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Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Cabinet Ministers Defend Hiking Board Fees For Crown Bodies
Cabinet ministers are defending a move to hike board fees for Crown bodies by up to 80 percent, insisting those in the roles are overseeing billions of dollars - not just "beer and skittles." Labour says the decision proves the government is out-of-touch with the cost-of-living crisis and has accused it of trying to sneak the news by the public. A Cabinet document, quietly uploaded online on Monday, shows ministers agreed to lift the maximum annual fee for chairs of governance boards from $90,000 to about $162,000. The "Cabinet Fees Framework" is not binding but provides guidance to ministers when deciding compensation for those on a range of bodies, such as royal commissions and ministerial inquiries. Speaking on Tuesday, Luxon said public sector fees had become completely "out of whack" with private sector rates and needed a reset. "We need to make that a little bit more competitive, so that we can actually attract good talent," he said. Luxon said paying more to ensure "really good governance teams" could save billions in the long run. Finance Minister Nicola Willis echoed the point, stressing that New Zealanders deserved value for money. "This isn't beer and skittles. This is billions of dollars of public money. We need the very best people making governance decisions about it." Public Service Minister Judith Collins told reporters that the updated fees still fell short of private sector rates - around 80 percent of the going rate. "A lot of people who are experienced directors don't want to do these jobs in the public sector because they know they're going to lose money," she said. Collins said she did not think the public would be worried by the news. "One of the problems is that we've had an underperforming public service that's taken a hell of a lot of taxpayers' money, and so it is very important that we have the right people in charge of that." Hipkins accuses government of 'twisted priorities' Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the decision revealed the government's "twisted priorities" at a time when households were doing it tough. "They're saying that board members can get up to 80 percent increases in their pay, whilst nurses and teachers are being told to settle for 1 pecent or less," he said. "They've said everyone needs to tighten their belts - apparently except for the people who they hand-picked to put on public sector boards." Hipkins rejected the idea that higher fees were necessary to attract quality candidates, calling it "absolute nonsense." He said many public appointees had altruistic motivations and were already sitting on "very well paid directorships" in the private sector as well. "They're not doing it for the money," Hipkins said. Hipkins accused the government of trying to "slip this [announcement] out quietly" without scrutiny. But Luxon denied any secrecy: "It's normal practice... how it's been communicated." Hipkins does not appear to have issued a media release as Public Service Minister in 2022 when the then-Labour Cabinet agreed to a smaller 10 percent increase in fees. In November, State Owned Enterprises minister Paul Goldsmith did publish a release about a similar but separate move to increase director fees for 22 Crown-owned companies.
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
Police Minister says record high gang numbers 'highly concerning'
For the first time, the number of patched gang members and gang prospects has surpassed 10,000 — with Police Minister Mark Mitchell acknowledging the figure is highly concerning. The number of gang members has been steadily growing in recent years. There were 9270 gang members on the National Gang List at the time of the 2023 election. As of July 10, there were 10,009 — an increase of more than 700 gang members and associates. The National Gang List counted patched members and prospects identified by state agencies. Police officer numbers are failing to keep up with the national gang member list, Benedict Collins reports. (Source: 1News) Mitchell told 1News today that the Government's tough on crime policies were working and gang numbers were now growing more slowly. ADVERTISEMENT "We're going after the gangs, we're making their life as difficult as possible," he said. He repeatedly blamed the rising gang numbers on the previous Labour-led government and their policies. "We're not going to reverse what happened under Labour [for] six years, where you saw a massive increase in gang numbers. "We're heading in the right direction." In an answer to a Parliamentary written question, however, Mitchell acknowledged the issue was alarming. "I acknowledge that it is highly concerning to see gang membership grow to this level." ADVERTISEMENT Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said the Prime Minister and his Government were failing to make New Zealanders safer. "Not only have gang numbers increased but methamphetamine levels have skyrocketed under their watch," she said. However, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today maintained his Government was "smashing the gangs". "I'm proud of the progress that we've made, I mean putting the gang patches [ban] in place — many people said that couldn't be done." Criminologist Jarrod Gilbert said the gang patch ban may actually be leading to an undercount of gang members now. "We can't identify the gangs anymore because insignia has been banned so, perversely ,we might see numbers come down on this list, it's not reflective of anything that's happening on the street it's just that the gangs are more invisible." When in opposition, the National Party repeatedly attacked the previous Labour government over rising gang numbers. Data from the Police Minister's office shows that when Labour came to power in 2017 there were 5343 individuals on the National Gang List. By the 2023 election, there were 9270 — an increase of nearly 4000 over six years.
