World Sport | The Armidale Express

A LOOK AT CONTROVERSIAL MEASURES IN THE NEW ZEALAND COALITION DEALS * Smokefree laws As reported widely, the coalition has agreed to repeal world-leading laws which aimed to reduce harm from cigarette-smoking - estimated at 5000 lives each year. The laws had three key dimensions: making it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or later to smoke, to "de-nicotine" cigarettes to remove their addictiveness, and to slash the number of retailers that sold cigarettes to just 600 stores nationwide. * Treaty of Waitangi reviews The Treaty of Waitangi, agreed and signed between Maori leaders and representatives of the British Crown in 1840, is New Zealand's foundational document, but there is disagreement across the political spectrum on how to interpret treaty clauses due to translation issues between English language and Maori language versions. The National-NZ First deal proposes to disempower the Waitangi Tribunal, the body established in 1975 to support treaty settlements, interpret the treaty, and advise on treaty impacts on legislation. The National-ACT deal allows ACT to introduce a law to redefine the treaty principles to scrub references to Maori altogether: effectively redefining the basis of New Zealand's nationhood. The changes have outraged left-leaning parties, with leading Labour MP Willie Jackson saying Maori "will go to war" over them. * Gun laws The ACT party, then represented by sole MP David Seymour, was the only party to oppose Jacinda Ardern's gun law reform in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosques massacre. It has won several concessions from National to deregulate firearms, including rewriting the Arms Act and go to a "graduated system not unlike the way you get a driver's licence", according to Mr Seymour. * The role of Maori in government Government conventions placing Maori language names first - such as Waka Kotahi for the New Zealand Transport Authority - will be reversed, with the use of Maori language, known as te reo, in government downplayed. "Co-governance" measures, which see Maori and non-Maori work together on governance boards, will also be axed. Other Maori-specific initiatives are to be scrapped, such as the Maori Health Authority which aimed to reduce the gap health disadvantage between Maori and non-Maori. Maori Party leader Rawiri Waititi told Te Ao News the proposals showed "this government wants to remove all trace of us as Maori". * Sexuality education New Zealand's relationship and sexuality education (RSE) program will be axed after NZ First argued for changes. Prime Minister Chris Luxon said he had heard concerns on the campaign trail from parents "about some of the sexuality training". LGBT advocates and educators are worried, while anti-trans lobby groups have welcomed the moves. * Climate change Several changes are coming on climate, but the biggest signal is the reopening of offshore waters for oil and gas exploration, which was banned by Jacinda Ardern's government. The coalition will gut the budget of its climate fund, using it to pay for income tax relief. It will also defund cycleways and up spending on major highway upgrades and urban sprawl, which contribute heavily to emissions. ACT has put the brakes on a National plan to install 10,000 new electric vehicle chargers around the country, while a rebate for clean cars will also be axed. NZ First has also included a pledge to explore and drill for greener hydrogen gas. * Industrial relations A move to Australia-style sector-wide bargaining under the Labour government - known as Fair Pay Agreements - won't last the year, with the government pledging to repeal those laws before Christmas. It is also moving to reform health and safety laws, and expand 90-day trials for all businesses, which allows them to dismiss employees without reason inside that time. Australian Associated Press