SIMON BRIDGES MP for Tauranga

Safety key in SH2 Muldoon’s corner completion

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:56:08 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Associate Minister of Transport

15 May 2012

Safety key in SH2 Muldoon’s corner completion

The completion of the SH2 Muldoon’s corner easing project near the summit of Rimutaka Hill in Wellington represents another improvement in the safety and efficiency of the country’s main transport routes, Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges said at the completion celebration event today.

“This project greatly improves the alignment and design speed along the primary route that connects Wellington and the Wairarapa. Vehicles will now be able to travel on a straighter road at an average speed of 55km/hr. This is up from the previous speeds of 25-35km/hr and will make a big difference to daily commuters and tourists,” Mr Bridges says.

The improvements also enable commercial traffic and freight trucks, such as those carrying logs through to the port in Wellington, to navigate the road without encountering the ‘tight right’ Muldoon’s corner where they had to stop in order to pass safely.

Construction on the project started in September 2009. It received funding through the Government’s Jobs and Growth stimulus package and was bought forward 30 months ahead of programme. More than 200 people have worked on the $16.5 million project and as many as 80 were on site at any one time prior to completion, with 230,000 cubic metres of earthworks shifted.

“Road safety is one of the Government’s top transport priorities and projects such as the one we are celebrating today provide significant safety benefits to road-users. I commend all those involved with this easing project.”

ENDS

Media contact: Lucy Paul 022 185 9972

Weekend Sun Column - 11 May 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:41:01 +1200

Tougher Loan Shark laws

In the last fortnight I’ve gone around the country as Minister of Consumer Affairs to talk to people about a significant piece of consumer law reform I’m leading: tougher loan shark laws.

The Government has a law – a draft Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill – which seeks to deal with unscrupulous lenders who are operating in some of our poorest communities and leaving families trapped in a spiral of debt.

Our package will be the biggest reform in this area in a decade.

Key changes we want to make include:

• Making it illegal to lend money to someone whose loan repayments would be likely to result in substantial hardship;
• Requiring more timely and complete disclosure of loan terms, and extending the ‘cooling off’ period for borrowers to cancel their loan;
• Obligating lenders to properly consider applications by borrowers for hardship relief, and provide reasons for their decisions;
• Better controls against misleading, deceptive or confusing advertising;
• Introducing a new Code of Responsible Lending – and allowing for lenders to be banned from the industry for non-compliance;
• Ensuring that borrowers won’t have to pay the cost of interest or fees if their lender is not a registered financial service provider.

Find out more and make a submission before 25 May at: http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/legislation-policy/policy-development/credit-review.

Building a more competitive economy

To run a successful business, farm, school, or household, you need a good plan and you need to budget responsibly – especially when times are tough.
The Government is no different.

In the past three years we have delivered on our plan to put the economy on a sound footing based on more savings, exports, and productive investment, and on less debt, housing speculation, and unsustainable government spending.

At the same time we have protected the most vulnerable and taken the sharpest edges off the recession for families and businesses.

National’s responsible management means the Government’s books are set to be back in surplus in 2014/15, the first time since the global financial crisis and worldwide recession.

Returning to surplus means we can start reducing debt. That is no small achievement. It has taken disciplined fiscal policy and a willingness to make trade-offs. We have a plan to rebuild and strengthen the country. We have stuck to that plan and it is working.

Budget 2012 later this month will reflect our four priorities in this term of government:

• Responsibly managing the Government’s finances.
• Building a more productive and competitive economy.
• Delivering better public services.
• Rebuilding Christchurch.

We’ll announce a range of initiatives that show we are getting things done while staying on course to return to surplus.

We’ll continue to spend in priority areas. This Budget will protect and grow areas of public spending that are important in delivering real results to New Zealanders. We will continue to invest more in health and education.

We’ll invest more in science and innovation, as we promised at the election, to help build the research and innovation base of the economy.

We’ll keep student loans interest free but we are determined to reduce the cost of the loan scheme to taxpayers. Savings will be reinvested in improving teaching and research within our universities and other tertiary institutions.

We’ll keep up entitlements to welfare and superannuation, and continue with large programmes such as Working For Families.

National will invest money up front to support New Zealanders out of welfare. We will also remain strong on law and order and demand better, more innovative, public services.

Budget 2012 will be about building a more competitive economy that supports more jobs, higher incomes, and ensures New Zealand earns its way in the world.

