United Future | Discussion Forum

POLL: How should the government fund the reconstruction of Christchurch?

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:13:00 +1200

How should the government fund the reconstruction of Christchurch? See the results.

POLL: Do you support John Key's proposal for the partial privatisation of State Owned Enterprises?

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:54:00 +1300

Do you support John Key's proposal for the partial privatisation of State Owned Enterprises? See the results.

BLOG: Biodegradable Plastic Bags!

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:58:00 +1200

An article in the Whakatane Beacon recently caught my attention. It featured a local man John Fell who is importing biodegradable plastic bags into NZ and supplying retailers with them for the same cost as normal plastic shopping bags!

Unable to resist the temptation, I rang him and organised to meet wioth him to learn more about this amazing new technology.

What I learned was this ....

There are two main types of biodegradable plastics; oxo-biodegradeable, which are also recyclable and hydro-biodegradable which can not be recycled as they contaminate the new plastic product.

Mr Fell then invited me to a diiner in Wellington with the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Trust. There I met a number of other business people who also supply biodegrabale products as substitutes for many of our 'one-use/throw-away' options.

Last week British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on British businesses to cut sharply the 13 billion plastic shopping bags that are used and wasted each year in Britain... Read the full text of this blog post.

BLOG: Liberal Democrats and Kermit the Frog

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 06:36:00 +1200

There are times when I empathise with Kermit the Frog.
While Kermit sometimes laments that it is not easy being green, I sometimes lament that being in the political centre is not always easy.
The liberal centrist approach requires a sensibility and a pragmatism that often does not sit comfortably with the prevailing political debate. It is inevitably much easier to be “for” something, or “against “ it in a sort of soapbox way, than it is to take a more discerning approach based on the particular circumstances of the time and the best response to them.
To the cynic such detached objectivism is not only passionless, and therefore lacking commitment, but also unprincipled and opportunist, easily dismissed as “wishy-washy”, or “standing for nothing”, or “just having an eye for the main chance.” Far better, the cynic argues to be unmistakeably “right” or “wrong” as the case may be, because at least that way everyone is left in no doubt as to where you stand, regardless of the consequences... Read the full text of this blog post.

BLOG: Guest Post: Marty Gibson, UF Regional Spokesman, Gisborne/East Coast

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:17:00 +1200

Read below for an op-ed Marty wrote for the Gisborne Herald on Petrobas and offshore prospecting. Great thinking, great writing... Read the full text of this blog post.

POLL: Should dangerous dog breeds be banned in NZ?

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:26:00 +1300

Should dangerous dog breeds be banned in NZ? See the results.

BLOG: The Depth of UnitedFuture

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:50:00 +1300

Peter Dunne and UnitedFuture are often regarded as one and the same. That's partly because for the last three years United Future has been a one MP party, but that's not the whole reason.
In contrast the Mana Party gets much wider attention. That's partly due to having a controversial leader and having other more high profile candidates, but it's also just the way of the media – they decide what is interesting (or controversial) enough for coverage.
United Future candidates have been announced starting in August, and the list was announced mid October. Apart from a small number of low profile news reports that information has remained out of the newslight. Some UnitedFuture candidates are well known in their own spheres of influence.
I'll do a blog style profile series of candidates over the next couple of weeks. Read the full text of this blog post.

BLOG: A Liberal Party for New Zealand?

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:24:00 +1300

Every now and then, ever since the demise of Sir Joseph Ward, there is a call for the re-establishment of a Liberal Party in New Zealand. Occasionally, the flame flickers a little more brightly, as in 1963 when a Liberal Party actually contested the election that year with minimal success.
The call has been made again in some quarters following the ACT Party’s near demise at this year’s general election, but is not without its problems. For a start, the assumption that ACT was a Liberal Party to begin with is highly dubious, and, second we actually already have such a Party on the New Zealand scene.
The essence of modern liberalism, or radical centrism as it has come to be known in Britain is two fold – a commitment, as always, to personal and economic freedom, through open market economies and free trade, but balanced by the acceptance of government responsibility to look after the vulnerable through the education, health and welfare systems... Read the full text of this blog post.

