Latest news with #NicolaGrigg
Scoop
15 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Fifth Year In A Row Of Equal Gender Representation On Public Sector Boards
Minister for Women For the fifth consecutive year, women's representation on public sector boards and committees has reached 50 percent or above, with women now holding 52.1 percent of public sector board roles, Minister for Women Nicola Grigg says. Ms Grigg announced the results of the 2024 stocktake of gender and ethnic diversity on public sector boards and committees at an Institute of Directors event on Wednesday. 'I am delighted to see that women's representation in public sector governance remains strong, and that women also continue to be well-represented in Board chair positions – at 44.5 percent. 'We know that having more women in leadership not only brings about greater diversity but is better for business with a positive impact on financial performance and better decision making.' Ms Grigg says that Māori and ethnic diversity on public sector boards has also increased since collection of ethnicity data began in 2019. 'There are many great women leaders in New Zealand who have achieved amazing things. A big part of what we need to do now is inspire the next generation of leaders, and this includes identifying, supporting, and growing future generations of women in governance. 'This is a great achievement, but the work is not done. It's taken a deliberate and coordinated effort to achieve this result, and we continue to focus on ensuring we have gender-balanced boards appointed on merit that result in better governance practices, decision-making and financial performance and, ultimately, better outcomes for New Zealanders.'
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Backing Horticulture: Record Returns & Red Tape Removed
Press Release – New Zealand Government The horticulture industry is going from strength to strength as export revenue is set to reach $8.0 billion this year, up 12 per cent on last year and kiwifruit is leading the way, Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg says. Minister of Agriculture Record global sales and strong grower returns from Zespri confirm that New Zealand's horticulture sector is back on track and growing fast—driven by hardworking growers and a Government focused on lifting productivity and cutting red tape. 'This week's announcement by Zespri of more than $5 billion in global sales for the 2024/25 season marks a 31 per cent increase on the previous year, with a record 220.9 million trays sold. Direct grower returns have topped $3 billion for the first time, highlighting both strong demand and growing confidence in the sector,' Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. 'The horticulture industry is going from strength to strength as export revenue is set to reach $8.0 billion this year, up 12 per cent on last year and kiwifruit is leading the way,' Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg says. 'This Government is backing growers with practical policy, better market access, and fewer bureaucratic obstacles to increase returns at the farm gate,' Mr McClay says. 'Last year, we moved at pace to bring the EU Free Trade Agreement into force many months ahead of schedule, saving New Zealand kiwifruit exporters $43 million in tariffs in the first year alone. Since then, kiwifruit exports have increased by 69 per cent, contributing a further $316 million.' Key actions the Government has taken to free up horticulture and drive farmgate returns include: Removing barriers to vegetable growing Improving the Freshwater Farm Plan system Passing an RMA amendment bill focused on primary sector needs Rebalancing the hierarchy of obligations for Te Mana o te Wai Introducing a replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management Introducing pragmatic rules for on-farm water storage Investing more in catchment groups – empowering local decision-making Providing further funding for East Coast debris clean-up Ceasing the implementation of new Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) Increasing investment into Rural Support Trusts Committing over $400 million to accelerate emissions-reduction tools for farmers Expanding market access through new and existing trade agreements in the EU, UK, UAE, GCC and launching negotiations with India. Removing $733 million in non-tariff trade barriers 'We're focused on farmgate profitability and cutting the red tape that's been holding growers back,' Mr McClay says. 'Our primary sector is firing again, and this Government is going to keep backing it every step of the way,' Ms Grigg says.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Act minister, National MPs to face protests over pay equity changes
A snap protest, organised by impacted unions, appeared on Parliament's forecourt on Tuesday afternoon, featuring hundreds of aggrieved members along with representatives of Opposition parties. The bill passed late on Wednesday after it was introduced the day before. Protest action led by several unions was set to continue in the coming days with van Velden's Auckland office in St Johns a central focus tomorrow. Several National ministers and MPs would also face protests outside their electorate offices, including Minister for Women Nicola Grigg in Christchurch, Tama Potaka in Hamilton, Scott Simpson in Thames, James Meager in Timaru, Penny Simmonds in Invercargill, Dana Kirkpatrick in Whakatāne, Suze Redmayne in Feilding, Mike Butterick in Masterton and Tim Costly in Levin and Paraparaumu. Van Velden said she would not be at her Auckland office tomorrow, citing pre-arranged plans she would not depart from. She endorsed people's right to protest but encouraged any participants to show restraint, given her office was within a shopping mall. 'I hope that there'll be respect from people from within the mall and the protesters allowing people just to go about their normal lives.' Potaka, asked about the protest planned outside his office, welcomed it as 'awesome' and said he would engage with any protesters if he was based at his office at the time. National deputy leader Nicola Willis said the party hadn't discussed how MPs should respond to the protests. 'The job that our MPs have to do is to get the real story out there ... they are clarifying that in fact women can continue to make claims for pay equity discrimination, that the Government as an employer will continue to fund settled claims, that we have not in any way taken away equal pay. 'I think those facts are very important, I don't think they're necessarily well understood by everyone at this point, and it's our job to make sure that's clear.' Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said her union had received an 'outpouring of opposition' to the Government's changes and promised protest would be ongoing. 'You will see protests at politicians' offices, you will see protests at Parliament. Advertisement Advertise with NZME. 'We will be relentlessly opposing what this Government has done to pay equity every single day between now and the election. This is just the beginning.' She claimed there were a number of 'very high-profile New Zealanders' willing to support their campaign, but she wouldn't name them. Fitzsimons also referenced offers of support from lawyers regarding potential legal challenges to the Government's reform. 'We are also concerned about inconsistency with New Zealand's Bill of Rights Act, ILO [International Labour Organisation] conventions, as well as free trade agreements. 'All of those offer potential avenues for us to challenge this ... we will be leaving no stone unturned.' Council of Trade Unions national secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges said for some, the shock of Tuesday's announcement had worn off but been replaced by anger. 'The depth of feeling around that is huge and it's not going to go away, that is an enduring sense of injustice which people are going to be taking with them until it is fixed, it doesn't go away on its own.' She said they hoped to host a 'daughters, mothers and grandmothers' themed event at Parliament next week, aiming to portray how the fight for pay equity spanned multiple generations. Ansell-Bridges encouraged those MPs facing protests to take the message back to their parties and call for the Government to reverse the changes. 'I suspect they're going to find very soon that their electorates are furious at this.'