NZ Herald
5 hours ago
- NZ Herald
British Prime Minister expected to set out proposals in what insiders envisage as public ‘moment'
Emmanuel Macron, the French President, last week became the first leader of a G7 nation to announce that he would take the step , with the formal change coming at the United Nations General Assembly in September. It came after weeks of private discussions with the United Kingdom and other allies about how and when to announce the recognition of Palestine. British officials have long favoured attaching conditions to the move to deliver tangible changes in the stance taken by Hamas, the terror group that rules Gaza and was responsible for the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. Macron argued that the announcement alone could trigger progress towards peace. Today Donald Trump, the United States President, appeared to clear the way for Starmer to change the UK's stance on recognition, saying the Prime Minister was free to take a new position. But No 10 will still be carefully calibrating Washington's reaction to any new declaration after Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, last week accused Macron of serving 'Hamas propaganda'. Today a US State Department spokesman described a United Nations conference to discuss recognition of Palestine – being attended by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary – as 'unproductive and ill-timed'. The spokesman said: 'This is a publicity stunt that comes in the middle of delicate diplomatic efforts to end the conflict'. Around 150 of the countries that are members of the UN, some three-quarters of the total, have already recognised Palestine as a state – but not the UK, the US or the biggest European economies. Britain's long-standing position has been that the step will be taken but only when it can help the peace process in the Middle East. The images of malnutrition in Gaza, including of starving children, that have made the front pages as Israel limits access to aid have fuelled renewed debate within the UK about recognition. Behind the scenes, Cabinet ministers including Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, are pushing Sir Keir to take the step. Last week, 135 Labour MPs signed a letter calling for the recognition of Palestinian statehood, while Labour mayors and the party's Scottish leadership are also piling on the pressure. Starmer has recalled his Cabinet from the northern summer parliamentary recess for a discussion about Gaza at 2am Wednesday NZT which is expected to include the approach on statehood and increased delivery of aid. Speaking to reporters during his meeting with Trump in Scotland today, the Prime Minister made clear his shock at the photographs of starvation coming from Gaza. He said: 'Certainly, speaking for the British public and myself, those images of starving children in particular are revolting and there's a sense of revulsion in the British public at what they're seeing. And they know and we know that humanitarian aid needs to get in at speed, at volume.' Trump also publicly pressed Israel to do more to get food to the Palestinians, saying there was 'real starvation' in Gaza and that the US would be setting up places with 'no boundaries' that people could reach by walking. Starmer has been hardening his rhetoric on recognising Palestine in recent days, when he also has been talking to both Macron and Friedrich Merz, the German Chancellor, about Gaza. On Friday NZT, he said it was the 'inalienable right' of Palestinians to have their own state. The following day he said he was 'unequivocal' that recognition was necessary for 'lasting peace'. But placing caveats on the declaration when he unveils his plan later this week, rather than announcing the move immediately, would risk a backlash from some in Labour. Labour MPs have expressed concerns to the Telegraph that delays could benefit the new hard-left party being set up by Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, which is championing Palestine. One Labour MP said: 'There are millions of voters deeply worried about Gaza. I think the Government are in deep trouble on the issue. 'They need to move fast but it may be too late to win voters back … This is why so many Labour MPs are so worried about their own seats.' Sir Keir is taking part in discussions, led by Jordan, about whether aid can be dropped into Gaza to help ease malnutrition. At the weekend, Israel announced that it would suspend fighting in three areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery. Starmer's official spokesman said the plan coming later this week would build 'on the collaboration to date that paves the way to a long-term solution on security in the region'. He added: 'The Prime Minister will be presenting that plan to other key allies, including the US and Arab states, over the coming days, and indeed convening Cabinet this week. You can expect to see more coming out of that.'
