Labour Party
1,385 posts | 23 images
The Government is using the smokescreen of a conscience vote on the drinking age to hide the fact it is failing to tackle the real causes of alcohol-related harm, says Labour’s Associate Justice Spokesperson Lianne Dalziel.
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Fonterra is making a potentially fatal mistake by requiring a simple majority of farmers to endorse its Trading Among Farmers (TAF) capital restructure, says Labour’s Primary Industries Spokesperson Damien O’Connor.
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Labour MP Louisa Wall is today releasing a new Member’s Bill to end discrimination in the Marriage Act 1955 so that same-sex couples have the same rights as other New Zealanders to formalise their relationship.
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Labour Leader David Shearer is calling on the Government’s allies to use their combined political muscle to force National to ditch its plan to increase class sizes.
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A major Chinese insurance company says it will not underwrite any new business in either Canterbury or Wellington and has significantly tightened up the risk criteria for other businesses.
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A report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment which raises critical issues about the future of our wild and scenic rivers and the need for a more comprehensive protection mechanism should serve as a warning to the Government, Labour’s Conservation spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.
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A protest this morning (May 31) in Paremata is a sign that National’s plans for education are not going to help the children in Mana’s schools, Labour MP for Mana Kris Faafoi said today.
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The Government’s Transport Agency should pull its head out of the sand and start working with KiwiRail and Tranz Metro to find a way to keep the Capital Connection commuter rail service operating, says Labour.
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“The Government’s admission that it is dipping in to a $20m contingency fund to cover-up its bungled teacher-pupil ratio plan clearly shows it hasn’t done its homework, Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says.
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Labour Leader David Shearer has today welcomed the decision by the Auditor-General to investigate the granting of citizenship to Bill Liu.
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Bill English’s branding of New Zealand as a cheap and efficient labour market may unfortunately be gaining traction, with a survey suggesting Kiwis are ‘happy’ to work longer hours for less in comparison to their Australian counterparts.
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John Key’s display of ignorance in Parliament today on the difference between rates of student allowances and student loan living costs is another example of National’s shambolic and contradictory education budget, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Grant Robertson says.
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A sudden decision to claw back funding from so-called education savings is an admission by the National Government that it made a huge mistake in deciding to increase class sizes, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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People power, along with common sense, has won the day with the ruling by the Liquor Licensing Authority fully in support of the Cannons Creek community and their bid to keep their homes safe from the havoc caused by alcohol, Labour MP for Mana, Kris Faafoi, said today.
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Labour Leader David Shearer has today offered his sincere condolences to the family of the three New Zealand children who lost their lives in a fire in Doha.
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Murray McCully’s decision to raid $6 million from Vote Foreign Affairs and Trade to pay for the government’s botched handling of the Rugby World Cup fan zone shows a perverse sense of priorities, says Labour’s Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Phil Goff.
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Labour will reverse National’s short-sighted and damaging plan to increase our children’s class sizes when it is elected to Government, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Dunedin Labour MPs Clare Curran and David Clark are throwing their weight behind Dunedin’s three intermediate schools which, between them, face losing nine technology teaching jobs under the Government’s plans to increase class sizes.
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The Government has the power to take action to address discrimination in adoption laws now and does not need to wait for another MP to try and push through a Member’s Bill, says Labour MP Jacinda Ardern.
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Budget documents reveal National’s cuts to economic development are three times greater than the loudly-trumpeted increases in R&D funding, Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe says.
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The Government’s sudden creation of ‘working group’ to investigate its plan to increase class sizes is just an attempt to take the heat off itself in light of a massive backlash from parents and teachers, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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A review of whether unregulated coastal shipping is putting our marine environment at risk should be a top priority for the Government in the wake of the Rena disaster, Labour’s transport spokesperson Phil Twyford says.
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Budget 2012 reinforces the Prime Minister’s Cloud Cuckoo Land notion that New Zealand doesn’t have a housing shortage, Labour’s Housing spokesperson Annette King says.
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Budget 2012 confirms that the Government has zero commitment to supporting and growing renewable energy technologies, says Labour’s Energy and Climate Change spokesperson Moana Mackey.
