A health win, a breakfast with Nicola Willis, going after boy-racers, and much
more.
Hi John, here’s your May update.
See below for details about a post-budget breakfast with Nicola Willis and a
lunch with Simon Watts.
Also this month:
* A health win!!
* Budget
* Breakfast with Nicola Willis
* Going after boy-racers
* Education update
* Big budget boost for Defence
* Local events
* Upcoming events
A HEALTH WIN FOR KĀPITI
I'm really proud to announce that I have secured funding for a health shuttle
trial between Paraparaumu and both Kenepuru and Wellington hospitals. I'm
working locally to finalise the practical details, but this is one of two things
I've been promising to fight hard for in health: to get more services delivered
locally, and to get better transport connections when we do need to travel to
hospital. I'll share more next month as the trial kicks in.
BUDGET '25
We are in tough times. Under Labour debt went from $55bn to $175bn. That amounts
to an extra $22,000 for every single Kiwi. Outrageous. To put it another way,
when Bill English was Finance Minister debt was 5% of GDP. When Grant Robertson
finished up it was 42%.
Today, every single week NZ borrows an extra $500,000,000. Every single week.
That's the inheritance they left us. Just to pay the interest on Labour's debt
costs more than we spend every year on Defence and Justice and Customs and
Police and Corrections all combined. More than all of it! The Green budget
released today by Labour's mates takes on tens of billion in debt and $88bn in
extra tax. Absolute insanity.
So at the budget next Thursday we will do the right thing. Expect us to keep
investing in the important things like health, education, police and defence.
Expect us to keep tackling the cost of living. But also expect that we will be
responsible and focus on getting the books back to surplus so we don't have to
keep borrowing at Labour's record levels, and instead start paying down that
awful legacy of debt. Because every dollar spent on debt is a dollar not going
to nurses, teachers, police and soldiers.
Finally expect us to be set firmly on going for growth. A growing economy also
allows us to invest in health and education, and deliver the public services
that Kiwis want and deserve.
POST-BUDGET BREAKFAST WITH NICOLA WILLIS
Join Nicola Willis and me for a post-budget breakfast in Kāpiti on Wednesday 11
June. Our Finance Minister will talk you through this year's budget, all over a
beautiful breakfast from the team at Anzil. This event is not run by National,
so you do need to buy a ticket online. It will be a sell-out so get in early.
Get your tickets here.
[link removed]
SOME OTHER LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES:
Join me for lunch with Simon Watts, Minister of Local Government, Climate
Change, and Revenue. Book tickets here.
[link removed]-
Calling all young people. Fill in my local Youth MP Aroa's youth survey here.
[link removed]
GOING AFTER BOY-RACERS
I've been working with local Police to target boy-racers and the idiots who try
and take over our roads, seriously injuring some spectators, and disrupting our
community. I developed a Member's Bill to turn up the heat on people who take
part in, or spectate at, these unsafe and unwanted events. This has been now
covered with a new Government bill with new laws and tougher penalties to deter
anti-social and intimidating driving.
Under these new measures, anyone convicted of illegal street racing, fleeing
from Police, or taking part in intimidating convoys will face harsh
consequences, including the confiscation or destruction of their vehicle.
With these tough new penalties, just one conviction will be enough to have your
car destroyed. Police will be able to shut down illegal street gatherings, close
roads, and fine people who refuse to leave.
Communities have had enough. Dangerous, disruptive driving has no place on our
roads. Our message is clear: if you choose to drive dangerously, be prepared to
face the consequences.
EDUCATION UPDATE
I was proud to host Minister of Education Erica Stanford in Kāpiti recently. We
visited schools in Whitby and Paraparaumu, and met with both principals,
teachers, students, and Boards of Trustees.
It was a week focussed on ensuring our kids are achieving the very best at
school. We announced that we will pay for teacher registrations saving teachers
$450 every three years; we are introducing financial literacy to school learning
and providing a Parent Portal (click to see it)
[link removed]
so parents can understand what children are learning at school, and to provide
resources like free books and learning videos for families at home.
These new initiatives add to our introduction of structured literacy and maths,
the cellphone ban and a new curriculum, with discrete year-by-year goals.
All of this is designed to ensure our children leave school with the best
possible education and the best chance of succeeding on the world stage.
BIG BUDGET BOOST FOR DEFENCE
We’ve announced a multi-billion dollar plan for a modern, combat-capable New
Zealand Defence Force that pulls its weight internationally and domestically.
The Defence Capability Plan outlines what resources, equipment and support we
need to modernise the NZDF to operate now and in the future. It covers the next
15 years and deliberately focuses on the next four years, during which we’ve
identified planned commitments of $12 billion- including a $9bn increase to
baseline funding.
Under this plan we will raise defence spending from just over one percent to
more than two percent of GDP in the next eight years.
The first big announcement as part of this was $2bn for new Navy helicopters.
LOCAL EVENTS FROM THE LAST MONTH
Over the last month I’ve hosted both the Education Minister and the Associate
Health Minister in the region, with local visits focused on improving Health and
Education for Kāpiti and Horowhenua residents (see my major local win above). I
visited the new MSD facility in Kāpiti, met with staff at Hora Te Pai Health
Service in Paraparaumu and Ronald McDonald House.
I met with Horowhenua-Kāpiti Rugby, Horowhenua Police, Ōtaki Kindergarten,
Horowhenua ECE teachers, several local schools, the health centre, and both
Mayors and councils. I also visited various social service providers like He
Tangata housing, Homes 4 All dementia care, ASK (A Safer Kāpiti), health
shuttles, Levin Over 60s and more. I also saw spent time at the Big Dutch Day
Out in Foxton, local markets, Regional Council's Emergency Operations Centre, an
investiture at Government House where two local residents received honours, and
met with Iwi.
I also attended five different Anzac Services, and you can see the highlights
here [link removed] And the next evening I
attended the premier of a locally-made movie '
[link removed]
People We Love
[link removed]
[link removed] If
you're looking for a good night out I'd recommend this film to support our local
talent like Mike Smith and Sharon Tyrrell.
UPCOMING EVENTS
It's a busy year so let's just get a few markers in the diary nice and early.
* June
* 6 - Ōtaki Mid-winter dinner - contact Angela for details.
[email protected]
* 8 - Lower North Island (LNI) regional meeting (Wellington)
* 11 - Breakfast with Nicola Willis (Kāpiti)
* 12 - Lunch with Simon Watts (Horowhenua)
* Special dinner club fundraiser
* July
* 14 - Super Blues (over 60s) event in Levin, with Suze Redmayne, MP for
Rangitikei (date to be confirmed)
* 26 - Annual Day at the races, Ōtaki Maori Racing Club
* August
* 1-3 - National conference, Christchurch
* 15 - Annual soup and buns lunch, Waikanae
* Special under 60s drinks fundraiser
* September
* 20 - Levin dessert evening
* October
* 6 - Quiz night, Kāpiti
* Special dinner club fundraiser
* November
* 7 - Super blues morning tea
* 23 - LNI Christmas lunch, Palmerston North
* 29 - Levin Christmas lunch
* Special under 60s drinks fundraiser
* December
* 6 - Kāpiti Food Fair - join us at our stall
That's it for this month.
Best wishes,
[link removed]
www.national.org.nz [link removed]
41 Pipitea Street
Thorndon, Wellington 6011
New Zealand
Authorised by Tim Costley, Parliament Buildings, Wellington
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