NZNO warmly welcomes your feedback on this significant Bill, which extends regulatory coverage to all vaping and smokeless tobacco products. The Bill aims to strike a balance between protecting children and young people from the risks associated with vaping products, and enabling smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives. 

The Bill applies many of the existing restrictions for smoked tobacco products to vaping and smokeless tobacco products. In particular, the Bill prohibits:

• the sale of vaping and smokeless tobacco products to persons under the age of 18; 
• the advertising and sponsorship of vaping and smokeless tobacco products; and
• ​the use of vaping and smokeless tobacco products in indoor workplaces, early childhood centres, and schools.

To ensure that less harmful products are available as a quitting tool, the Bill exempts vaping and smokeless tobacco products from some of the restrictions that otherwise apply to smoked tobacco products. E.g. all retailers can display vaping and smokeless tobacco products at the point of sale, but cigarettes and loose leaf tobacco must be kept out of the public’s sight.

Please find the Bill attached here: 
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_94933/smokefree-environments-and-regulated-products-vaping

Please send feedback to Leanne.Manson@nzno.org.nz by 25 March 2020.

NZNO seeks your feedback on the above Bill which aims to  improve conditions for people looking after family members with special care needs, such as those relating to disability, long-term chronic illnesses, mental health and addiction, and aged care needs.

It would do this by removing Part 4A from the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. Part 4A of the original act prevents many people who work as carers for family members with disabilities from receiving payment for their support services. It also prevents people from making complaints about this to the Human Rights Commission, or for starting certain court proceedings about payment.

Please see the link for the Bill.

Please send feedback to PolicyAnalysts@nzno.org.nz by 26 March 2020

NZNO is seeking informal feedback on the first draft Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill

This is a first draft which the Government has published at this point to ensure that New Zealanders are informed about the direction being taken and the decisions that have been made to date.

A final draft of the Bill will be available later this year, and this is the version that will be voted on in the referendum. If more than 50% of the vote is 'Yes', after the election the incoming Government may introduce a Bill to Parliament that would make recreational use of cannabis legal.

Please send feedback to PolicyAnalysts@nzno.org.nz by 16 March 2020.

NZNO welcomes your feedback on this bill which makes a range of changes to make the Residential Tenancies Act 1986 fit for modern renting situations in New Zealand. NZNO is of the view that addressing the availability, affordability, quality, and security of rental housing is fundamental to improving population health and equity in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The provisions of the Bill aim to:

• increase security of tenure for tenants;
• promote good-faith relationships in the renting environment;
• modernise and clarify the Act to reflect the modern renting market and environment;
• enhance powers and tools for the chief executive of the department responsible for the administration of the Act; and
• support tenants' ability to assert their legal rights.

Please see link for the Bill 

Please send feedback to PolicyAnalysts@nzno.org.nz by 18 March 2020.

In election year NZNO publishes a manifesto “Nursing Matters”, to profile for members and other voters, health related election issues from the perspective of this member led organisation. 

Please respond with issues that you believe need to be included in NZNO’s manifesto.  There will be a second round of consultation in March that asks for member feedback on a draft manifesto before it is finalised and published.

Please send feedback to sue.gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by Fri February 21st.

NZNO seeks your feedback on the above Bill which, if passed, would create a regulatory body to oversee, administer, and enforce a new drinking water regulatory system.

Taumata Arowai–the Water Services Regulator (Taumata Arowai) would be established as a new Crown agent dedicated solely to drinking water.

It would also provide for its governance arrangements, including the establishment of a board and Māori Advisory Group. 

A dedicated drinking water regulator was recommended by the Havelock North Drinking Water Inquiry as necessary to oversee the entire drinking water system, help prevent tragedies such as the Havelock North campylobacter outbreak, and ensure New Zealand communities have access to safe and acceptable drinking water.

Please see link for the Bill

NZNO welcomes your feedback on a draft action plan specifically for disabled people and people with health conditions because they often face barriers to getting and staying in work.  In particular, we would like feedback on whether the action plan includes the right actions to improve outcomes for disabled people and people with health conditions. 

Drawing on previous consultation and evidence, the draft action plan proposes a set of actions to tackle the employment gap based around two overarching goals:

1. disabled people and people with health conditions have an equal opportunity to access good work and 

2. employers are good at attracting and retaining disabled people and people with health conditions.

