| Archive - these pages are part of the continuing record of Executive Government - for the current Administration, see www.beehive.govt.nz |
Corrections
Prisoners to Work - Started developing a strategy to ensure prisoners work between 6am to 6pm, six days a week.
Defence
Education
Significant additional funding to support further development of the early childhood education sector [ $55 million extra over three years ]
Special Education 2000 ($150-$200 million)
School Operations Grants ($62 million)
Teacher supply and school accommodation for the compulsory sector addressed. A more than a $40 million programme announced to ensure that the country has enough trained school teachers. During the next three years the investment includes: ? 1,500 extra places for teacher trainees ? Measures to increase the number of Maori and te reo Maori teachers ? Recruitment of overseas teachers ? Retraining available for up to 1,100 ex-teachers
Other points:
Additional capital expenditure for classrooms and schools: Nearly 1,000 more classrooms and 10 new schools($120 million new money)
Commitment to voluntary direct resourcing and exploring with education sector groups ways to improve the formula to remove anomalies.
Tertiary Education Review Green Paper released - sets out a range of options designed to improve opportunities for tertiary study for New Zealanders, lift quality of courses and accountability and management of tertiary institutions.
Employment
- the integration of employment, income and training related services,
- a more regionally driven approach to achieving employment policy objectives, including the appointment of Regional Commissioners, and
- maximising the involvement of job seekers in community work and training together with the replacement of the Unemployment Benefit with a community wage or training allowance.
Community Taskforce participation expanded - Over the next 12 months the number of people participating in CTF will increase from approximately 5,000 to between 17,000 and 20,000.
Expansion of Limited Service Volunteer Scheme announced - increasing the number of places for young disadvantaged job seekers from 720 to 1250 annually, with an additional commitment of $1.5 million.
Energy:
Environment
Resource Management Act - New funding has been provided to investigate and improve practice in applying the Resource Management Act. This involves sharing examples of innovative 'good practice' with users. Aspects of the Act which are not working well are being investigated and solutions will be developed.
Priority given to Biosecurity - New focus on Biosecurity by funding new programmes which address the threats to our ecology, our health and our economy posed by the introduction and establishment of foreign pests, weeds and diseases.
Created a new ministerial portfolio of Biosecurity and the formed a Biosecurity Council to improve coordination in this area. A comprehensive biosecuirty framework is also being developed.
Exports And International Trade
Passed into law the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act to assist in doing business in Australia and New Zealand
Concluded 'open skies' aviation agreement with the United States.
Foreign Affairs
Hosted Bougainville peace talks and played brokering role in release of PNGDF hostages.
Active involvement in process to negotiate a treaty on landmines
Health
Free doctors visits and prescriptions for children under six years olds implemented 1 July 1997.
In 97 Budget $15m extra pa, allocated to address major issues in delivery of mental health services
The Mental Health Commission has been established with its legislation now introduced.
Work on track to remove the competitive profit focus for hospitals, replacing it with a requirement to carry out their activities in a businesslike fashion.
Income and asset testing for public hospitals abolition announced in 97 Budget to be implemented 1 October 1998.
Asset testing for private hospitals abolition announced in 97 Budget to be implemented 1 October 1998.
Abolition of user charges in public hospitals was announced in the Budget and took effect from 1 July 1997.
Increased health spending:
| 97/98 | 98/99 | 99/00 |
$300m
|
$480m
|
$750m
|
Police / Law and Order
Increased Police funding to its highest ever level.
Toughened up the Harassment and Criminal Association Bill to provide more powers for Police to tackle gangs and criminal organisations. This Bill:
Evaluating legislative options for changing the current firearms licensing regime. This will probably include a return to the licensing of individual firearms.
Community magistrates to be appointed in District Court to handle minor criminal matters
In conjunction with the Department of Corrections, the Victim Notification scheme has been extended, and the Police have undertaken to inform all victims of crime of their right to be notified every time an offender appears at a parole hearing, so they have the chance to make submissions.
It is planned to review the CYPF Act regarding repeat youth offenders, to ensure young persons are held more accountable for their offending.
Senior Citizens
Social Welfare
A review of the Domestic Purposes Benefit is being carried out as part of a wider programme of work focussing on sickness and invalids benefits and the DPB.
Developing the Strengthening Families Strategy: Health, education and social welfare agencies are working together to help families in need to meet their responsibilities to support themselves and their families. At local and national levels there will be better coordination between services to families at risk.
Reviewed and increased the Accommodation Supplement and Special Benefit payments. An extra $58M was allocated for housing assistance in the 1997 Budget, taking spending on the Accommodation Supplement alone to a record $760M.
An extra $30 million over three years has been allocated to help the Children, Young Persons and Their Families Service deal with child abuse and youth offending.
Additional $35.6 million over 3 years to help CYPFS further implement its residential strategy and provide more jobs.
Transport
The Road Reform package: The Coalition Government will be making decisions before the end of the year on the appropriate structure for the funding and management of the roading network, as a result of the Land Transport Pricing Study.
Treaty Settlements
State Owned Enterprises
The Government is also considering the future of its shareholding in Auckland Airport Company and consideration is also being given to the Government shareholding in Tauranga and Nelson airports.
Government considering future ownership of TVNZ.
Tax Cuts
Given suitable economic and fiscal conditions beyond 1 July 1998, the Coalition intends considering further tax cuts in 1999/2000 and future years.
OTHER PROGRESS
Freed up kindergarten teachers from the state sector to give local communities more control
Established a Maori Health and Education Commission.
A Retirement Savings Scheme option was designed and put to the public for a decision by referendum in September.
Population Conference to be held on November 13 and 14 to help contribute to future immigration strategy.
Adult minimum wage raised to $7
Compliance costs: Seeking to lower compliance costs imposed by local government and central government regulations, by reviewing the interpretation of such laws as the Resource Management Act, the Employment Contracts Act , Building Act and Health and Safety in Employment Act.
Hotels and taverns to be permitted to trade up to 3am on Sundays.
Raised the age for buying cigarettes and tobacco from 16 to 18 years.
New funding for high performance sport - Secured an extra $4.2 million funding for high performance sport, taking Government funding for the three year build-up to the Sydney Olympics to $9.5 million.
Extra funding for the Sports Drug Agency - Secured a 40% funding boost for the Sports Drug Agency in the 1997 Budget, from $450,000 to $642,000 per year
Thorough census of Kaimanawa horse population and muster for sale completed.
Summit on kiwifruit industry - to be held in October 1997.
Summit on the meat industry - to be held in early 1998.
Export-led Growth
Principles
BUDGET '97 - OVERVIEW
The three-year plan also allows for a continuation of budget surpluses:
| 1997/98 | $ 1.5 billion |
| 1998/99 | $ 1.9 billion |
| 1999/20 | $ 2.6 billion |
Net public debt is forecast to fall from 25.5% of GDP in 1997-98 to 20.5% in 1999-2000.
ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS:
Reserve Bank projections on the New Zealand economy were released on 18 September 1997 - continued low inflation, positive and increasing growth, lower unemployment, a lowering of the current account deficit, higher productivity.
June quarter GDP figure showed growth of 1.2 per cent. The highest quarterly growth figure since September 1994. The 1.2 per cent growth for the June quarter was higher than the average annual growth rate between 1975 and 1990.
The National Bank Business September Outlook Report reported that business confidence has not been at what they call "this stellar level since December 1995." The "increase in confidence was widespread, with all sectors recording large rises."