Podcast appearances and mentions of jan logie

Dr Tony Reed looks at the issues facing the LGBTI community

As we get closer to the October election, we're also nearing the end of New Zealand's 53rd Parliament. And while most MPs and hoping to return in October, a number will soon be saying farewell to the halls of power for the last time.   Amongst the retiring MPs are the National Party's Jacqui Dean, who has held the Waitaki electorate since 2008, and the Green Party's Jan Logie, who has been a list MP since 2011. Both have served in ministerial or under-secretary roles during their times at the Beehive, and both have experienced their time on the opposition benches.   As they leave their parliamentary careers behind, today on The Front Page Damien is joined by both MPs. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Damien VenutoProducer: Shaun D WilsonExecutive Producer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions to Ministers RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister for Cyclone Recovery: What announcements has the Government made about supporting the recovery in affected regions from recent extreme weather events? NICOLA WILLIS to the Acting Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? PAUL EAGLE to the Minister of Housing: How is the Government incorporating innovative building solutions into the public housing rebuild? JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Housing: What is the Kainga Ora universal design standards target, and when did the board adopt this target? Dr LIZ CRAIG to the Minister of Health: What changes has the Government made to the Carer Support subsidy? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister of Local Government: Does he stand by all decisions made around the Government's water services reform programme in 2023? DAMIEN SMITH to the Minister of Statistics: Does she have confidence that Stats NZ will achieve the 90 percent completion rate target for the New Zealand Census 2023, and is she "absolutely" willing to resign as Minister if this target isn't met by 5 pm tomorrow? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for Maori Development: What recent announcements has the Government made about support for owners of whenua Maori in Tairawhiti and Hawke's Bay? Hon MARK MITCHELL to the Minister of Corrections: Does he agree with the reported statement of the Chief Ombudsman following his report initiated after the Waikeria Prison riot, "Corrections was being defensive, risk averse and believed it had made changes when there was no evidence of it on the ground"; if not, why not? SIMON COURT to the Minister of Local Government: Does he intend that in the Water Services Entities Amendment Bill, the powers awarded to the wider population through community priority statements are less than those awarded to local Maori through Te Mana o te Wai statements, and does he think assigning input on water management on the basis of iwi affiliation will help provide effective and efficient water services? TAMA POTAKA to the Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing): How many new homes have been contracted through the Whai Kainga Whai Oranga programme, and how many whanau Maori have moved into homes completed through the programme? ANGIE WARREN-CLARK to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What is the Government doing to support the transition to a low-emissions, climate-resilient future for businesses?

Jan Logie admits she had “zero faith in our political system” before entering Parliament, but remains hopeful of what can be achieved here, as she prepares to retire as MP.

The first half of the May Day Concert hosted at the Globe Theatre by the Manawatū May Day Coalition, featuring performances by the Brazen Hussies, John Maynard, Michelle Robinson Dance Academy, Danceworks, and the Step Out Dance Academy and speeches from Dion Martin, Ben Peterson, Tangi Utikere, Jan Logie, Kyan Htoo, and Autumn Newsome.

BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and policies? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement this morning that "every government would want to be able to adjust those tax brackets and make sure that people do keep more of that money in their take-home pay", and how much more tax does he estimate New Zealand wage and salary earners are paying today compared to what they paid five years ago? ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI to the Minister of Conservation: How has Jobs for Nature supported local communities with employment opportunities and conservation efforts? JAN LOGIE to the Associate Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Is she committed to progressing pay transparency? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? SARAH PALLETT to the Minister for Women: What reports has she seen on progressing women in leadership in New Zealand? SIMON COURT to the Minister of Local Government: What is the intent behind clause 141 of the Water Services Entities Bill, and do Te Mana o te Wai statements grant mana whenua rights beyond those of other groups to influence the activity of water services entities under her Three Waters reform? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister of Transport: What recent announcements has he made about making it easier for New Zealanders to use public transport? ERICA STANFORD to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What percentage of students achieved each assessment of the 2022 NCEA Literacy and Numeracy pilot, and can she explain why the results were lower than last year's assessment? NAISI CHEN to the Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications: What recent announcements has he made regarding accelerating the roll-out of 5G services across New Zealand?

Questions to Ministers CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Has he seen a report by ASB that "soaring living costs are expected to add roughly $110 per week to household budgets over the next 12 months"; if so, does he expect wages will keep up with that increase in the cost of living? ANGIE WARREN-CLARK to the Minister of Housing: What actions has the Government taken recently to address the housing infrastructure shortage? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions? TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister for Small Business: What announcements has he made about supporting mental health and wellbeing for small businesses? JAN LOGIE to the Associate Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Has she seen the Human Rights Commission's Pacific Pay Gap Inquiry findings that in 2021 the pay gap for median hourly earnings of Pacific men compared to Pakeha men was 18.8 percent and for Pacific women compared to Pakeha men was 25.1 percent; if so, what, if anything, is she doing to reduce the Pacific pay gap? MARJA LUBECK to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What reports has she seen on the delivery of the free healthy school lunches programme? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: What is his response to the independent report into the death of a woman who left the Middlemore emergency department, which stated that Middlemore had "the worst-ever compliance with the Shorter Stays in ED health target for CMH during the month of June", and which other emergency departments, if any, also had their worst ever shorter stays in emergency department in June 2022? BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statements on women's rights? TODD MULLER to the Minister of Agriculture: Does he support the Government's proposed agriculture emissions plan, which reportedly could reduce production from sheep and beef farms by 20 percent, and does he agree with Federated Farmers that the policy will "rip the guts out of small town New Zealand"? JO LUXTON to the Minister of Immigration: What recent announcements has he made about the next steps in the Government's plan to reconnect New Zealanders to the world?

