NZNO warmly invites your feedback on a bill which would extend ACC cover to a specified list of maternal birth injuries.  These injuries are not currently covered, despite having the same characteristics as injuries (such as sprains and strains) that are covered by the scheme.

The bill would also make five policy changes. Please see here for more information about the bill.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 8 February 2022.

NZNO invites you to provide feedback on Ngā paerewa Health and disability services standard (NZS 8134:2021). Updates to the standard reflect a shift towards more person- and whānau-centred health and disability services, where people are empowered to make decisions about their own care and support in order to achieve their goals, with a stronger focus on outcomes for people receiving support. 

The five-minute survey focuses on your current level of understanding of the 2021 Standard, and key areas of change you’d like HealthCERT to focus training on. Findings will be used to inform future training and resource development.

Regular short surveys will be undertaken during the implementation of the updated standard.

For further information, and to access the survey, please click here.

Please submit your survey response directly via the link above by 10 January 2022.

NZNO invites you to provide feedback on PHARMAC’s proposal to fund new treatments for lung cancer and severe refractory eosinophilic asthma, as well as widen access to a treatment for ovarian cancer.

The agreement with AstraZeneca would also include amendments to the contractual arrangements for budesonide with eformoterol powder for inhalation (Symbicort Turbuhaler), fulvestrant (Faslodex) and gefitinib (Iressa).

Please refer here for further information about the proposed changes.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 24 January 2022.

NZNO warmly invites your feedback on Nursing Council’s proposal to increase the annual practicing certificate fee for renewals and registrations, from 1 July 2022.

Nursing Council proposes to increase the annual practicing certificate fee from $110 to $130 inclusive of GST. This would be the first fee increase in ten years. They also propose incorporating adjustments for inflation to the APC and other fees from 01 July 2023.

The rationale for these changes and a breakdown of the fees can be viewed here.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by Monday 24 January 2022.

NZNO warmly invites your feedback on the Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill. The bill seeks to repeal what is commonly known as the “three strikes law”, which has been in place since 2010, and which mandates prison sentences for people convicted three times of serious violent offences.

Through the three strikes law, someone convicted of a qualifying offence for a third time must have the maximum penalty without parole imposed on them, unless the court determines that this would be manifestly unjust.

Repealing the three strikes law would have the effect of allowing Judges to consider an offender’s individual circumstances and background, and to approach outcomes on a case-by-case basis. This bill is an omnibus bill that would amend multiple Acts including the Sentencing Act 2002 and the Parole Act 2002.

The Bill can be viewed here.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 15 December 2021.

NZNO invites your feedback on a bill that proposes to establish:

• the office of the Independent Monitor of the Oranga Tamariki system, and
• an independent Crown entity, known as the Children and Young People’s Commission, to replace the Children’s Commissioner.

The bill would also strengthen the complaints oversight function of the Ombudsman.

The new monitoring system and commission would be reviewed every five years.

You can read more about the bill here.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 19 January 2022.

NZNO encourages members with an interest in public health to respond to a Public Health Workforce survey.  

The survey is a joint collaboration between the Public Health Association and the Ministry of Health, for the purpose of workforce planning.

It takes around 15 minutes to complete and is available online here.

Please submit your response directly, via the link above, by 21 December 2021.

NZNO invites you to contribute to our submission on migrant exploitation.

The Education and Workforce Committee is investigating the scale of migrant exploitation in New Zealand and its impact on migrants and their families. They are also looking for ideas on what can be done to address the issues.

The full terms of reference can be read here.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 26 January 2022.

NZNO warmly invites you to have a say on what mental health legislation is needed for Aotearoa New Zealand.

He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction recommended repealing and replacing the Mental Health Act. The Government has committed to this, and has agreed to the following guiding principles:

• maintaining consistency with Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• taking a human rights approach
• encouraging maximum independence, inclusion in society and the safety of individuals, their whānau and the community
• improving equity of care and treatment
• taking a recovery approach to care and treatment
• providing timely service access and choice
• providing the least restrictive mental health care options
• respecting family and whānau.

Please take a look at the website or the attached discussion document to see the consultation topics.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 15 January 2022.

