VALUING FAMILIES

Supporting parents and families is hugely important. It's one of National's core principles and it's something I'm absolutely committed to. That's why, in June, I outlined how National will help get kids back into sports at school. And that's why, in the past few weeks, we've launched policies to improve the quality and choice of early childhood education and to help families make the most of our great outdoors.

In the months ahead, you'll see more policies from National that focus on parents and families and help build opportunities for children from all backgrounds.

Early Childhood Care and Education

National will keep the 20 hours early childhood education (ECE) scheme for 3 and 4-year-olds. We'll also retain existing subsidies and fee controls. Thousands of families are now using the scheme and we don't want to cause them financial uncertainty.

We are, however, determined to improve the quality and choice of early childhood education. Parents know what's best for their families and what their preschoolers need to get a good start in life. National trusts parents to make the right decisions for their children and their futures.

National will make the 20 Hours ECE scheme more flexible by:
• Removing the six-hours-a-day limit.
• Including playcentres and kohanga reo in the scheme.
• Extending 20 Hours ECE to 5-year-olds.
• Investigating more frequent payment methods.

We will also improve staff ratios, tackle the early childhood teacher shortage, cut bureaucracy, and boost participation rates in ECE. For more details, see our policy summary at http://national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=28202

Encouraging Outdoor Recreation

Making the most of the great outdoors is part of our heritage. National wants to make sure all Kiwi families have the chance to camp, hunt, fish, tramp, picnic, and make the most of New Zealand's wild and beautiful places.

We will create new affordable campsites for families where there is demand. We will change the focus of conservation boards so they better reflect a wide range of recreation interests. And we'll achieve public access to streams, lakes, and rivers through negotiated agreements with landowners.

We're also determined to give hunters more say in the management of game animals, and protect the right of every Kiwi family to go fishing and catch a meal of seafood without a licence. Click here to see our Outdoor Recreation policy summary http://national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=28246.

A GLOBALLY-COMPETITIVE ECONOMY

National wants to get our economy growing again. To do that, we've got to get the right incentives into our tax system through an ongoing programme of tax cuts. We've got to boost investment in our overstretched infrastructure. And we've got to relentlessly focus on lifting education standards. We've also got to cut bureaucracy and red tape, and give people more say in making decisions that best suit their needs, as well as bringing discipline to government spending so taxpayers get better value for their money.

Over the past few weeks, we've released several policies that follow through on these ideas.

Employment and Workplace Relations

National believes that employment law should do four things:
- Treat employees and employers fairly
- Expand opportunities for those having difficulty getting work
- Increase flexibility
- Let businesses grow

That's why we want to introduce a 90-day trial period for new employees in businesses with fewer than 20 staff. This trial period will be by agreement between the employer and the employee. It will give those having difficulty getting work – such as young inexperienced jobseekers or new immigrants – a better chance at getting a job.

For more details on our proposed 90-day trial period, as well as our policies on resolving employment disputes, annual leave, and the right of workers to bargain collectively without joining a union, see our policy summary here: http://national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=28271

ACC

National supports a comprehensive, 24/7, no-fault accident insurance scheme that delivers certainty of coverage for all New Zealanders, but we think the existing scheme, provided through a single state insurer, can be improved.

We want a more flexible scheme that rewards employers with good workplace safety records, penalises those with poor records, and encourages employers to buy more than the basic cover. To achieve this, we support the introduction of competition and choice to the ACC Work Account (covering employees and the self-employed at work).

We believe this will result in safer workplaces and a more efficient and effective accident compensation system that benefits all New Zealanders. Read more about our policy here: http://national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=28234.

Other policy releases

We have recently released our Broadcasting, and our Arts, Culture & Heritage policies, as well. These can both be found on our website, at http://www.national.org.nz/policies/policies.aspx .

John Key MPLeader of the National Party

National's Employment & Workplace Relations policy will expand job opportunities for those having difficulty getting work and let businesses grow, says National Party Leader John Key.

