Labour Party
1,385 posts | 23 images
Labour has today delivered to John Key almost 1000 submissions from New Zealanders expressing their strong opposition to his deal with Sky City which would allow it to put more pokies in its casino in return for a convention centre, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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A lower than expected tax take is the result of a stuttering, under-performing economy that the Government has failed to grow, Labour’s Finance spokesman David Parker says.
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The recent Kim Dotcom litigation and the so-called ‘tea tapes’ saga paint a disturbing picture of National's conduct of Government legal services, says Labour’s shadow Attorney-General Charles Chauvel.
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The objectives of the Reserve Bank are out of date, and reflect an era when inflation, rather than growth and overseas debt were New Zealand’s main economic concerns, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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A select few High Country farmers have been handed a sweetener from the Government in the form of cheap rents, says Raymond Huo, Labour’s spokesperson for Land Information.
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Gerry Brownlee and Simon Bridges should stop twiddling their thumbs over children's safety on our roads and bring New Zealand into line with international standards on child restraint use in vehicles, says Labour's Transport Safety spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.
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The signal from Steven Joyce that he will move to reduce the size of University Councils is further bad news for students, in the wake of cuts to allowances and a hike in the repayment rate for student loans, says Labour’s Tertiary Education Spokesperson Grant Robertson.
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Solid Energy’s assets can be privatised well below the supposed 51 per cent public ownership limit and the Government can’t argue otherwise, Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe and State Owned Enterprises Spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove said today.
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Labour will make the bold choices needed to create opportunity and grow our economy so that all New Zealanders can look forward to a prosperous future, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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The National government might want to change it’s ‘brighter future’ slogan to one that better reflects reality as the number of people out of work hits a near two-year high and women face unemployment in numbers not seen since 1998, Labour’s Employment spokesperson Su’a William Sio says.
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National’s failure to see tertiary education and training as an investment has been confirmed with the announcement of a 20 per cent increase in student loan repayment rates and reduced eligibility for student allowances, says Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Grant Roberson.
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Today’s revelation that unemployment is back up to 6.7% confirms that the Government’s approach to economic management simply isn’t working, say Labour’s Finance Spokesperson David Parker and Economic Development Spokesperson David Cunliffe.
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Labour’s Wellington-based MPs are preparing to host a public meeting about the Government’s plan to allow for off-shore drilling in the Pegasus Basin to ensure that the public are able to have their say.
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A year old briefing paper detailing the psychological impacts of disaster, which was collecting dust on government shelves, was today brushed off and brought to the attention of Parliament by Lianne Dalziel.
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Until the Government recognises the need for a cultural shift to support change, claims it is improving workplace health and safety will ring hollow, says Labour’s spokesperson for Labour Issues Darien Fenton.
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Leaked documents due to go before Cabinet next week show the Government has revised its original plan and will now axe 146 foreign service jobs and close New Zealand’s embassy in Stockholm next month, says Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Phil Goff.
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John Key should follow the quite useful advice that he’s doled out to previous Prime Ministers that they should stand down a minister because of alleged unethical behaviour, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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National will slash student allowance eligibility in May’s Budget, reinforcing its narrow vision that education is a cost rather than an investment, says Labour’s Deputy Leader and Tertiary Education spokesperson Grant Robertson.
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News that Hillside workers have been barred from commenting on the numerous faults found with KiwiRail’s Chinese-made wagons, underlines the need for a full inquiry, says Labour MP for Dunedin South Clare Curran.
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The Government must fully explain its plans to tender for off-shore drilling in the Pegasus Basin area and let the public have a say on those plans, Wellington Central MP and Labour’s Environment spokesperson, Grant Robertson, says.
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An application by Weta Digital to the Immigration Department for approval to hire 369 foreign workers could see many Kiwi production crew left to play bit parts in their own industry, Labour’s Immigration and Labour spokesperson, Darien Fenton, says.
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National’s failed export policy threatens New Zealand’s future, says Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe.
