Mel in Mt ALBERT, May 2013

P A R L I A M E N T A R Y S E R V I C E

OUR PRIORITIES Responsibly managing the governments books Building a more competitive and productive economy Delivering better public services Rebuilding Christchurch

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Budget 2013 builds momentum

This years Budget confirms New Zealand is on the right track.
It provides more support for families, it forecasts more economic growth, more jobs, rising wages, and a return to surplus in 2014/15. Our responsible financial management will see the government return to surplus in 2014/15 and start paying off debt. Were spending $5.1 billion over four years on new initiatives in areas such as science and innovation, health, education, welfare, and housing. And were signalling ACC levy cuts for businesses and families. Were allocating $1.5 billion raised from the Mighty River Power share sale to rebuild Christchurchs hospitals, upgrade schools, and invest in irrigation infrastructure and KiwiRail. Meridian will be the next company prepared for a partial share sale later this year. Money raised will pay for vital infrastructure without further increasing debt. The Budget outlines reforms to tackle house prices. This includes new regulations for councils in areas where housing is least affordable. Were delivering better public services and more help for vulnerable families. Were almost doubling funding to tackle rheumatic fever. Were insulating 46,000 more homes for lowincome families. Were providing $198 million over four years to help beneficiaries find work. And were helping at-risk children get early childhood education. In health, the Budget is providing $1.6 billion over four years for new initiatives and to meet cost pressures. This includes about $352 million in new funding a year, taking total health spending to $14.7 billion next year, the most ever. Were investing in skills so young people can fulfil their potential. Spending across education, including tertiary, will increase next year to $12.4 billion. The Christchurch rebuild is gathering momentum. The Budget includes an extra $2.1 billion to bring the Governments share of the rebuild to around $15 billion. Budget 2013 sets out the next steps in our four priorities. It builds momentum towards a stronger, more stable, economy that can better weather global storms and deliver more opportunities, higher incomes, and more jobs. It continues our work to build a brighter future for Kiwi families

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Budget 2013

1 Pacific Language Weeks

Better Services ACC improvements Childrens Action Plan Budget 2013: Housing

Melissa Lee MP
2

Pacific Language Weeks 2013

Warm Pacific Greetings,
Pacific Language week is a celebration of pacific cultures.
This cultural celebration supports the growth and survival of pacific heritage languages, through raising awareness, and specifically in encouraging and embracing Pacific languages. I encourage us all to embrace Pacific Language Weeks by attending activities and events, using Pacific greetings, and promoting these celebrations within the local communities and workplaces. This week is Samoa language week. Here are some words you may want to use: Hello..................... Talofa lava How are you? ..... O a mai oe? Very well ............. Manuia Good bye ............ Tofa Soifua The following dates are confirmed by the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs Samoa 26 May-1 Jun Cook Is Maori 4-10 Aug Tonga 1-7 Sept Inaugural Tuvalu 30 Sept-6 Oct Inaugural Fiji 7-13 Oct Niue 13-19 Oct Tokelau 28 Oct-3 Nov

4 Snippets of Local and Ethnic events

Community notices

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Better services with fiscal constraints

Following work by the Ministerial Committee on Poverty, Budget 2013 confirms important initiatives to support low-income families.
2013/14, in addition to the $8.9 million provided in 2012/13

A whiteware procurement
programme to help beneficiaries buy new appliances under warranty using MSD repayable grants

$100 million over three

years to insulate 46,000 more homes for low-income families

Were investing $188.6 million over four years for the next stage of welfare reforms, to help more NZs into work. Paid employment is the best way to lift vulnerable families out of poverty

Over four years, $46.8

million for extra incomerelated rent subsidies for high-needs tenants

Investigating a partnership
with NGOs and financial institutions to support the provision of low or nointerest loans for lowincome borrowers

More than $21 million over

the next four years to reduce rheumatic fever in children

Extra $26.6 million to extend income-related rent subsidies to non-govt community housing providers

An extra $1.5 million for

Budgeting Services in

A trial on HNZ properties of

a warrant of fitness programme for rental housing

Continuing improvements in ACC

BUDGET 2013: Government signals $1b of ACC levy reductions
Continuing improvements in ACC will provide an opportunity for significant levy reductions.
These levy reductions will benefit employers, the selfemployed, families and households. The Government is allowing for a reduction of around $300 million for 2014/15 and possibly increasing to a reduction of around $1 billion in 2015/16. This follows a $630 million reduction in levies for households and businesses in 2012/13. better quality outcomes for claimants, improved privacy, culture change and great customer service. ACC knows it has to work on regaining the trust and confidence of NZers and on improving the service it provides to claimants. In Feb 2013, ACCs investment returns were $1.1 billion ahead of budget. This reflects both the market and great work of the investment team.

The Government is confident that a decrease in ACC levies is sustainable.

Its best that injuries never occur, but when accidents happen, ACCs job is being ready to help get individuals back to independence. The Government is focussed on

Commitment to Childrens Action Plan

The Government is committed to protecting vulnerable children through the Childrens Action Plan.
The Childrens Action Plan (CAP) is bigger than politics and is not only for this generation of New Zealand children, but their children and their grandchildren. The Childrens Action Plan comes from the Government MEL IN MT ALBERT, MAY 2013 White Paper, which includes more than 40 initiatives to better protect children who have been abused or maltreated, and those at the greatest risk of maltreatment. Implementing the Childrens Action Plan is a government priority, requiring new ways of working across agencies, including the establishment of Childrens Teams to bring together professionals at a local level. Budget 2013 will support CAP milestones.

