Simon Bridges MP for Tauranga

High tea with your MP?

So that I can stay in touch and let people know what the Government is doing in our area I have started morning teas with all retired residents in the Tauranga electorate. It may take me a while to invite you all but if you are over 65 expect an invitation from me in the future.

It won’t quite be high tea but I hope if you come you will enjoy an informative conversation with me and others in our community over a good hot cuppa. You will also have an opportunity to ask any hard questions you have been saving up for an MP.

So that the young don’t feel left out I’m also scheduled to visit every primary school in the electorate before the end of this year. In the past couple of weeks I’ve got a lot out of seeing teachers and children at Greerton Village, St Mary’s and Matua primary schools. Our teachers do a great job – we are blessed with great schools in Tauranga.

National’s Economic Plan to Create Jobs and Boost Incomes

The economy is recovering. But this recovery will be different from those we’ve had before.

It must be built on exports and investment, not the debt and spending we saw over the past decade. That’s the only way to create the sustainable jobs and higher incomes that hard-working Kiwis deserve.

Because of this, the recovery might appear a bit patchy at times, as the global economy remains uncertain and as households and businesses pay off debt. Although things are looking up, some local families and firms will find the going tough.

On top of that, New Zealand’s recession started earlier than other countries and we have to work harder to shrug it off. Our exporting industries shrank between 2005 and 2010, when New Zealand spent too much and saved too little. 

It’s going to take a lot to turn things around. And it won’t be a short-term job. It will need a relentless and long-term focus.

That’s why National has a comprehensive economic plan with six drivers to get faster economic growth, create jobs, and boost incomes. These drivers are:
• Strengthening our tax system,
• Providing better, smarter public services,
• Reforming regulations,
• Improving education and skills,
• Promoting business innovation and trade, and
• Investing in smart infrastructure.

We’ve already made good progress.

On 1 October, every earner will receive a tax cut. This will make the average family $25 a week better off after GST changes. Find out how the tax changes affect you at www.taxguide.govt.nz.

We’re improving the frontline public services that you rely on – such as health, education, and law and order – and the way public assets are funded and managed.

We’re reforming regulations such as the Resource Management Act, the Building Act, and employment law to boost jobs and growth.

We’re lifting achievement in schools with National Standards and more frontline funding.

We’re working with businesses to add value to our exports through the Primary Growth Partnership and other science, research, and development projects.

And we’re unclogging the growth arteries by investing billions in roads, broadband, the electricity network, and rail, as well as upgrading schools, homes, and hospitals.

This is just a start. You’ll see more from the Government in the months ahead as we make ongoing improvements to get faster growth, create jobs, and boost incomes.

Only a strong economy can provide financial security for families, real opportunity for young people, safer communities, and the high-quality education and health services all New Zealanders need.

Posted by admin in Articles at 13:56

Greerton’s Got Talent!

As a new MP I constantly learn to do all sorts of things I never thought I had the aptitude for. Judging talent contests is one of my new found skills!

Last weekend I really enjoyed judging ‘Greerton’s Got Talent’ as part of the Greerton Senior Citizens Club’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. The Crowd at the hall were treated to a variety of music and dance styles including rock, classical and tap and ballet.

The skills on display by young and not so young were impressive. Susan Boyle and Paul Potts eat your hearts out!

While on the subject of talent, I also enjoyed attending this year’s ‘Tauranga Dancing with the Stars’.  Going as a member of the crowd rather than a dancing participant (as I was last year) is much less stressful. Congratulations to all dancers – I was particularly impressed by Councillor Bill Grainger’s Cowboy routine.

Coming up I am looking forward to the Tauranga Environment Centre’s AGM at 7pm Monday 23 August at the Historic Village Hall. To support the environment locally and to come along to the AGM all you need to do is become a friend of the centre by visiting www.tgaenvcentre.org.nz.  I became the Environment Centre’s first friend not so long ago and I know the AGM will be worthwhile. My colleague Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye is guest speaker. Nikki is an authoritative and passionate advocate on environmental issues.

