Latest news with #ParmjeetParmar
Scoop
2 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Real Change Promised And Delivered For Sole-Charge Workers
'Today, ACT has delivered on its promise to protect some of our most vulnerable workers,' says ACT MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar. 'New sentencing laws come into force today that put the rights of retailers and other sole-charge workers at the centre of sentencing decisions. These changes fulfil ACT's coalition commitment to add new aggravating factors for offences against people working alone, or whose home and business are connected,' says Dr Parmar. 'I've met countless shop workers and small retailers in Auckland who have spent thousands on security measures just so they can keep their doors open and provide for their families. It's heartbreaking. Many came to New Zealand believing it was a safe country, only to find themselves constantly fearful at work. 'People working alone are especially vulnerable because they have no one to help them in a crisis. For those running businesses attached to their homes, there's the added fear of putting their loved ones at risk if they try to flee. From today, the law recognises that vulnerability. 'These new sentencing provisions also ensure that any victim's specific circumstances will be given greater weight by judges when deciding sentences. 'Ultimately, this means tougher penalties for criminals who prey on hard-working New Zealanders just trying to make an honest living. It's about making our communities safer and delivering on our promise of real change.'
Scoop
5 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
ACT-Initiated Social Media Inquiry Launched
ACT MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar is welcoming the commencement of a select committee inquiry into social media harm faced by young people, with terms of reference that reflect concerns ACT had previously raised. 'We are now in a much better place on this issue than we were seven weeks ago. Instead of rushing into a knee-jerk reaction to any harms young people face from online activity, we are now in a position to collect all the evidence and have an informed conversation about the best way to move forward,' says Dr Parmar. 'In early May I wrote to the Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee to formally request an inquiry into social media harm. Now we have an opportunity to inform ourselves of the evidence so we can come to a workable solution to any clearly defined problems. 'The agreed terms of reference reflect key elements of ACT's concerns, including the need for clear problem definition, and to assess the benefits as well as any harms of online activity. Importantly, the terms of reference also set out a framework for assessing any proposals, including that any recommendation should be assessed for proportionality, efficacy, workability, severity and likelihood of harm, cost-effectiveness, intrusiveness, and coerciveness. 'This ACT-initiated inquiry gives MPs the chance to listen to parents, educators, experts, and social media companies before jumping to conclusions. I look forward to hearing what people have to say.' Notes:
NZ Herald
09-06-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Aaron Smale: Jail for a haka? The arrogance of ignorance in Parliament
Act MP Parmjeet Parmar wanted to know if imprisonment was an option for Te Pāti Māori members who did a haka in Parliament. Photo / Supplied Recently, I took a crack at Te Pāti Māori for being big on theatre but not backing it up with being an effective opposition party. The obvious example was their haka in the House in protest at the Treaty Principles Bill. But I didn't think the haka was the problem. Since then, the government has focused on dishing out utu for Te Pāti Māori daring to bring its brand of political theatre into the House. A privileges committee headed by Judith Collins – who inaccurately claimed the haka prevented Act from voting at the bill's first reading – recommended a punishment of 21 days' suspension from Parliament for Te Pāti Māori's co-leaders and a week for Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke. Even that delicate flower Gerry Brownlee, Speaker of the House, seemed uneasy about the harshness of the proposed penalty. But not Act MP Parmjeet Parmar. She wanted to know if prison was an option. When questioned about this, she rolled out the 'just asking questions' line, supposedly wanting to know what the whole spectrum of options were to punish the unruly natives. So, in the spirit of just asking questions, here's a few Parmar might like to consider. Speaking of a whole spectrum of options, does she realise Te Pāti Māori MPs not only represent but belong to communities who had members who were imprisoned, raped, hanged or shot for expressing their political opinions in ways the crown objected to? Does Parmar know the white feather Debbie Ngarewa-Packer often wears in her pōtae is a symbol and reminder of Parihaka and the government invasion of the Taranaki pacifist community where men were imprisoned without trial and, as the Waitangi Tribunal reported, women were raped? Does she know this community was resisting the confiscation of land taken by the crown she represents? Does she know UK newspaper reports about the leaders of Parihaka, Te Whiti and Tohu, influenced Gandhi, who influenced Martin Luther King? Does Parmar know Rawiri Waititi is from the Whakatōhea iwi, whose rangatira, Mokomoko, was hanged in 1866 for a