One year into Decade of Action for Road Safety

nospam@example.com (admin) — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:58:06 +1200

Simon Bridges

Associate Minister of Transport

11 May 2012

One year into Decade of Action for Road Safety

One year into the Decade of Action for Road Safety, there is still much to be done to reduce the rate of death and injury on our roads says Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges.

“Last year, New Zealand was the first country in the world to mark the United Nations and World Health Organisation’s call on May 11 for a Decade of Action for Road Safety. We have made great strides in reducing deaths on our roads but we still rank below many other developed countries and there is more we can do,” says Mr Bridges.

New Zealand released its Safer Journeys Action Plan 2011/12 on May 11 last year. The plan builds on the government’s Safer Journeys Road Safety Strategy 2010 to 2020 and is an across-the-board approach to road safety, looking at all aspects of the road system.

“Since the Decade of Action was launched, we have continued to take steps through our Safer Journeys strategy. We have changed give way rules, lowered alcohol limits for young drivers, launched targeted education for young drivers on the issues of speed and drink driving, strengthened driver licence tests and progressed work on building safer roads.

“We will continue this progress throughout the decade, with Safer Journeys setting actions to 2020.

“There are also steps all New Zealanders can take, like using common sense and caution on the roads, driving to the conditions and making safety a priority when purchasing a vehicle.”

Review shows drug driving law working well

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:25:20 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Associate Minister of Transport

8 May 2012

Review shows drug driving law working well

The current drug testing regime for drivers will not be changed, Associate Transport Minster Simon Bridges has announced following a Government review of the law. Mr Bridges says there is good evidence that the current regime is working well.

“Over 500 drivers have tested positive for at least one drug in the two years since the regime began. The law is helping take these people off the roads, and reducing the risk they pose to themselves and other road users.”

The regime allows police to ask a driver to undertake a compulsory impairment test if they have good cause to suspect drug use. If the driver’s performance on this test is unsatisfactory, police can then ask for a blood specimen for drug analysis.

“The overwhelming majority – 95 per cent of impaired drivers who were asked for a blood specimen – tested positive for drugs, indicating police are judging driver behaviour well and not over-referring drivers.”

Mr Bridges says New Zealand will not at this stage be adopting a random roadside drug testing regime.

“Current research and overseas experience make it clear that saliva test technology to support a random drug testing is simply not reliable enough yet. It fails to pick up drugs in a significant percentage of cases and can falsely detect it in others.”

A two-year review was requested by the New Zealand Government when the new regime came into effect on 1 November 2009. The regime is based on the general principle that drug-driving is a road safety issue and that those convicted should be subject to the same range of penalties as drink-drivers. The testing process also needs to be fair and robust, and comply with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990.

Mr Bridges says research and overseas experience would continue to be monitored by officials.

Further information is available on the Ministry of Transport website: http://www.transport.govt.nz/legislation/acts/qasdrugimpaireddrivinglaw/

Media contact: Lucy Paul 022 185 9972

Record low April road toll

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 01 May 2012 15:38:12 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Associate Minister of Transport

1 May 2012

Record low April road toll

Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges says a record low April road toll is an encouraging result, but there is still a need for progress on improving road safety.

Provisional figures show that April 2012 had a road toll of 12 road deaths, the lowest for any calendar month for any year since 1965, when monthly records started. The previous lowest monthly figure was 16 road deaths for February 2012.

“This is an encouraging result, but still too many people are being killed and injured on our roads, and it will be little comfort to their families and loved ones.

“Road safety is one of the government’s transport priorities and we will work hard to progress actions from our Safer Journeys strategy for reducing the rate of death and injury on New Zealand’s roads,” Mr Bridges says.

The record low April toll comes after New Zealand recorded its lowest annual road toll in 50 years in 2011 and this year’s first ever fatality-free Easter holiday period. Factors that could have led to these reductions include legislation, safety improvements, road policing and economic factors such as fuel prices. Analysis is being carried out to find whether contributing factors to the 2011 toll can be better identified.

“The government will continue our Safe System approach to road safety, progressing actions from our Safer Journeys Action Plan aimed at safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles and safer road use.

“Already we have strengthened driver licence tests, and work is underway to support the introduction of alcohol interlocks and a zero alcohol licence for repeat drink drivers.

“It’s too early to say what this means for the longer term, but I urge all New Zealanders to do what they can to improve road safety and keep the road toll low.

