Electoral finance proposals announced

The Government introduced a Bill on Monday that will restore confidence in a fair and transparent electoral process in time for the next election.

"These reforms help bring New Zealand into line with other democracies, as a place where every voter can have their voice heard fairly, regardless of their personal circumstances, and where every person can hear everyone else's voice clearly and transparently," said Justice Minister Mark Burton.  "The package of reforms introduced to Parliament will help promote participation in parliamentary democracy, and aims to clean up New Zealand's electoral system and protect it from abuse.
 
"The public should have the highest confidence that the electoral system is transparent, fair and not open to the undue influence of wealthy interest groups."

The Electoral Finance Bill amends the electoral finance regime in the following areas:
· Third party activities;
· Political donations;
· Election expenses;
· Compliance and enforcement; and,
· Broadcasting of election programmes

School leavers report shows good progress

The 2006 School Leavers Report shows that students are leaving school with more and higher qualifications across school years, NCEA levels and ethnicities, says Education Minister Steve Maharey.

"The latest report shows that achievement is continuing to improve across the board. It's further proof that NCEA is a world-class qualifications system that is consistently raising achievement."
 
The School Leavers Report shows that more students are achieving University Entrance and NCEA Level 3, fewer are leaving school with no qualification and more students are staying at school for longer. However, there are still some groups not achieving as well as they could, so there is still more work to do.
 
"Students leaving school with at least NCEA Level 2 has reached a milestone of 60 per cent in 2006, after barely exceeding 40 per cent under the old system in the 1990s. The report also shows that around one in ten students (11.1 per cent) now leave school with little or no formal attainment, compared with nearly one in five in 1999 (17.2 per cent).  Maori students are also showing significant improvements, with more now achieving qualifications (56 per cent), than not getting any formal qualification (44 per cent). Maori boys leaving school without a qualification is down from 53 per cent in 2005 to 46 per cent – continuing a trend of improvement.
 
"The Labour-led government is delivering a better education system, with more qualified teachers, better resources in schools, and more students staying at school longer. Investment in schools has increased from $3.9 billion in 1999 to $5.8 billion this year."

New Zealand hosts first round of Gulf States Free Trade talks

New Zealand began the first round of negotiations for a free trade agreement with the six nation Gulf Cooperation Council in Wellington on Wednesday.

Trade Minister, Phil Goff says that the Gulf states – Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman – represent a major trading partner for New Zealand and that trade will be enhanced by a Free Trade Agreement.

"New Zealand exports to the GCC states were last year worth nearly $800 million", Mr Goff said.  "Collectively it represents our seventh largest trading partner and one of our fastest growing markets.  Our export growth to the Gulf region has averaged 10 percent a year over the last six years, outperforming our export growth globally.

"The Gulf states are a major market for us in food and beverage. But market opportunities are becoming more diverse and growing. ICT and advanced industrial goods and services including education and tourism have all become an important part of our trading relationship", Mr Goff said.

"An FTA will enable us better to achieve the potential of this relationship."

Groundbreaking Apple Futures project launched

The Labour-led government will provide $2 million to fund a groundbreaking new pipfruit project spanning Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Otago and aimed at growing export fruit that has no detectable pesticide residues, Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard announced this week.

"Consumers around the world are increasingly demanding that fruit have no detectable chemical residues and New Zealand’s pipfruit industry can be a leader on this important issue of sustainability. The industry has previously pioneered the production of fruit with low environmental impacts and this project builds on that work," Trevor Mallard said.
 

The Apple Futures project is a partnership between the Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Otago regions, Pipfruit New Zealand Inc and government economic development agency New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. The government funding of $2 million over three years will be supplemented by $667,000 from the pipfruit industry. At the end of the project, Apple Futures will become the dominant part of Pipfruit New Zealand’s integrated fruit production programme.

The funding will be used to employ a national project manager and three technical staff to roll out a programme of refined orchard management techniques in Hawkes Bay, Nelson and Otago. These include more intensive plantings to make it easier to grow fruit that complies with international pest and disease regulations, wider use of biological controls and education about how to reduce pesticide use.
 

The project is expected to stop a decline in the industry’s exports and instead lead to a $152 million increase in the value of exports nationally after five years to $391 million.