Questions to Ministers NICOLE McKEE to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions? VANUSHI WALTERS to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What updates has she seen about people being supported into jobs in West Auckland? NICOLA WILLIS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister of Health: What reports has he seen on the consequences of increased funding provided to Pharmac and the review of Pharmac completed in February? MELISSA LEE to the Minister for Broadcasting and Media: Does he stand by his statements regarding the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill, "We no longer have trust in national media" and "We need a trusted public broadcaster"? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Is she considering any new changes to Working for Families in order to meet her Government's commitment to making "New Zealand the best place in the world to be a child"? BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister for Sport and Recreation: What recent funding announcements has he made in respect of the FIFA Women's World Cup? CHRIS PENK to the Minister of Justice: Does she stand by her statement in the House on 23 August 2022, in relation to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, that "I think that there have been a couple of referrals" when asked whether a case had been referred to a senior court; if not, why not? RACHEL BROOKING to the Minister of Conservation: How has Jobs for Nature supported people into nature-based employment opportunities? HARETE HIPANGO to the Minister for Children: Does he stand by his statement that criticism of the Government's Oranga Tamariki polices are "noise", and does he consider the views of State care survivors are noise? IBRAHIM OMER to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): How is the Government supporting mental health and wellbeing in schools and kura? PENNY SIMMONDS to the Minister of Education: What actions has Te Pukenga taken that have resulted in its forecast 2022 operating deficit being revised down from $110 million to $63 million, and is he satisfied with the actions Te Pukenga is taking to meet its financial objectives? Question to Member Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Member in charge of the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill: Did he support the extension of the report-back date for the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill from 6 October 2022 to 28 February 2023; if so, why?

Green Party MP Jan Logie has recently spearheaded an open letter to see welfare improved for parents of young children.  Addressed to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and the minister for Social Development, Carmel Sepuloni, the letter called for one central family support credit instead of multiple different kinds.  Logie also calls for the Best Start Credit that supports parents through weekly paid instalments to be increased from one year of funds to three years after the baby is born. The best start payment was introduced in 2018, giving families with under twelve month old's $60pw depending on their income, a number the Greens are also calling to be increased. Liam spoke to Logie to learn more.   

Today on The Wire: Liam spoke to Jan Logie of the Green Party about her open letter to the Prime Minister to improve welfare support for parents of young children. David spoke to Pedro Mello about the upcoming Brazilian Elections. We also have a series of interviews from Jack Horsnell at last week's Climate Protests in Tamaki Makaurau. He spoke to protesters about what they were calling for and why they believe climate change is important. Liam also had a chat with Anton Ashcroft from Divergent Thinking NZ about the struggle neurodiverse students go under in schools. David also spoke to the first haast tokoeka kiwi chick of the 2022-23 season Polina Stucke. And finally Liam had a korero with Kelly Dombroski from Massey University about how Christchurch has implemented community installations and arts events after the earthquakes.    

Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? MARJA LUBECK to the Minister of Education: What progress has the Government made in supporting employers to maintain and increase the number of New Zealanders in apprenticeships? TEANAU TUIONO to the Acting Minister of Agriculture: Is the Dairy Industry Restructuring (Fonterra Capital Restructuring) Amendment Bill consistent with her Government's commitment to addressing the global climate crisis; if so, how? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement that "we will enter a period of more targeted spending", and does he consider that Government spending in the past six months should have been more targeted? ANGIE WARREN-CLARK to the Minister for the Environment: What actions is the Government taking to enhance protection for New Zealand's most productive land? CHRIS BISHOP to the Acting Minister of Housing: Does he stand by the Minister of Housing's statement from May last year that "We have heard, we've listened, and we've acted to make sure that we are putting in a different system for Rotorua", and is he satisfied with emergency housing provision in Rotorua? CHRIS BAILLIE to the Minister of Education: Does he agree with the New Zealand Initiative that "The Ministry conducted no research on the effects of these 'Modern Learning Environments' on students' learning prior to compelling schools to adopt them. Neither did they conduct any evaluation of their effects after they were established"; if not, what evidence has the ministry provided the Minister to show that modern learning environments improve literacy and numeracy skills? Hon MARK MITCHELL to the Minister of Police: Did he receive any recommendation from the Police regarding the asset value threshold in the proposed Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Amendment Bill; if so, what was that recommendation? TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister for Maori Development: What recent events has he attended to celebrate te reo Maori? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Women: Is she concerned that the gender pay gap increased recently to 9.2 percent and that Statistics New Zealand did not report on the ethnic minority gender pay gap altogether? ANGELA ROBERTS to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): How is the Government supporting students who have experienced lost learning opportunities as a result of disruptions from COVID-19?

Questions to Ministers ANNA LORCK to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to health? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister of Housing: What progress has the Government made on rebuilding public housing in Auckland? CHRIS BAILLIE to the Minister of Tourism: Does he agree with the comment made by Eve Lawrence from Haka Tourism New Zealand that "Off-shore travel partners just simply will not sell New Zealand and we'll be taken off the network"; if not, what advice, if any, has he received that suggests that Eve Lawrence is wrong? ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: What are the criteria for the new COVID-19 support payments, and how many businesses has he been advised are expected to receive it? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by all of her statements and actions in relation to social development and employment? JO LUXTON to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: Why did the Government invest in the Opuke tourism complex in Methven? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for the Public Service: Have any pay equity settlements been reached since the new pay equity process came into force over a year ago; if not, why not? JAMIE STRANGE to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What announcements has he made about addressing competition concerns in the building supplies sector? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to the COVID-19 response? GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Customs: Is Customs prepared for the arrival of small craft into New Zealand this summer?

