Commentary
Advocacy in real time
Member feedback was a critical component of the EMA’s advocacy programme during the peak of the COVID-19. Advocacy can often be a slow moving process but the almost real-time feedback we were able to provide government, from the calls, emails and conversations with members, helped shape and change the government’s response during the fast-moving crisis period in the first few weeks of lockdown. That feedback enabled the advocacy team to help cut through the usual mountain of red tape and get a faster response to help under pressure members. For example, when there was a 12-week delay on sourcing hand
Tiwai Point – an avoidable disaster
Last week Rio Tinto announced that they will be closing the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter in August 2021. It will be interesting to see the Government’s response to this. What is clear is that Rio Tinto has lost patience with Transpower charging huge costs for transmission from Lake Manapouri to Tiwai Point when these assets have been well and truly bought and paid for in the fifty years the smelter has been running. This leaves NZ Inc with some challenging problems. The closure will result in the direct loss of 1000 jobs, with another 1600 jobs indirectly connected to the
Preparing your businesses for the cannabis referendum
In September 2020, New Zealanders will be asked to decide on whether or not cannabis should be legalised via a referendum. https://www.referendums.govt.nz/cannabis/summary.html In a nutshell a ‘YES’ vote will allow a person aged 20 or over to be able to: Buy up to 14 grams of dried cannabis (or its equivalent) per day only from licensed outlets Enter licensed premises where cannabis is sold or consumed Consume cannabis on private property or at a licensed premise Grow up to 2 plants, with a maximum of 4 plants per household Share up to 14 grams of dried cannabis (or its equivalent)
Last Month In Commentary
What are ‘germs’?
The word ‘germ’ is a generic term for bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi and helminths. These are collectively known as microbes. Microbes as the word indicates, are very small and can only been seen under a microscope and not all of them are bad for us, in fact some are very beneficial to our bodily functions. The following article further defines germs, explores how they interact with the human body and details how to protect yourself against them. Bacteria. Bacteria are single celled organisms that get their nutrients from the environment including people. They are the most abundant organism known to
Member Feedback Critical to Government Covid Response
The past few months under COVID-19 lockdown restrictions have taken a tremendous toll on businesses, staff and New Zealand’s economic and social wellbeing. The end of the harsher lockdown conditions of Levels 4, 3 and 2 came too late for many businesses and for the tens of thousands of people who have been forced into unemployment. I feel for the many people who have lost jobs and for those employers who have closed their doors after many years in business or who have had to shed staff – in many cases regarded as friends – just to keep the doors
