that once New Zealand's borders reopened international tourists would return and spend throughout our regions and boost our economy. This survey shows that the world is still drawn to our fantastic country and international tourists are happy to pay for what New Zealand has to offer.Naisi Chen: How are our regions benefiting from the return of international visitors?Hon STUART NASH: Tourists are coming to New Zealand and they're coming to the regions. Tourism electronic card transaction spend in eight regions was higher than pre-COVID levels. International spend in Gisborne had the greatest increase up by 47 percent closely followed by Hawke's Bay up by 45 percent—go the mighty East Coast. The regions are truly driving our tourism recovery and it's fantastic to see that tourists are getting off the beaten track spending money and our regional economies are benefiting. Naisi Chen: How are tourists spending compared to other international visitors?Hon STUART NASH: International tourists spent $200 million more than international visitors who had come to see friends and relatives despite making up similar volumes of arrivals. What this data tells us is that our value proposition to international tourists remains incredibly strong. International tourists are staying longer spending more and enjoying all that this fantastic country has to offer.Naisi Chen: What recognition has New Zealand received internationally?Hon STUART NASH: Earlier this month New Zealand received two highly coveted international tourism awards: Best Country: Long-Haul in the National Geographic Reader Awards 2022 and Auckland as the first destination listed on the Condé Nast Traveler's The 23 Best Places to Go in 2023—even though that probably should have been Napier. I know these accolades will be welcomed by our amazing tourism operators up and down the country as they gear up for a bumper summer season. My vision for tourism is for New Zealand to be one of the top three aspirational destinations for the world's most discerning travellers and it's playing out better than planned.
7. Question No. 7—JusticeHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 7—Justice7. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Justice: Is she confident the Government has the correct priorities in Justice?Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister of Justice): Yes which include responding to law and order issues through an evidence-based approach; improving access to justice in tackling delays; supporting victims in the stewardship of the overall justice system which include a wide range of areas from civil law to electoral law.Hon Paul Goldsmith: How can she be confident the Government has the correct justice policies when violent crime is on track to increase by almost 40 percent since 2017?Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: We have on this side of the House as a Government put record levels of police on to the beach. We are tackling violent crime by giving police more powers to go after organised criminals and their assets and increasing the consequences of their offending. Hon Paul Goldsmith: Following the Prime Minister's instruction for Cabinet Ministers to be looking through things that are on the agenda and just asking ourselves whether or not either from a spending perspective or an investment perspective or just from a focus perspective those are things we should be prioritising at this point in time is she going to jettison hate speech legislation and shift her focus on to reducing violent crime?Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: As previously stated we have a broad range of priorities and one of those was responding to the royal commission. We're progressing with a carefully considered two-stage approach with a focused law change in response to that commission which the member is well aware of. In addition I can confirm that we will not be cutting costs on some of those key priorities such as investing in victims. We have doubled the amount of support for the victims assistance scheme. That's one example of the many priorities that we have under way.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Has she asked the Prime Minister if she still thinks the Government should be bringing forward legislation to reduce the voting age to 16 now that she wants Ministers focused and carefully prioritising their efforts?Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: As the member will be well aware this Parliament is obliged to consider that issue as a consequence of the Supreme Court's ruling and we should do so absolutely seriously.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Does it still make sense to prioritise reducing the prison population when violent crime is rising creating new victims with every crime?Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: Look this is one of many priorities. It's making sure that we get the settings right for our justice system. We have a broad range of targets and the member will be aware: 126 non-financial targets that are in the annual report—many of those are focused towards victims in supporting victims; and that is indeed one of our key priorities.
