The National Party put politics before metal health patients and their families when it voted against a bill to improve the delivery of mental health services last night, Luamanuvao Winnie Laban says.

2008/09 FINANCIAL REVIEW OF THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga

Tuesday 16 March 2010; 4.10pm

We were fascinated by the five pages that formed the substance of the report of the Justice and Electoral Committee into the Ministry of Justice.

The Green Party is calling on the Government to remove the creation of Council Controlled Organisations (CCOs) from the third Super City Bill.

Family First NZ and Sensible Sentencing Trust both say that opposition to the Three Strikes legislation is misguided and misleading, but that even the amended legislation still puts families at risk.

Tobacco use significantly increases the risk of oral cancer and the demand for oral health care, and Maori are among the worst hit, says the New Zealand Dental Association.

Opposition Transport Safety spokesperson Darien Fenton says National could bring in a zero alcohol limit for drivers under 20 years if it adopted a bill introduced by Labour which is now languishing at Select Committee stage.

Key aspects of how Auckland's new Local Boards will interact with the Auckland Council are still too vague and uncertain, the Employers & Manufacturers Association (Northern) says.

The Council of Trade Unions has signalled support in principle for Tau Henare's private member's bill, the Employment Relations (Workers' Secret Ballot for Strikes) Amendment Bill, on secret ballots by workers prior to strike action.

The need for the Auckland super city to have a genuine working democracy in place is reinforced by Statistics New Zealand's projection that 38 percent of Kiwis could live there by 2031, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil Twyford.

Hon Dr Pita Sharples

Wednesday 24 February 2010

Last night I received an email about young people. Not an unusual occurrence by any means, as we frequently receive comment about young people and in particular an association with criminal activity, or youth unemployment.