No Plan To Halve Sick Leave, Minister Says After Christopher Luxon's Comments

The minister charged with looking at changes to sick leave says there is no plan to cut entitlements from 10 days to five.
But she is looking at changes that would make leave proportionate to the number of hours worked.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked during an interview with Morning Report whether his government was looking at reducing the number of leave days from 10 to five.
"That's something that I know [Workplace Relations and Safety Minister] Brooke van Velden is looking into. She looks at a whole raft of workplace relations," Luxon replied.
"It's a bit premature for now."
But van Velden told RNZ it was not something she was looking into.
"My officials and I have focused on developing pro-rated sick leave, which was previously agreed to by Cabinet. We have not been developing a reduction in sick leave from ten days to five days," she said.
Currently, all workers, full-time, part-time or casual are entitled to 10 days of sick leave if they have been with their employer continuously for six months, and have worked an average 10 hours a week, and at least one hour in every week or 40 hours in every month.
Workers can accumulate up to 20 days of sick leave, which means it is possible to carry over 10 days of unused sick leave into the next year.
"There is probably a need for us to look at it, for sure, and just make sure that we've got that setting right, particularly around proportionate sick leave for part time workers versus full time workers," Luxon said.
"Brooke is looking at a package of things around workplace relations, as you've seen already this year, and she will continue to look at that."
Describing the changes as "long-needed," van Velden said she hoped to make an announcement in the coming months.
National promised during the last election campaign it would not reduce the number of sick days employees receive.
The number of sick days was increased from five to 10 by the previous Labour government in 2021, as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
National wasn't supportive of the changes at the time.
After the changes were implemented, the average rate of absence from work in 2022 was the highest ever at 5.5 days per employee.
This compared to a range of 4.2 and 4.7 days for 2012 - 2020.
Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) head of advocacy Alan McDonald told Morning Report decreases in sick leave had not been discussed with the association and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), or the Work Place Minister's team.
"I guess it's not off the table, but it just really hasn't come up and it's not something as employer representatives we've been talking about and neither has my colleges at Business New Zealand," McDonald said.
Workplace Relations Minister and ACT MP Brooke van Velden has been working on a draft bill that could make sick leave entitlements proportional to the hours someone works.
She said changes in the draft bill could include pro-rating sick leave "to better reflect how much an employee works".
"Workplaces that rely on part-time workers are particularly vulnerable to unexpected staffing shortages. To explore this issue further, the exposure draft set for consultation will include a proposed approach to pro-rating sick leave, to better reflect how much an employee works," she said last year.