6. Question No. 6—EducationCAMILLA BELICH (Labour) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 6—Education6. CAMILLA BELICH (Labour) to the Minister of Education: What reports has he seen about numbers of people undertaking vocational education and training?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): I'm pleased to report that more than 240000 New Zealanders have received free vocational training through the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund since it was introduced in 2020 to encourage people into vocational education and training in high-demand industries. It includes more than 106000 apprentices.Camilla Belich: What was the purpose of the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund or TTAF which finishes at the end of this month began in July 2020 and was part of the Government's response to COVID-19. It was designed to make it easier for those who wanted to train in strategically important industries where demand was expected to grow. COVID-19 resulted in many New Zealanders looking to retrain and at the same time employers in key sectors were calling out for more skilled people. By removing fees the extra funding gave many people the chance and the confidence to get into vocational training to take on life-changing skills and to help grow our workforce in ways that will benefit the country for decades to come.Camilla Belich: What groups and skill areas have particularly benefited from TTAF?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The biggest areas of study were construction at 30 percent; community support at 19 percent; and our primary industries at 18 percent. Māori represented around 20 percent of TTAF learners while Asian learners were at around 15 percent and Pacific people around 9 percent of the total. Camilla Belich: What impact has he seen on apprenticeship numbers overall?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Our investment in the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund as well as the Apprenticeship Boost initiative—which has been extended until the end of next year—is paying off. We've seen large increases in apprentice numbers and people of all ages from across the community engaged in vocational education. The largest group of learners are aged 25 to 39 but a quarter are aged over 40 proving that the lifelong learning message is being heard.Camilla Belich: What options are available for people wanting to undertake vocational training in 2023?Hon Gerry Brownlee: Is this really a good question today?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Whilst the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund is finishing next year Kiwi learners might still be able to get free vocational education under the Fees-free scheme in 2023 even if they have received free training under TTAF. There's hope for you yet Mr Brownlee—there's future career opportunities out there for you. I encourage everyone already in training or thinking about vocational education to check it out at feesfree.govt.nz.
3. Question No. 3—HousingTĀMATI COFFEY (Labour) to the Minister of HousingQuestion No. 3—Housing3. TĀMATI COFFEY (Labour) to the Minister of Housing: What actions has the Government taken to achieve better housing outcomes for the people of Rotorua?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS (Minister of Housing): On Friday we signed the Rotorua Housing Accord with Rotorua Lakes Council and Te Arawa iwi. The accord renews the commitment by all parties to work collaboratively on addressing Rotorua's chronic housing shortage and improve emergency housing. The accord builds on the significant progress already made as of November 2022 including that the number of motels used for emergency housing has fallen by 20 since November 2021 and we plan to have only three mixed-use motels left by Christmas. The number of households in emergency housing was 372 households in December 2021 and that has now fallen to 168 households as at November 2022. We've brought on 230 public housing places since 2017 and we are seeing increasing private developments with 390 new building consents issued in the year to October 2022 compared to 64 consents in the year to June 2014.Tāmati Coffey: What does the accord seek to achieve?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: The accord signifies the strong ongoing commitment for central government local government and iwi to build a better housing future for Rotorua. Rotorua's population increased by over 9000 people after 2013 but only 1200 private homes were built. Rotorua also suffered a net loss of 42 public homes under the last Government. Specifically the accord seeks to reduce the reliance on emergency housing it seeks to provide better support and care for people in emergency housing and importantly increase housing supply to ensure more Rotorua people have access to safe dry warm permanent homes.Tāmati Coffey: How does the accord complement work already under way in Rotorua?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: In mid-2021 through the Rotorua Housing Taskforce we established Te Pokapū the Rotorua Housing Hub. We contacted emergency accommodation for families and whānau with children and provided additional wraparound social support services. We've also invested in housing and infrastructure including around 330 public and transitional homes under construction or in planning by Kāinga Ora community housing providers and iwi and Māori and over $139 million for transport and water infrastructure through the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund and shovel-ready funding.Tāmati Coffey: What feedback has she heard about the accord?Hon Dr MEGAN WOODS: Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell says the accord responds to the urgent need to end mixed-use tourism accommodation and deliver better housing solutions for those in need. Mayor Tapsell also said the accord was a huge win for us here in Rotorua and we will see visible changes within a year. Rawiri Waru the chairman of Te Arawa working party responding to the emergency housing said We agree that housing development which is environmentally friendly and sustainable is desperately needed in Rotorua. … [The] accord recognises our collaborative duty to address the chronic housing crisis and tackle the many issues that have emerged from it.""