Scoop
30-04-2025
- Health
- Scoop
New Tools To Help Women Navigate Online Harm
A new toolkit to support women and their employers address online harm has been launched by Minister for Women, Nicola Grigg, at the Local Government New Zealand conference today. 'The prevalence of online harm has become a serious issue, disproportionately impacting women who are in the public eye. The growing phenomenon of online abuse has the very real potential to deter women from stepping into leadership roles and engaging in public and political life,' Ms Grigg says. 'The Ministry for Women's new online harm prevention toolkit has been developed in collaboration with the online safety organisation Netsafe. It includes interactive educational modules, practical resources, and real-world case studies from women in leadership and public-facing roles. It offers insights and strategies for overcoming digital harm. 'Research shows the alarming impact abuse and harassment on social media is having on women, particularly those in the public eye, including self-censoring, avoiding digital platforms, and generally having less contact with the public. 'This toolkit aims to ensure women have the tools to engage safely and confidently online, while helping to foster a more supportive digital environment for everyone. I encourage all workplaces to check out the new toolkit so that collectively we can call out online harm when we see it, and support those experiencing it.' The online harm prevention toolkit is available on both the Ministry for Women and Netsafe websites.
RNZ News
30-04-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Councillors to have 'how-to' guidebook on staying safe from abuse
LGNZ chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene. Photo: 2018 Mark Tantrum A representative group for local government is launching a 'how-to' guidebook to help elected members stay safe ahead of this year's local elections. It comes as the government launches a toolkit of its own to help women and their employers navigate online harm. Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) says the abuse and harassment of elected members has been increasing, and councils were concerned about a potential chilling effect on people standing in local elections this year. Chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said the abuse was both online and in-person, and ranged from threats of physical harm to being harassed and intimidated in public. "We need to keep people in public office safe, so they can focus on doing the best job they can. And we want anyone who is considering standing this October to feel confident about the safety of local democracy." Freeman-Green said she had spoken to people who were intending to run for council this year who had witnessed the abuse and harassment that some elected members receive, and as a result were thinking twice about putting their hand up. "They start asking themselves 'do I really want a job where my family might be subjected to abuse and threats from the public?'" she said. The guide is being launched this morning at an all-of-local government meeting, with mayors as well as council chairs and chief executives gathering in Wellington. It includes strategies on how elected members and candidates can stay safe online, including risk mitigation such as separating public profiles from private ones, and using a new phone number or PO Box for their campaigns. A section on staying safe in public contains scenarios on what to do in a tense public meeting or when approached in a public place by an upset member of the public or Sovereign Citizen (as well as the options they can take if behaviour approaches the legal definition of harassment), and how to mitigate risks at home. Minister for Women Nicola Grigg Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Minister for Women Nicola Grigg planned to announce a toolkit the government was launching to help women and their employers address online harm. However, she was unable to attend in person due to severe weather and flight cancellations, and instead addressed the meeting via teleconferencing. The toolkit, developed by the Ministry for Women in collaboration with Netsafe, includes interactive educational modules, practical resources, and real-world case studies from women in leadership and public-facing roles. Grigg said research showed the alarming impact abuse and harassment on social media was having on women , particularly those in the public eye, including self-censoring, avoiding digital platforms, and having less contact with the public. "The prevalence of online harm has become a serious issue, disproportionately impacting women who are in the public eye. The growing phenomenon of online abuse has the very real potential to deter women from stepping into leadership roles and engaging in public and political life," she said. Freeman-Greene said LGNZ was "delighted" the government had released the toolkit. "It's vital that women leaders - who are in the spotlight across a range of sectors - have tools to combat abuse and harassment. It's clear from our survey data that women are particularly at risk of gendered abuse," she said. While most of the day's discussion topics will be around infrastructure funding, Freeman-Greene said it was important in an election year for candidates and elected members to also feel safe from harm. Building and construction minister Chris Penk and local government minister Simon Watts are also expected to speak about their portfolios in the afternoon. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
