Port Nicholson Settlement - A Major Contribution to Justice

The Port Nicholson Block Claims Team have signed a Deed of Settlement with the Crown settling all the historical Treaty claims of Taranaki Whānui at a ceremony at Wellington’s Pipitea Marae.

Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika is a collective that comprises people from a number of Taranaki iwi whose ancestors migrated to Wellington in the 1820s and 30s and signed the Port Nicholson Block Deed of Purchase in 1839.

Treaty Negotiations Minister Michael Cullen said the signing was an important milestone in the relationship between the Crown and iwi in New Zealand’s capital city.

The settlement package includes:

· an historical account, Crown acknowledgements of historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles, a Crown apology, and the innovation of a Statement of forgiveness from Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika to the Crown;

· a cultural redress package featuring the transfer of a number of sites of cultural significance to Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, including the three islands in Wellington Harbour, with public access rights preserved; and

· a quantum of $25.025 million, as well as the opportunity to purchase a number of Crown properties in Wellington city and the surrounding region.


Dr Cullen deserves full credit for settling this claim and for leading the way in beginning a healing process to enable iwi to move forward.

Biden Adds Foreign Policy Strength to Obama Ticket

Senator Obama's decision to have Senator Joe Biden as his Vice Presidential running mate will add further gravitas to the Democratic ticket in the US elections this November. Biden is one of America's longest serving Senator's, with two presidential races behind him (1988 and 2008),and immense foreign policy expertise. In choosing Biden Obama has added experience to his youth, an insider's knowledge to his reputation as an anti-establishment figure, and international relations expertise to Obama's domestic policy background. It will be interesting to see the next few polls comparing McCain to Obama - given this latest news.

Time for Wellington To Grow

Recent statistics on staff numbers show that there has been significant growth in public service jobs. This makes Wellington vulnerable to any major staff reductions in the public sector should there be any significant change to government spending in the near term. Wellington needs to develop additonal sources of growth and employment in the private sector. As many investors are finding at to their cost - it pays to diversify.

Economies of scale are well and good but we need to balance the idea of concentrating development in the CBD. From a strategic perspective having all our facilities concentrated around the CBD leaves us vulnerable in the event of an earthquake.

In an age when carbon-based transport is likely to become more expensive we need to consider alternatives. Light rail, broadband, teleworking are all concepts worth exploring. If the city is going to prosper and grow then we need to be open to the outside world and market ourselves globally. We need to attract the people and the capital to invest in modern infrastructure and we need to sell high value products and services in the global marketplace. Perhaps its time to dust off the proposal for a hi-tech business park in the northern suburbs?

Allow local retailers to compete - end council protectionism

Yesterday's Dominion Post editorial exposed the City Council's fast tracking of measures to protect CBD business interests over and above local Johnsonville shop owners. In an age of rising concerns about pollution and increasing petrol prices surely we should allow the market to operate for benefit of local retailers and residents alike?

Progressive liberalism

The word "liberal" has been misused by many groups in recent years. Some see it as a badge for laissez-faire capitalism - despite liberalism's concern with equal opportunity and freedom from poverty, ignorance or superstition. Others, see liberals as soft on crime, supporters of Big Government and the welfare state.
However, a dictionary definition describes liberal as :
"relating to or having social and political views that favour progress and reform" - Collins Concise Dictionary p.853.
Intrinsic in the liberal attitude is a willingness to always look to improve things, to question established assumptions and to find better solutions to the challenges of the day. Freedom and responsibility are at the heart of the liberal philosophy.

Today the greatest threat to liberalism is not monarchist absolutism of the type facing liberals in revolutionary France. Rather it is the desire for freedom without the acceptance of responsibility and the selective blindness regarding the need to broaden freedoms for all sorts of forgotten groups in society. Rebuilding social capital and the linkages that unite local communities is one of the main tasks facing the country today. The party that can rediscover the roots of this type of balanced yet progressive liberalism will be the party that surprises at the election.

Step Change Needed in Economic Performance

New Zealand needs a step change in economic performance if it is to raise the living standards of all its people and to afford the increasingly expensive healthcare treatments now available. In addition we also have a large number of baby-boomers coming through the system to retirement during the next two decades.

Productivity growth, adoption of hi-tech production methods and lower income tax rates are all part of the policy mix required. We also need to agree and implement a NZ Broadband Strategy and build links between our education system, job training and the global marketplace in a way that encourages kiwi companies to remain headquartered here and to be smart about retention of Intellectual Property rights here in New Zealand.

Whichever parties are involved in forming the next government should probably consider convening a NZ Summit of the type David Lange convened after the 1984 election. We need to debate and agree some key national goals and then set about achieving them.

Income Splitting Long Overdue!

The long overdue recognition of at home parents came another step closer this week with the launch of a Discussion Paper by Revenue Minister and United Future Leader - Peter Dunne.

Income Splitting allows parents to split their combined income so that each partner pays less tax. This is a simple way of recognising the valuable role played by parents who choose to work at home raising their own children. The times are changing and there is a groundswell of support for this tax reform. In addition to our own supporters in Parents' Choice 08 - other groups such as various Playcentre groups and Parents As Partners are also rallying support for this change. United Future has led the way in terms of including Income Splitting in its policy programme. Other parties have been asked to consider Income Splitting.