Questions to Ministers CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? HELEN WHITE to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Housing: Is she satisfied with the Government's progress on accessible public housing? JAMIE STRANGE to the Minister for Building and Construction: What progress is being made to reduce critical shortages in the supply of plasterboard? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with ANZ that "high inflation is likely to remain with us for some time yet"; if so, does he still stand by his May statement that "the short term challenge of inflation is significant"? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Minister of Finance: Why did the Crown provide an indemnity to the Reserve Bank against losses from the Large-Scale Asset Purchase programme, and what is the Crown's maximum liability that it could be forced to pay the bank as a result of the programme? MARJA LUBECK to the Minister of Immigration: What recent reports has he seen about critical workforce support for Kiwi businesses? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: How many people, if any, waited longer than four months to see a specialist, and how many, if any, waited longer than four months for surgery, in the 12 months to June 30 this year? Dr EMILY HENDERSON to the Minister of Justice: What legislation is the Government progressing to reduce delays in the Family Court? PENNY SIMMONDS to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by his statement regarding the Te Pukenga forecast deficit of $110 million, "I've also been clear the projected deficit was too high and that more work needed to be done there"; if so, what work has been done to reduce the deficit? NICOLE McKEE to the Minister of Police: Is he satisfied with the Police's firearms administration ability, given there were over 3,000 licensed firearms owners waiting at least four months for their license renewals in June 2022, and does he believe that licensed firearms owners should be satisfied with these wait times too? TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister for Emergency Management: How is NEMA helping to build a safe and resilient New Zealand which is ready to respond to emergencies?

The Oranga Tamariki Oversight Bill passed its second reading in parliament last night. David spoke to the Green MP and party spokesperson for Children Hon Jan Logie on the matter.

Green Party MP and self described lefty feminist lesbian, Jan Logie beamed into Penny's office during a recess in that hive of human activity that is the NZ Parliament. Penny divulged that Jan's work in boosting funding to Women's Refuge was a big part of her decision to vote Green in the last two elections and thanked her for helping reverse some historic cuts. They then chatted about her HRT medications, her perimenopausal tunnel terrors, and her mentally willing her partner into menopause so they can be in it together.  They also mused on the toxicity that adversarial democracy can breed, and Jan spoke of tootling her own flugelhorn. Support the show

Questions to Ministers BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Internal Affairs: Does she have confidence in the current state of our fire and emergency services, when the NZ Professional Firefighters' Union is reporting that FENZ management is failing to keep career fire stations open 24/7 and there are dangerously low staffing levels; if so, why? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by the Prime Minister's statement that "we are well placed to recover, with one of the best economies in the world"; if so, is he confident that New Zealand's economy will grow faster than Australia's over the next four years? Dr EMILY HENDERSON to the Minister of Police: What recent reports has he seen on the changing nature of the Police workforce in New Zealand? RAWIRI WAITITI to the Minister of Housing: Does she stand by all the Government's statements and actions on housing? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement on the economy that "the recovery is gaining momentum"; if so, is he concerned that, according to Westpac, "household budgets are being squeezed in a way that they haven't been for decades"? GLEN BENNETT to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: What reports has he seen on the evaluation of the Provincial Growth Fund? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Acting Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and policies? CAMILLA BELICH to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What milestones, if any, have recently been met in the Government's barrier-free access to education work programme? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that the health system as a whole is "coping"? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent announcements has she made about boosting the health of New Zealanders through winter? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What is the percentage increase, if any, of people in receipt of jobseeker support for two to three consecutive years in duration in the March 2022 quarter compared to the September 2017 quarter?

BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the widespread concerns about the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill, including from Hapai Te Hauora, who said that it will "not only stagnate any attempts to pursue better outcomes for tamariki and whanau engaged with Oranga Tamariki but may even perpetuate the harms and dysfunction of the current Oranga Tamariki system at disproportionate and irreparable rates"? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Has he seen a report published by Westpac today stating, "Confidence among New Zealand households has plummeted, dropping to its lowest levels since we began surveying consumers back in 1988", and does he believe that the Government's economic management approach is contributing to New Zealanders' growing pessimism about the economy? GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister for Building and Construction: What action is the Government taking to address the shortage of plasterboard in New Zealand? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the widespread concerns about the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill, including from Voyce Whakarongo Mai, who said, "The Government has not listened to a single recommendation from young people with lived experience … These young people have been effectively silenced, and the new systems outlined by the Bill is designed to further muffle and weaken their voices"? GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: What recent briefing has he received on the Police portfolio? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement, "A lot of the advice we're receiving is that if we are not careful, we're not targeted, we can make inflation worse"; if so, can she explain whether her Government has followed this advice? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that the health system as a whole is "coping", and what then is the current national percentage of people being seen in emergency departments within six hours? MARJA LUBECK to the Associate Minister of Education (School Operations): What recent announcements has the Government made about supporting attendance and engagement at school? Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Justice: What are her priorities for the Justice portfolio? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent announcements has she made about reconnecting New Zealanders to the world?

