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I'm sure you will all have been pleased to hear about Telecom's new price connection structure. While I think it is a vast improvement, I do have reservations that it hasn't gone far enough, especially for some Wairarapa residents. The Government has always recognised that Telecom should be able to charge for new connections and re-connections to its network. But my concern is that some constituents in rural or other low-population areas, such as Wairarapa, could still face such high costs to access a phone line that they may not be able to get a phone connected. This raises concerns about the ability of some people to access essential services. However, I am pleased that after two meetings with Government ministers, Telecom has acknowledged these concerns. The new charges are significantly fairer for people living in low population density areas than Telecom's original proposal. This is a good start and I hope it can be further improved. It was also encouraging to hear Telecom's announcement that it will extend its existing Budget Link concession programme to give people on low incomes the opportunity to pay the lowest new connection charge wherever they live.
This week we celebrate International Volunteer Day on 5 December, and I would like to place on record my thanks for the work of all the wonderful volunteers in our community, especially the fire and ambulance crews, school volunteers, marae workers, sports and social service workers, volunteers working with people with disabilities, in riding for the disabled, in the health sector - there are too many groups to mention here. Their work strengthens the fabric of our community and has a major impact on our social, cultural and economic strength and vitality. Volunteers are the lifeblood of communities, they work willingly and are often unnoticed. On International Volunteers' Day, we should all recognise the ordinary people who make an extraordinary contribution to New Zealand in a vast number of areas. Over the next three years the Government has allocated around $4 million to strengthen and grow volunteer centres. We will continue to ensure a consistent and positive approach by government departments to recognising and supporting volunteering.
Good news for our regional identity, is that the Tararua region will be shortly getting its own local television service - the Tararua Television Charitable Trust which operates out of Pahiatua. The station will broadcast a combination of locally-made and internationally-sourced programmes. With the non-commercial UHF licence now approved the Trust can now get on with setting up its infrastructure and its planning to go to air. Great stuff!
Whether you're considering a career, actively looking for a job, wanting to change vocations, or start your own business, the new government internet information package - WorkSITE is worth a look: www.worksite.govt.nz. WorkSITE covers virtually everything there is to know about working in New Zealand.
Meanwhile in Parliament, National's ridiculous attack on the Local Government Bill once again demonstrated how poorly informed the party is. Bill English's speech contained not one, but three complete falsehoods about the Local Government Bill. Mr English claimed that under the Bill councils will have to act in accordance with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. This is not true. He said councils will have to 'recognise and respect the principles of Treaty of Waitangi'. This is also not true. And he said the Bill would give the local government minister the power to review all decisions relating to Māori and order the process to be done again. This is just complete nonsense -nothing like this appears in the Bill.
The Local Government Bill contains a reference to the Treaty but it does not place a general Treaty obligation on councils. Instead it contains a set of practical provisions designed to advance the government's goals of maintaining and improving opportunities for Māori to contribute to local government. Māori are heavily under-represented on councils. In the last local government elections only 4% of those elected were Māori, yet Māori make up 14% the population. That was why there was an option for Māori wards or constituencies in the Bill. But once again the National Party is not telling the people of New Zealand the whole truth.
Mr English has claimed that councils will simply be able to declare that separate Māori constituencies will be formed. What he hasn't said is that councils must then notify their communities of their decision. Just 5% of electors can force a referendum on the issue, and if that referendum does not support a council's resolution it stops dead. Māori constituencies are a matter for councils and local communities to determine. That is the principle of local government. Māori are resident in almost every New Zealand community and they have to be able to participate.
And the suggestion the Bill was being rushed through by the Government was completely ludicrous. A long consultative process began in November 2000.. I have spoken to all 4 Mayors in the Wairarapa electorate and the general view was to hurry-up and pass the Bill.
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