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New Zealand families, who are working harder than ever, paying their taxes, and making the right choices for their kids expect the government to provide the best education possible, Labour Leader David Shearer says.
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A Human Rights Commission inquiry which once again highlights the crisis aged care is in is the latest in a long series of wake up calls to the Government, Labour’s Aged care spokesman Kris Faafoi says.
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A significant cost cutting exercise within the Environment portfolio helps explain why Budget 2012 has come and gone without a sighting of Minister Amy Adams, says Labour’s Environment spokesperson Grant Robertson.
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John Key is in complete denial about the structural imbalance the New Zealand economy faces, says Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker.
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Bill English’s budget pinches pennies from paper boys and forces parents to pay more for educating their kids yet fails to make the bold decisions needed to grow our economy and give New Zealanders the chance to get ahead, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Growth forecasts have been cut, there will be 16,000 fewer jobs and the overseas debt increases every year in Budget promises announced today, says Labour’s Finance Spokesperson David Parker.
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National has delivered a Budget that will have more New Zealanders heading for airport departure lounges as they look for opportunities and a brighter future offshore, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Labour Leader David Shearer has today noted the High Court decision in the case concerning Bill Liu.
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Labour Leader David Shearer has today sent a letter to the Auditor-General asking her to investigate the decision-making process around the case involving Chinese businessman Bill Liu.
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Dairy farmers will need more than a press statement from Fonterra to reassure them that TAF protects their long-term interests, says Labour’s spokesperson for Agriculture, Damien O’Connor.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Local Labour MPs have spoken out this morning, urging Wellingtonians to have their say on local government reform.
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Mangere MP and Labour’s Employment and Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson, Su’a William Sio is encouraging the Pasifika and local communities to become involved in the “Living Wage” campaign.
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The community “Living Wage” campaign launched today will lead a long overdue dialogue about how we ensure working New Zealanders are paid enough to live decent lives and to participate in society, says Darien Fenton, Labour’s spokesperson on labour issues.
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Local roads are falling into disrepair because National is spending so much on its gold-plated motorway projects, says Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford.
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The National Government’s plans to increase class sizes but freeze teacher numbers will see a shortfall of 1,000 teachers over the next four years as a result of rising school rolls, Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says.
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The Government’s decision to ban foreign-flagged fishing vessels in New Zealand waters promises to draw to a close a shameful period of worker exploitation, Labour’s spokesperson for Labour Issues Dairen Fenton said today.
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David Parker, Pre Budget speech 7-30am, 22 May 2012, Pullman Hotel, Auckland Welcome I'm going to talk today about change.
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Workers and their families will be relieved that the Talley’s AFFCO dispute has finally been settled after three long months of uncertainty and hardship, says Darien Fenton, Labour’s spokesperson for labour issues.
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Labour will focus on growth in its response to the budget, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker told an Auckland business audience this morning.
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Today's Corrections pre-budget announcements by Anne Tolley and Pita Sharples demonstrate an astounding lack of ambition to tackle re-offending, Labour’s Justice spokesperson Charles Chauvel says.
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This year’s Budget will give young voters the opportunity to see if the current National Government is going to offer real solutions to problems such as youth unemployment.
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Budget 2012 NZMEA Council and CEO forum 21 May 2012 BNZ Russley Centre Hurunui Room, Level 1 5 Sir William Pickering Drive, Burnside.
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The Prime Minister is wrong to claim the only alternative to National’s budget choices is more borrowing, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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Labour Leader David Shearer has received assurances from MP Shane Jones that he followed the proper process when granting citizenship to Yong Ming Yan (Bill Liu) when he was associate Immigration Minister.
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The whittling down of the proposed job cuts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade will result in minor savings with maximum damage caused to our international and trade relationships, says Labour’s Deputy Leader Grant Robertson.
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The Voluntary Bonding Scheme needs to be more focused on delivering better health services for rural New Zealand, Labour spokesperson for Rural Affairs Damien O’Connor says.
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Police Minister Anne Tolley should be honest about the front line effect of this year's Budget, Labour's Police spokesperson Kris Faafoi said today.