Improving Employment Law

As we continue out of the recession, we need the right environment to create more jobs.  Economic growth happens when a business sees an opportunity and is prepared to invest, expand, take risks, and hire new workers.

Our Government is committed to giving businesses of all sizes the confidence to do these things.

We introduced the 90-day trial period in 2008 to encourage employers with fewer than 20 employees to take on new staff, and to expand job opportunities for people who often struggle to get work. 

It’s working extremely well.  A Department of Labour report found that the vast majority of people employed on a trial period have remained employed.

It said most employers viewed dismissals during the trial period as an unfavourable outcome, and actively tried to avoid them.

The voluntary 90-day trial is a win-win for employers and employees.  That’s why we’re extending the trial period to all employers so that everyone can benefit.

Extending trial periods is just part of the package of employment law improvements we’re making.

National is committed to maintaining a fair system that protects the rights of New Zealand workers. 

We’re changing the personal grievance process to resolve employment problems more quickly, discourage poor practices, reduce costs, and improve confidence in the system.

We’re also looking at changing the law around sick days.  Employers will be able to require a medical certificate from employees.  This will be at the expense of the employer.

Employers aren’t going to waste their time and money asking every employee for a medical certificate when they take a day off sick.  This option is about the ability to question those who may be abusing their leave.  Common sense tells us it will be used sparingly.

There will also be changes to the Holidays Act.  This will include giving employees the ability to trade one of their four weeks’ annual leave for cash.  Cashing in the fourth week of leave can’t be raised in salary negotiations and can only be at the employee’s request.  Maximum penalties will double for employers who don’t comply with the Holidays Act.

Posted by admin in Articles at 13:18

Air Ambulances boost

Tony Ryall and I really enjoyed handing over a cheque for nearly $60,000 on behalf of the National-led Government to the Trustpower TECT Rescue Helicopter service in Tauranga a couple of weeks back. Pilot Liam Brettkelly accepted the money at the helicopter hangars at the Tauranga Hospital for this vital service.

Air ambulance helicopters are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, saving lives. All the workers involved deserve our debt of gratitude.

Roof top gardening

While on worthy matters related to Tauranga Hospital, a great project is underway to create a beautiful landscaped garden on the Hospital’s roof for patients and visitors. Thanks to early public support, park benches have been purchased, but you can help out, as I will be, by sponsoring a durable plant for $5 which will be planted in the Spring. Thanks to Grasshopper Construction for their help with this. If you are interested in helping contact Paul Stanbridge as follows – email paul.stanbridge@bopdhb.govt.nz or phone 579 8000 or by post to Paul Stanbridge, BOPDHB, Private Bag 12024, Tauranga 3143. Cheques can be made out to Bay of Plenty District Health Board.

Putting victims first

Crime impacts on us all.  It affects our communities and our economy.  But the biggest impact is on the victims of crime and their families.  They have to deal with the emotional, physical, and financial effects of crime long after it’s been committed.

Victims have been neglected for too long.  National is putting victims at the heart of the justice system.

A couple of weeks back on-the-spot safety orders came into effect.  These ensure that victims of domestic violence get immediate protection from dangerous situations.

Police will now be able to remove an alleged violent person from the home for a period of up to five days.  This will provide a period of safety in which victims can consider their options.

National is also improving services for victims of violent crime.  These include a range of initiatives that will help address the financial and emotional costs that victims face.

From 1 July, all convicted offenders will pay a $50 offender levy.  This levy will be imposed automatically on offenders at sentencing – regardless of the crime they commit.  The levy will collect an estimated $13.6 million over the first four years.  It will support additional entitlements and services for victims of serious crime.

These include:
Increased grants for families of homicide victims.
Assistance with expenses resulting from sexual violence.
A High Court attendance grant of $124 per person per day for up to five adult members of a homicide victim’s family.
Increases in travel, accommodation, and childcare assistance for victims attending court proceedings.
Funeral grants for families of homicide victims.