Questions to Ministers BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? TERISA NGOBI to the Minister for Disability Issues: What recent announcements has she made on New Zealand Sign Language? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Minister of Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by the Prime Minister's statement, "Absolutely - I wouldn't dispute that for a moment" in response to Fairer Future, who said that "people on a benefit should be able to participate fully in society", and what specific new initiatives, if any, have been agreed to reduce poverty among beneficiary whanau? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod, who said this week that "over the coming year household spending levels will come under pressure from continued increases in the cost of living"; if so, why won't he provide New Zealanders with income tax relief? INGRID LEARY to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What recent announcements has she made about the Government's ongoing response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine? ERICA STANFORD to the Associate Minister of Education: Does she stand by the press release issued by her predecessor in February 2020 titled "School attendance has to improve"; if so, is she satisfied with her Government's progress in tackling truancy so far? SHANAN HALBERT to the Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing): How is the Government partnering with iwi Maori to deliver new homes for whanau? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her Government's statements and policies? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister for Emergency Management: How is the Government supporting grassroots emergency resilience initiatives? MATT DOOCEY to the Minister of Health: Why have solitary confinement rates increased in mental health inpatient facilities despite the $1.9 billion announced for mental health, and what is his response to the Chief Ombudsman, who said about his recent mental health reports, "the Ministry of Health needs to answer to you and the public as to what it's done with the taxpayers' money"? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for ACC: How does she respond to the findings of the Helen Clark Foundation report on perinatal mental health, which calls on the Government to expand cover for mental injury under the Accident Compensation (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) Amendment Bill so that support is available for mental injuries resulting from a traumatic birth?

Questions to Ministers BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? ANGIE WARREN-CLARK to the Minister of Energy and Resources: What action is the Government taking to support businesses to cut their emissions? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What new actions, if any, will he take in light of Mind The Gap's research which concludes that pay gap reporting is likely to close Aotearoa's gender and ethnic pay gaps by as much as 40 percent and increase pay by as much as $35 per week for the average worker? RACHEL BROOKING to the Minister for Building and Construction: What are the trends in building consents granted since 2017? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he consider the Government has done enough to alleviate the cost of living crisis facing New Zealanders, and will he rule out measures to provide them income tax relief in the upcoming Budget? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister of Local Government: Will the Three Waters reforms benefit smaller communities; if so, how? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: What is his target, if any, for the reduction over the next 12 months in the number of people waiting more than four months for a first specialist appointment, and what specific steps, if any, will he take to achieve this? GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: What recent reports has she seen regarding the disruption of organised crime? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Has MSD been enforcing work-related obligations for the 176,763 jobseeker support recipients since work-related obligation failures were suspended between 23 March 2020 and 27 May 2020; if not, why? WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing): How is the Government partnering with iwi Maori to deliver new homes for whanau who need them most?

Questions to Ministers TAMATI COFFEY to the Minister for the Environment: What changes has the Government made to urban planning rules in Rotorua? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with ANZ Chief Economist Sharon Zollner's statement that "Conditions are ripe for a wage price spiral", and is he confident that in 2022 New Zealanders' wage growth, as measured by the labour cost index, will exceed inflation, as measured by the CPI? GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Police: What reports has she seen regarding efforts by Police to disrupt organised crime? JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Health: Does he believe the DHBs' approach to the current negotiation with allied, scientific, and technical health workers will improve job satisfaction and retention among the 70-plus groups represented in that negotiation? JO LUXTON to the Minister of Tourism: What announcements has the Government recently made about supporting the tourism sector? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: How many of the 300,000 at-risk young people have been vaccinated in the measles catch-up campaign announced in July 2020, and what other non-COVID vaccination efforts are there, if any, to protect New Zealanders this winter? NAISI CHEN to the Minister for Broadcasting and Media: What recent announcements has the Government made about strengthening public media? ERICA STANFORD to the Minister of Immigration: Does he stand by all his statements and actions on immigration? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for Maori Development: What reports has he seen on cadetships? MELISSA LEE to the Minister for Broadcasting and Media: How much has he been advised the merger of TVNZ and Radio New Zealand will cost, and how much ongoing taxpayer funding, if any, will the new public media entity he is creating receive? NICOLE McKEE to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by all her statements and policies regarding firearms? RACHEL BOYACK to the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness): What recent report has she seen on the progress of the Homelessness Action Plan?

Questions to Ministers CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her response when asked if New Zealand has a cost of living crisis that "I wouldn't describe it that way", and is she considering adjusting income tax brackets to help Kiwis struggling with rising prices? BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement, "I wouldn't describe it that way" when asked if there was a cost of living crisis; if so, why? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for Women: In light of today being International Women's Day, what work is she progressing to break gender-based biases? Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree that New Zealand has a cost of living crisis; if not, why? RACHEL BROOKING to the Minister of Tourism: What announcements has he made about supporting communities to develop local tourism facilities? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Housing: Does she have confidence in the leadership of Kainga Ora; if so, who, if anyone, has been held accountable for its decision to use taxpayer funds to publish an election-year advertisement featuring a soon-to-be-announced Labour Party candidate? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Will he introduce a comprehensive pay transparency model to help eliminate pay discrimination before the end of this parliamentary term; if not, why not? ERICA STANFORD to the Minister of Immigration: Does he stand by his statement that a humanitarian visa for Ukrainians with family members living in New Zealand is "not necessary"; if so, can he explain which visa those Ukrainian family members can apply for? NAISI CHEN to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What recent reports has he seen regarding competition in the retail grocery sector? BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions related to the rental market, and does she believe renters are better off now compared to 2017? SARAH PALLETT to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made about improving abortion services?

CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the latest ANZ Quarterly Economic Outlook's assessment that “Government spending remains highly expansionary … The fiscal situation is quite nuanced. Many businesses and households are in desperate need of targeted support, but from a macroeconomic perspective, high government spending in an economy facing severe capacity constraints risks just adding to inflation pressures.  That wouldn't be a good return for taxpayers, and also implies the RBNZ will need to hike interest rates more than otherwise”? MARJA LUBECK to the Minister of Education: What reports has he seen about numbers of people undertaking vocational education and training? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Is the Government still committed to welfare overhaul; if so, why does the Child Poverty Action Group report released today show not a single key recommendation from the Welfare Expert Advisory Group has been fully implemented nearly three years on? Dr LIZ CRAIG to the Minister of Health: What medicines has New Zealand recently secured access to for treating COVID-19? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement in relation to wage growth rising faster than inflation, “Of course, it has, with wage growth being at around 3.5 percent and inflation around 2 percent”; if so, does she agree with Statistics New Zealand that inflation for the year to September 2021 was 4.9 percent and wage growth was only 2.4 percent? TĀMATI COFFEY to the Minister for Building and Construction: What recent reports has she seen on the construction sector? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Did the Government receive public health advice ahead of the Cabinet meeting on 29 November 2021 that the hard or enforced boundary around Auckland should be removed when Auckland and the rest of the country move to the COVID-19 Protection Framework, and did this same advice also recommend any regions enter the traffic light system at green? VANUSHI WALTERS to the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities: What actions has the Government taken to support our ethnic communities to get the COVID-19 vaccine? SIMEON BROWN to the Minister for the Public Service: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions regarding pay and workforce expectations for the public sector? INGRID LEARY to the Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence: What is she doing to support the UN's Orange the World campaign?

Questions to Ministers: ANNA LORCK to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to health? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister of Housing: What progress has the Government made on rebuilding public housing in Auckland? CHRIS BAILLIE to the Minister of Tourism: Does he agree with the comment made by Eve Lawrence from Haka Tourism New Zealand that "Off-shore travel partners just simply will not sell New Zealand and we'll be taken off the network"; if not, what advice, if any, has he received that suggests that Eve Lawrence is wrong? ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: What are the criteria for the new COVID-19 support payments, and how many businesses has he been advised are expected to receive it? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by all of her statements and actions in relation to social development and employment? JO LUXTON to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: Why did the Government invest in the Opuke tourism complex in Methven? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for the Public Service: Have any pay equity settlements been reached since the new pay equity process came into force over a year ago; if not, why not? JAMIE STRANGE to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What announcements has he made about addressing competition concerns in the building supplies sector? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to the COVID-19 response? GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Customs: Is Customs prepared for the arrival of small craft into New Zealand this summer?

Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Hon EUGENIE SAGE to the Minister for the Environment: Does he consider that trees in our cities and towns are appropriately protected; if so, why? Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? Dr ANAE NERU LEAVASA to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent decisions has the Government made on New Zealand's transition to the COVID-19 Protection Framework? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her statements and policies? ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: Has he sought advice on the number of businesses that may be forced to close once current financial support is reworked as part of the traffic light system; if so, how many businesses? NAISI CHEN to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: What reports has he seen on the state of the venture capital industry? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Building and Construction: Is she satisfied that carbon emissions in the building and construction sector are being reduced fast enough to meet the Government's emission reduction goals? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: How many fully vaccinated people, if any, who have travelled from Australia since 23 August 2021 have tested positive for COVID-19 in New Zealand, and how many travellers from Australia have completed stays in managed isolation and quarantine since 23 August 2021? IBRAHIM OMER to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: How is the Government supporting businesses to get their workforces vaccinated? NICOLA WILLIS to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): Does she have confidence in the way Kāinga Ora is implementing its “sustainable tenancies” policy, and what advice, if any, has she had about whether Kāinga Ora's policy to “preserve and not terminate tenancies” has placed it in breach of its obligations as a landlord under the Residential Tenancies Act 1986? WILLOW-JEAN PRIME to the Minister of Conservation: What progress has been made on establishing a marine mammal sanctuary in the Bay of Islands?

Questions to Ministers 1. BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Minister of Housing: What actions, if any, will she take in response to revelations that an upcoming political candidate was used in a Kainga Ora promotion, and does she believe the culture of Kainga Ora is upholding what is expected of the Public Service? 2. Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? 3. ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: Is he satisfied with the level of openness and transparency around the Government's spending? 4. SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent progress has been made on New Zealand's COVID-19 vaccine programme across the regions? 5. CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister of Health: What is the average length of time between someone testing positive for COVID-19 and public health staff getting in contact with them regarding isolation arrangements, and is he satisfied with the management of the home self-isolation system? 6. GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister responsible for the GCSB: What recent announcements have been made in the GCSB portfolio? 7. JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Is she confident the Government is adequately supporting whanau in hardship through COVID-19? 8. GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Transport: What recent progress has been made to improve transport in the regions? 9. NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Housing: How did she make it clear to Kainga Ora that she is "not comfortable with them using political candidates" in their advertising, and what actions have been taken by Kainga Ora to address her concerns? 10. NAISI CHEN to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What recent progress has been made towards regulating merchant service fees? 11. HARETE HIPANGO to the Associate Minister of Health (Maori Health): Will the Ministry of Health release Maori health data in the manner requested by the Whanau Ora Commissioning Agency, and how much have Government departments spent to date on legal costs in relation to this issue? 12. NICOLE McKEE to the Minister of Justice: How many prior convictions on average does a third-strike offender have?

Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: When he reportedly admitted recently there were gaps in hospital preparations for the Delta outbreak, what were those gaps? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that “with Covid raging outside our borders, and new more transmissible strains emerging, we have had to both make continual improvements to strengthen our border while continuing to plan and prepare for managing any resurgence in the most effective way possible”? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Is he confident that Government policies are ensuring working people are safe and supported during the current COVID-19 outbreak? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister of Finance: Does he have confidence in the administration and timeliness of the COVID-19 wage subsidy scheme? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Has the Director-General of Health exempted, under clause 9 of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Point-of-care Tests) Order 2021, any point-of-care tests from the prohibitions in that order, and what is current Government policy on rapid COVID-19 tests?

Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement that the employment conditions and pay offer that nurses rejected had been proposed by their own bargaining team; if so, why does he think the nurses' union has stated this isn't true? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: How many of the 30,000 New Zealanders waiting for overdue hospital procedures could have their procedures done if the $486 million in health restructuring was spent on them? BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has she made about funding infrastructure to enable new housing in Porirua? Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Finance: Is he satisfied that the Government's investment of taxpayer funds reflects its priorities? GLEN BENNETT to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has she seen on the number of people receiving the main benefit? Hon LOUISE UPSTON to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she have confidence the Government is doing all it can to keep young people in emergency housing safe; if so, why? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister for Building and Construction: What recent reports has she seen regarding building consents? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Housing: What is the combined value of properties Government housing agencies have purchased since October 2017 and is she satisfied that, in all cases, these purchases have been good value for money? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and statements? ANNA LORCK to the Minister of Immigration: What announcements has the Government made in relation to the RSE scheme for next season's harvest? SIMEON BROWN to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement when referring to an interview with Harry Tam about the funding granted to his organisation that “It sounded like a recruitment drive for the gangs”; if so, has she expressed any concern about this to the Prime Minister?

Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and policies? Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What arrangements are being put in place to recommence quarantine-free travel with Australia? ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Revenue: Is the Government committed to removing the ability for interest expense to be deducted from residential rental income; if so, what is the expected increase in annual tax payable from the 2025/26 tax year for an investor who owns a typical rental property in Auckland? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister for the Environment: What announcements has the Government made regarding the reduction of waste? Hon SIMON BRIDGES to the Minister of Justice: Does he stand by all of his statements and policies on his proposed hate speech law changes? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister of Local Government: What information will councils have access to in order to consider the benefit of three waters reform and the impact on ratepayers? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Minister of Local Government: Does she stand by all of her statements and actions in relation to the Three Waters Reform Programme? NAISI CHEN to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What recent announcements has she made about supporting young people to stay safe online? JAN LOGIE to the Associate Minister of Education: What actions will she take, if any, in response to the finding in the Christchurch Girls' High School survey on harassment and abuse that half of all students have experienced sexual harassment, and does she believe that Aotearoa's schools have a sexual abuse culture? BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Associate Minister of Housing (Public Housing): What criteria are used to determine which Kāinga Ora homes should have first priority when ensuring State-owned homes meet the healthy homes standards?

Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? DAMIEN SMITH to the Minister of Statistics: Does he have confidence in Statistics New Zealand's calculation of the Consumers Price Index generally, and its publication of annual inflation at 1.5 percent in the year to March 2021? PAUL EAGLE to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What changes have been introduced with the move to alert level 2 in Wellington, Wairarapa, and Kāpiti Coast? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions? INGRID LEARY to the Minister for Trade and Export Growth: What recent progress has been made on the NZ-UK free-trade agreement? Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to the Clean Car Programme? NAISI CHEN to the Minister for Economic and Regional Development: What changes has he announced to Government Procurement Rules to support the objectives of the carbon-neutral Public Service? MATT DOOCEY to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in regard to mental health? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for ACC: What is her response to the briefing she received from ACC which states that there are inequities in the way disabled people are treated by ACC? TANGI UTIKERE to the Minister of Transport: What progress is being made on upgrades to regional highways? MARK CAMERON to the Minister for Biosecurity: How is the effort to eradicate Mycoplasma bovis tracking, and is it now in a management phase?

New analysis shows women are less likely to make ACC claims; they're more likely to be declined when they do, and receive far less compensation than men. Over the past five years, it's become harder for women - especially Māori and Pacific women - to get claims accepted. Critics say it's proof of what they've long suspected - the ACC system is sexist and racist, and urgent changes are needed. Green Party ACC spokesperson Jan Logie spoke to Susie Ferguson.  

New analysis shows women are less likely to make ACC claims; they're more likely to be declined when they do, and receive far less compensation than men. Over the past five years, it's become harder for women - especially Māori and Pacific women - to get claims accepted. Critics say it's proof of what they've long suspected - the ACC system is sexist and racist, and urgent changes are needed. Green Party ACC spokesperson Jan Logie spoke to Susie Ferguson.  

The Green Party is calling for ACC to change the way it deals with sexual abuse claims, following revelations that most abuse survivors fail to complete applications. Its ACC spokesperson, Jan Logie, says the acceptance rate is shockingly low and proves the system isn't working for survivors. She spoke to Susie Ferguson.

The Green Party is calling for ACC to change the way it deals with sexual abuse claims, following revelations that most abuse survivors fail to complete applications. Its ACC spokesperson, Jan Logie, says the acceptance rate is shockingly low and proves the system isn't working for survivors. She spoke to Susie Ferguson.

DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements and actions? Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: What recent announcements has he made on MIQ allocations in relation to supporting economic recovery? Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE to the Minister of Finance: Does the Government intend to restrict new spending in Budget 2021 to the operating allowance of $10.5 billion and capital allowance of $7.8 billion over the four-year period, as set out in the Budget Policy Statement 2021; if not, what are the new operating and capital allowances for Budget 2021? GINNY ANDERSEN to the Minister of Police: What recent announcements has she made regarding combating organised crime? Hon SCOTT SIMPSON to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What is his response to Treasury's advice that implementing a Fair Pay Agreements regime will have uncertain implications for productivity, and that there is “minimal empirical evidence for the problem or policy response” it seeks to address? RACHEL BROOKING to the Minister of Tourism: What is the Government doing to support the recovery of tourism communities? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for the Public Service: How is restricting the wage increases of nurses, teachers, and border workers who earn between $60,000 and $100,000 in order to “control the public wage bill” going to “reduce inequality”? TERISA NGOBI to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent announcements has she made about improving cancer screening programmes for women? Hon MARK MITCHELL to the Minister for the Public Service: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to public sector pay? MARK CAMERON to the Minister for Rural Communities: What concerns, if any, have been raised with him about the impacts of Government policies on rural communities?

ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all of his statements and actions in relation to a Māori Health Authority? HELEN WHITE to the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation: What recent announcements has she made about New Zealand's first Government-funded space mission? MELISSA LEE to the Minister for Broadcasting and Media: What measures, if any, is he taking to ensure the $55 million allocated to NZ On Air's Public Interest Journalism Fund will not lead to political bias? SHANAN HALBERT to the Minister of Education: What reports has he seen about enrolments in tertiary education and training? BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What communications, if any, has she or her officials had with representatives of the Chinese Government regarding the term “genocide” in relation to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region? Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all his policies and actions in education? ANAHILA KANONGATA'A-SUISUIKI to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What steps has she taken to support positive outcomes for New Zealand music? Hon MARK MITCHELL to the Minister for the Public Service: Why has he frozen some Public Service workers' pay for the next three years? JAN LOGIE to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement, “A turn to austerity measures will simply mean it takes longer for us to rebuild society in pursuit of numerical goals that ignore the real world we are living in”; if so, why is the Government suppressing public sector pay in the name of “taking financial pressure off the public wage bill”? KIERAN McANULTY to the Minister of Internal Affairs: What progress has she seen on the building of fire stations? NICOLA WILLIS to the Associate Minister of Housing (Homelessness): Does she stand by her statement that some children in emergency housing are living in “inhumane conditions … not suitable for any humans but certainly not suitable for young people”; if so, is she satisfied she is adequately exercising her responsibility for oversight of “progress on the support and prevention pillars for individuals, families and whānau experiencing or at risk of homelessness”?

GREG O'CONNOR to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? Dr SHANE RETI to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by all his statements and actions? PAUL EAGLE to the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage: What recent announcements has she made about futureproofing the arts, culture, and heritage sector? ANDREW BAYLY to the Minister of Finance: Does he stand by his statement in regard to tenants being evicted from their properties as a result of the housing changes, “I don't think it's a fair characterisation at all, and in fact those changes have not kicked in yet”? BROOKE VAN VELDEN to the Minister of Revenue: Will the public be consulted on the proposed changes to interest deductibility; if so, what is the timeline for that consultation? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister for the Environment: Is the Government supporting waste minimisation; if so, how? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for ACC: Does she think it is acceptable that ACC now has a more restrictive policy on birth-related injuries, when 85 percent of New Zealand women experience perineal injuries? RACHEL BROOKING to the Minister of Tourism: How is the Government supporting councils and regions most impacted by the loss of international tourists to build infrastructure for regional development? CHRIS BISHOP to the Minister for COVID-19 Response: Did he receive a paper from the Ministry of Health dated 26 January 2021 outlining the initial delivery schedule of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine and an 11-week roll-out schedule; if so, why has New Zealand not cumulatively administered 390,413 as stated at week seven? SIMON COURT to the Minister of Transport: Does he stand by the statement in the Cabinet paper Progressing the City Centre to Māngere Project through a public service delivery approach that the project faces “a funding shortfall, requiring substantial central government support”? SARAH PALLETT to the Minister for Women: What recent reports has she seen on New Zealand's gender equality gap? MATT DOOCEY to the Minister of Health: Can he confirm that since 2017-18 the average wait-time for child and adolescent mental health services has got worse across at least 16 of the 20 district health boards?   

Marama Davidson MP is a New Zealand politician who entered New Zealand parliament in 2015 as a representative of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, Since 2018 Marama has also been female co-leader of the Green Party.Also in studio is Jan Logie MP, Green Party MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Justice.www.theDOC.nzwww.patreon.com/theDOCNZwww.twitter.com/patbrittenden- Like - Share - Subscribe -

Retiring Green MP Gareth Hughes says the pace of change in the current Government is not fast enough for his liking but that is not the reason he is quitting politics."It is not transformational on the scale of some of the big turning points in our country's history from the 1930s to the 1980s."There have been pockets of transformation but for me it has been a frustration that the pace of change hasn't been as fast as I'd like to see or in fact the Green Party would like to see."He said he was retiring next election because 10 years was long enough and he and his wife wanted to travel the world with their two kids – aged 12 and nine - for a year."Talking to my wife, we feel it is the right time our life to spend some real solid quality time together and actually going travelling as a family would be a great way to do that and home-school the kids for a year."He said he would possibly be making the same decision to leave had he been made a minister."I've been reflecting that my eldest is going to be 16 by the end of the next term and I have found it more difficult the older my kids have got because they are more aware of what's going on and dad's absence."My kids have grown up knowing nothing but a parliamentary life so I'm quite excited about spending more quality time with them."I always said that 10 years was about right and it feels right."Hughes is one of only two men in the Green caucus of eight MPs and unsuccessfully contested the male co-leadership role in 2015 to fill Russel Norman's vacancy.He rejected speculation that he may not have secured a winnable list position for next year's election."To be frank, it's going to be a guy's election for the Green Party, given the gender imbalance. I was confident that I would have been returned."Green caucus from left: Jan Logie, Chloe Swarbrick, Gareth Hughes, James Shaw, Marama Davidson, Julie Anne Genter, Eugenie Sage and Golriz Gharahman.Any prospect of promotion to a minister would have meant more time away from his children "and that would have broken my heart."He has 10 areas of responsibility including energy and resources but has struggled for profile since the Greens entered Government for the first time in 2017.In terms of lack of progress, he cited the capital gains tax – which did not have the numbers to pass in Parliament - and the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits – but he also cited the ban as a high point."To push that in the confidence and supply negotiation [with Labour] but be unsuccessful but then to be able to achieve that afterwards was a real highlight."The announcement of the ban in April 2018 was a shock because it had not been promised by Labour before the 2017 election, nor had it been in the confidence and supply agreement with the Greens - and officials had argued it would increase greenhouse gas emissions because of reliance on less efficiently produced imported fuel.Hughes believed it was agreed in the end because of a confluence of factors – "good timing, groups such as Greenpeace were pushing incredibly hard at the same time and we made a very strong pitch to the Government that here was an opportunity to draw a line in the sand on what was our country's nuclear-free moment."Hughes said a low point was losing colleagues along the way such as Russel Norman, whom he had been close to, and Catherine Delahunty.He believed the party has done as well as it could have in Government."We've tried our best. We've got a tiny team that has worked their arses off for our policies and values."We've had some incredible wins; we've also had to compromise. We haven't always got our way. That was always going to be the nature of being in Government. I think we've as good a go as we possible could have."Some of the wins were achieved behind the scenes in changes to Cabinet papers or proposals that cold not always be communicated.If he had any advice for the Greens in a new term of Government it would be "that the G...