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National’s Local Government Minister David Carter’s appearance on TVNZ’s Q+A this morning proved beyond doubt central government’s intention to see Canterbury’s assets sold off, says Labour’s State Owned Enterprises spokesperson and Canterbury MP, Clayton Cosgrove.
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The second report of the Land and Water Forum, released yesterday, is a landmark in the establishment of a collaborative process for managing freshwater in New Zealand and must be picked up by the Government, Labour’s Environment spokesperson Grant Robertson said.
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An explosion in the cost of state sector consultants and contractors over the last five years clearly shows that the National Government has failed to live up to its promise of a more efficient public service focused on the frontline, says Labour's State Services spokesperson Chris Hipkins.
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Anne Tolley’s assurance that this year’s Budget will have no impact on the front line is just pure nonsense, said Labour’s Police spokesperson Kris Faafoi.
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"The so-called due diligence for the new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is a farce designed to legitimise a purely political decision," says Labour’s Economic Development Spokesperson David Cunliffe.
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Wellington Central Labour MP Grant Robertson is urging the government to make an on-going commitment to improving social housing in central Wellington, following news that most tenants of the Gordon Wilson complex have been rehoused.
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The Government’s Social Housing Unit (SHU) Growth Fund pales in comparison to what the Housing Innovation Fund would have achieved under Labour’s stewardship, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Annette King.
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Labour today warned that the reluctance by the Commerce Commission to challenge the growing market dominance of Sky TV was a weakening of its role to defend a competitive market, for the benefit of New Zealand consumers.
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The Government is determined to do what’s right by Treasury rather than what’s right by our teachers and children, Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says.
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Promises of stronger growth have been seen before, but the Government isn’t doing enough to grow incomes and jobs, Labour’s Finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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The government's legislation to administer New Zealand's exclusive economic zone fails to meet the expectations of New Zealanders that the law will protect and preserve our marine environment, Labour’s Environment spokesperson Grant Robertson and Labour Energy spokesperson Moana Mackey say.
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Revised GDP figures out today show what everyone knows but the Government refuses to acknowledge – that the economy has hardly grown since National has been in office, Labour’s finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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Not holding hearings on asset sales in the run up to the budget is a deliberate tactic by National to save itself from embarrassment, Labour’s finance spokesperson David Parker says.
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Revelations that the Royal New Zealand Navy cannot put all its inshore patrol vessels to sea because of a lack of crew are a damning indictment on Defence Minister Jonathon Coleman's management of his portfolio, says Labour's Defence Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.
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Giving the disabilities sector the largest slice of the Health Budget will be welcomed, but without details as to where this ‘new’ funding is coming from we can’t be sure others aren’t missing out, Labour’s Disabilities spokesperson Clare Curran said today.
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The Government’s decision to hike prescription costs will hurt the most vulnerable members of our communities and put families with children, elderly and sick people at risk, says Labour's Pacific Island spokesperson Su’a William Sio.
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Increasing prescription prices to subsidise other health services punishes the wrong people, says Labour’s Health spokesperson Maryan Street.
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National's sudden decision to force Kiwis to pay more for health services is affirmation that it has failed to properly manage the economy or create growth, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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Plans to buy hand-me-down Australian navy helicopters sound suspiciously like a dirty deal about to be done bad, Labour's Defence Spokesperson Iain Lees-Galloway.
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CHRISTCHURCH — The Government can not be allowed to make arbitrary decisions about the educational needs of post-earthquake Christchurch without the full engagement of the community and education leaders, Labour’s Education spokesperson Nanaia Mahuta says.
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Today’s Court of Appeal ruling that parents caring for disabled children are being unreasonably discriminated against should embarrass the Government into dropping any further proceedings, says Labour’s Disabilities spokesperson Clare Curran.
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Moves to destabilise collective bargaining undermine the effort and pride New Zealanders put into their work, says Labour’s spokesperson for Labour Issues Darien Fenton.
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Massive numbers of Kiwi job-seekers turning up at a weekend expo is further proof New Zealanders see better prospects for their future across the ditch, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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A record fall in core retail sales is an ominous warning that a double dip recession could be on the cards, Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe says.