“There are steps we can all take, like using common sense and caution on the roads, driving to the conditions and making safety a priority when purchasing a vehicle,” Mr Bridges says.

Media contact: Nick Bryant 021 245 8272

Minister welcomes Law Commission report

nospam@example.com (admin) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:16:23 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Minister of Consumer Affairs

30 April 2012

Minister welcomes Law Commission report

Consumer Affairs Minister Simon Bridges has welcomed the Law Commission’s report on repossession laws.

The Law Commission has recommended a range of changes to the Credit (Repossession) Act. It has also suggested incorporating changes to repossession law in the Government’s current review of credit legislation.

“An overhaul of credit laws is a top priority and this timely and thorough analysis of repossession laws is an invaluable contribution to that.”

Mr Bridges says the Government is currently consulting on a draft bill aimed at tightening credit law to crack down on loan sharks.

“I will give serious consideration to the Law Commission’s report and, in particular, its suggestion that the two laws covering repossession and consumer credit be combined into a single piece of legislation.

“I have already made it clear that loan sharks must be reined in. I also believe the Commission’s ideas have real merit, and I will be discussing how to progress them with officials and Cabinet.

“I congratulate the Law Commission for providing a thorough analysis on what is a complex area of law.”

Loan shark law meetings start next week

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:56:23 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Minister of Consumer Affairs

27 April 2012

Loan shark law meetings start next week

Consumer Affairs Minister Simon Bridges will begin a series of meetings on Monday to discuss tougher loan shark laws.

The Minister will meet with community and industry groups in Wellington on Monday, followed by meetings in Auckland and Christchurch on 7 May, to discuss the draft Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill.

“There are too many unscrupulous lenders, operating in some of our poorest communities and leaving families trapped in a spiral of debt. The Government has put together a comprehensive package to crack down on these loan sharks and give borrowers much greater protection.

“This draft law represents the biggest change to consumer credit legislation in a decade and it’s important to get it right. I’m looking forward to a frank discussion with community and industry representatives on the issues we face and the proposals this Government has put forward.

“I’m also pleased to announce that I have extended the consultation timeframe by two weeks to give people more of a chance to have their say. Consultation will now close on Friday 25 May, and I urge anyone interested to make a submission to the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.”

Key changes in the draft law include:

• Making it illegal to lend money to someone whose loan repayments would be likely to result in substantial hardship;

• Requiring more timely and complete disclosure of loan terms, and extending the ‘cooling off’ period for borrowers to cancel their loan;

• Obligating lenders to properly consider applications by borrowers for hardship relief, and provide reasons for their decisions;

• Better controls against misleading, deceptive or confusing advertising;

• Introducing a new Code of Responsible Lending – and allowing for lenders to be banned from the industry for non-compliance;

• Providing that borrowers won’t have to pay the cost of interest or fees if their lender is not a registered financial service provider.

Make a submission at: http://www.consumeraffairs.govt.nz/legislation-policy/policy-development/credit-review.

Weekend Sun column – 27 April 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:19:37 +1200

Wheel clamping and emissions trading

Being a Minister has seen me get around the country a fair bit in the last fortnight. I’ve been in Auckland meeting with the parking enforcement industry to help facilitate a code of conduct on wheel clamping, an issue of growing concern recently. I’ve also led consultation meetings in Gisborne, Rotorua, Whakatane and Whanganui on changes the Government is proposing to New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme. If you are interested in this go to www.climatechange.govt.nz/consultation/ets/index.html.

Locally I have held seniors morning teas to keep people up to date politically, and as is my tradition I attended ANZAC day services at both the Mount and in Tauranga. The crowds grow every year and demonstrate a strong sense of civic interest within our community.

Focus on families and young children

National is focused on supporting parents and families.

In tight economic times we have preserved income support for families. We’re maintaining paid parental leave at 14 weeks. We’ve reduced income tax across the board, leaving the average family about $25 better off each week. And a 5 per cent adjustment in Working For Families payments this month means higher payments for most families.

Mortgages are often the biggest cost for families. Under National, the average homeowner with a mortgage is $200 better off each week due to lower interest rates.

It’s important to all families that we return to surplus and get government debt under control. This will help us build a growing economy that creates more jobs, boosts wages, and provides the higher standard of living that families deserve.

One of National’s four priorities – and a central part of our plan for a brighter future – is improving frontline public services. Our work is already getting results.

