10 Jul 2025
1 year ago
1837 views
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says that small businesses will benefit from upcoming reforms to New Zealand’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) laws, as the Government moves to make compliance more proportionate and practical for low-risk operators. Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has announced Cabinet’s approval to draft a new Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (Omnibus) Amendment Bill to overhaul the existing system. Under current rules, even small businesses and professionals, such as real estate agents, face complex and time-consuming checks, often regardless of how much risk they face,” Mrs McKee says.
08 Jul 2025
1 year ago
1967 views
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says the Government is continuing to cut through unnecessary bureaucracy with reforms to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Act, which will make life easier for hard-working Kiwi families managing property through family trusts. “For thousands of New Zealanders, setting up a family trust is part of securing their financial future, especially when it comes to their home. But under the current AML regime, selling a house held in a trust triggers a burdensome level of document verification and compliance checks that has little to do with actual risk,” Mrs McKee says.
03 Jul 2025
1 year ago
4423 views
The Government’s focus on improving roads across the country is well on its way, with the successful completion of one of the largest state highway road renewal programmes in New Zealand history, Transport Minister Chris Bishop confirmed today. “We are focused on ensuring government agencies are better at looking after the infrastructure assets we already have, to ensure New Zealanders get the most from their public infrastructure,” Mr Bishop says. “That’s why we’ve invested in road maintenance and renewals through the $2 billion State Highway Pothole Prevention fund, which ensures vital work is carried out to keep our roads safe and suitable for the people that use them.
24 Jun 2025
1 year ago
3176 views
Mr Speaker,
The situation in the Middle East is of the gravest concern. No New Zealanders want to wake up to news of more bombing, more strife and more misery. Yet, tragically, for the last two years, that is what we have seen: a relentless and remorseless series of events which have greatly destabilised the region and gravely harmed its people and their sense of security and prosperity.
18 Jun 2025
1 year ago
2288 views
New Zealanders have an opportunity to help shape the new planning system replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) through public consultation on removing unnecessary barriers to housing growth, says Housing and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “New Zealand’s house prices are among the most expensive in the developed world – a direct result of our current planning system making it too hard for our cities to grow up and out. “Fixing our housing crisis involves fixing the fundamentals of our housing market - freeing up land for development and removing unnecessary planning barriers, improving infrastructure funding and financing to support urban growth, and providing incentives for communities and councils to support growth.