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Otago Daily Times

an hour ago

• Otago Daily Times

Pacific relationship will ‘remain constant': Peters

Winston Peters out and about in the South Pacific. Photo: supplied When Winston Peters speaks about political engagement with the South Pacific, he walks his talk. Midway through his third stint as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Peters has once again demonstrated a commitment to the area which was a hallmark of his previous times in office. Now, as then, Mr Peters is a conscientious attender of regional conferences and forums; he has also visited 16 of the 17 other Pacific Island Forum member countries personally. Some of those countries have been visited twice or more, and Mr Peters has also twice taken cross-Parliamentary teams (with MPs from Labour and the Greens as well as National, Act New Zealand and his own New Zealand First party) to the Pacific. "That's important to send the message that even with future changes of government, our relationship with the Pacific will remain constant," Mr Peters said. He will be in Dunedin this week for a duty he has performed several times before, giving the opening speech to the University of Otago's annual Foreign Policy School. Now in its 59th year, the school is an annual gathering of politicians, diplomats, academics, students and those interested in diplomacy, to hear a range of papers on the theme of the conference — in 2025 that is "Small Powers and Strategic Competition in the Indo-Pacific" — and also to network. The foreign minister of the day usually gives the opening speech — although Mr Peters did not do so last year as the conference had a specific focus on health. He is back this year, and speaking on a topic close to his heart. "Why the Pacific," he asks. "Well, because it's our neighbourhood. No-one thinks that charity should not begin at home. Photo: supplied "The moment you then look at where you fit in the world and our level of isolation, anyone who doesn't pay attention to their neighbourhood doesn't know how the world is." While Mr Peters' reference was to geographic isolation, he also has plenty to say about diplomatic isolation. As Foreign Minister in Jacinda Ardern's first term in government, Mr Peters racked up plenty of frequent flyer points going to the Pacific. He then watched frustrated, out of Parliament and out of power, as his successor Nanaia Mahuta — to his mind — abandoned the region. While Ms Mahuta did have the reasonable excuse of the Covid pandemic cancelling many of her travel plans, Mr Peters is adamant that a vacuum was left in the Pacific which other powers sought to fill. His hectic travel schedule is an attempt to repair frayed relationships he said. "Was there a void? It was a huge void. They hadn't seen anybody," Mr Peters said. "Sadly, many of them hadn't seen anybody in New Zealand either. When diplomats take you aside, shortly after I came back in 2023, and said, we're not there, we were wandering. I said why, they said why do we bother because no-one will talk to us, no one's seen us. "I then began to realise from a leadership point of view, just how vacuous many of their claims of the leadership were. It was actually a disgrace. "And so yes, it's been hard work and it's been exhausting for us time-wise, but we've managed to fill it and we've managed to talk to others alongside us as they realised that more had to be done on the Pacific." And in South East Asia. New Zealand has just signed an enhanced partnership agreement with Vietnam and last week in a speech in Wellington Mr Peters said New Zealand was "working hard" to similarly upgrades in its relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and Singapore. Coincidentally, the Foreign Policy School is also hosting a roundtable commemorating 50 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Asean. Photo: supplied Not that everything has been plain sailing in the Pacific though. There has been friction between New Zealand and Kiribati over the scheduling of official visits by Mr Peters, and a state visit by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown to China earlier this year to sign a partnership agreement also raised alarm bells. News of New Zealand's response — pausing nearly $20 million of core sector support funding for the Cook Islands — emerged last week. One of the themes of the Foreign Policy School is great power competition between China and United States in the region; the gathering takes place at a time when Chinese interest in the Pacific is as high as ever, and as the US is cutting its aid programmes worldwide, including to the region. Just as the former presented challenges to New Zealand, the latter presented opportunities Mr Peters said. "We should always be, though, doing a review of our offshore aid and our offshore expenditure. America is having a massive one at this point in time. And then the second thing you've got to remember is it is their money, taxpayers' money. I think that there's some reasons to be confident that we'll have a greater engagement." To that end, New Zealand's Pacific international development co-operation programme has been revamped to focus on fewer, bigger, projects — an emphasis which it hoped means that they will be done better. Projects include efforts to build climate and economic resilience, strengthen governance and security, and to lift heath, education and digital connectivity. Although not one of Mr Peters' portfolios, he has been an advocate for greater defence spending, and has urged that with the Pacific very much in mind. Quite apart from any actual or perceived security threats, Mr Peters well knows that NZDF forces deploy to the region for many reasons, and that the greater role New Zealand can play in surveillance and emergency recovery the more the country is appreciated by its neighbours. "When you are seeking to talk to people, remember that they don't just talk to you, they look over your shoulder to see what's behind you, or they look at your record. If they find that you're all words and no action, then your level of influence is massively reduced. So that's the first thing," he said. "Then the second, right across the board ... we are actually expressing the need for greater defence spending. It's important. And remember this, though it's a commitment, the timing of the purchase, the optimisation of that purchase, and the interoperability of those purchases are critical. "So it's not all here right now, it's going to happen, but at least we've made the commitment, and therefore other countries who are forced to make a commitment will take us more seriously." • The University of Otago Foreign Policy School, June 27-29.

Scoop

10 hours ago

• Scoop

Analysis: Tensions And Timing Test Luxon On First Official China Visit

, Deputy Political Editor in Beijing Analysis - Luck was not on Christopher Luxon's side for his first official trip to China. Even before the visit began, the prime minister was battling for control of the narrative, as a suite of former political leaders - including Helen Clark and Don Brash - accused the coalition of antagonising China through its embrace of the US. A clearly irritated Luxon batted away the warning - "maybe listen to fewer former politicians" - but the commentary persisted. In fact, the superpower struggle was given more prominence by events unfolding in the Middle East as Israel launched open warfare on Iran, with the US and China backing opposing sides. No surprise New Zealanders at home showed more interest in US President Donald Trump's "will-he-won't-he" contemplations than in Luxon's Shanghai sales pitch. Then came news of the Cook Islands diplomacy crisis right on the eve of Luxon's big sit-down with President Xi Jinping. Luxon had to have been cursing the timing, as his pre-meeting media conference was consumed by questions about the government's decision to suspend funding to the Pacific nation after its controversial agreements with China earlier this year. He tried valiantly to characterise New Zealand's issue as being solely with the Cook Islands government, but it was impossible to ignore China's contribution as one-half of the deals in question. That was evidenced by a pointed response from China's Foreign Ministry: that its cooperation with the Cook Islands "should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party". Was the trip a success? Such comments were not repeated, however, in the brief public parts of Luxon's high-level meetings at the Great Hall of the People. The leaders on both sides were direct in their opening remarks but not at all confrontational. President Xi Jinping acknowledged "ups and downs" in the relationship while Luxon pointedly noted the importance of "stability in our region". But both also stressed the value of their ties. Premier Li Qiang even welcomed the "candid" nature of the conversations. Certainly, there was nothing to suggest China is contemplating economic retribution, as some have suggested. Supporters of the government's approach will see that as proof its strategy is working. Its critics will caution it means only that there is still time to change course. To understand China's perspective, one can look to the state media for an indication. On Thursday, state tabloid Global Times hosted a piece by Qin Sheng, associate professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Qin said the China-NZ relationship could provide an example of "healthy interaction" in a world of "rising geopolitical rivalry and pervasive uncertainty". At the same time, he warned that the US was "actively wooing" New Zealand to join its "small circles aimed at containing China" including AUKUS pillar two. "For New Zealand, it is important to see the broader picture and ensure that its choices align with the prevailing trend of history." From a personal perspective, the PM would've been thrilled that Xi had been "impressed" by him in their first meeting at APEC last year. Alas, that sentiment is unlikely to filter through to the NZ public in any meaningful way. All travelling media noted the paltry audience interest in the stories filed as they landed on the afternoon of the public holiday Matariki. More bad luck. Broadly speaking, business leaders in the delegation were enthused and positive about the China visit, but there were some quiet grumblings. Two particular gripes came up multiple times in conversations. The trip's length - just two nights in Shanghai and one in Beijing - was considered too brief from a business perspective. It was hard not to notice the extra empty seats on the 757 returning home with several delegates clearly deciding to stay on in Beijing a little longer. Several businesspeople also questioned Luxon's strategy for luring back Chinese tourists and his characterisation of the issue as a "marketing challenge". When speaking to reporters, Luxon repeatedly insisted the problem was that New Zealand lacked "share of mind" in China and simply needed more promotion. The blame, he said, lay with Labour for being too slow to come out of Covid-19. Never mind that China itself had been slower. Those spoken to by RNZ suggested the more pressing concern was cost - and pointed out the coalition had hiked visa fees and tripled the International Visitor Levy. What next? Luxon's focus will now shift to the NATO forum which is he due to attend in the Netherlands in the coming days. In his final media conference in Beijing, Luxon made clear he considered his attendance there to be quite separate from his China mission. But he must know the two are very much connected and will be viewed as such. In recent comments, NATO chief Mark Rutte has grouped China together with Russia, Iran and North Korea, as effective foes of the West. Asked about the remarks, Luxon said he had seen "no evidence" of those four powers actively working together against the West. One wonders how that "difference of opinion" - as Luxon put it - will go down when the PM arrives at the Hague. Just last week, China expert Jason Young told RNZ that one of New Zealand's biggest challenges over the next two decades would be navigating that tension between its Western security partners and its largest trading partner China. There can be no relying on luck for that.

