Jan 25, 2018  - The Mt Messenger Bypass project moves a step closer this week.  Public submissions will be called by the New Plymouth District Council and Taranaki Regional Council for the NZ Transport Agency’s resource consent applications and Notice of Requirement for a designation over the land required to build the bypass.

Jan 25, 2018  -  E tū, the biggest private-sector union in New Zealand, is pleased with most of the Employment Relations Amendment Bill announced by the Government today.

E tū National Secretary Bill Newson says that the process is “off to a flying start”, with many improvements for working people and their unions.

Bill says the changes recognise the pressing concerns about the personal and economic cost of low wages and inequality.

“This Government has made fixing inequality a top priority. Wages are a huge factor in this, so strengthening the rights of workers and their unions is critical,” Bill says.

“We see this bill as a big leap forward towards a fair and equitable society.”

Bill says the changes restore many of the rights that were taken away by the last Government.

“We can celebrate some big wins for all workers, such as the restoration of statutory rest and meal breaks and the restoration of reinstatement as the primary remedy to unfair dismissal.”

Bill says working people will also be in a better position thanks to strengthened collective bargaining and union rights.

“Unions will have improved access to workplaces, making unions more available to their members and prospective members. It’s also great that employers will be required to pass on information about active unions – people need to know about the best vehicle for their voice in the workplace. Paid time for union delegates to represent their colleagues will be a much-deserved recognition of the important work that union delegates carry out.

“In short, what we are seeing is the reversal of much of National’s damaging industrial relations policies, along with some exciting new initiatives.”

However, E tū is disappointed that 90-day trial periods could remain for employers with 20 or fewer workers.

“There isn’t a majority in parliament in support of scrapping the 90-day ‘fire at will’ law in its entirety, which is disappointing,” Bill says.

“This is the nature of a coalition government under MMP. It’s now our task, as part of the wider labour movement, to improve this part of the bill.

“We’ll be there at select committees to explain why any ‘fire at will’ law is both unfair and unnecessary.”

| An E tū release   ||  January 25, 2018   |||

Jan 25, 2018  -  Prices rose 0.1 percent in the December 2017 quarter, Stats NZ said today. Higher petrol prices, air fares, and housing-related costs were countered by lower prices for vegetables, new cars, and a range of household goods.

Jan 25, 2018  -  Synlait (NZX: SML; ASX: SM1) will welcome Dr Suzan Horst to the Senior Leadership Team on 1 April as Director of Quality, Regulatory and Laboratory Services.  Managing Director and CEO John Penno says Dr Horst is a leading authority in the global dairy industry and has much to offer Synlait.

Jan 25, 2018  -  Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker has welcomed the conclusion of negotiations for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Negotiators finalised the agreement in Tokyo on Tuesday and the 11 nations in the trade pact are due to sign it in Chile on March 8.

Mr Parker says the CPTPP could come into effect later in 2018.

The Government will now recommend the select committee examining the Overseas Investment Amendment Bill – which will put in place restrictions on foreign buyers of existing homes – allow more time for consideration.

The law must be in place before the CPTPP takes effect.

Mr Parker says the CPTPP represents a fairer deal for New Zealanders than the earlier TPP agreement.

It satisfies the five conditions the Labour-led Government set down for a revised TPP.

They included increased market access for exports, upholding the Treaty of Waitangi, protecting the Pharmac model and preserving the right to regulate in the public interest.

It also narrowed the scope to make Investor State Dispute Settlement claims.

“The CPTPP will provide New Zealand exporters with preferential access for the first time into Japan, the world’s third-largest economy and our fifth-largest export market.

“It will also be New Zealand’s first FTA relationship with Canada (our 13th largest export market), Mexico (21st), and Peru (46th),” Mr Parker says.

“The CPTPP is even more important to signatory countries given current threats to the effectiveness of the WTO and rising protectionism in many parts of the world.”

“United States President Donald Trump has just announced a new 30 per cent tariff on imports of solar cells. This is but one example.”

“Before the agreement is ratified, New Zealanders will be given the opportunity to better understand what it means for them, their families and the country. We are committed to ensuring this is done in a fair and accessible way,” Mr Parker says.

The 11 CPTPP countries are New Zealand, Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore and Viet Nam.

| A Beehive release  |||January 24,2018   |||

Jan 25, 2018  -   While bananas are the fourth most important food crop in the world - after rice, corn and wheat - they are not often associated with New Zealand. This nation imports more than $220 million worth of bananas from the Philippines and Ecuador, says Trevor Mills. He reckons if the industry took off in New Zealand, the "import substitution makes good economic sense."

Jan 24, 2018 -BusinessNZ and ExportNZ have welcomed the revival of the Comprehensive Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership. BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope said the agreement of all 11 partners to the agreement had been hard won, and was immensely worthwhile.

Jan 24, 2018  - The EMA says it is great news the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is back on track and expected to be signed in March.

Jan 23, 2018  -  Digital learning skills, smarter homes and medical drone deliveries will be major tech developments that will significantly impact lives of Kiwis, a leading New Zealand tech expert says.  NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says while the tech talk is often about issues such as robots stealing jobs or virtual reality worlds New Zealanders may sometimes overlook some of the advances that are happening already that will be important for Kiwis in the coming days of 2018.

Jan 23, 2018  -  Business representatives on the pay equity working group have welcomed the resumption of work towards new pay equity legislation.