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Labour Party on Government and Leadership

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The issues

Labour Party opposes cutting the number of public servants employed by government

Labour opposes cutting the number of public servants. A party spokesperson says, “Labour believes our public sector does a first class job for New Zealand. Our public service is among the best internationally. Cutting public jobs and spending in the public service, as proposed by National, is not the solution to addressing the issues our economy is facing”.

Labour Party opposes state asset sales and more private sector involvement in public services

Labour opposes the selling of state assets. “Labour respects the view of the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders that strategic national assets should be retained in New Zealand public ownership. We celebrate Kiwi Bank and Kiwi Rail and unlike other parties we have no plans to sell it off either now or ‘eventually’, a party spokesperson says.

Labour Party is neutral on restrictions on foreign investors' ownership of New Zealand land and/or strategic assets

Labour strongly supports protecting New Zealand’s strategic assets, but has no policy to restrict ownership of land. “Labour passed legislation to protect New Zealand's strategic assets in 2005 and we tightened the regulations this year,” a party spokesperson says.

Labour Party opposes holding a binding referendum to review the MMP electoral system

Labour does not support a binding referendum on MMP. “MMP allows Parliament to reflect New Zealand’s diversity and represent the many difference communities that make up our country. MMP allows many more parties to be involved in decision making. Labour doesn’t believe that New Zealanders want to go back to the days where no one got a say except the majority government,” a party spokesperson says.

Labour Party strongly opposes once again making the Privy Council New Zealand's highest court

Labour introduced and passed legislation establishing the Supreme Court. “Having our own Supreme Court, based here in New Zealand and not in London 19,000 kilometres away, improves access to justice and affirms our identity as a developed, democratic, independent nation. It also broadens the range of matters able to be considered as it allows, for the first time, highest level appeals from our specialist courts like the Family Court, the Environment Court, and the Employment Court,” a party spokesperson says.

Labour Party strongly supports keeping TVNZ in state hands and operating under the existing charter TVNZ

Labour supports keeping TVNZ in state hands and operating under the existing charter. A party spokesperson says, “We want to secure quality public broadcasting by strengthening the public broadcasting functions of TVNZ and Radio New Zealand. We do not support moves to undermine these functions - scrapping the charter would signal a move to make TVNZ fully commercial and is a first step to preparing for privatization."