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The possible death of yet another Maui’s dolphin must spur the government to act immediately to save the critically endangered species, says Labour’s acting Conservation spokesperson Grant Robertson.
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The fact John Key won’t ask John Banks whether he knew a $50,000 donation came from Kim Dotcom shows he’s prepared to turn a blind eye to a potential breach of electoral law to protect his political ally, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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John Banks’ appearance on TVNZ’s Q+A programme this morning has only created more doubt about the disclosure of anonymous donations in his mayoral campaign, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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The Prime Minister should immediately stand John Banks down from his Ministerial portfolios in light of fresh allegations about donations to his mayoral campaign, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Labour Leader David Shearer today paid tribute to legendary All Blacks captain and coach Sir Fred Allen.
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Putting a halt to the mega ministry (MOBIE) would be the best gift the government could give workers and their families on Workers’ Memorial Day, says Darien Fenton, Labour’s spokesperson for Labour Issues.
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MP for Manukau East, Ross Robertson, today challenged a group of leaders from Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate Senior School in Otara, to prove wrong the public’s negative perceptions of South Auckland.
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New Zealand should be a world leader in democratic accountability and transparency, according to Ross Robertson, Labour MP for Manukau East, who spoke to an audience of Rotary members this morning on good governance and democracy.
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National’s fondness for doing backroom deals will undermine our immigration system and are unfair to Kiwi workers, Labour’s Immigration spokesperson Darien Fenton says.
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National's plans to privatise up to a quarter of New Zealand's prison capacity obviously need a rethink, says Labour's Justice Sector Spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
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The way our public power companies are being privatised is nothing like the promise the National Government put to the electorate, Labour Leader David Shearer said today.
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Another ANZAC Day is set to pass as the Government continues to procrastinate over recommended changes to the way veterans are recompensed for service to their country, Labour’s Veterans’ Affairs spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.
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The government’s rushed plan to merge four government departments is a recipe for disaster, says Labour’s Economic Development Spokesperson David Cunliffe.
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The fact that more than 1000 Kiwis are fleeing to Australia every week proves that this Government has failed to get our economy going and to provide New Zealanders with the opportunities and incomes they need to stay at home, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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What will farmers be voting on if they haven’t the opportunity to study the detail of trading among farmers (TAF) proposals? Labour’s Primary Industries spokesperson Damien O’Connor asked today.
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The ‘wet bus ticket’ punishment dished out by the State Services Commissioner to Department of Building and Housing Chief Executive Katrina Bach sets a dangerous precedent for what is acceptable behaviour from a senior public servant, says Labour’s Acting State Services Spokesperson Grant Robertson.
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Labour MPs based in Christchurch have this morning expressed their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Larry Ross who passed away yesterday morning.
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The Government’s refusal to hold a thorough, independent inquiry into the grounding of the Rena is irresponsible given the important lessons that could be learned, Labour’s Environment spokesperson and Deputy Leader, Grant Robertson said today.
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Squeals from the Tobacco industry about a law change which will enforce plain packaging in New Zealand, simply reinforce the move is a step in the right direction, says Labour’s Associate Health spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.
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f saying one thing but doing another was to become a degree subject John Key would have a doctorate in it, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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The decision to privatise Hillside workshops and Solid Energy's confirmation that SOEs are free to sell 100 per cent of subsidiaries, blows to bits the Government’s hollow pledge to retain majority ownership and control of state assets, Labour's Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe said today.
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National’s promise to close the wage gap with Australia has come to nothing, with Kiwis now rolling cigarettes for our Tasman neighbour, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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Confirmation that it was John Key who offered the deal to Sky City so it could have more pokies in return for a convention centre shows this Government cares more about dodgy deals than doing what is right for New Zealanders, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford has released an easy-to-understand eight-point plan in a bid to help the new Consumer Affairs Minister regulate wheel clampers.
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The creation of yet another layer of bureaucracy for the Christchurch rebuild will come as cold comfort for a city that expected its vision to be realised by the government, says Labour’s Earthquake Recovery spokesperson Lianne Dalziel.