Bill to improve Child Support introduced

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:17:00 +1300

In introducing the Child Support Amendment Bill to Parliament today, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne said the changes it would bring would ensure the Child Support scheme was fairer and more efficient.
Mr Dunne said the Bill being taken to Parliament had been strongly shaped by an extensive public consultation process.
“People have very strong views on child support. It deals with the welfare of their children, and it needs to be a scheme that fits with the realities of parenting and raising and supporting children today.
“And in all of that, it needs to be seen as fair. I believe we are achieving that with this Bill,” he said.
The bill will:

revise the child support calculation formula to include a greater recognition of shared care and the income of both parents
update the scheme to take account of other key factors such as new estimates of expenditure for raising children today, and
improve the rules for payment, penalties and debt... Read the full text of this article.

POLL: Do you support the changes to Child Support law?

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:09:00 +1200

70% of respondents to the consultation on the Child Support system, called for for comprehensive reform. Do YOU support the changes to Child Support law? See the results.

Asset Sales

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:34:00 +1300

The National has a manifesto that includes asset sales. New Zealanders need to start a proper debate on the future limits of those sales.
To this point there has not been a proper national debate beyond National saying 'yes' and Labour saying 'no'.
We need a conversation that is more detailed and drills down into what New Zealanders really think are acceptable bottom lines.
New Zealanders are not definitively pro-asset sales, but under certain conditions, it is no longer the bogeyman issue that Labour would have you believe.
UnitedFuture’s role as a support partner is not just to contribute its own policies, but to help keep a government to a reasonable, centrist path.
UnitedFuture says let’s start with three no-go areas where there would be no asset sales, not now, not ever
Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the water supply should be ruled out of any future asset sales programmes... Read the full text of this article.

Credibility and experience top UnitedFuture list

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:21:00 +1300

UnitedFuture President Judy Turner today released the party’s list for the 2011 general election, calling it “a mix of maturity, experience, and fresh faces for the future”.
“The party has hand-picked a credible group, ready to enter Parliament and make a strong contribution,” she said.
In the top five are noted outdoors advocates Doug Stevens and Alan Simmons, former Prime Ministerial Chief of Staff Rob Eaddy and the Chief Executive of the Federation of the Islamic Association of New Zealand, Sultan Eusoff.
Party leader Peter Dunne said that he was delighted with the calibre of the candidates, and that UnitedFuture offered voters a “strong, sharp and able” team to help keep a second-term National-led government “on a track that New Zealanders would want”.
The list members and the electorates they represent are:

1                                             Peter Dunne (Ohariu)
2                                             Doug Stevens (Nelson)
3                                             Rob Eaddy (Hutt South)
4                                             Sultan Eusoff (Palmerston North)
5                                             Alan Simmons (Taupo)
6                                             Bryan Mockridge (Mt Roskill)
7                                             Vanessa Roberts (Ilam)
8                                             Pete George (Dunedin North)
9                                             Ram Prakash (Botany)
10                                         Martin Gibson (East Coast)
11                                         Clyde Graf (West Coast-Tasman)
12                                         Damian Light (North Shore)
13                                         Andrew McMillan (Rangitata)
14                                         Diane Brown (Otaki)... [[/credibility-and-experience-top-unitedfuture/|Read the full text of...

Caring for Elderly

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:04:00 +1300

UnitedFuture has two key policies to keep older New Zealanders warmer and healthier. Both are about making New Zealand the kind of country it should be and make economic sense.

Subsidise the power bills of over-65s by $50 per month for the three coldest months of the year – June, July and August – so our seniors can afford to keep warm

A free ‘Warrant of Fitness’ annual health check for those over-65 to identify health problems and illness early

It is the decent thing to do in terms of how we treat the elderly in our country.
Times are tough, but if you cut too many corners you end up with a false economy – and a very harsh country.
Each winter, on average an extra 3000 people a month are hospitalised at a cost to taxpayers of about $880 a day, and a great many of those people are elderly – that adds up to about $243 million in extra hospital costs each winter... Read the full text of this article.

Income Sharing

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:07:00 +1300

UnitedFuture believes the tax system should work in the interests of those raising families and it should empower family and community self-sufficiency rather than creating dependency. Income sharing recognises that the spouse or partner who has chosen to work part-time or has opted out of the paid work force in order to raise their children is making a vital contribution to our society.
Income Sharing means that each partner in a relationship caring for children would be taxed on a 50% share of their combined income, resulting in a significant reduction in total income tax paid by the family.
Income sharing recognises the costs of raising a family, and in particular, those situations where one parent is either a full-time carer for their children or works part-time. For tax purposes, the income of both parents is combined and then divided equally, which can mean that they pay less tax since it is levied at a lower rate under our progressive taxation system.
Since the government subsidises childcare for those returning to paid work, it should also acknowledge the contribution of those who have decided to forego their income, in whole or in part, to stay at home with their children.....