Halbert ShananSHANAN HALBERT (Labour—Northcote): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's wonderful to speak on the Water Services Legislation Bill the second and then we'll get to the third—I'm not sure which one Andrew Bayly was speaking to—water services legislation bill.It's very clear: on 12 December the New Zealand Herald printed headlined Auckland's beaches impacted by high levels of faecal bacteria after rainfall". That follows a number of media articles: "More than 50 Auckland beaches declared no-swim zones"; "Faecal warning at Auckland's beaches following downpour"; December 2020 "Six Auckland beaches have swimming alerts at the start of summer". The list goes on.We've got through the first phase the Water Services Bill. Here we are; we're moving through to implementation. We have to ask ourselves what are we really up for—we've said time and time again we all agree that reform is required. Yet the response from the other side continues to be "we will repeal three waters."But the reality is you haven't put an alternative. I continue to challenge the Opposition to tell us what you will do because Aucklanders—TEMPORARY SPEAKER (Barbara Kuriger): Don't bring the Speaker into the debate Mr Halbert.SHANAN HALBERT: Apologies Madam Speaker—because Aucklanders demand that we have clean beaches. We need to take action and this particular bills moves us through an implementation. I look forward to the Finance and Expenditure Committee receiving it and I commend this bill to the House."
Leary IngridINGRID LEARY (Labour—Taieri): This bill is a technical one. It's nuts and bolts basically to sort the pipes and that is about getting clean safe drinking water stormwater waste water for all New Zealanders. It's a technical bill. It basically allows fairness of pricing. It allows the transfer of assets and liabilities to happen in a timely way by 1 July 2024.Without reforms all New Zealanders will face significant hikes. Now we didn't say that they wouldn't face hikes but the hikes will be significant—including in Auckland the projected hikes without the reforms would be doubled over the next 10 years to 2031.In Kaka Point in my own electorate they were recently—in fact they may still be—on boiled water notices because of broken pipes. This is the nuts-and-bolts bill that gets us through the next phase of three waters. I proudly commend it to the House.
SpeechANGELA ROBERTS (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. I'm humbled to rise and take a final call on the Oranga Tamariki Amendment Bill. As I've listened to all of the debates I know that one thing is clear: that everybody stands in this House doing their best to protect our young people our children our most vulnerable—but that is where agreement ceases I understand. I know we've had some really gnarly issues being bravely addressed by this bill. I've listened to the experts to the voices that I trust those people who have worked in the Family Court system like Dr Henderson but also from those who have lived through it and given us their advice as brought to us by Jan Logie today—those voices of intergenerational trauma. We know the law hasn't been working and when we talk about damage being done to young people we know that the way this legislation plays out increases trauma and distress.I want to just take a moment to thank all of the officials and the Hon Kelvin Davis for doing this difficult mahi and making some real change that will allow everybody that needs to to step in to protect our children and our young people wrap around them and make sure that their lives aren't just a matter of survival but that they thrive into the future. I commend this bill to the House.
SpeechTERISA NGOBI (Labour—Ōtaki): Thank you Madam Speaker. Having worked at Oranga Tamariki having worked in the social services sector for over a decade having worked in the volunteer and community sector for over a decade and being a member of the Social Services and Community Committee who heard the submitters on this bill one thing that is really clear and one thing I think everyone can agree to is that the Oranga Tamariki system needs change. They need change to make sure that we are protecting our most vulnerable our tamariki our whānau and also making sure that our social workers can do the job they need to do. That is what this bill does.On this side of the House we are very clear: this is about making sure that we make real change for our people of New Zealand. It's not about putting plasters on not about filling holes; this is making sure that the real change is going to support children support their family and support social workers to do the job they want to do and that is work meaningfully—meaningfully—without being restricted.That is what the partial repeal of the subsequent child does. That repeal will make sure that social workers can do the job that they trained to do that they want to do and that is care for our children help and support our families make sure they do right by children. That is what this Labour Government is trying to do: make sure that we remove those barriers so social workers can do their job less kids go into care that families can stay together. That is what this bill does and that is why we support it. I commend this bill to the House.
Utikere TangiTANGI UTIKERE (Labour—Palmerston North): Kia orana. Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise in support of the Oranga Tamariki Amendment Bill and want to acknowledge Minister Davis for his leadership in this space but also colleagues who have had direct experience as practitioners in this space as well.This bill will effectively lead to a partial repeal of what other colleagues have referred to in what is colloquially known as the subsequent child provisions". And when one reflects on the potential removal of trauma of distress for children within a court setting then that means that this is a good move.Much has been said in this House this evening about the role of social workers and I want to commend the work that social workers do in this Family Court jurisdiction space alongside lawyers as well. Where the status quo effectively places those practitioners in a difficult position that is not a good move. So this change is a positive move. I commend this bill to the House."
