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PM and Steven Joyce Press Conference - 13 May 2013
PM and Steven Joyce Press Conference - 13 May 2013
By the Scoop
Team
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Steven Joyce joined John Key at today's post-Cabinet press conference to discuss the SkyCity Casino deal. SkyCity will receive a 27-year extension to its Auckland casino license, along with permission to add 230 extra slot machines and 40 gaming tables, in exchange for financing the building of a national convention centre.
Joyce discussed the logistics of the agreement, while Key primarily answered questions on Aaron Gilmore and Hone Harawira's Food in Schools Bill. Joyce later was brought back for discussion on illegal ghostwriting services for university students.
Steven Joyce
Skycity Casino Deal Briefing At Post Cabinet Press
Conference 13 May 2013
PM's Cabinet
Readout and Q&A Post Cabinet Press Conference 13 May
2013
Joyce was asked if PPPs end up tying the hands of the government, but he disagreed, pointing out that the SkyCity agreement runs for 35 years over different governments. He was asked who would pay for the convention centre if the cost exceeded the $350 million figure, but didn't speculate as he thought it an unlikely occurrence.
Questions were raised about the effect that the SkyCity agreement would have upon problem gambling. Joyce said that the number of pokies machines was steadily decreasing around the country, and that the SkyCity deal only marginally slowed down that rate of decline. A journalist asked if the government had performed a cost-benefit analysis with reference to the social problems of gambling, including its effect on the justice and health systems, but Joyce said it was difficult to assess or monetise the impact that the machines have on the community.
Neither Joyce nor Key gave details when asked why the negotiations took so long, and whether there was significant disagreement between SkyCity and the government.
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Key spoke briefly about the Mighty River Power sale, which currently represents the largest share registry on the NZX, including 77,000 new investors. $1.7 billion of the sales will return to the Crown who will invest it in projects like the Christchurch Hospital.
The Prime Minister was asked about Aaron Gilmore's impending resignation speech in the House tomorrow. Key has given support to this, saying that Mr Gilmore has made the right decision for him and his family. Claudette Hauiti will take his place as an MP.
Questions were asked about Hone Harawira's Food in Schools Bill. National will probably oppose it, on the grounds that it doesn't address more widespread concerns around the issue of child hunger, and that such an issue doesn't necessarily require legislative action. Key said the government puts money towards KidsCan and Fonterra's charitable work. He was asked if using public money to support non-governmental initiatives which would then be fed back into the public system was inefficient, but disagreed, favouring a PPP model. He said that it would cost more to do the venture with public money.
Key was asked what the Budget was like, and said "It's a good Budget", and easier than other years due to what he believes is a positive state of the economy.
The discussion turned to recent reports that Chinese students were cheating on essays by having their essays ghostwritten. Key was asked whether or not it posed any questions about the lack of controls around foreign students in New Zealand, but disagreed, saying that plagiarism is always a risk within universities.
Joyce said that NZQA and Education New Zealand are working closely with universities on the issue, but that Crown agencies can't conduct stings on university assignments. He said that similar issues were raised in 2009 with what turned out to be a legitimate coaching service. Ghostwriting services were criminalised in 2011. Joyce said he was very disappointed in how NZQA and ENZ hadn't informed him of the problem.
Finally, Key was asked if he supported the Reserve Bank's intervention in the currency, given he previously said it doesn't work. He supported it, but stood by his previous statements that intervention doesn't turn around the direction of the currency.
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