Latest news with #government policies
RNZ News
01-08-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Luxon to tell National faithful 'we're turning the corner'
National leader Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro National Party members are gathering in Christchurch to cap off a week in which MPs attempted to steer public minds back towards the government's cost of living policies. Members will also farewell a party stalwart, with former president Peter Goodfellow retiring from National's board of directors. While leader Christopher Luxon will be speaking to the converted, he will be acutely aware the cost of living has become front of mind . Earlier this week, he was asked what his message to the party faithful would be. "Look, they know it's been a tough time, they know that we're turning the corner," Luxon said. "But really ... this country's got great potential and a great future ahead of it, and we've just got to keep working at it." National's deputy leader, Nicola Willis, said the conference would be focused on the steps the government was taking to make the country "an easier, better place to do business, to hire people, to create well paying jobs". "It is our job as a government not to moan about the things we can't control, but to focus on how we can make things better here in New Zealand, and we're very proud of the efforts we're making," she said. It is a stark contrast to this time last year, where Luxon's message ahead of the first conference since National returned to government was its focus on action and delivery . It shows just how much the cost of living crisis is lingering, and National has spent the week attempting to convince the public it has got it under control. With no announcement to make at this week's post-Cabinet press conference (bar the card surcharge ban, which had already been announced), Luxon and Willis gave a more than 10-minute address about the economy and cost of living, and actions the government had taken. "The most important thing we can do to make you better off is to double-down on our long-term economic plan," Luxon said. Willis used her speech to remind people of National's tax changes, FamilyBoost policy and a falling Official Cash Rate. It prompted Labour to accuse the government of "more spin than a front-load washing machine" . The latest Ipsos Issues Monitor has Labour in front of National as the party New Zealanders consider most able to handle the cost of living, despite releasing no substantive policy since the election. In 2023, National won 38.06 percent of the party vote, but since then has failed to poll above that. Recent polls have had National in the low thirties, with some showing the left bloc would have enough numbers to form a government. Other polls give the coalition the numbers to form a government, but only just. National party ministers will hold panels on health, education, law and order, agriculture, and the economy and cost of living. Members will also elect board positions. Long-serving board member and former party president Peter Goodfellow will be retiring from the board. Goodfellow was president from 2009 to 2022 before stepping down but remaining on the board. ANZCO Foods founder Sir Graeme Harrison, who joined the National board in 2021, has also decided to retire. Current board member Rachel Bird is up for re-election. Under National's constitution and rules, board members serve three years and then retire. They can then be eligible for re-election. Craig Carr, Andrew von Dadelszen and Edgar Wilson have also put their names forward for the vacancies. Party president Sylvia Wood and board members Jannita Pilisi, Stefan Sunde and David Ryan are not up for re-election, and so will remain on the board. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Attorney General Lord Hermer 'asks civil servants to snitch on ministers to give himself effective veto over Government policies'
Attorney General Lord Hermer has been accused of giving himself an 'effective veto' over Labour policies. The peer has issued guidance to government lawyers stressing the importance of following international law. The document includes what has been branded a 'snitch clause', urging civil servants to report any concerns that ministerial actions might be illegal. The tweaks seemingly water down instructions issued by Suella Braverman in 2022 to prevent lawyers from 'blocking' plans. In total, Lord Hermer – a senior human rights barrister before entering government – is said to have added 23 references to international law to the guidance. Legal staff are also instructed to assume that every decision taken by the Government could face a challenge. Previously the advice suggested challenges were unlikely. Critics have complained that Lord Hermer has put too much emphasis on the letter of international law. Just last month he was accused of 'blocking' Britain from helping to defend Israel against Iran strikes. He is also said to have played a major role in 'surrendering' the Chagos Islands, the UK's last Indian Ocean territory, to adhere to a non-binding ruling by the International Court of Justice. Sir Michael Ellis, a former Conservative attorney general, said Lord Hermer had 'effectively given himself a veto over all government business'. 'It is quite something if ministers of the crown within the same Government cannot be trusted, and have to be snitched on by their own officials,' he told The Daily Telegraph. Tory MP Alex Burghart branded the guidance a 'surrender charter', adding: 'Measures like the snitch clause will undermine discussion across government and harm our national interest. 'Keir Starmer's attorney general is putting the partisan views of activist lawyers before the national interest.' A source close to Lord Hermer said: 'This is desperate nonsense from a Tory party who have lost credibility on law and order and upholding the rule of law. 'Tory ministers routinely pursued unworkable gimmicks that they knew would be defeated in the courts, such as the Rwanda debacle. 'In contrast, this Government demands lawyers to be creative solution finders, enabling our ambitious Plan for Change to succeed – unblocking obstacles so policies are not held up for years in the courts.' A spokesman for the attorney general said: 'Government lawyers advise ministers, but it is always ministers that make decisions on policy as has been the case under successive governments.' A No 10 spokesman said: 'The role of the law officers, including the attorney general, is to ensure the Government acts lawfully by providing frank legal advice, but policy decisions are always for ministers to decide.'
CNA
10-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
PAP names new heads for all government parliamentary committees; appoints 19 first-term MPs as members
SINGAPORE: The People's Action Party (PAP) on Thursday (Jul 10) announced new leaders for all 12 of its government parliamentary committees (GPCs), which scrutinise various ministries' legislation and programmes. Introduced by Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1987, these backbench committees also serve as an additional channel of feedback on government policies. MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Alex Yam will chair the Culture, Community and Youth GPC, taking over from Mr Sitoh Yih Pin. Mr Sitoh stepped down ahead of the 2025 General Election after serving three terms. Mr Yip Hon Weng will chair the Defence and Foreign Affairs GPC, and Mr Darryl David will helm the Education GPC. Mr Saktiandi Supaat will move from Transport to head the Finance and Trade and Industry GPC, while Ms Yeo Wan Ling will chair Manpower. Mr Vikram Nair, previously the chairman for Defence and Foreign Affairs, will head Home Affairs and Law. Meanwhile, the National Development and Social and Family Development committees will be chaired by Mr Henry Kwek and Mr Xie Yao Quan respectively. The other appointments are Ms Mariam Jaafar, Sembawang GRC MP, who will take over the Health GPC from former Clementi MP Tan Wu Meng. Ms Poh Li San, MP for Sembawang West SMC, will head the Sustainability and the Environment GPC, succeeding Mr Louis Ng, former MP for Nee Soon GRC. Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC MP Tin Pei Ling will move from the Digital Development and Information GPC to chair the Transport GPC. The Digital Development and Information GPC will be headed by Mr Sharael Taha. Nineteen first-time MPs have also been appointed to the GPCs as members. They are: Charlene Chen Elysa Chen Gho Sze Kee Hazlina Abdul Halim Valerie Lee Lee Hong Chuang Cassandra Lee David Hoe Lee Hui Ying Hamid Razak Victor Lye Ng Shi Xuan Cai Yinzhou Gabriel Lam Jackson Lam Diana Pang Foo Cexiang Choo Pei Ling Shawn Loh The GPC appointments will take effect with the opening of the 15th Parliament on Sep 5.
