UnitedFuture New Zealand
Our foreign policy lacks any commitment to human rights. A bold conclusion maybe, but the most realistic one to be drawn from a couple of recent events where New Zealand appears to have been caught on the hop. First was the appallingly tardy response to the Syrian refugee crisis. Even though the mounting tragedy had […]
On Saturday 26 September, eleven North Wellington residents were awarded the North Wellington Volunteer Service Award at an Awards Dinner at the Johnsonville Community Centre. The Chairman of the Organising Committee, Hon Peter Dunne advised the 80 family and friends who had gathered to celebrate, that the eleven recipients represented over 176 years of voluntary […]
Four months ago I began a public consultation process on the future of New Zealand’s Fire Service. The reason was simple – the basic structure of the Fire Service has not changed since the late 1940s, despite its nationalisation in 1975. Yet, in that time, the nature and volume of its work has changed considerably. […]
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says he has had no substantive discussions with the Government since June regarding changes to the Resource Management Act. “At that time, I advised the Government that it should issue an exposure draft of its proposed changes, so that their full detail and implications could be properly assessed. “The Prime Minister subsequently […]
Guardian political writer David Torrance says the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the British Labour Party and the earlier rise of Nigel Farage and UKIP mark the death of moderation in politics and the rise of a new breed of anti-politician, governed more by conviction than pragmatism. Leaving aside the minor point that […]
Every day the government collects information about some aspect or other of our lives. Whenever we interact with a government agency, some sort of record is generated about us. A visit to the doctor, the pharmacist, the local school, the Police, paying a traffic fine, or calling ACC will have a similar effect. In the […]
We’ve been on a journey over the past 12 months, and that journey is nearing its end. We’ve sought the views of our members and the public and restated the principles we stand for with our new “Why” statement. The next phase of our party’s rejuvenation will be decided at the upcoming AGM in November. […]
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says today’s announcement that New Zealand will accept an additional 750 refugees over the next two and a half years is a positive first step. “While this move will show New Zealand is prepared to play some role in alleviating the current crisis in Europe, it should not be at the […]
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says the Government has ”got it wrong” on the refugee issue. He says there is a strong case, which he supports, for lifting New Zealand’s annual refugee quota to at least 1,000 persons, and that consideration should be given to an emergency response to the mounting refugee numbers in Europe. “New […]
The country quota – which operated in New Zealand from 1881 to 1945 – seems set to return, at least as far as the people of Canterbury are concerned. Under the country quota, rural seats in Parliament were about one-third smaller in population than urban seats, to preserve the power of rural (conservative) voters. Of […]