Going to a kindy, k?hanga reo, or playcentre is crucial to help children learn and develop. Our target is that 98 per cent of under-fives attend early childhood education (ECE). Despite tight finances, we’ve boosted ECE spending by 40 per cent since 2008. We’re also focusing on expanding ECE opportunities for those children who are most in need.

National is improving the quality of maternity services for expectant mothers. We’re investing $54 million more over four years to better support vulnerable families and give first-time parents extra support and information.

We’re also providing an average of three extra WellChild visits for 18,000 new mums in need during the first three months of their baby’s life. And we’ve established seven teen parent homes, and invested $15 million to ensure that vulnerable teen parents get the support they need.

Calls to PlunketLine have increased thanks to our fully-funding a 24/7 service. There were 110,000 calls in 2010/11, compared with just 69,000 in 2007/08.

A record 92 per cent of under-twos are now fully-immunised, up from just 73 per cent in 2008. We’re on track to achieve our target of 95 per cent for two-year-olds, so we’re setting a new target to have 95 per cent of eight-month-olds fully immunised with three scheduled vaccinations by the end of 2014.

National is committed to helping children and families. We want every young Kiwi to have the best possible start in life – and a bright future.

Progress made on wheel clamping code of conduct

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:11:46 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Minister of Consumer Affairs

17 April 2012

Progress made on wheel clamping code of conduct

Consumer Affairs Minister Simon Bridges has announced a new wheel clamping code of conduct is in development.

Mr Bridges met with key leaders in the New Zealand parking enforcement industry in Auckland yesterday.

“This new voluntary code of conduct will set out the minimum standards and good practice that these wheel clamping companies will abide by.

“It will continue to protect the rights of private landowners while giving clarity to consumers about what they can expect from these wheel clamping operators.”

The parties will begin work on the draft code of conduct over the next month before meeting again with Mr Bridges.

“It was good to have a frank discussion about this issue that has been of growing interest and concern in recent months.

“I’m pleased to see that the parking enforcement industry has recognised those concerns and the need to develop a code of conduct.”

Media contact: Alastair Stewart 021 358 274

Weekend Sun column – 13 April 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:35:26 +1200

Minister of the Crown

Last Tuesday I was made a Minister of the Crown with responsibilities as Associate Minister of Transport and of Climate Change and as Minister of Consumer Affairs. A small ceremony was held in the Beehive with the Governor-General, the Prime Minister and other ministers in attendance. I was also grateful that my wife, son and family could be present for what was a very special moment in my career as your MP.

I will write more about my new roles soon but in the meantime I thought I would make clear one thing that some people get confused about. Becoming a Minister doesn’t mean I have to move full time to Wellington and in fact the amount of time I spend at Parliament won’t change much from what has always been the case. My family and I will continue to live in Tauranga and I will commute backward and forward to this city I call home.

Prime Minister’s Youth Mental Health Package

Young people will shape the future of our communities.

So many of them are on the right track. They are learning, achieving, and have high aspirations for their future. But some find the transition from childhood to adulthood tough going. One in five young people will experience some form of mental health problem during this crucial time.

Last week Prime Minister John Key announced a comprehensive youth mental health package. It is designed to ensure young people with mental health problems receive better, faster, more modern help.
Our Youth Mental Health package covers four areas:

• In schools
• Online
• In families and communities
• In the health system

Schools will be better equipped to identify students with mental health issues. We’re investing $18.6 million to put extra nurses, and specially trained youth workers, into low-decile secondary schools.

We want schools to take more responsibility for the wellbeing of their students. We will measure how well schools are doing when it comes to student wellbeing. Over time we expect them to show decreases in things like bullying. Other school-based initiatives in the package include the expansion of a positive behaviour programme to all secondary schools.

Young people are tech-savvy and use the internet as a second home. We need to modernise our approach if we are to reach the kids we need to help.

We will invest $2.7 million in E-therapy for young people. We’re launching a Social Media Innovations Fund to support providers of youth services to better use social media technology, including smart phone apps and Facebook-related programmes. We’ll ask for support from the private sector to boost this fund.

Parents, families, and friends have a big role to play identifying mental health issues in young people, but they need more authoritative information. We will fund non-government organisations to get that information out to parents, families, and friends.

When a young person with a mental illness seeks help in the health system, it’s important we deliver. We are increasing funding for primary mental health care and ensuring that more young people benefit from that money. We will set new wait-time targets for Child and Adolescence Mental Health Services to reduce waiting times. We will also improve post-discharge follow ups.