murder he did not commit? That it and the neighbouring iwi Waititi also belongs to had their land confiscated? Does she know Mokomoko's body was exhumed from Mt Eden Prison and taken back to be buried with his people in 1989 and he was eventually pardoned by the crown in 1992? Does she know his final words before he was hanged were a request to sing: 'Tangohia mai te taura i taku kakī kia waiata au i taku waiata' (Take the rope from my throat that I may sing my song)? Then his neck was broken. Does Parmar know Maipi-Clarke whakapapas not only to Taranaki but also Waikato, who were invaded by the crown and lost a million acres through confiscation? Does she know about Rangiaowhia, where civilians, including women and children, were burnt and shot as they sheltered in a whare? Does she know Waikato men were imprisoned when they refused conscription in World War I because of the invasion and confiscation of their lands? Since Parmar objects to Māori gathering in their own spaces at universities, does she know government policy was opposed to Māori even attending university until the 1960s? Has she heard of Sir Āpirana Ngata, Sir Maui Pōmare and Te Rangi Hiroa, who went to Te Aute College and on to university to become lawyers and doctors, only for the government to pressure the school principal to desist from preparing Māori students for tertiary study? Does she know these three men, along with many iwi leaders, led a targeted – ie, race-based – health campaign that helped save Māori from extinction after the population plummeted due to poverty and disease resulting from land loss? I recently spoke to a leader of an NGO that supports Māori and Pasifika children in education who told me many of the kids they support end up dropping out of university because they are suddenly alone in an alien environment without community support. Does Parmar think that is a problem that should be addressed? Has she ever bothered to read the history of Māori political figures like Ngata and Pōmare, whose portraits hang in the halls of Parliament? Does she know Pōmare walked those halls with a limp, due to an injury he suffered when he was one of the children who welcomed the troops who invaded Parihaka with singing, only to be trampled by horses? In March, Parmar pronounced the University of Auckland should scrap its compulsory Waipapa Taumata Rau course. Does she think a history lesson might be of use to MPs like herself who claim to represent the country but know little of its history? Or does she take her history lessons from her party leader, who mangles or ignores the past to create a constant stream of political controversies to hold the media's attention and misinform and distract the public? And was Parmar's question about the option of sending Te Pāti Māori to jail for a political protest really her question? Or was she simply doing the party leader's dirty work for him?
Scoop
08-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
New Parent Visa Delivers On ACT Commitment
Press Release – ACT New Zealand Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the delivery of an ACT coalition commitment in the form of the Parent Boost Visa. 'The Parent Boost Visa aligns closely with the policy ACT campaigned on in 2023. I'm proud to see our commitment to a renewable, multi-year parent visa come to life, enabling migrants to spend meaningful time with their parents and grandparents. 'The new visa means skilled migrants can come to New Zealand with confidence they can have their parents around when they welcome a new child, or when they need support during challenges or help with childcare. 'Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. 'ACT's 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund. The Parent Boost Visa's alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers. 'ACT remains open to immigration reforms that attract the world's brightest while protecting local taxpayers.' The Parent Boost Visa opens for applications on 29 September 2025.
Scoop
08-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
New Parent Visa Delivers On ACT Commitment
Press Release – ACT New Zealand Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. ACT Immigration spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar is celebrating the delivery of an ACT coalition commitment in the form of the Parent Boost Visa. 'The Parent Boost Visa aligns closely with the policy ACT campaigned on in 2023. I'm proud to see our commitment to a renewable, multi-year parent visa come to life, enabling migrants to spend meaningful time with their parents and grandparents. 'The new visa means skilled migrants can come to New Zealand with confidence they can have their parents around when they welcome a new child, or when they need support during challenges or help with childcare. 'Ultimately, this visa makes New Zealand a more attractive destination for the talent we need to drive economic growth. A skilled workforce means more productivity, stronger communities, and more prosperity for all New Zealanders. 'ACT's 2023 proposal differed slightly in that it would have included an annual fee to fund healthcare costs through a public health fund. The Parent Boost Visa's alternative, a requirement for comprehensive private health insurance, serves a similar purpose in protecting New Zealand taxpayers. 'ACT remains open to immigration reforms that attract the world's brightest while protecting local taxpayers.' The Parent Boost Visa opens for applications on 29 September 2025.