Victims of sexual violence will receive further support in courts.  This service will give victims access to a trained adviser who understands the dynamics of sexual violence cases and victims’ needs.

Families of homicide victims will receive an enhanced service that will provide practical and emotional support to families.

And all victims of crime will now have access to more information about the justice system by way of a DVD, support material, and a redesigned victims’ website.

National is committed to addressing the impact of crime on victims.  We can’t take away the pain of victims’ loss or injury, but we can help smooth the way.

Our new on-the-spot safety orders, the new offender levy, and extra victim support will help ensure offenders contribute to addressing the harm their behaviour causes, and put victims at the heart of the justice system.

Posted by admin in Articles at 10:25

Celebrating local export success

It was delightful to attend the Bay of Plenty Export Awards a couple of Fridays back at BayPark. The theme for the night was ‘the roaring twenties’ and with most of the few hundred present in gangster and other costumes the feel was amazing. Indeed, with a catwalk for the winners it felt a little bit like the Academy Awards.

It was right that it did because exporters are the real stars in our economy. Without businesses like those on show at the awards we couldn’t pay for the social services we deserve. Fortunately in the Bay there are many exciting things happening. Congratulations to winners Pollen Plus, Trimax, Scott Coulter of Comvita, Graeme Boyd and Allied Industrial Engineering.

Heavy metal

While on the subject of exporting potential and success, it was great to attend the opening of the Applied Powder Metallurgy Centre at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic which was opened last Friday by my senior colleague Hon Dr Wayne Mapp, Minister for Research, Science and Technology. It will combine traditional and high tech engineering specifically with titanium and see people trained into both apprenticeships and PhDs!

The centre will also provide a facility where companies will be able to develop innovative new products for export using the impressive array of tools and equipment available to them. Some estimate that the potential from titanium here may be up to $1 billion a year. This means a stronger economy and more social services for everyone.

Helping young people succeed

Our future relies on the education, skills, and success of our young people through centres like the Applied Powder Metallurgy Centre and more.

National is working hard to ensure that all get the skills and opportunities they need to succeed. Improving educational outcomes is one of our top priorities.

With this in mind, the National-led Government is pumping more money into education than ever before, despite the tough economic environment. Budget 2010 provides an extra $1.4 billion for better schooling and early childhood education over the next four years.

We’re buying school sites, opening new schools, and fixing leaky classrooms, with hundreds of millions of new operating and capital funding.

We are investing $48.3 million to build ultra-fast broadband support for schools, to bring learning into the 21st century. The focus is on upgrading schools’ networks in preparation for the use of ultra-fast broadband in their teaching and learning programmes.

Our Youth Guarantee scheme helps 16- and 17-year-olds who are ready to move beyond school, but who still want to study and learn practical skills. It provides free study towards school-level qualifications at polytechnics, wänanga, and private training establishments.

We are spending an extra $48 million over four years to increase Youth Guarantee places from 2000 to 2500 a year from 2011. Students are selected from areas of highest need, based on youth unemployment rates and access to suitable training programmes.

National is committed to ensuring that our children receive high-quality early childhood education (ECE). We’re increasing spending on ECE by $107 million to a total of $1.3 billion in 2010/11. ECE spending has almost trebled since 2004/05, while the percentage of children participating rose by less than 1 per cent in the same period.

Too many children are missing out, so we’re putting more than $90 million into projects that increase participation for those who benefit most from ECE, but who are least likely to take part. This includes families from Maori, Pacific, and lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Posted by admin in Articles at 09:28

Prime Ministerial Visit

Tony Ryall and I enjoyed hosting Prime Minister John Key in Tauranga last week. We worked the PM hard, as he spoke to The Acorn Foundation, Zespri, local Probus Clubs, Grey Power, Age Concern, a business lunch, and the Bay of Plenty Shanghai World Expo Delegation. In addition, he officially opened the North Island Mussels Processing Plant in Greerton.