SpeechDr LIZ CRAIG (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. It's a real pleasure to stand and speak in support of this bill because what this bill does by repealing the subsequent child provisions—partially repealing them—is it basically means that social workers can get on and do what they do best and that is use their skills and expertise to walk alongside families and children and also to support those parents who've decided that they're going to turn the situation around and do the best by their subsequent child. I think we've heard in the House tonight about the really negative impacts that these provisions have had on parents' ability to bond with their subsequent children but also social workers to be able to work with whānau to ensure the best outcomes for children. But this bill also has safeguards and I think it's basic social work practice—walking alongside families is one aspect but also making sure that we retain the subsequent child provision for parents or caregivers who've been convicted of the death of a child in their care. So making sure that we get that balance right. I think it's an important bill and it'll make a difference to a small number of children but a very important group of children in our country. I commend this bill to the House.
SpeechDr EMILY HENDERSON (Labour—Whangārei): I have spent most of my adult life in and out of the Family Court as a lawyer and a researcher. So when I hear the member opposite speak about the need to keep children out of the hands of parents who are truly terrible yeah I understand absolutely what she's saying.But the reality is really really complicated. And we're not talking about that very top tier of parents; we're talking about the tier down. One of the things that I do just want to briefly say about this bill is that because it puts that judgment role so strongly on social workers what it also did was completely destroy the social workers' ability to work with the whānau. It destroyed trust and it destroyed the ability of parents who had slipped but had the opportunity and the ability to come back from that from doing so.For example I remember a woman we worked with for many years had a baby very young and the danger to that child was not her—it was her violent partner and the dad. The child was taken from her. She split with dad; she stayed away from dad. But every time she had a baby that baby was at risk of being removed and she had to fight that same system. It wasn't fair it wasn't appropriate it destroyed the relationships she could have had with the social workers. I commend this bill to the House.
SpeechANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It is a great pleasure to rise for the partial repeal of some of this legislation the Oranga Tamariki Amendment Bill. The reason I'm delighted to be standing today is because the onus or burden of proof was reversed for parents who had lost a child to the State. That onus or burden of proof became once a subsequent child was born they had to prove that they would be a good and fit parent. It could be 20 30 years later that they were that parent. They had to prove it. Without the resources that the State has without the supports that the State can put in place they had to prove this. And those children who were first removed the first child that came before the subsequent child those children had to attend court and they had to talk about why they were unable to ever be returned to their parents. I think that this was a repugnant piece of legislation that sat and was used in a way that took away the hope for families. I hear what the member across the aisle said. The potential risk is what the member was talking about. But we're not talking about potential risk in a small matter; we're talking about the removal of a child from their family without any proven evidence that that child would be harmed. There is no subsequent evidence that that child would be harmed. And that is what I'm delighted about us having changed tonight. The removal of children from their families is harmful and should only occur in very exceptional circumstances—not automatically not immediately when a further child is born to a family that has had an uplift. I am absolutely pleased that this piece of legislation is changing and I'm pleased about that because the oversight will still occur. Our communities will still be vigilant. Oranga Tamariki will still be vigilant. But the onus and burden of proof will be shifted back to the State to prove the child will be harmed. I commend this bill to the House.
Belich CamillaCAMILLA BELICH (Labour): Thank you Madam Speaker. It's a pleasure to take a call on this bill. Just four points I wanted to make quickly in relation to some of the statements made in the House.There is no public funding proposal in this bill. I also wanted to talk about transparency quickly. This bill lowers the threshold for reporting the donor to political parties from $15000 to $5000. That increases transparency; that means that there will be more confidence within our democracy.Another thing I wanted to mention was there's been some criticisms that this is being done before an election year. As everyone in this House will know New Zealand has three-yearly election cycles and I don't doubt if we pass this bill in an election year there would be criticisms that we were doing it in an election year and that was also inappropriate. That leaves one year that we could make electoral law change. And as legislators whose party has been legislators in the past—and sometimes supports legislation—that is an impractical proposal.Last thing I just wanted to mention was that this does increase franchise from the people who have been overseas unable to get home from COVID. More of these people will be able to vote. Therefore I commend this bill to the House.
Electoral Amendment Bill — Third Reading (continued)