Outdoor Recreation

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 09:12:00 +1300

UnitedFuture believes that all New Zealanders have a birthright to enjoy our unique, diverse landscape. Our strong outdoor heritage is central to what it means to be a Kiwi.
Our key policies to achieve this are:

Enshrining public access to all public resources, including game, waterways and coastline, in law.

Establishing a robust National Environmental Standard for all freshwater waterways.

Curtailing the application of 1080 poison and replacing it with new and more environmentally friendly forms of pest-control.

Imposing a moratorium on new hydro and irrigation schemes for rivers without existing dams and still regarded to be ‘wild’.

Prohibit heli-hunting, herding or hazing from helicopters except for legitimate animal management operations when numbers warrant it.
Make sure the Game Animal Council Bill, currently before Parliament is passed, and the Game Animal Council is established as a statutory body.
Work with the recreational fishing sector to establish a public consultation process regarding the future of inshore fisheries management. This will include whether a statutory management organisation 'run by fishers for fishers' should be established.
Read the full text of this article.

POLL: Do you support the merging of MAF with the Ministry of Fisheries?

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 16:44:00 +1200

Do you support the merging of MAF with the Ministry of Fisheries? See the results.

POLL: Should election campaign promises be independently costed?

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:12:00 +1300

Should election campaign promises be independently costed? See the results.

Superannuation Policy: Dunne unveils radical 60 to 70 choice on superannuation; compulsory KiwiSaver

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 19:28:00 +1200

New Zealanders should be able to take superannuation at reduced rates down to 60 or increasingly enhanced rates if they hold off until between 66 and 70, alongside making KiwiSaver compulsory, UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne said today.
“Kiwis would then be able to manage their retirement age and lifestyle – choices they currently do not have – and it would be cost neutral with the current scheme,” Mr Dunne said in launching the party’s superannuation policy.
“Each year below 65 that superannuation would be claimed down to 60, would see a small reduction, and each year over 65 up to 70, it would be enhanced.
Mr Dunne said the figures used would make it cost-neutral with the superannuation scheme as it stands, with the long term sustainability issue addressed by having compulsory KiwiSaver.
“The sustainability arguments around superannuation, and whether it should be 65 or 67, then become redundant,” he said.
“People can then do their own maths and work out what works best for them based on their lifestyle and aspirations,” Mr Dunne said... Read the full text of this article.

Unsustainable harvest threatens recreational hunting

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 22:34:00 +1300

The actions of Silver Fern Farms to unsustainably harvest 1000 chamois from the South Island high country is another example of the threat facing recreational hunting in New Zealand, says UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne.

“Recreational hunting is going through tough times in this country, issues such as 1080, heli-hunting and public access problems are already having a negative impact on participation, the last thing hunters need is competition from big corporates over access to the resource,” said Mr Dunne.

“While I am sure Silver Fern Farms would argue that they are doing this responsibly, the commercial reality is that entire mobs of chamois will be clear-felled, leaving little left for the recreational ground hunter in many areas.”

“The actions of Silver Fern Farms not only threaten chamois as a recreational and trophy hunting resource, but also call into question the rather out-of-sight-out-of-mind attitude that allows for such exploitation to take place.”
... Read the full text of this article.

POLL: Do you think ratepayers should pay for the seismic strengthening of privately-owned commercial buildings?

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 21:44:00 +1300

Do you think ratepayers should pay for the seismic strengthening of privately-owned commercial buildings? See the results.

BLOG: Voters decide ?deals?, not politicians

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:08:00 +1300

UnitedFuture has just held its annual conference here in the Ohariu electorate as we prepare ourselves for the coming election both nationally and locally.
Our guest speaker was Prime Minister John Key. People have a sense of him as a straight-up Kiwi bloke who you can back and trust. I have to say that is exactly my experience from three years of working very positively with him.
Pundits and self-appointed experts everywhere read symbolism and intent into all these things – including him coming to our conference – and that is fine.
My political opponents on the left here in Ohariu have feigned great indignation at 'deals' being done and the likes, all the while between them saying 'don't vote for me, vote for the other guy'. Apparently months of such instructions do not amount to a deal by their cute definitions!
I find that a little confounding, but they are right about one thing. Ohariu is a bellwether electorate for whether voters want a centre government or a left-wing government... Read the full text of this blog post.