This week I have attended several local events including the 2010 TrustPower Community Awards, the KiwiCan Art Auction put on by Tauranga Rotary, and this Friday evening the Bay of Plenty Export NZ Awards. Fingers crossed for the finalists!

Survey in the City 2

Those of you in the Tauranga electorate will have received a survey from me by now. Please do take the time to fill it in and return it to me freepost.

This year’s Tauranga electorate survey covers a lot of ground, ranging over people’s economic circumstances post-Budget 2010 and their attitudes on health, education and mining.
 
I have also asked a couple of questions about our Council given that it is local body election year and given the controversy that has surrounded library book charges.

While the prospect of library book charges has gone for now, we have been one of the only areas in New Zealand that has proposed something like this, so I hope that by asking the question and then making the results public I will be providing valuable information for ratepayers and councillors for the future.

The survey also provides room for comment on any other issue that the people of Tauranga believe is of particular concern or significance.
 
I will try and respond personally to everyone who comments.  Both the responses to the questions and the comments are going to be very useful and interesting to me.  They will allow me to understand to a much greater extent what our community is thinking. I will make sure that any patterns that emerge from both the survey questions and comments are made public so we can all be aware of what is going on.
 
This survey is about listening, staying connected in the middle of the electoral cycle, and gathering useful and interesting information for both me and also for the people of Tauranga.

I intend to do a survey every year that I am MP for Tauranga.

Posted by admin in Articles at 11:37

Weekend Sun Column

The Last Couple of Weeks

In the last wee while I have enjoyed spending time with Tauranga people both here and in Wellington. Locally, I have appreciated meeting Tauranga exporters (something I do regularly) and visiting Mrs Florence Harvey who has just turned 104 and treated me for an hour to her experiences since 1906.

Simon and Florence the day before she turned 104.

In Wellington it was awesome to see Bruce Trask and Marty Hoffart from Tauranga at the Beehive. They were at the prestigious Ministry of Environment Green Ribbon Awards for Environmental Excellence where I had much pleasure at the ceremony presenting them and their locally based Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust with the Award for Community Action.

For ten years now Bruce and Marty have been working to increase recycling rates and environmental awareness in schools. This recent recognition is not before time.Tax cuts for Tauranga!

Marty Hoffart & Bruce Trask with Simon

 I have written a bit recently about Budget 2010, but given its significance for our country in the years ahead let me tell you more about a key aspect of it: the most thorough and beneficial overhaul of tax rates in nearly 25 years.

Our Budget 2010 tax package helps tilt the economy in favour of productive investment, savings, and exports, and away from consumption, borrowing, and unsustainable Government spending.

That is essential to create jobs, higher incomes, and opportunities for Kiwi families to do well in New Zealand.

Furthermore, the tax package rewards effort, helps attract and retain skilled people in New Zealand, and makes the tax system fairer.

Across-the-board personal income tax cuts more than offset the rise in GST. This is fair and leaves the vast majority of New Zealanders better off.

A typical person on the average wage of about $50,000 a year will get a tax cut of about $29 and pay about $14 more a week in GST. They will be about $15 a week, or $800 a year, better off.

A typical family on the average household income of $76,000 a year will get a tax cut of about $46 a week and pay about $21 more in GST. They will be about $25 a week, or $1300 a year, better off.

The Government believes those changes will help individuals and families save more, pay off debt, and get ahead.

You can calculate your tax cut, the extra GST you will pay, and any compensation you will receive through increased Working for Families, NZ Super or benefits at www.taxguide.govt.nz.

Some say that forecast inflation means families won’t be as well off after the tax changes. But that’s not the case. Forecast inflation will be more than offset by forecast wage rises.

The vast majority of New Zealanders will be better off as a result of the tax changes.

But the tax package isn't just about what people get in their pocket.

It's about improving the incentives for people to get ahead, to save, to invest in productive businesses, and to do so in New Zealand. 

Only through lifting the long-term performance of our economy can we create jobs, boost incomes, raise living standards, and provide world-class public services for you and your family.  

Posted by admin in Articles at 10:56