CURRENT EVENTS

2008 Annual General Meeting

The Trust’s 16th Annual General Meeting, held on 9 April, was well attended by representatives of its Trustee, corporate and Associate membership.  The meeting was chaired by Trustee Kerry McDonald on behalf of Chairman John Goulter who was unwell.  At the meeting the Speaker of the House and the President of the Trust, Hon Margaret Wilson, stated that the Trust had completed a full year of activities during the past year, in addition to the very successful 15th Anniversary Dinner and the sponsorship of the Youth Parliament Essay Competition.  She felt that the mutual support for the Trust of both parliamentarians and the business sector for what it did was the basic ingredient in its continued successful operation.  Ms Wilson reminded those present that 2008 would be her last year as Speaker and President of the Trust and she wished the Trust well for the current year and for the future.  The AGM was preceded by the first Board Meeting of the year.

During the course of the meeting, one of the current Trustees, June McCabe, (seen here on the left) stood down and the acting chair, Kerry McDonald acknowledged and thanked Ms McCabe, on behalf of the Trust for her contribution over the past eight years to the governance of the Trust and its affairs.  Katrina Troughton, Managing Director of IBM New Zealand, (pictured right) was elected to the vacant Trustee position and was appointed a member of the Trust’s Board of Management. 

At the close of the meeting two new Associate Members, MPs, Dr Richard Worth (right) and Jacqui Dean (left) were presented with their Certificates of Associate Membership by the acting chair, Kerry McDonald.  Dr Worth completed a Business Study attachment with Lion Nathan last November and Jacqui Dean completed her attachment with Metrowater in January this year.

April Parliamentary Seminar

The first parliamentary seminar of the year was held on 16 April and attended by 37 representatives of the Trust’s corporate membership.  The impressive line-up of speakers included the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the House, the Clerk of the House, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, the Health Minister, the Leader of the ACT Party, the Government and Opposition Whips, two first-term MPs and a representative of the Press Gallery. 

Many participants enjoyed the opportunity of being able to ask the speakers questions at the end of each session and comments were made at the end of the day on the candour and frankness of the speakers.  One participant commented “I really appreciated the frank and open way the politicians spoke, some sharing many personal views that are rarely given to the public.”

Because the general election will be held later this year, only one more seminar has been scheduled for this year on Wednesday 30 July.


MPs’ one-day Business Seminar hosted by Television New Zealand

As part of the Trust's Business Study programme, TVNZ provided this year’s one-day Business Seminar for MPs at their Auckland premises on 1 May.  Chief Executive Rick Ellis and his Executive Team had arranged a most informative and enjoyable programme for the day which was attended by 14 MPs.

The day began with a warm welcome and introductory talk by Rick Ellis where he covered the history of television, programming and costs and TVNZ’s five-year strategic plan.  The MPs were then split into two groups for ease of movement around the building and both were shown the large newsroom (left) where all the information is collated and prepared for broadcast, with detailed explanations given on each section.

The two groups witnessed the Midday News go to air - one group in the TV ONE studio and the other in the new TVNZ channel 7 studio.  An ‘interactive’ session followed where MPs tried their hands at giving weather forecasts and reading the news.  The afternoon’s programme included presentations of the new TVNZ6 and TVNZ7 channels as well as a High Definition TV demonstration.  Presentations were also given on programming, ratings and emerging business and the two groups were taken on a further tour of the premises.

All the MPs who attended spoke highly of the experience and were grateful to Rick Ellis and the TVNZ team for the time and effort they had put into making the day so worthwhile and informative.  Unfortunately, eight other MPs who had originally booked in to attend were not able to do so because of other parliamentary commitments which had arisen.

May President’s Dinner

The first President’s Dinner for 2008 was held on Tuesday 13 May, hosted by the Speaker, Hon Margaret Wilson, in her apartment, with special guests the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon Dr Michael Cullen, and the Leader of the Progressive Party, Hon Jim Anderton.  During the course of the evening, Madam Speaker thanked each guest for his or her support of the Trust and outlined past and future Trust developments and activities.  (see photo)

Business Study Programmes - attachments

Another successful Business Study attachment was held at the beginning of the year when MP Jacquie Dean was hosted by Metrowater (see photograph).  Two new applications have been received this year and a number of attachments are ongoing from last year but no more new applications are expected with the general election due to be held later in the year.

Details of the attachments of Charles Chauvel, Jo Goodhew and Kate Wilkinson, completed last year, can be found on the page on Business Study Programme attachments under ‘Our Services’. 

The Trust is very appreciative of all of the corporate members who have been involved with recent applications for the time and effort they have given to this important part of the Trust’s overall study programmes.  Without exception, the feedback from the members who have completed their attachments has strongly emphasised the value to them of the attachment and their strong advocacy on the worth of this programme for Members of Parliament.

2008 MPs’ Business Briefing

The Trust held its annual MPs’ Business Briefing for MPs on 17 June in the Banquet Hall of the Executive Wing of Parliament Buildings. These Briefings form part of the Trust’s Business Study Programme scheme, where the Trust invites a leading figure from either the private or public sector to address MPs and invited business leaders about developments in the business world and something on their impact on the political scene.

This year’s guest speaker, Dr Paul Reynolds, CEO of the New Zealand Telecom Group.  A total of 57 attended the Briefing, comprising MPs, corporate representatives, trustees and other guests.

Dr Reynolds address was entitled: “Transformation – the Telecom New Zealand story”  which detailed the transformation of one of New Zealand’s largest listed companies and the benefits it would bring to both customers and communities in the future...The address can be found at this website under “PUBLICATIONS”. 

At the conclusion of the address, Dr Reynolds was thanked by the Chairman of the Trust, John Goulter, and presented with a small gift as a token of the Trust's appreciation.