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Despite ME and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome affecting around 20,000 New Zealanders, many people are unaware the conditions exist, says Maryan Street, Labour's Health Spokesperson.
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John Key’s calculations around the cost of Mondayising public holidays read like Maths 101 gone wrong, says Labour MP David Clark.
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Labour today joins with all New Zealanders to acknowledge the work and worth of nurses on International Nurses Day.
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WELLINGTON CITY — Housing Minister Phil Heatley must ensure that the 130 tenants who have received relocation notices from Housing New Zealand flats on the Terrace will be given adequate time to find appropriate accommodation, Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson says.
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The disturbing state of New Zealand’s building and construction industry has been brought to the fore with the release today of the report into the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof, Labour’s Building and Construction spokesperson Raymond Huo says.
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A year and a half of waiting and agonising has ended with a broken promise for the Pike River families, Labour MP for West Coast-Tasman, Damien O’Connor, says.
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Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson will be meeting with Housing New Zealand officials tomorrow morning to seek an assurance that all of the tenants in the Gordon Wilson Housing New Zealand block will be accommodated in suitable, local accommodation in the wake of the issuing of seven day relocation notices to the tenants.
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The New Zealand fruit industry could be decimated after confirmation from the Government that there has been a serious biosecurity breach involving the devastating Queensland fruit fly, says Labour’s Biosecurity spokesperson Damien O’Connor.
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Labour is urging John Key to throw his weight behind efforts to improve safety standards in our adventure tourism industry in light of concerns that the implementation of new rules is progressing too slowly.
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While Maori tourism industry has the potential to rival the best in the world the National government has done little to encourage its growth, Labour’s Tourism spokesperson Rino Tirikatene says.
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The Government’s claim that the number of people in employment has increased over the past six months misses the point that most were only able to find part-time work, says Labour’s Employment Spokesperson Su’a William Sio.
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Judges don’t seem to believe Attorney General Chris Finlayson when he seeks to minimise suggestions that there are plans not to replace retiring Judges, or to relieve Judges with other responsibilities, says Charles Chauvel.
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Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson, Su’a William Sio, wishes to pass his regrets to the family of former Cook Islands Prime Minister, Sir Geoffrey Henry, who lost his battle with cancer overnight.
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News today that Manufacturing index numbers have crashed nearly 6 per cent in March, is yet another sign of an economy going backwards, says Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe.
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Labour Leader David Shearer is calling on New Zealanders to express their opposition to National’s plan to sell our assets by signing the petition to force a citizens initiated referendum on the issue.
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A private members bill, released today, would ensure the survival of TVNZ7, New Zealand’s only wholly non-commercial television channel which is about to be dumped by the National Government.
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The Minister of Housing has his agency scrambling to hire staff just two months after the launch of his flagship call centre scheme, proving it has been an abject failure, says Labour’s Housing spokesperson Annette King.
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The fact that economic growth under this Government is the worst in five decades is further evidence of National’s failure to deliver on its promise of a brighter future for all Kiwis, says Labour Leader David Shearer.
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The Government’s ideologically based agenda could worsen industrial relations in New Zealand and potentially damage our international reputation, documents obtained by Labour reveal.
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Giving children the resources to learn a second language is something most parents applaud, yet opportunities for Pasifika children are being stymied by the National-led Government, says Labour’s Pacific Island Affairs spokesperson Su’a William Sio.
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DUNEDIN — The Dunedin Economic Development Strategy, released today, is being welcomed by Dunedin Labour MPs David Clark and Clare Curran.
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Shadow Leader of the House Trevor Mallard today released a set of National Party Board and Board Committee minutes that reveal ‘disturbing’ internal ructions.
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Labour’s Transport spokesperson Phil Twyford is calling on Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee to sort out continuing delays in the roll out of Auckland’s public transport integrated ticketing system.
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Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce admitted in Parliament today that 4000 to 5000 students attempting to undertake postgraduate study will lose their student allowances under the changes to the scheme he announced last week, Labour’s Tertiary Education spokesperson Grant Robertson says.
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