Retiring Green MP Gareth Hughes says the pace of change in the current Government is not fast enough for his liking but that is not the reason he is quitting politics."It is not transformational on the scale of some of the big turning points in our country's history from the 1930s to the 1980s."There have been pockets of transformation but for me it has been a frustration that the pace of change hasn't been as fast as I'd like to see or in fact the Green Party would like to see."He said he was retiring next election because 10 years was long enough and he and his wife wanted to travel the world with their two kids – aged 12 and nine - for a year."Talking to my wife, we feel it is the right time our life to spend some real solid quality time together and actually going travelling as a family would be a great way to do that and home-school the kids for a year."He said he would possibly be making the same decision to leave had he been made a minister."I've been reflecting that my eldest is going to be 16 by the end of the next term and I have found it more difficult the older my kids have got because they are more aware of what's going on and dad's absence."My kids have grown up knowing nothing but a parliamentary life so I'm quite excited about spending more quality time with them."I always said that 10 years was about right and it feels right."Hughes is one of only two men in the Green caucus of eight MPs and unsuccessfully contested the male co-leadership role in 2015 to fill Russel Norman's vacancy.He rejected speculation that he may not have secured a winnable list position for next year's election."To be frank, it's going to be a guy's election for the Green Party, given the gender imbalance. I was confident that I would have been returned."Green caucus from left: Jan Logie, Chloe Swarbrick, Gareth Hughes, James Shaw, Marama Davidson, Julie Anne Genter, Eugenie Sage and Golriz Gharahman.Any prospect of promotion to a minister would have meant more time away from his children "and that would have broken my heart."He has 10 areas of responsibility including energy and resources but has struggled for profile since the Greens entered Government for the first time in 2017.In terms of lack of progress, he cited the capital gains tax – which did not have the numbers to pass in Parliament - and the ban on new offshore oil and gas exploration permits – but he also cited the ban as a high point."To push that in the confidence and supply negotiation [with Labour] but be unsuccessful but then to be able to achieve that afterwards was a real highlight."The announcement of the ban in April 2018 was a shock because it had not been promised by Labour before the 2017 election, nor had it been in the confidence and supply agreement with the Greens - and officials had argued it would increase greenhouse gas emissions because of reliance on less efficiently produced imported fuel.Hughes believed it was agreed in the end because of a confluence of factors – "good timing, groups such as Greenpeace were pushing incredibly hard at the same time and we made a very strong pitch to the Government that here was an opportunity to draw a line in the sand on what was our country's nuclear-free moment."Hughes said a low point was losing colleagues along the way such as Russel Norman, whom he had been close to, and Catherine Delahunty.He believed the party has done as well as it could have in Government."We've tried our best. We've got a tiny team that has worked their arses off for our policies and values."We've had some incredible wins; we've also had to compromise. We haven't always got our way. That was always going to be the nature of being in Government. I think we've as good a go as we possible could have."Some of the wins were achieved behind the scenes in changes to Cabinet papers or proposals that cold not always be communicated.If he had any advice for the Greens in a new term of Government it would be "that the G...

Changes to provide greater support for domestic violence victims come into force today.The Domestic Violence Victims' Protection Act enhances legal protections in the workplace for people affected by domestic or family violence.It gives victims the right to 10 days of leave and flexible working conditions.The Bill was introduced by Green MP Jan Logie, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Domestic and Sexual Violence, and was passed last July.Jan Logie told Kerre McIvor it is a practical measure to help victims stay in work."We have really good research telling us, a bit more than half of the domestic violence victims who start that relationship in a job, lose that job over the course of the relationship...and that keeps them trapped in a violent relationship."She said victims often struggle to get time off work to go to court to ensure their safety.Logie said this Bill also means victims are less likely to be financially reliant on a violent relationship.She also acknowledged this is just one part of helping solve New Zealand's domestic violence issue.DO YOU NEED HELP?If you're in danger now:• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.• Run outside and head for where there are other people.• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.• Take the children with you.• Don't stop to get anything else.• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.Where to go for help or more information:• Shine, free national helpline 9am-11pm every day - 0508 744 633.• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843.• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584 • It's Not Ok: Information line 0800 456 450.