More Media Balance: abuse victims, kiwibuild, the economy

Victim advocate Louise Nicholas pn499

Three news items today restore something to media balance that has been lacking in recent weeks.

It would seem the Labour Party is is not the only place where sexual harassment occurs; Kiwbuild is not a write off, and there are moves to make the economy more productive and inclusive. Read on.


1. This report of sexual and other harassment of women police officers adds weight to Victim advocate Louise Nicholas's comments on Sunday's Q and A when she refused leads by Jack Tame to single out Labour as providing a unique environment for sexual harassment. She said it occurred in most workplaces, deplored its use as a political football, thought enquiries into abuse should be victim-centred and independent, perhaps headed by a national Victims Commission



2. "KiwiBuild has been an easy target for opponents looking to notch up political points. But while it's true the policy over-promised and under-delivered, it is far from a colossal failure," says prominent real estate agent Colliers director Pete Evans.  It is "far from the colossal failure its political opponents have portrayed it to be".  The construction industry needed time to adjust to KiwiBuild's requirements and development projects take at least 12 months to be planned, designed and consented, let alone built. "The KiwiBuild developer-underwrite is also achieving what it set out to do by allowing projects to go ahead at a time when there are very few privately-funded projects coming to market," he says."Stubbornly high land and construction costs continue to be a barrier for development."

3. And the Government releases a new plan for a sustainable and inclusive economy that
identifies "eight economic shifts for a more productive, sustainable and inclusive economy":

• Moving the New Zealand economy "from volume to value" with Kiwi businesses, including SMEs, becoming more productive
• Ensuring people are skilled, adaptable and have access to lifelong learning
• Making deeper pools of capital available to invest in infrastructure and grow New Zealand’s productive assets
• Strengthening and revitalising regional economies
• Enabling a step-change for the Māori and Pacific New Zealand economies
• Developing a sustainable and affordable energy system
• Utilising land and resources to deliver greater value and improve environmental outcomes
• Transforming the housing market to improve productivity growth and make houses more affordable

Finance Minister Grant Robertson said, "These economic shifts represent a broader approach to economic policy than used by the previous Government."