Derek Cheng

4 days ago | nzherald.co.nz | Derek Cheng

National MP Catherine Wedd has put a member’s bill into the ballot to ban social media for under-16s, based on the ban recently passed in Australia. Act does not support the bill, so it is not a Government bill. It will need to be drawn from the ballot to come before the House. It might eventually pass, if drawn, as other parties have expressed some support for the bill – but not without reservations.

1 week ago | nzherald.co.nz | Derek Cheng

The prison population, about 10,500, is almost as high as it’s ever been and forecast to keep growingPrisoners on short sentences are more likely to reoffend than those on longer sentences. Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell is looking into replacing short sentences with longer ones.

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Derek Cheng

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says the justice system is “imperfect” but his hands are tied due to financial restraints. He wants to prioritise improving the time it takes for a case to go through court. “Modest progress” has been made so far. The latest Ministry of Justice figures show the average time for a criminal case to go through the District Court is 177 days, while for a jury trial it’s 466 days. Does everyone have access to justice who should?

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Derek Cheng

The Government wants tourism to play a major role in boosting economic growth in the short term, and in doubling export earnings by 2034. Tourism Minister Louise Upston has made several recent funding announcements to boost tourism from International Visitor Levy money, but these are not additional money for the sector. Upston says some additional money is on the way, however, and also supports charging international visitors for visiting tourism hotspots, such as Milford Sound.

2 weeks ago | nzherald.co.nz | Derek Cheng

The Act Party and its MP Nicole McKee campaigned in 2023 on axing the registry and, under strict conditions, widening access to military-style automatic firearms. A review of the firearms registry was completed months ago but has not been released, though the Herald understands it recommends keeping it. McKee, now Associate Justice Minister, says she will continue to campaign for her constituency, but ‘that doesn’t necessarily mean we will get what we want’.