New Zealand on the international stage

Prime Minister Helen Clark has been in Europe this week for high level talks with the leaders of Britain, France, NATO, and the European Union, to attend the ninetieth anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium, and take part in trade and tourism promotions around the Rugby World Cup. She has made a number of announcements and delivered numerous speeches. For more information, please see www.beehive.govt.nz/clark.

In a speech to the Oxford Union Prime Minister Helen Clark highlighted New Zealand's position as a principled, constructive, and engaged international citizen. The authority of the UN Security Council, the World Trade Organisation, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the myriad of other rules setting bodies matter to us. Our major international interests are:

• Peace and security. We want to de-alert nuclear weapons. On unexploded cluster munitions, our experts help affected communities, and we are pushing for a treaty to stop deployment of these indiscriminate weapons. We are also active in peacekeeping in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
• Trade. NZ wants more openness across the board, and is pushing in particular for the WTO to open up agricultural trade, which is also in the interests of developing countries. We are forging new trade links with APEC – Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Chile, and Brunei, and we are working on a FTA with China.
• Environment. Aiming to move New Zealand to carbon neutrality over time, a new government scheme puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions covering all sectors of the economy. New Zealanders also work internationally on everything from whaling and the Antarctic, to fishing quotas, sea bird protection, and the Kyoto Protocol.
• Human rights. We stand up for the rule of law and the human rights upheld by the United Nations. Too few people around the world enjoy the personal freedoms taken for granted in western democracies.
• Intercivilisation and interfaith dialogue. New Zealand is active in bridging the divide between the western world's Judaeo-Christian ethos and the Islamic world. He recently hosted the Asia Pacific Interfaith Dialogue, and a forum on the UN's Alliance of Civilisations initiative.
• Development assistance. New Zealand is boosting its aid programme to 0.35 per cent of by 2010/11, whilst helping with very open markets for goods from developing countries, labour mobility for South Pacific people, and peacekeeping to help stabilise governments.

In a world were might is right, small countries lose out, so New Zealand emphasises multilateralism and a rules based international order.

Compliance costs down for small business

Compliance costs for small business have fallen by 34 per cent in two years, according to a new survey report.

The Business NZ-KPMG Compliance Cost Survey shows that for firms employing 5 or fewer staff compliance costs have fallen to $2,384 from $3,353 per full time employee last year and $3,604 in 2005. This is a major advance for small businesses because the per-employee cost of compliance is highest for them. The news comes on the heels of confirmation that New Zealand is one of the easiest countries in the world to do business, retaining second place ranking in the World Bank's Doing Business survey – an international benchmark for ease of doing business across 178 countries.

New Transport Laws Introduced

A new law toughens up on people who drive under the influence of illegal drugs. The Land Transport Amendment Bill, tabled in Parliament this week, introduces a compulsory roadside impairment test and will give police greater powers to catch these people. Penalties for the new offence will be the same as those for drink driving. The Bill also aims to improve protection of personal information held on the Motor Vehicle Register, which contains the names and address of all owners. Request for information will be addressed under the Official Information Act or through an authorised-access procedure.

For more info, please see Transport Minister Annette King's statement, here.

Older people benefiting from Health Spending

Cheaper GP visits have older people visiting their doctor more often. Older couples now pay $360 a year to see GP, down from over $760 per year. An independent report says older people recorded a 24 percent increase in consultation rates. Cost is a huge barrier to accessing primary health care and by moving the barrier; the Government has improved people’s access to vital services. The Government is committed to have a health service that is affordable and encourage people stay well.

For more information on the Victoria University of Wellington report: www.victoria.ac.nz/hsrc.

Police Minister encouraged by latest crime stats

Almost zero increase in recorded offences for the past year and 2194 more offences resolved. Police have done a great job in resolving more crime, and in focusing on specific crimes in specific areas to bring down the number of recorded offences. New Zealand has have an efficient and hard-working police service that is committed to making our communities safer places to live.

For more information on the Police figures, please visit: www.police.govt.nz/service/statistics/2007/fiscal/

Pay or stay initiative hits $3m in first year

Since Pay or Stay began in 2006, $3 million has either been collected or put on arrangement. Under Pay or Stay people can be stopped coming into New Zealand or leaving if they owe fines or reparation. The aim is to get more people arranging to pay reparations or fines before they travel, knowing if they don’t, they could be stopped at the border. Pay or Stay initiative is an important part of Labour-led Government’s drive to make it tougher for those who don’t pay their fines, and easier for those who do. Pay or Stay has been successful in giving all New Zealanders a strong message that the system won’t tolerate people dodging the payment of their fines or reparation to victims.

For more info, please see www.payorstay.govt.nz.