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John Key’s belated observation that the high New Zealand dollar is overpriced to the detriment of our exporters is not news to exporters or Labour, says Labour’s Finance Spokesperson David Parker.
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New Consumer Affairs Minister Simon Bridges is pussy-footing around with his proposed good manners guide to wheel-clamping, Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford says.
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Figures released today by Maurice Williamson are just another attempt to cover up the Government’s shoddy monitoring and investigations of consent conditions, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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Labour has today begun working with political leaders to progress moves to extend the paid parental leave scheme which invests in the wellbeing of Kiwi mums, dads and their babies.
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Serious questions need to be asked about the Government's commitment to preventing family violence with the police now no longer gathering statistics that distinguish family and non-family violence, Labour's Police spokesperson Kris Faafoi says.
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National’s tired old attacks on anyone who has an idea about how to grow the economy exposes its complete failure to come up with a plan to get our country going, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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The Chief Families Commissioner unwisely entered into a political debate and should not now try to wiggle out of it, Labour’s Associate Social Development spokesperson and former Chief Commissioner Rajen Prasad says.
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Despite a load of tough talk National has failed to deliver on its repeated promises to make the public service more efficient, with Kiwi taxpayers now paying more in order to get less, Labour’s State Services spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.
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Investing in science and research is the way to create innovative industries that lead to higher productivity and higher earnings for New Zealanders and the country as a whole, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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The Government is deliberately ignoring health data that doesn’t tell the story it wants the public to hear, Labour’s Associate Health spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.
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The international recall of a second metal-on-metal hip replacement device should cause the government to re-think its decision to block a Health select committee inquiry into these devices, says Labour’s Health spokesperson Maryan Street.
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Labour is seeking a 'conversation' with the Government over extensions to paid parental leave after the Acting Prime Minister today indicated there could be room for compromise.
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Energy Minister Phil Heatley needs to address people’s concerns about the safety of oil and gas exploration before accelerating deep sea drilling in New Zealand waters, Labour’s Energy spokesperson Moana Mackey says.
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The Government is deliberately ignoring health data that doesn’t tell the story it wants the public to hear, Labour’s Associate Health spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway says.
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The Family Commissioner’s latest rush of blood to the head regarding the ‘expense’ of extending paid parental leave is most peculiar given he was advocating for it just a few months ago, Labour leader David Shearer says.
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New Zealanders are demanding increased transparency and ethics in politics and it’s up to politicians to take notice, Labour’s Open Government spokesperson Clare Curran says.
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Keeping the spirit alive, both literally and figuratively, is behind a move by Dunedin’s past and present women MPs.
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A new survey has confirmed that businesses were let down by National’s punitive tax hikes on Kiwi firms engaging in research and development, says Labour’s Economic Development Spokesperson David Cunliffe.
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The government’s determination to push back the entry of agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) shows a double standard in National’s supposed commitment to fiscal austerity, says Labour’s Climate Change spokesperson Moana Mackey.
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Propping up Wanganui Collegiate to the tune of $800,000 while slapping down a Bill that supports babies getting a good start in life is more than a double standard, Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says.
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A so-called ‘minor policy decision’ will allow National to sell off more than half of the value our power companies generate despite its promise to keep dividends flowing back to Kiwi taxpayers, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Latest data shows New Zealand's economy is still struggling to claw its way out of an extended rut, Labour's Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe says.
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The Government should be doing some serious self-analysis following the release of a report that shows its social housing policy is not up to task on the same day another report highlights New Zealand’s on-going rental crisis, Labour’s Housing spokesperson Annette King says.
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Confirmation that the Government is likely to veto a parental leave Bill before it has even had its first reading highlights its arrogance towards parliamentary process, Labour MP Sue Moroney says.
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Labour’s Tourism spokesperson Rino Tirikatene is urging New Zealanders to have their say on the urgent interim measures proposed to save the critically endangered Maui dolphin – an iconic taonga species.
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The behaviour of Housing New Zealand under Phil Heatley is bordering on the absurd, says Annette King Labour's spokesperson on Housing.
