The Case For Partnership Schools: Giving choice to those who otherwise don’t have it
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to ACT’s regional conference for the lower South Island. I acknowledge ACT Scenic South board member, Guy McCallum and deputy board member Colin Nicholls and I thank you both for your efforts in organising this conference today.
I also acknowledge and thank ACT Leader John Banks for his attendance.
When Guy first asked me to speak on the subject of ‘why I support ACT’, I thought that’s easy. ACT has been the only party in New Zealand that has constantly elected into Parliament a group of MPs who all agree on free trade, the Reserve Bank Act, flexible labour laws, the importance of private property rights, one law for all and the rule of law.
There are many reasons to support ACT.
However, the focus of my speech today will be Partnership schools and the announcement yesterday about the establishment of the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board by John Banks in his role as Associate Education Minister.
At last week’s national conference in Auck |
The Case For Partnership Schools: Giving choice to those who otherwise don’t have it
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Welcome to ACT’s regional conference for the lower South Island. I acknowledge ACT Scenic South board member, Guy McCallum and deputy board member Colin Nicholls and I thank you both for your efforts in organising this conference today.
I also acknowledge and thank ACT Leader John Banks for his attendance.
When Guy first asked me to speak on the subject of ‘why I support ACT’, I thought that’s easy. ACT has been the only party in New Zealand that has constantly elected into Parliament a group of MPs who all agree on free trade, the Reserve Bank Act, flexible labour laws, the importance of private property rights, one law for all and the rule of law.
There are many reasons to support ACT.
However, the focus of my speech today will be Partnership schools and the announcement yesterday about the establishment of the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board by John Banks in his role as Associate Education Minister.
At last week’s national conference in Auck |
Housing Minister Sides With ACT On Housing Affordability
ACT Leader John Banks today congratulated the Minister of Housing for agreeing with ACT that land prices for residential housing were absurdly high in Auckland because land supply was too tightly constrained.
Freeing up the supply of land is the only rational answer to this problem and ACT fully supports Nick Smith’s focus on easing the Metropolitan Urban Limit,” Mr Banks said.
“The Productivity Commission report into housing affordability found that in Auckland, land accounts for approximately 60 per cent of the cost of a new home. Outside of Auckland, land only accounts for 40 per cent of a new home.
“In other words, Aucklanders are paying a 20 per cent premium on land as a result of Auckland Council’s urban planning policies.
“This isn’t fair – and the Council’s plan to constrain 60 – 70 per cent of all new development within the current MUL will only make it worse.
“ACT believes New Zealanders should be able to choose for themselves where they wa |
RMA: Further Changes Needed
The release of the ‘Improving our resource management system’ discussion document is a start, but further changes to the RMA are still needed, ACT Leader John Banks said today.
“The Resource Management Act is not working. That’s why we put RMA reform in the ACT – National Confidence and Supply Agreement,” Mr Banks said.
“Rather than making the development process easier, as intended, the RMA has become a 900 page employment, investment and growth destroying machine.
“ACT’s ‘Freedom to Build’ policy shows where we think National should head.
“We must strengthen the private property rights of landowners. We must restore the right to compensation if a landowner’s rights are taken or infringed. And we must make housing more affordable by removing the artificial restrictions on land.
“National has a one in twenty year opportunity to fix the RMA. The discussion document put forward today isn’t enough,” Mr Banks said.
ENDS
Act's Freedom To Bui |
