Earth Science News
DEMOCRACY
Prices, crime, environment: key issues in New Zealand's election
Prices, crime, environment: key issues in New Zealand's election
by AFP Staff Writers
Wellington (AFP) Oct 12, 2023

New Zealanders vote in a general election on Saturday with the centre-left Labour government seeking a third-straight term in office.

According to polls, cost-of-living, crime and the environment are among the key issues for voters.

- Cost-of-living -

Prices at the supermarket check-out and petrol pump have soared over the last 12 months for New Zealanders.

Grocery prices rose nearly 11 percent in September versus the previous year, according to Stats NZ. Prices at the petrol pump have also shot up since a government fuel subsidy ended in July.

Overall, the weekly spend for the average household has risen NZ$240 (US$144) over the last three years, according to an analysis by economic consultants Infometrics.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins hopes to ease the burden with a 10-point plan to lower costs including free prescriptions and the scrapping of tax on fresh fruit and vegetables to knock $5 off the weekly shop.

Opposition leader Chris Luxon says his National party will tax cuts worth up to $125 per week to an average-income family.

- Crime -

Following an increase in youth and retail crimes, Hipkins has admitted "Kiwis have had a gutsful of people acting as if the rules don't apply to them".

"The system needs a shake-up," he added last July in announcing changes to give police greater powers.

In the 12 months to June, the number of 10 to 17-year-olds facing charges in court rose 15 percent, according to Ministry of Justice figures.

The murder of a store owner in Auckland last November highlighted rising burglary numbers -- in what is usually one of the world's safest countries.

Police say the 899 ram-raid style burglaries of shops and other retail businesses in 2022 was nearly double that of the previous year.

Both Labour and National have pledged to put 300 extra police officers on the streets over the next four years.

- Environment -

New Zealand plans to offset its greenhouse gas emissions with a target of being net-zero by 2050.

Labour wants to establish a "Minister for Just Transitions" to oversee the switch to a low-emissions economy.

Just under half of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture.

An emissions pricing scheme for farmers -- essentially a tax on livestock burps and farts -- is due to start in 2025 under Labour, while National would delay it until 2030.

National wants to shift the transport and energy sectors to clean fuel by speeding up the approval process for solar, wind and geothermal projects.

New Zealand currently has 399 charging stations for vehicles listed by the Transport Agency.

To help switch from petrol, National wants to have 10,000 public charging points by 2030, while Labour plans to provide charging hubs every 150-200 kilometres on main highways.

Related Links
Democracy in the 21st century at TerraDaily.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DEMOCRACY
Five Nobel Peace laureates who won from jail
Paris (AFP) Oct 6, 2023
Iranian rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi, who has spent much of the past two decades in jail, is the fifth laureate to win the Nobel Peace Prize whilst behind bars. Honoured on Friday for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran, the 51-year-old journalist and activist has campaigned against the mandatory hijab for women and the death penalty. She is the vice-president of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre founded by Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi, herself a Nobel Peace Pr ... read more

DEMOCRACY
Nepal quake sparks revival of traditional craft skills

Afghan rescuers still digging as hope fades for quake villagers

Chinese scientists join Fukushima water review

Brazil's Lula calls to protect children in Israel-Gaza war

DEMOCRACY
Physicists coax superconductivity and more from quasicrystals

$9.5 bn of key metals in overlooked electronic waste: UN

Spire Global selected by accelerate digitalization across the maritime industry

Making more magnetism possible with topology

DEMOCRACY
How an ancient society in the Sahara Desert rose and fell with groundwater

'If we bathe, we won't drink': Gazans struggle as water supplies dwindle

Hong Kong adds two shark families on controlled trade list

Tens of thousands of endangered sharks and rays caught off Congo

DEMOCRACY
Over 40 percent of Antarctica's ice shelves reduced in volume over 25 years

The village at the end of the world

WWF urges end to deadlock on new Antarctic reserves

Glacial lake floods: a growing, unpredictable climate risk

DEMOCRACY
Burp tax causes pre-poll stink with New Zealand farmers

EU fails to decide on glyphosate use extension

Disasters cause $3.8 trillion in crop losses over 30 years: FAO

Measuring nutrition in crops from space

DEMOCRACY
Magnitude 5.2 earthquake shakes Philippine capital: USGS

Afghans flee western region after fresh earthquake kills two

Volunteers dig for Afghan quake survivors as aid trickles in

Death toll from 'unprecedented' Afghan quakes doubles to 2,000

DEMOCRACY
Mali's junta says departure of UN troops will not be delayed

S.Africa recalls peacekeepers accused of sexual abuse in DRC

Chad agrees transit for France's Niger troop withdrawal

Nigeria air strikes kill around '100 bandit fighters'

DEMOCRACY
Does a brain in a dish have moral rights?

Fears for ancient Cyrene after Libya floods

Need to hunt small prey compelled humans to make better weapons and smarten up

Hong Kong's top court rules to recognise same-sex partnerships

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.