When it comes to delivering for young people, National is interested in what works. There are many more initiatives than these in the Youth Mental Health package. The details are online at www.national.org.nz and I encourage you to check out what we’re doing.

Drivers thanked for safe Easter weekend

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:52:41 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Associate Minister of Transport

10 April 2012 Media Statement

Drivers thanked for safe Easter weekend

Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges is thanking Kiwi drivers for helping to achieve an historic fatality-free Easter Weekend on New Zealand roads.

"For the first time since authorities began keeping records in 1956, the Easter weekend has finished up with no road deaths. Police have reported that by and large drivers have been patient and courteous, keeping their speeds down and just taking their time to get to and from their destinations safely.

"Ultimately road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and New Zealand drivers deserve a pat on the back for doing their part this weekend."

This is the first zero toll for any holiday period since records began in 1956. The previous lowest road toll for Easter was in 2003, 2002 and 1998 when three people died.

Mr Bridges said while the weekend results were encouraging, the challenge going forward would be to keep the momentum up and achieve a long-term reduction in death and injuries on the road.

"Through the Safer Journeys strategy the government is focused on creating a safe road system increasingly free of death and serious injury, but improving road safety is something that everyone can contribute to and I urge all New Zealanders to play their part."

For historical road toll information visit:
http://www.transport.govt.nz/ourwork/land/landsafety/holidayroadtoll/

Media contact: Tim Hurdle on 021 659 857

Deed of settlement with Ngati Ranginui initialled

nospam@example.com (admin) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:32:33 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Minister of Consumer Affairs
Associate Minister of Transport
Associate Minister of Climate Change Issues

Hon Christopher Finlayson
Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations

6 April 2012 Media Statement

Deed of settlement with Ngati Ranginui initialled

The Crown today initialled a Deed of Settlement for all historical Treaty claims of Ngati Ranginui, the first of three Tauranga iwi. Initialling a deed of settlement signals the end of substantive negotiations.

The deed was initialled in a ceremony at Huria Marae in Tauranga, with Kingi Tuheitia attending. The Crown was represented by Minister of Consumer Affairs Simon Bridges, who is also Member of Parliament for Tauranga.

“Ngati Ranginui and other Taurangai iwi have suffered some of the worst grievances in New Zealand’s history including the loss of life and the raupatu of land,” Mr Bridges said. “Today's settlement is about mending a broken relation and moving towards a better future for all. It will also provide opportunities for economic development in the Tauranga region.”

The settlement includes financial redress of $31 million, and also the return Omanawa River Conservation Area, Mangaone Stream Conservation Area, Taumata and Te Awa Ngamuwahine.

“This government is committed to resolving all historical treaty grievances and we are making good progress with negotiations in the Tauranga region,” Mr Bridges said.

Should the deed of settlement is ratified by the people of Ngati Ranginui, the settlement will be signed and implemented through legislation.

The Deed of Settlement will be available on the Office of Treaty Settlements website www.ots.govt.nz

Media contact: Ben Thomas 0274 943 579

Please drive safely this Easter

nospam@example.com (admin) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:06:53 +1200

Hon Simon Bridges
Associate Minister of Transport

5 April 2012 Media Statement

Please drive safely this Easter

Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges urges everyone to drive safely during the Easter holidays.

“Easter is one of the busiest holiday weekends in terms of traffic on our roads.

“Let’s stay focused, drive to the conditions and be aware of the risks that driver fatigue and distraction can cause,” Mr Bridges said.

Police will again be reducing speed tolerances over this period, sending a clear message that unsafe speeds are unacceptable. Over last year’s Easter break five people were killed on our roads and 202 people were injured.

“Please be careful, patient and respectful of other motorists,” Mr Bridges said.

The official Easter holiday period for 2012 runs from 4pm today, Thursday 5 April, until 6am on Tuesday 10 April.

Media contact: Nick Bryant on 021 245 8272

Weekend Sun Column - 30 March 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:19:43 +1300

Baby Bridges

For my wife and I, March 2012 will forever be etched in our hearts because on the 16th of this month Natalie gave birth to our first child, a beautiful baby boy called Emlyn. Emlyn was a week early and weighed 7 pounds, 15 ounces. We are exceptionally grateful to the wonderful service that has been provided by our midwife and Tauranga Hospital’s staff, and also to many people in Tauranga who have sent us cards and given us their kind wishes. For those of you interested in the origins of the name Emlyn, it is a family name on Natalie’s side and is Welsh, meaning to strive and achieve.

