Protecting our kids from social media harm
This week I was excited to put forward my Members Bill alongside the Prime Minister.
This bill will restrict access to social media for under 16s. It is about proteting our children and young teenagers from online harm.
As a mother of four children, I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children’s online wellbeing.
I regularly hear from parents and principals who struggle to manage access to social media and are worried about its negative impact.
My Social Media Age-restricted Users Bill is about protecting young people from online harm including bullying, inappropriate content and social media addiction.
The bill puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms.
It is great to have the Prime Minister's support. I would love to see it become a government Bill and I am happy to see progress. I will continue to advocate for it becoming a Government Bill.
It is time for us to act to protect our children from online harm and this is a good start.
Read more about it here- National introduces bill to ban social media for under-16s - NZ Herald
And here- Have your say: Should social media be banned for under 16s? | Stuff
Support our annual blanket drive
Winter is challenging for many families, and we team up with Christian Lovelink each year to support keeping more families warm this winter.
Last year we were overwhelmed with the generosity of the public. We even had wool companies from the South Island get in touch to donate pure wool blankets. The message got out far and wide which was so heartening.
We had hand-knitted blankets from a local group, and everyone who could pitch in and donate, did.
In the 12 months to March 2025, Christian Lovelink assisted 926 families with 14,546 items. Included in this total was 1,146 blankets and duvets.
We collected more than a couple of hundred blankets in our office last year, and this year we are hoping more will come through the door.
Christian Lovelink are an amazing charity, with so many incredible volunteers and we love supporting the work they do each year.
OUT AND ABOUT
Making inroads in life and policy
The best part of my job is the inspiring people I meet! Ru works for local roading company Tūpore and has literally turned his life around for the better!
It was great to learn about his job on the roads and the positive difference, roading work, is having for so many families in our community.
Our government's focus on infrastructure and building roads continues to provide jobs for our region and awesome guys like Ru.
Community comes together in display of resilience
The crowds turned out from the Kereru Community to celebrate the opening of the Kereru Gorge culvert.
This was a significant milestone, as it’s been shut since Cyclone Gabrielle cut off the Kereru Community.
This community has shown so much resilience and strength, and the opening was a special moment of unity and connection.
Making Sir James Watties proud
It was fabulous to be at the Grand Opening of the Sir James Wattie Retirement Village alongside the Wattie Family.
I loved spending time with many of the residents at this stunning Ryman facility!
Introducing my Youth MP
I’m very excited to introduce my Tukituki Youth MP, Chris Proctor!
Chris is passionate about Tukituki and knows the issues our region is facing.
As the former chair of the Hastings Youth Council he is perfectly placed to be a voice for our electorate.
He has proven he is not afraid to stand up for the issues he believes in.
Chris is head boy at Lindisfarne College and is an accomplished orator and performer, having competed in regional debating teams and recently performing as one of the lead roles in the Mamma Mia Production.
Youth Parliament is an incredible opportunity to represent our region and debate issues which are important to Tukituki in Parliament.
I had a large number of talented applicants and was so impressed with the calibre of those who applied and thank everyone for putting themselves forward. We are so lucky to have so much young talent here in Hawke’s Bay.
Investing in innovation and production in our region
I recently visited ABB Napier with Katie Nimon for Napier and Sandra Hazlehurst, Mayor of Hastings.
We met the team behind an innovation that helps make AI-driven data centres less expensive to build and more energy efficient to run.
ABB’s HiPerGuard uninterruptible power supply technology is the first of its kind and it’s designed and produced right here in Hawke’s Bay!
It is great to see how ABB is investing in innovation and production in Hawke’s Bay and creating great job opportunities for our local community.
Feeling inspired
It was inspirational to connect with Jane Lee. At 75 Jane is still racing strong and recently completed the NZ Ironman - the oldest competitor in the event! A Hawke’s Bay legend and inspiration for us all at Triathlon Hawke's Bay. Well done Jane and thanks so much for all you do, giving back to the sport at the grassroots.
Celebrating our meat producing region
We are proud to produce the best red meat in the world, right here in Hawke’s Bay!
Growing up on a farm, I like to think that I know my meat cuts … but I was certainly put to the test at Silver Fern Farms alongside my colleague Carlos Cheung MP for Mt Roskill.
Thanks to Corey, Dan and Hayley for showing us around the beef processing plant at Whakatu.
Silver Fern Farms is a big employer in our region and a large global business exporting premium meat to the world.
Advocating for women and girl's sexual reproductive rights
I was honoured to be elected as the Pacific Region’s Vice Chairperson on the Executive Committee of the Asian Forum of Parliamentarians on Population and Development (AFPPD) where I will continue to advocate for women and girls and sexual reproductive health rights.
I spent a weekend at the Annual General Assembly in Malaysia and was privileged to speak about Climate Change in New Zealand and shared stories of Cyclone Gabrielle, the impact it had on some of our most vulnerable communities and the work our government is doing to mitigate Climate Change.
Talking climate change
Malaysia is our tenth-largest goods trading partner and our third-largest export market in Southeast Asia.
The two-way trade was worth more than NZ$3.6 billion in 2024.
It was great to connect with Malaysia Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi who has held the domestic Trade portfolio and is now Minister of Public Works.
We had some detailed discussions during the AFPPD conference especially about climate change and infrastructure and the challenges faced by both our countries.
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Parental portal launched
Every parent wants to see their child thrive at school — to feel confident, supported, and capable.
As a mother of four, I am heartened to see the Government taking a major step toward making that aspiration a reality with the launch of a new Parent Portal: an online resource designed to enable families to play their part in their child’s learning.
The Parent Portal will provide a clear, easy-to-understand year by year guide to what children will be learning in English and maths under New Zealand’s refreshed, knowledge-rich curriculum.
You can access it here- https://www.education.govt.nz/your-childs-learning
Third procedure room to expand endoscopy capacity in Hawke’s Bay
Endoscopy services at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital are set to expand, with the addition of a third procedure room.
The hospital’s endoscopy unit currently has two procedure rooms and is operating at full capacity seven days a week. However, increasing demand means patients are waiting longer for essential procedures.
A $1.3 million investment will fund a third procedure room, significantly increasing capacity for procedures such as colonoscopies, gastroscopies, and other vital diagnostic tests.
Endoscopy is critical for the early detection and treatment of conditions such as bowel cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers, and gastrointestinal bleeding. Earlier diagnosis for patients leads to better health outcomes and can be lifesaving.
This investment supports two of our key health targets: faster cancer treatment and shorter wait times for elective care. Once operational, the expanded unit will enable the hospital to meet current and future demand, as well as clear the existing backlog of patients.
Recruitment is already underway to support the expanded service and increase the number of procedures delivered.
The new procedure room is expected to be completed by late 2025, with the expanded service fully operational by February 2026.
IN THE MEDIA
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/06/new-zealand-pm-luxon-social-media-ban-children
https://omny.fm/shows/early-edition-with-ryan-bridge/full-show-podcast-07-may-2025
https://omny.fm/shows/heather-du-plessis-allan-drive/full-show-podcast-06-may-2025
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360679779/national-bill-would-ban-social-media-under-16s
https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2025/05/national_proposes_social_media_ban_for_under_16s.html
https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/politics/360678603/national-party-wants-social-media-ban-under-16s
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I look forward to seeing you out in our Tukituki community soon.
Regards, Catherine