Hon Jo Goodhew, MP for Rangitata

Visit to Vietnam

Since my last newsletter to you a fortnight ago I have undertaken a visit to Vietnam in my role as Minister of Food Safety. While there I met with Vietnamese government and business leaders to promote our trade and agriculture relationship.

The trip tied in with the 40th anniversary of the bilateral relationship between New Zealand and Vietnam, and followed the signing of the Food Safety Cooperation Arrangement between both countries in March this year.

Vietnam has one of the fastest growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Last year Vietnam received more than $430 million in primary products exports from New Zealand.

As a food producing nation, New Zealand has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with Vietnam. Our primary products are seen as being of high-quality and safe, our food safety and assurance systems are seen as world-leading, and our agricultural expertise is recognised across the Vietnamese Government.

New Zealand’s commitment towards working constructively with Vietnam in food safety and agricultural matters will further strengthen the already strong ties that exist between our two countries.

Tackling Family Violence

Last week we made some important announcements around what further steps the National-led Government is taking to tackle family violence.

Despite crime rates in New Zealand falling to a 35-year low, family violence remains unacceptably high. In fact, the level of family violence in New Zealand is appalling.

Last year alone, more than 100,000 incidents were reported to Police – that’s around one every five minutes. What’s more, nearly half of all homicides and reported violent crimes are family violence-related.

A review has been launched into New Zealand’s family violence legislation, which adds to the comprehensive work programme we already have underway to combat family and sexual violence. This includes establishing a national home safety service, speeding up court cases, and improving judges’ access to information in family violence cases.

The legislation review is one of the many ways we’re striving to get victims the help they need, hold perpetrators to account, and stop family violence from happening in the first place. The law can do more to reduce the incidence and impact of family violence.

This Government is committed to better addressing the high rate of family violence. While we are dealing with an immensely complex issue, we can and we will do more.

You can have your say on the legislation review here. Submissions close on 18 September 2015.

Commitment to an open New Zealand reinforced

Not many weeks would go by without constituents raising with me the difficulties they are having recruiting skilled staff, or the hassles to have great staff that are having to endlessly apply to renew work visas. Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse has heard these concerns on several visits to Rangitata and I'm delighted that there seems to be some light at the end of the tunnel!

We want to encourage new immigrants to live, work and settle across New Zealand, bringing with them valuable skills, labour and capital which benefits our communities. So spreading the benefits of an open New Zealand is the main focus of our immigration reforms.

To achieve this we are changing some of our immigration settings, by offering more points to migrants who opt to live, work and set up businesses in our regions.

New migrants need to reach a set number of points in order to gain residency. From 1 November the number of points offered to Skilled Migrants applying for residence with a job offer outside of Auckland will be boosted from 10 to 30. These migrants will be required to commit to a region for a minimum of twelve months, rather than the current three months.

Also, entrepreneurs who set up businesses in the regions under the Entrepreneur Work Visa will now get 40 rather than 20 of the 120 points they require for residency. These are migrants with high-level business experience who establish a new business or take over and commit to growing an existing business in the regions. It will boost investment and jobs in those regions and increase innovative and high-growth businesses with export potential operating across the regions.

The streamlined labour market test currently operating in Queenstown will also be extended nationwide. The test allows employers with a low-skilled job opening to get advice from Work and Income before lodging a visa application for a migrant. It means visa applications are processed quicker and creates more certainty for employers and migrants.

A limited number of long-term migrants in the South Island on temporary visas will now have a pathway to residency. These are mostly migrants in lower skilled jobs who have been in New Zealand for a number of years who are hard workers, paying their taxes, and whose families are contributing members of their communities. Details of this programme will be set out early next year.

Many people want to live, work and raise their families in New Zealand. These changes provide opportunities for those people to bring their skills, capital and expertise to areas that will benefit most from them.

Rail Safety Week 2015 launched

The launch of the ninth annual Rail Safety Week is a timely reminder to stay alert around trains, tracks and level crossings.

The theme this year is ‘Expect trains’. Whether you are an urban commuter, or in a car, truck or van at a rural level crossing, the message is the same — remember a train can come along at any time and from any direction. Events taking place around the country will reinforce this, and other important safety messages.

Events include ‘Cops in Cabs’, where Police will ride in locomotive cabs to find out what it is like to be in a train when it is involved in a collision or near collision, while Christchurch school children will experience a locomotive training simulator. The New Zealand Transport Agency will also launch a new safety campaign focussed on improving driver behaviour at rural level crossings.

Rail Safety Week runs through to 16 August. The week is planned and coordinated by KiwiRail with the support of TrackSAFE NZ, NZ Transport Agency, NZ Police, Auckland Transport, Transdev Auckland and Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Click here for more information.

Eleven straight quarters of job growth

The latest labour market data shows continued job growth, with 7,000 more people employed over the last quarter and 69,000 more New Zealanders in work than a year ago.

Wage growth has also been strong with the average weekly wage rising 3.2 per cent over the year to $1,097.27, considerably faster than inflation at 0.3 per cent.

The Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS) for the June quarter shows a 0.1 per cent increase in the unemployment rate to 5.9 per cent. This is due to growth in the working age population exceeding that of job growth in the quarter.

The rate of labour market participation at 69.3 per cent remains the third highest on record.

It’s pleasing to see continuing job growth, despite some economic headwinds. The economy continues to diversify and grow jobs in most regions over the past year despite sharply lower dairy prices and some international uncertainties.

Manufacturing growth is the strongest it’s been since 2010 and the number of people employed in manufacturing is the highest since 2008. Over the past year 24,500 jobs have been created in that sector with 9,500 in the last quarter alone. Employment in construction is now at the highest level ever, increasing by 22,700 in the past year.

Overall 17 out the past 18 quarters have recorded positive employment growth, including the past 11 consecutive quarters.

Upcoming Events

August 11–13: Parliament sitting
August 14: Constituency work, Timaru
August 18–20: Parliament sitting
August 22: Attend South Canterbury Hospice Ball
August 24: Constituency work, Ashburton
August 25–27: Parliament sitting
August 28: Hosting MP Andrew Bayly, Timaru
August 28: Attending South Canterbury Business Excellence Awards

Regards,

Jo Goodhew

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