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PM's Post-Cab 19/8/19: Bad Mail
PM's Post-Cabinet Press Conference 19 August 2019: Bad Mail
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern began her post-cabinet press conference on Monday by running through recent government announcements, followed by a preview of her week to come. She also said Depity Prime Minister Winston Peters would not be attending parliament this week following a "small surgical procedure".
Cabinet was updated on the process around prisoners sending mail, following the accused Christchurch gunman sending letters that "should have been stopped". All mail of "high concern prisoners" will now be checked by a specialist team and a changes to the legal criteria for witholding mail are expecting to go to a cabinet committee in this parliamentary session.
The PM took questions around the letters, plans
of the prison letter rule changes, the focus of Corrections'
apology on the matter, related issues arounf the
Christchurch Call on the spread of extremist ideology
online, children being taken into state care, discussion
over Ihumātao expected during and upcoming Kīngitanga
visit, efforts to reduce the Māori prison population, the
Ihumātao negotiations and attempt to get Ardern to visit
the contested site, Australia's position over climate change
at the Pacific Island forum and the Pacific's relationship
to China, reports of Stuff and NZME lobbying legal changes
to propose the proposed merger, any Ministerial knowledge of
TVNZ not returning a dividend and Mediaworks' response, the
protests in Hong Kong (supporting the right to protest,
calling for de-escalation and a restoration of the "one
China, two systems" philosophy), the possibility of the
accused Christchurch voting in local elections, the appeals
process on the Labour Party's inquiry into staff bullying,
other issues around the criminal inquiry into the
Christchurch mosque attacks, the effect on families of
beneficiary sanction over drug tests, and issues with venues
getting liquor licences for Rugby World Cup game screening
times.
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