Labour Leader David Cunliffe says Labour has set a vision for a high value sustainable economy which will create better jobs and higher wages for all New Zealanders. 'We need to work on the three I's to get there, Investment, Innovation & Industry in order to build that high value economy'.
Justice Minister Judith Collins has revealed she had a dinner with the head of Oravida and a senior Chinese government official while in China last year and admits she was wrong not to disclose the dinner last week. Mrs Collins has been under pressure to explain her dealings with the milk company Oravida, where her husband is a director.
New Zealanders will vote on whether New Zealand gets a new flag during the next Parliamentary term. Mr Key said in a speech at Victoria University that the design of the current flag symbolised a colonial and post-colonial era whose time has passed.
Big rises in household power bills are largely because of higher charges from Transpower to recover the cost of recent national grid upgrades, says Prime Minister John Key. Consumers in Wellington and Auckland have recently been told by power companies, including Genesis and Meridian, of big increases in their daily fixed charges which are only partly offset by small decreases in per unit charges.
Prime Minister John Key has announced that this year's election will take place on September 20.
Labour would ensure the owners of the Rena would fully remove the wrecked containership if elected. Leader David Cunliffe said a Labour Government would order that the whole wreck be taken off the Astrolabe Reef in the Bay of Plenty. It comes after the ship's owners and insurers recently confirmed they would seek resource consent to leave much of the wreck on the reef.
John Key has given up on the Genesis sale before it has even begun by saying he may only be able to sell 30 per cent of the state asset, Labour Leader David Cunliffe says.
Labour Leader David Cunliffe has confirmed former Alliance Party President Matt McCarten as his new Chief of Staff. Unionist Mr McCarten, who started his political career with the Labour Party but more recently worked with Hone Harawira's Mana Party, was announced as Wendy Brandon's replacement as Chief of Staff by Mr Cunliffe.
The Government has announced its Genesis share offer will proceed next month but it may sell less than the 49 per cent offered if there is not enough demand from potential buyers in a "front end bookbuild".The Government expects to sell between 30 per cent and 49 per cent of the shares in genesis. When the programme was first mooted, the government said it would offer up to 49 per cent of power companies.
Prime Minster John Key when asked pre-election how he thought NZ First under Winston Peters would prefer to form a coalition with has said it would be with a Greens/Labour lead government.
Prime Minister John Key said today he was not planning a review of superannuation in New Zealand and was "comfortable" with the costs of superannuation. It was currently costing about 4.5 per cent of gdp and there were many countries where it cost in excess of 7 per cent of gdp. At the peak of baby boomers claiming super, it would cost between 8 per cent and 9 per of GDP.
Prime Minister John Key has confirmed the Government will go ahead with the partial privatisation of Genesis Energy over the next month or so but has underlined the sale will be the last one under a National Government.
The minimum wage will go up 50c to $14.25 an hour from April 1 this year, Prime Minister John Key. The increase is ahead of expectations of a 25c rise but remains well short of the $18.80 an hour living wage campaigners say is needed to feed two adults and two children in New Zealand.
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says the development of housing within Christchurch’s new frame will provide exciting opportunities for inner-city living and help with renewal of the central city. “The Crown will build the central park, as well as the Margaret Mahy Family Playground and streetscape, and provide serviced Super-Lots to help developers build each stage of the new community,”
Labour's Shane Jones further escalated his battle with Countdown today by suggesting in Parliament that a leading Australasian businessman has "leaned on'' local suppliers to discourage them from taking part in a Commerce Commission inquiry into the supermarket giant's business practices.
New Zealand suppliers are fearful of speaking to the Commerce Commission about anti-competitive behaviour in case they are blacklisted across the Tasman, Labour MP Shane Jones has claimed in Parliament today.
The Press Gallery were showered with a suite of insults by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters on his way into Parliament (Wednesday Feb 12). Their sin was to ask him whether he had visited Dotcom’s mansion in Coatesville three times, as Prime Minister John Key alleged. Peters’ not only refused to answer, he contrived to make any such visits a matter of privacy - not that that’s an admission he had them.
Supermarket giant Countdown - already facing a consumer backlash over its Australian parent's ban on New Zealand products - is accused of blackmailing New Zealand suppliers into paying to keep their products on its shelves.
Prime Minister John Key said it would be good to get an apology from Japan for one of its whaling fleet entering New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone, but he doesn't know if he will get one.
Labour leader David Cunliffe has questioned whether Prime Minister John Key is discussing the details of the work of New Zealand's intelligence agencies as a smokescreen in case of leaks about New Zealand from Edward Snowden.
Waitangi protests were muted from past years, but still activists wanted the politicians to hear them and local Maori were keen for the media to stay back and not film.
Prime Minister John Key offered a challenge of his own to protesters at what he said was one of the quietest pre Waitangi Day visits to Te Tii Marae in many years. Winston Peters also felt their was a time and a place for protest which was at Parliament and not on New Zealand's national day.
Prime Minister John Key talks to Newstalk ZB's Leighton Smith about the upcoming elections, the possibility of working with Winston Peters, and his pledge to see out another full term if elected.
A scuffle broke out at Te Tii Marae at Waitangi today when Governor-General Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae and his wife were making their way onto the marae, welcomed by Titewhai Harawira ahead of Waitangi Day celebrations.
Prime Minister John Key would want the largest party with the vote to form a government and would have a 'moral mandate'to do so, He feels the NZ public would want the largest party to have 'first crack' at forming that government.
Parliament’s leaders have made their opening statement today. Act leader John Banks followed Mana’s Hone Harawira talking about poverty and his own experience. Banks talks emotionally about 'The Very Dark Hole' that he lived in and that what matters most is unconditional love and a world class education.
Mana Party Leader and sole MP Hone Harawira is "taking the mickey" with his frequent absences from Parliament, Prime Minister John Key says. Mr Key's comment this morning comes on the first day of the Parliamentary year as MPs face stiffer financial penalties for unjustified absences from the House.
Labour leader David Cunliffe has set out a policy to give most parents of new born babies a payment of $60 a week until that baby turns one, while those on middle and lower incomes will continue to receive the payment until the child turns three. In his State of the Nation address, Mr Cunliffe also set out a raft of other measures for parents of young children, including free antenatal classes for all first time mothers, and extending early childhood education subsidies from 20 free hours a week to 25 hours.
Labour leader David Cunliffe has set out a policy to give most parents of new born babies a payment of $60 a week until that baby turns one, while those on middle and lower incomes will continue to receive the payment until the child turns three.
Labour leader David Cunliffe has set out a policy to give most parents of new born babies a payment of $60 a week until that baby turns one, while those on middle and lower incomes will continue to receive the payment until the child turns three.
Prime Minister John Key this morning hinted that National is working on its own legislation to extend paid parental leave but for a shorter period than the 26 weeks Labour is pushing for.
John Key delivered his 'State of the Nation' style speech which has kicked off the election year with new developments in the education sector.
The Government's creation of new roles in NZ schools - including 'executive principals' and 'expert teachers' - has been cautiously welcomed by the teaching profession. The change was announced today by Prime Minister John Key in a state of the nation-style speech in Auckland.
The leadership of New Zealand schools has been overhauled, with the Government creating new roles including 'executive principals' and 'expert teachers'. The change was announced today by Prime Minister John Key in a state of the nation-style speech in Auckland