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Parents will have more quality time to bond with their new-born babies under a Bill introduced in Parliament by Labour MP, Sue Moroney.
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Ross Robertson, Labour MP for Manukau East and Associate Spokesperson for Disarmament (Small Arms and Light Weapons), has written to congratulate Aung San Suu Kyi on her election to parliament in Burma/Myanmar.
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The Government’s response to the possible extinction of the Maui’s dolphin will be under worldwide scrutiny, Labour’s Conservation spokesperson Ruth Dyson has warned.
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A Labour private members bill will require TVNZ to fund public broadcasting channel TVNZ7, a measure which would save the channel due to be axed in June, says Labour’s Broadcasting spokesperson Clare Curran.
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The National Government’s so-called ‘Roads of National Significance’ are grandiose, ill-considered and offer Kiwis poor value for money – just like Muldoon’s Think Big energy projects of the 1980s, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford.
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Justice Minister Judith Collins’ haste to create a civil detention regime for New Zealand’s worst sex offenders will not deter Labour from seeking thorough consultation and a full select committee process, says Labour’s Justice spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
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The Government’s decision to prosecute the Rena’s owners is the latest move in a series of piece-meal efforts to make amends for its inadequate response to the grounding of the Rena, Labour’s Environment spokesperson Grant Robertson says.
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It appears the Prime Minister has ignored warnings from his own security agencies on Huawei’s involvement in our broadband infrastructure, Labour’s Communications and IT spokesperson Clare Curran says.
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My thanks and congratulations to Lizzie and everyone responsible for this evening.
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The Government should have no problem supporting a bill to make ratepayer owned ports accessible under the Official Information Act, says Labour MP Darien Fenton.
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At the same time the Government was announcing more red ink in its Crown accounts, National Party MPs were block-voting to stop Treasury being called in front of the Finance and Expenditure Committee, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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Landmines are a dangerous legacy of too many conflicts and must be banned world-wide, says Labour’s Disarmament spokesperson, Maryan Street.
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Labour’s Defence Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway has today extended his sympathy and condolences to the family of Corporal Douglas Hughes, who died in Afghanistan yesterday (April 3, 2012).
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Farmers have every reason to be concerned by the National Government’s unseemly haste to push through the Dairy Industry Restructuring Amendment Bill, Labour’s Party Primary Industries spokesperson Damien O’Connor says “Labour raised a number of concerns in the lead up to this legislation’s development.
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Eighty MPs from New Zealand political parties have joined forces to demonstrate their commitment to better regulation of the international trading of conventional weapons by signing the Control Arms Global Parliamentary Declaration on the Arms Trade Treaty, says Labour MP Ross Robertson.
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While it’s good that the lockout threat has been lifted at the Ports of Auckland, the on-going plight of locked out meat workers in small town New Zealand must not be forgotten, says Labour’s spokesperson for labour issues Darien Fenton. “About 1000 workers employed by Talley's AFFCO meatworks are now into their 5th week of being locked out.
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Labour will tomorrow ask the Education & Science Select Committee to conduct an inquiry into whether teaching children Pacific languages as well as English helps them succeed, says Su’a William Sio, Labour’s spokesperson on Pacific Island Affairs.
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John Key’s admission today that he chaired the committee which appointed his own electorate chair Stephen McElrea to the board of NZ on Air directly links the Prime Minister to allegations of cronyism and political interference, says Labour’s Broadcasting spokesperson Clare Curran.
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The Ports of Auckland decision to lift its lockout notice and an agreement to move to facilitated bargaining will come as a welcome relief to everyone affected by the dispute, says Labour's spokesperson for labour issues Darien Fenton.
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While it’s good that the lockout threat has been lifted at the Ports of Auckland, the on-going plight of locked out meat workers in small town New Zealand must not be forgotten, says Labour’s spokesperson for labour issues Darien Fenton. “About 1000 workers employed by Talley's AFFCO meatworks are now into their 5th week of being locked out.
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