NZNO invites your feedback on proposed supplementary standards for registered nurse education programmes. These have been developed by the Nursing Council in recognition of current potential disruption to student learning as a result of COVID-19. 

The standards will support education providers to incorporate key areas of pandemic-related practice such as vaccination, case identification through swabbing, contact tracing, and case management, as clinical learning experiences for nursing students. Given the emergency situation and rapid response required, they also allow students’ paid employment to be considered for this purpose. 

Nursing Council seeks feedback as follows:

·         Will these standards effectively support participation by all nursing students/ tauira in the pandemic response workforce?

·         Will these standards support a quality clinical learning experience for nursing students/ tauira?

·         Are there are any risks associated with implementing these standards, and if so how can these be mitigated?

The consultation document is attached for your consideration.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 6 December 2021.

NZNO welcomes your feedback on New Zealand’s future immigration settings. 

The Productivity Commission is undertaking an inquiry into what immigration policy settings would best facilitate New Zealand’s long-term economic growth and promote the wellbeing of New Zealanders.

Your feedback is sought on actions that could help improve the treatment of migrants in New Zealand and encourage their retention and successful settlement. These actions include:

• formally recognising efforts to learn te reo in decisions about residence or permanent residence.
• limiting rights to return for permanent residents who leave.

The Commission is also exploring options for managing volume pressures, and making the immigration system run better.

Further information is available here.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 15 December 2021.

NZNO invites your feedback on proposed new data and statistics legislation

The bill seeks to repeal the Statistics Act 1975. It intends to:

• recognise the Crown’s responsibility to consider and provide for Māori interests in data and statistics
• enable more effective system leadership
• strengthen and future-proof the framework for collecting data for official statistics
• modernise the framework for accessing data for research
• continue to provide appropriate safeguards and protections to ensure public trust and confidence in the collection and use of data for official statistics and research.

Further information can be found here.

Please send feedback to policyanalysts@nzno.org.nz by 15 December 2021.

The Māori Affairs Committee has opened an inquiry into learning support for ākonga Māori (Māori school students) across primary, secondary, alternative, and Māori medium education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

You are invited to have your say on:

·         the learning support needs of ākonga Māori,

·         whether these needs are currently being met, and/or

·         how the needs could better be met.  

More information about the inquiry is available here.

Please send your feedback directly to the Māori Affairs Committee Secretariat, as instructed on their website by 10 December 2021.

The Justice Committee is calling for submissions on the above Bill.

The aim of the Bill is to protect children at risk of harm from online exploitation committed by people 18 years and older. It would amend the Crimes Act 1961 to:

• make it an offence for a person over 18 to use online communications to falsely represent their age or identity with the intention to meet with someone under 16
• make it an offence for someone over 18 to use online communications to plan to cause harm to a person under 16
• increase the maximum penalty for persons convicted of sexual grooming of a young person.

Further information about the Bill is available here.

Please send your feedback directly to the Justice Committee Secretariat, as instructed on their website by 10 December 2021.

The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Bill provides the legal framework for transformation of the public health system.

Because of the significance of this system change, a special select committee has been set up to listen to people’s views.

NZNO strongly encourages our members to have a say.

The Bill’s purpose is to:

• protect, promote, and improve the health of all New Zealanders; 
• achieve equity by reducing health disparities among New Zealand’s population groups, in particular for Māori; and
• build towards pae ora (healthy futures) for all New Zealanders.

The Bill replaces the 20 District Health Boards with Health New Zealand and it establishes the Māori Health Authority. It provides principles and objectives to guide, and to hold to account, all public health entities. It is expected to take effect on 1 July 2022. 

The NZNO Policy team will hold scheduled online consultations about the Bill for members – this will be an opportunity to discuss the Bill and to tell us your thoughts so that we can include your voice in the NZNO submission. If you would like to attend a consultation hui please email PaeOra-Bill@nzno.org.nz to receive session times.

A fact sheet is attached for your information. The full Bill is available online here.

If you wish to contribute written feedback, please email this to PaeOra-Bill@nzno.org.nz by 2 December 2021.