$13.7 million operating funding over four years $3 million in capital funding in 2013/14 to deliver on the Childrens Action Plan milestones Of this, $6.7 million has been contributed from Vote Health over four years towards the cost of implementing the Childrens Action Plan.

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Housing - what Labour didnt do

National has announced a package of measures to make housing more affordable and improve access to social housing.
How exciting it is that we are doing something that Labour never did!
We are working hard to ensure NZers live in quality, affordable accommodation. High housing costs raise debt and increase demand for social assistance. Making housing more affordable is good for the economy and good for communities. Our housing package delivers on our promises to build a more competitive and productive economy and deliver better public services.

Productivity in the construction sector Streamlining consent and compliance costs

housing, and give NZ families a better chance to buy their own home. The first accord has been agreed with Auckland Council, the first special housing areas are expected to be designated later this year, and the target of 39,000 new homes consented over three years has been set. Housing accords will allow Councils to designate Special Housing Areas in which new housing can be approved under streamlined process. Budget 2013 makes bold changes to the way we deliver housing assistance to those who need it.

Community housing providers can often do a better job of meeting needs because they provide a wraparound service for their clients.

Social Housing
We are improving access to social housing by: Ensuring social houses are the right size, in the right place and in good condition for those who need them most. Creating the right environment to grow the community housing sector. Making homes warmer, drier, and healthier with all state houses capable of being insulated, being insulated by the end of the year and trialling a Housing Warrant of Fitness on state houses. Moving from state to social housing. Moving from social housing for life, to social housing when you need it.

Focus state housing on highest need

We will ensure state housing supports those with the greatest need by extending reviewable state housing tenancies to all HNZ tenants. This is about improving access to social housing for those who need it, and supporting people to become independent of state housing as their circumstances allow. State housing will be there for those who need it, for the duration of that need. People can rent state houses when they have high needs, for as long as they need. People will be given support to move into alternative housing when their situations improve and they are able to become independent. Reviewable tenancies were introduced to agreements signed after 1 July 2011. This will create a category of new higher-needs tenants, who will be eligible for lower rents. The Government is investing more money in state housing to support reviewable tenancies. We are making a record investment of $2.9 billion in HNZ over three years.

Community Housing Providers

Income -related rent subsidies will be extended to community housing providers such as NGOs, churches, charities etc. Often community providers integrate housing with support for people with disabilities, mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems and family dysfunction. We are opening the door for community housing providers to house more people with the Government funding them on the same basis as Housing New Zealand. There is no reason why a family in need should receive less support just because their house is owned by a community provider, rather than the Government.

Housing affordability

We are working across the board to make housing more affordable:

Housing Accords
We are working with Councils to create accords to increase land supply and streamline planning and consent processes. This is aimed at providing thousands more houses, alleviate the shortage of

Increasing land supply Getting on top of building material and construction costs Better delivery of core infrastructure to support new hosing

Language Line expansion to private sector

NZ is a hardNational is committed to seeing each and every person in this country receive the information, advice and services they need to get ahead and make a better life for themselves and their families.
Thats why the Government has given the go-ahead to expand the Office of Ethnic Affairs Language Line telephone interpreting service to private sector organisations. Language line currently offers immediate access to interpreters speaking 44 languages to help people who speak little or no English communicate with government agencies. The expansion of Language Line makes it easier for ethnic and migrant communities to settle and do business in New Zealand. Over the past decade Language Line has facilitated more than 30,000 transactions between government agencies and its clients.

working nation and we know our ethnic businesses have a tremendous contribution to make to our future prosperity

Introducing Language Line into major banks, for example, will support migrant business owners and their friends and family to set up a bank account and access the financial services they need to do business here. NZ is a hard-working nation and we know our ethnic businesses have a tremendous contribution to make to our future prosperity.

Local

snippets

&

Ethnic

Graduates of Office of Ethnic Affairs Young Leaders programme taken at Minister Collins office at the Beehive, Wellington.
Hon Judith Collins at NZ Indian Central Association 87th Annual Conference

Red Shield Appeal Collection at St Luke's, Mt Albert with Sarita Cummings and Rohini Sami

Opening address at EthnicA 2013 Wellington Conference.

Hon Judith Collins and Consul General Yilho Park at EPIC.

For more photos go to https://www.facebook.com/mpmelissalee

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If you have recently moved into Mt Albert, my office can help with the following:

COMMUNITY NOTICES
Raising awareness around Supportline Womens Refuge, Manager Christina Pusztay will speak at a community morning tea, 10am Friday 31 May at Mt Albert Baptist Church. Attendance is free, welcome to all Consultation of Councils plan for the next thirty years Draft Unitary Plan public meetings are underway. Attend these meetings and HAVE YOUR SAY! Calling volunteers - we need you! Mt Albert Community Patrol are looking for volunteers. Full training will be provided. Please call Tony Mayes 09 8492745 Mt Albert Community meeting with the Leprosy Mission - come and hear about the great work theyre doing! Friday 19 July, 10am at Mt Albert Baptist Church

Provide information on how Parliament works

Assistance with issues relating to education, health, immigration and ACC

10am to 3pm Monday to Friday 779 New North Road Mt Albert

Help with queries to WINZ, IRD, Police, HNZ Advocate on your behalf to Ministers and their departments Liaise with Auckland Council, Local Board and Auckland Transport

Help people understand govt policies

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