Beehive Bulletin
Veterans' get forum to air grievances . . .
Prime Minister Helen Clark led the government's representation at the Returned Services Association's annual national
conference in Wellington this week. She announced the appointment of former state services commissioner Michael
Wintringham as the independent chair of a traveling commission that will consult with Vietnam veterans, and hear
grievances about exposure to the Agent Orange chemical. Helen Clark said there was still a great deal of hurt and
resentment among Vietnam veterans about how their service had been regarded, both immediately after, and in the years
since, the Vietnam War. That sense of grievance was heightened by successive governments' failure to acknowledge that
veterans were exposed to a toxic environment. The working group process will aim to settle these issues, she said. Helen
Clark said that following the consultation process; it would be appropriate for her as Prime Minister, to offer a formal
apology. The forum and venue for that would be determined i
n consultation with the w
. . . and a year of recognition
Veterans' Affairs Minister George Hawkins in his address to the conference announced that next year will officially be
recognised as the "Year of the Veteran'. This follows a recommendation from the RSA. The dedicated year will offer
opportunities to look back at the sacrifice of those who served, and to look forward at building a society where such
tragic sacrifices are not needed, Mr Hawkins told the conference. RSA President, John Campbell had first mooted the idea
and Mr Hawkins said he looked forward to working together with him and other veterans on planning next year.
New Zealand attracting skilled migrants
Immigration Minister Paul Swain said this week that New Zealand is continuing to attract the skilled migrants we need.
In announcing that the government met its immigration programme objectives for the 2004/05 financial year, Mr Swain said
48,815 people were granted residency. Almost 30,000 of those were approved under the Skilled/Business migration
categories. New Zealand's immigration programme aims to grant residency to 45,000 people, with an allowance for another
5,000 if necessary. The Skilled Migrant Category specifically attracted quality migrants including teachers, nurses,
tradespeople and IT professionals, Mr Swain said. Some 87 per cent of people under this category already had a skilled
job or job offer when they were granted residence. And around 60 per cent of those jobs were in areas other than
Auckland, meaning other parts of New Zealand shared the benefits of immigration. While the government is continuing to
invest heavily in skills training for New Zealanders
, immigration remains one
New initiative to support victims of family violence
A new initiative launched by Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey this week, will see Work and
Income case managers specifically resourced to provide income support plans for victims of family violence. Every year,
12 women and 10 children die in New Zealand as a direct result of family violence and it cannot be tolerated in our
society, Steve Maharey said. The $18.9 million programme will train managers to better identify and support families
affected by violence. They will develop income support plans for victims of family violence and referral processes will
ensure people can more easily access community-based violence prevention services. Work and Income will not record any
information or make referrals without the consent of their clients. The programme will reach Auckland, Canterbury and
the East Coast this year and every other region by 2007.
More state houses under Labour government
In his capacity as Housing Minister Steve Maharey announced this week that the government achieved its goal of providing
1,000 more state homes in the last year. Housing New Zealand Corporation figures show state rental properties totalled
66,172 at the end of June - an increase of 1061 homes on a year ago. Steve Maharey said while 190,000 New Zealanders
already call a state house home, the government wants to add another 1000 state houses in this financial year, and more
than 3,000 by 2008. Steve Maharey said the government had turned around a major shortage in state homes after the
National government sold 13,000 state houses during the 1990s. The Labour-led government had prioritised the restoration
of affordable state housing and the commitment to this investment, including $134 million boost in this year's budget,
would continue, he said.
Pacific Wave
Government ministers Steve Maharey and Taito Phillip Field this week celebrated the success of a strategy that aimed to
halve unemployment among Pacific people. The Pacific Wave strategy was launched in 2003 when more than 5000 unemployed
people in the Auckland region were on the dole. Its aim to halve that figure was achieved in April, two months ahead of
schedule. By the end of June there were 2622 Pacific people on the unemployment benefit - a drop of 52.6 per cent over
two years. Taito Field said working with the Pacific community had been a key to the plan's success.
ENDS