"National believes employment law should treat employees and employers fairly, expand opportunities for those having difficulty getting work, increase flexibility, and let businesses grow.

"We will introduce a 90-day trial period for new staff, by agreement between the employer and employee, in businesses with fewer than 20 people.  This will give those having difficulty getting work - like young, inexperienced people or new immigrants - a better chance at a job.

"As well, we want businesses considering expansion to actually take that step and give a prospective worker a chance.  During the trial period, either party may terminate the employment relationship for performance without a personal grievance claim being brought. 
 
"We will have safeguards for workers.  Good-faith provisions will still apply, as will rights to sick leave, holidays, and health and safety provisions.  Rules of natural justice and human rights legislation will apply.  Mediation will be available in disputes, and employers won't be able to hire and fire the same employee every 90 days."
 
National will also:
 
• Continue to allow union access to workplaces with an employer's consent, which cannot be unreasonably withheld.
• Continue to support the social partnership with Business NZ and the Council of Trade Unions to work together on issues of mutual interest.
• Restore workers' rights to bargain collectively without having to belong to a union.
• Retain the Mediation Service but ensure it is properly resourced with properly qualified mediators.
• Require the Employment Relations Authority to act judicially in accordance with the principles of natural justice, including the right to be heard, and the right to cross examine before an impartial referee.
• Allow injunctions and important legal questions to be heard in the first instance in the Employment Court, and allow a general right of appeal to the Court of Appeal.
• Keep four weeks annual leave, but allow employees to request trade of the fourth week for cash. This can be only at the employee's request and cannot be raised in negotiations for an agreement.
• Appoint a working party to review the Holidays Act, especially the issue of 'relevant daily pay'.

Click here to download the policy statement as a PDF

National's ACC policy aims to make workplaces safer for workers while delivering certainty of coverage and more effective compensation, says National Party Leader John Key.

"National supports a comprehensive, 24/7, no-fault accident insurance scheme that delivers certainty of coverage to all New Zealanders. However, the ACC scheme can be improved. Workplace accident figures are high by international standards.

"OECD data to the end of 2003 showed New Zealand's non-fatal injury rate rising when everybody else's except Luxembourg were falling. ACC data shows the number of work-related injury claims increased each year from 2002 to 2005, only declining in 2006.

"Either way, we can do better.

"Incentives for employers to improve safety practices are poor in a scheme in which similar premiums are charged regardless of an employer's workplace accident record. Where accidents do occur, incentives for quick, high-quality rehabilitation are weak, and entitlements under the scheme for injured people are not of high quality.

"National wants a more flexible scheme that rewards employers with good workplace safety records, penalises those with poor records, and encourages employers to buy more than the basic cover.

"National supports the principle of competition and choice in the ACC Work Account, which covers employees and self-employed at work. The issues around providing competition in relation to the Work Account are well known and understood. The same cannot be said of the other accounts." National will:

• Investigate opening the Work Account to competition.
• Conduct a full stock-take of the various components of the ACC scheme, evaluate progress to full funding, and identify areas of cross-subsidy or cost-shifting and underfunding of newly-legislated entitlements.
• Investigate the introduction of an independent disputes tribunal to end ACC's dual role of judge and jury on disputed claims.

"However, this is a highly complex sector. New Zealanders are entitled to feel secure that the entitlements guaranteed by law will be delivered efficiently and reliably. Any changes to introduce new elements of competition and choice will be made carefully, and after full evaluation of the benefits to consumers," says Mr Key.

"The experience of competition in the late 1990s was healthy for ACC. Levy rates are now substantially lower as a result of that experience, and the ongoing prospect of competition.

"Despite Labour's rhetoric, it has actually retained the ability for larger employers to opt out of the state monopoly and either self-insure or use a private insurer."


For 3-page policy backgrounder, click here
For policy summary, click here