Peter Dunne's Address to the Rotary Club of Auckland

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:47:00 +1300

Stamford Plaza Hotel, Auckland
12.15pm, Monday 10 October 2011

Good afternoon.
It is a pleasure to be here to speak to you in the midst of the Rugby World Cup, in an atmosphere of optimism and anticipation – and I say that rather boldly given that I wrote this speech before the weekend’s All Blacks’ quarterfinal against Argentina!
We are also – as you would be well aware – about to enter a short, sharp and no doubt frantic election campaign, beginning, one would hope, the day after Richie McCaw hoists the Webb Ellis Cup.
We can only but dream!

At a more prosaic level, occasions such as this one today are important events in the lead-up to an election.
They are about the contest of ideas and philosophies and alternative views on how best to drive New Zealand forward.
That is what politics should be!
It is important that you hear – and that New Zealanders generally hear – from a broad cross-section of political parties in the lead-up to this pivotal election... Read the full text of this article.

Asset Sales Policy Announcement

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:39:00 +1300

Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the water supply should be ruled out of any future asset sales programmes, UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne said today.
Speaking to the Auckland Rotary Club, he said that given that National has a manifesto that includes asset sales, New Zealanders need to start a proper debate on the future limits of those sales.
“To this point there has not been a proper national debate beyond National saying yes and Labour saying no.
“We need a conversation that is more detailed and drills down into what New Zealanders really think are acceptable bottom lines,” he said.
“New Zealanders, I believe, are not definitively pro-asset sales, but under certain conditions, it is no longer the bogeyman issue that Labour would have you believe.”
Mr Dunne said UnitedFuture’s role as a support partner is not just to contribute its own policies, but to help keep a government to a reasonable, centrist path.
“UnitedFuture says let’s start with three no-go areas where there would be no asset sales, not now, not ever:
“They are Kiwibank, Radio New Zealand and the supply of water... Read the full text of this article.

Dunne: Further 3 synthetic cannabis substances to be banned

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:26:00 +1300

A further three synthetic cannabis substances are in the process of being banned this week and are expected to be off the shelves late next week, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said today.
This brings the total number of substances now banned under Temporary Class Drug Notices which became law in August to 19, with 43 actual products containing these substances already removed from the market.
Mr Dunne said while it was concerning to see new products such as Amsterdam Café, which was in the media today, in shops, but he has instructed health officials to investigate and test these new products.
“If it shows that they contain substances already banned, they will be gone. If it shows they contain new untested substances, I will put in place the necessary Temporary Class Drug Notices to deal with it.
“I have removed 43 products already; if I have to remove another 43, so be it,” Mr Dunne said.
“If the industry thinks they can get around the law by changing a couple of ingredients, repackaging, re-branding and back to business the way they always have, then they have seriously misread the scope and potency of this law... [[/dunne-further-3-synthetic-cannabis-substances/|Read the full text...

89 Dead Kiwi - 1080 Clearly Not Working

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:38:00 +1300

Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 2:09 pmPress Release: Clyde Graf

89 Dead Kiwi – 1080 Clearly Not Working
Clyde Graf – UnitedFuture candidate
It has been revealed through an OIA request that tagged kiwi have been dying in large numbers in one of our most heavily 1080 treated forests.
Aerial 1080 drops first began in the Tongariro Forest in 1976 and have been followed with subsequent drops in parts of the forest in 1988, 1989, 1991, and over much of the forest in 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2006. Another drop was carried out last week covering around 15,000 hectares.
It would be reasonable to assume, after so much 1080 poison has been spread across the forest, there could be no sign of a ferret or stoat for miles – surely?
Not so. In the last 5 years, revealed through the DoC OIA request, 89 tagged kiwi, of all ages, have died in the Tongariro forest. Keeping in mind that the tagged kiwi only represent a fraction of the wild population, the actual numbers, from a population perspective, may be enormous... Read the full text of this article.