1News

12 hours ago

• 1News

Luxon starts Europe trip remembering NZ's past WWI sacrifice

Christopher Luxon's Europe trip has opened with the Prime Minister paying tribute to New Zealanders who served in World War I in Belgium's historic Ypres. Luxon gave a reading of the Ode of Remembrance and laid a wreath as part of the Last Post ceremony under the Menin Gate. He said listening to the rousing sound of bagpipers made him think of two things. "For New Zealand, this is really significant because we lost almost 5,000 of our young people here — more than what we lost in Gallipoli — so it's really special for me to be able to be here tonight," the Prime Minister said. "And also tomorrow, to actually pay our respects to the fallen that have come before us and served New Zealand so well." ADVERTISEMENT "Standing up for values that we see again with a European war happening in this day and age, 110 years later, that has some of the same characteristics — so it's a real pleasure to be here, a real honour to be here, and I thought it was a very moving ceremony." Luxon said the comparison between the two conflicts, a century apart, was front of mind — both Kiwi defence efforts in World War I and its current support for Ukraine. The second thought on his mind was his personal connection to WWI, with his great-grandfather having served. Prime Minster Christopher Luxon (Source: 1News) "I've read his letters home and in fact just last weekend I was in South Canterbury talking to a lot of family relatives about the experience as well, looking at different family history and photos," he said. "It was pretty special to be here on a personal level but also representing New Zealand." Luxon acknowledged the enthusiasm of the younger generations of Ypres, who he said continue to "take it seriously" and pay tribute to the sacrifice of other countries in WWI. ADVERTISEMENT The Menin Gate event commemorates more than 54,000 soldiers from Australia, Canada, India, South Africa and the UK who died in the region but have no known grave. Only the names of 84 New Zealanders who served in British or other Commonwealth forces are marked on the gate, with soldiers from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force commemorated closer to where they were killed in battle. The Last Post ceremony has taken place in Ypres every night since 1928, with the event only stopping during Germany's occupation in World War II. The world leaders discussed a range of tricky topics, including the war in the Middle East and a suspension of funding to the Cook Islands. (Source: 1News) Speaking about his time in Ypres, Brussels and the Netherlands over the next five days, Luxon said the trip was about strengthening economic and security ties with European countries and the Indo-Pacific Four — the group of NATO partners in the region that includes Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. This is the fourth consecutive year New Zealand has been invited to attend the annual NATO summit. "It's really important that we advocate for the rules-based system, that we reaffirm that from a trading point of view but from a security, defence point of view… in a volatile, complex world prosperity and security go together, they're inextricably linked and so you need to be able to have conversations on both sides of that coin." ADVERTISEMENT Only member countries will take part in the main meeting on Wednesday, where NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to propose that countries commit to spending 5% of GDP on core defence and defence-related costs such as infrastructure. Luxon will take part in other engagements during the two-day event, including bilateral talks with other leaders. He will also meet with European Commission leaders before the NATO summit.