Building better public services

People tell me they care deeply about the quality of the public services they receive and what those services achieve.

They care whether the health system treats patients promptly and effectively. They want to know that children are getting the chance to achieve at school. They want to see the government tackling crime and looking after the vulnerable in our community.

Those same people are also taxpayers. They pay the bills. They want to know that the public sector is spending money with the sort of care they would themselves.

Delivering better public services within tight financial constraints is one of National’s four key priorities for this term in Government. We’re working to make sure the public sector becomes more innovative, efficient, and focused on delivering what New Zealanders really want and expect.

The Prime Minister has recently announced three changes to help sharpen the public sector’s focus on providing better frontline services and getting better results. We are:

1. Setting a result-driven focus for the public sector.

2. Lowering the cap on core government administration employees.

3. Creating a single, dedicated, business-facing government department.

We will set the public sector 10 challenging results to achieve over the next three to five years. These cover areas such as reducing long-term welfare dependency, supporting vulnerable children, boosting skills and employment, cutting crime, and improving people's dealings with government.

Results will be publicly available so you can see real progress.

We’ve reset the cap on the number of fulltime equivalent roles in core government administration at a lower level of no more than 36,475. We are already below that number and will stay under it.

The cap will count most people working in government departments, but it does not include frontline staff such as teachers, hospital staff, and police officers.

Our new Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment will help drive National’s key priority of building a more productive and competitive economy. It will pull together four departments – the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Department of Labour, and the Department of Building and Housing.

It will strengthen the public service’s ability to work on business policy, regulation, and engagement. Businesses will see a much more focused approach from government.

Together, these changes are a big shift – a shift towards better results that matter to New Zealanders, and delivering them within the tight financial constraints we all face.

Weekend Sun Column - 16 March 2012

nospam@example.com (admin) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:01:14 +1300

VIP Visits

We’ve had a number of significant visits to Tauranga in the last couple of weeks which I have enjoyed being a part of. Prime Minister John Key was here for a day and I took him to Otumoetai College to talk with senior students and to formally open the Susan Devoy Squash Centre on Devonport Road. In addition, the Prime Minister spent time being updated on developments in regard to the Rena disaster.

I’ve also enjoyed having the Associate Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Agriculture, Chris Tremain and David Carter, here. With Chris I visited a number of tourism-related organisations and with David we spent time on Psa and at Ballance Agri-nutrients.

Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae has been in Tauranga this week and it was good to see him officially open Tauranga Riding with Disabled’s wonderful new arena. Other guests to our city having included hundreds of people making up about 58 bag pipe teams from all over New Zealand who you might have seen competing in our CBD as part of the National Pipe Band Championships last Saturday. I loved watching this and found the combination of music and regalia very stirring. I was also impressed by the number of young involved. The event almost made me feel Scottish! Tauranga’s organising committee under Chair Kevin Nally are to be commended for their work in getting the event here. I’m sure it was a significant economic boost for our city.

Last but not least on events, I enjoyed getting along to a thank you bbq for Rena recovery volunteers last Sunday in spite of some pretty bad weather. All who helped out on our beaches are heroes in my view. Tomorrow, I will be at the now very well established Tauranga Multicultural Festival at the Historic Village. I hope I see you there!

Making welfare work

National believes that those who can work, should work, and we’ll help them to do just that. Delivering better public services is one of the National-led Government’s four key priorities for our second term, and welfare reform is a significant part of this.

The benefit system is simply not working and not delivering for New Zealand. One in eight New Zealanders of working-age, is on a benefit, while 220,000 children live in benefit-dependent homes. This is creating too many vulnerable people and trapping them in a life of limited choices, poverty, and poor health. Evidence clearly shows children are better off when their parents are in work and not on welfare.

At the beginning of this month we announced a two-stage programme to fundamentally alter the welfare system with a new work-focused benefit, greater work expectations, and an approach that focuses on the long-term cost of welfare dependency.

By the end of this month we will introduce legislation that will require some beneficiaries with children to be work available, as well as those on Widow’s and Women Alone benefits. It will also target support for youth who are on a collision course with long-term welfare dependency.

Later this year we’ll introduce more legislation to overhaul benefit categories and clamp down on fraud.