Please see the action plan link.

Please send feedback to sue.gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by 14 February 2020.

NZNO welcomes your feedback on a consultation that sets out a range of options for modernising the legislation relating to death, burial, cremation and funerals in New Zealand. This consultation will help inform the development of a modern, fit-for-purpose legislation for death, burial, cremation and funerals.

Please see the link for the Consultation document and survey.

Send feedback to Leanne.Manson@nzno.org.nz by 3 April 2020. 

NZNO welcomes your feedback on the above Bill which aims to provide Kāinga Ora with powers to improve the social and economic performance of Aotearoa New Zealand’s urban areas through complex development projects.

The Bill would enable Kāinga Ora to facilitate these projects, which are called specified development projects (SDPs). SDPs are intended to improve urban development outcomes through a mix of housing types, transport connections, employment and business opportunities, infrastructure, community facilities, and green spaces.

Please see the Bill below:

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/52SCEN_SCF_BILL_93361/urban-development-bill

Please send feedback to Diana.Cookson@nzno.org.nz by 7 February 2020.

NZNO welcomes your feedback on the above Bill which aims to create a new offence in the Crimes Act 1961 for intentionally injuring a first responder or prison officer. It would provide for a minimum six month period of imprisonment for this offence. The bill would also expand the definition of a first responder in the Summary Offences Act 1981 to include emergency service workers.

Please see the Bill below:

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_78241/protection-for-first-responders-and-prison-officers-bill

Please send feedback to sue.gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by February 5 2020. 

NZNO welcomes your feedback on the above Bill which would make it clear that the unplanned end of a pregnancy by miscarriage or still-birth constitutes grounds for bereavement leave for the mother and her partner or spouse for up to 3 days.

Please see the Bill below:
https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-proposed-laws/document/BILL_89457/holidays-bereavement-leave-for-miscarriage-amendment

Please send feedback to PolicyAnalysts@nzno.org.nz by 7^th February 2020.

NZNO welcomes your feedback on the above cross-party members’ Bill which would amend the Crimes Act to change the definition of “female genital mutilation” to ensure all forms of this practice are illegal and all women and girls are adequately protected.

Please see the Bill attached here:

https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/make-a-submission/document/52SCHE_SCF_BILL_93345/crimes-definition-of-female-genital-mutilation-amendment

Please send feedback to sue.gasquoine@nzno.org.nz by 22 January 2020

NZNO welcomes your feedback on the above policy which has been drafted in response to requirements under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. The policy aims to enhance public confidence in the nursing profession and the Council’s disciplinary procedures (and thereby improve the safety and quality of health care) by providing transparency about its decision-making processes.  The policy states that nurses whose conduct has not met expected standards and are subject to an order or direction under the Act may be named where it is in the public interest to do so.

Please find the draft policy attached here: Proposed Policy on Publication and Naming of Nurses

You are welcome to make your own response to the Nursing Council survey, and/or send your comments to jill.wilkinson@nzno.org,nz to be included in a submission made on behalf of NZNO. Please send your feedback by 23 January 2020. 

NZNO seeks your feedback on this review which aims to ensure that the ANZSRC reflects current practice and is sufficiently robust to allow for long-term data analysis.

Feedback is sought on:

• Whether the revised classifications accurately capture the current Australian and New Zealand research landscape

 • Whether any errors or ambiguities have been introduced in the drafting process

• Concordance between the old and revised ANZSRC classifications, including

• where codes have been deleted, where would that research be classified in the revised ANZSRC?
• where new codes have been created, where would that research have been classified in ANZSRC 2008?

If you identify issues with the draft, please provide specific suggestions as to how they could be resolved.

Please see the attached document:

consultation-draft-australian-and-new-zealand-standard-research-classification-review-2019.pdf

Please send feedback to Jinny.Willis@nzno.org.nz by 3 February 2020.

PHARMAC are proposing to change the funded brands of labetalol tablets, which are used in the treatment of hypertension in pregnancy. Details of the proposal are on the PHARMAC website:

https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/news/consultation-2019-11-28-labetalol/

Please send feedback to jill.wilkinson@nzno.org.nz by 9^th December 2019.