Welfare package, biofuels on govt agenda

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The Government will today announce further details of its transitional relief package for those laid off as a result of tough economic times, Prime Minister John Key says.

The unveiling of the package, which is not expected to require legislative measures, comes as the rush to pass new laws before Christmas eases slightly.

The new Government last week passed five new laws – tax cuts and changes to KiwiSaver, a 90-day probation period of new workers, tougher restrictions on bail, national reading and writing standards in schools, and tougher sentences for those who commit crimes against children.

Mr Key said he would release further details of the Government's transitional relief package later today.

But he said other items on the Government's first 100 days hit list would have to wait until after the summer break.

One of those would be a bill repealing the Electoral Finance Act, which would not be introduced until there had been wide consultation with other parties.

"Our view is that the (previous) government ran roughshod over the normal convention which was that all parties in Parliament are consulted when they passed the Electoral Finance Act," he said on Newstalk ZB.

"That's wrong and we won't be making the same mistake twice."

The Government is refusing to say exactly what bills it will introduce this week, but it has signalled one is likely to be an energy bill that will repeal the biofuels sales obligation for petrol companies.

That obligation in the Biofuels Act required companies to have biofuels at 2.5 percent of annual sales by 2012.

The Government is also expected to introduce a bill giving police the power to issue on-the-spot protection orders to victims of domestic violence.

- NZPA