✨ Government Agreements and Policy Priorities
9 NOVEMBER 2005 NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 187 4709
The Labour-led government is a minority one, thus continuing what is now
emerging as a normal feature of our political system. It rests on three layers
of agreements.
The first is a coalition agreement with the Progressive Party. As with previous
Labour-led coalition agreements, this provides for the maintenance of
distinctive political identities in government and Parliament, and a commitment
to focus on building a prosperous, safe, and sustainable New Zealand.
The Progressives are keen to bring to the government in this term their vision
for both economic growth and greater ecological sustainability in agriculture,
forestry and fisheries, as they see that as essential to preserving the natural
capital upon which these industries rely. Improving the fisheries management
framework through a network of marine protected areas is a key priority for
them. In agriculture the twin challenges of increasing irrigation and avoiding
nutrient build up in waterways are issues the Progressives intend addressing.
The biosecurity portfolio held by The Hon Jim Anderton will continue to make
an important contribution to ensuring the protection of our natural resource
base, and will support the continuing economic development of the primary
sectors.
The Progressives will also be continuing to pursue their key policy priorities
around the misuse of drugs, better skills training and more support for families
and senior citizens.
The second layer of agreements comprises the two confidence and supply
agreements with New Zealand First and United Future respectively. These
provide for positive votes in support of the government on confidence and
supply.
The leaders of those two parties, The Rt Hon Winston Peters and The Hon
Peter Dunne, hold ministerial portfolios outside Cabinet. They are bound by
the conventions of collective responsibility with respect to those portfolios, but
not otherwise.
There is also a list of detailed policy matters for action or development in both
confidence and supply agreements.
The third layer is a co-operation agreement with the Green Party. As with
the agreements with New Zealand First and United Future, provision is made
for consultation on the broad outline of the legislative programme, on key
legislative measures on which support is being sought, on major policy issues,
and on broad budget parameters.
The Green Party will have full involvement in the detailed development and
implementation of policy proposals for an enhanced energy efficiency
programme and a "buy kiwi made" programme. There will also be co-
operation on two other levels of issues.
These agreements are an expression of my government’s desire to continue
with the broad and inclusive approach which New Zealanders opted for when
they replaced the winner-takes-all attitudes of the first past-the-post system
with MMP.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 2005, No 187
Gazette.govt.nz —
NZ Gazette 2005, No 187
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🏛️
Speech from the Throne at the State Opening of Parliament
(continued from previous page)
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration8 November 2005
Governor-General, Parliament, State Opening, National Identity, Creative Sectors, Sports, Environment, Biodiversity, Water Quality, Resource Management Act, Climate Change, Social Solidarity, Diversity, Maori, Treaty of Waitangi, Maori Fisheries Act, Maori Land Court, Treaty Settlement, Foreshore and Seabed Act, Election, Government Formation
- Jim Anderton (Honourable), Holds biosecurity portfolio
- Winston Peters (Right Honourable), Leader of New Zealand First
- Peter Dunne (Honourable), Leader of United Future