The Reserve Bank’s revised loan-to-value restrictions have made it even harder for first-home buyers to get on the property ladder, says National’s Shadow Treasurer Andrew Bayly. “LVRs are supposed to be a tool that reduces risks to financial stability – not to shift house prices at the expense of
Transport Minister Michael Wood needs to urgently clarify who will be exposed to his Car Tax, National’s Transport spokesperson David Bennett says. “When Minister Wood launched his Car Tax he said it would focus on the highest emitting vehicles. But he also took a paper to Cabinet showing that
The Government’s announcement it will deploy Tactical Prevention Teams is a clear admission that firearms violence and gang membership in New Zealand is out of control, National’s Police spokesperson Simeon Brown. “The Government has wasted months refusing to agree with National that our police need more support. It’
Thousands of New Zealanders have lost their jobs with the closure of many hospitality businesses, and many more will join them if the Government doesn’t provided targeted support, National’s Economic Development and Small Business spokesperson Todd McClay says. According to the restaurant sector 1000 hospitality businesses have been
Amazon Web Services’ investment of $7.5 billion to develop a world-class Cloud Computing Data Centre in New Zealand is a huge vote of confidence in our digital future, says National spokesperson for Digital Economy and Communications Melissa Lee. “As more business is done online and our tech sector booms,
A law change that will prevent any future government funding being granted to organised criminal groups and gangs will be debated in Parliament, National’s Police spokesperson Simeon Brown says. The Public Finance (Prohibition on Providing Public Funds to Gangs) Amendment Bill will ensure that any person responsible for the
New Zealand is in the midst of a mental health crisis, what is needed now is action not more vision statements, working groups and nice words, National’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention spokesperson Matt Doocey says. “After four years in Government, Labour has today released another strategy, set up
Using the Covid Response and Recovery Fund to increase Radio New Zealand’s operating budget by $7 million is yet another example of money borrowed on behalf of taxpayers to fund pet projects unrelated to the pandemic response, says Leader of the Opposition Judith Collins. “Yesterday, the Prime Minister defended
Darroch Ball Co-Leader/Spokesperson Sensible Sentencing Trust “The announcement today by the Minister of Police Poto Williams and Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, shows the pressure they have been under to deal with the rise and rise of gun violence – but have failed to deliver anything of any real substance,” says
The Government must clarify why it allowed thousands of Aucklanders to cross into Northland in the six hours prior to New Zealand’s Level 4 lockdown, National List MP based in Whangarei Dr Shane Reti says. Answers to written questions show 3316 vehicles with an Auckland residential address made their
The Prime Minister’s announcement today that she will provide Climate Change Minister James Shaw and his nine officials special allocation in MIQ on return from COP26 in Glasgow doesn’t square with the rules other Kiwis have to play by, says National’s spokesperson for Climate Change Stuart Smith.
Jacinda Ardern’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet consulted Northland’s three Labour MPs but not Northland’s mayors before extending the region’s level 4 lockdown. “This was a contentious lockdown for many Northlanders, especially when Northland had no positive cases and many businesses and communities suffered,
Further reports of confusion about whether businesses are entitled to the wage-subsidy at alert level two shows the Government must urgently improve the scheme, National’s Social Development and Employment spokesperson Louise Upston says. “Government MPs have sent mixed messages about whether firms are eligible for the wage subsidy at
If James Shaw was giving consolation gifts to Kiwis desperately trying to get home this Christmas he’d likely give them a lump of coal, having confirmed he plans to take 14 staff with him to the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow, National’s Climate Change spokesperson Stuart Smith says.
The Government must explain exactly what it will do to sort out Transmission Gully’s transmission problems before the expressway opens, says National’s Transport spokesperson David Bennett. “Transmission Gully is the most expensive roading project this Government is responsible for at the moment but Transport Minister Michael Wood clearly
This morning’s debut of the new ‘virtual lobby’ system for MIQ allocation was both depressing and a debacle, National’s Covid-19 spokesperson Chris Bishop says. “The virtual lobby system used for the first time this morning solves nothing and has just created even more angst amongst the thousands of
