Connecting with Carl

15 May 2025

Carl Bates

In the House with Carl

This week I asked Hon Christopher Bishop (Transport) a question in the House about the announced tougher measures against anti-social drivers and those who flee from Police. You can read about a recent successful operation against anti-social drivers in Whanganui and Waiinu-Waitotara in the May edition of the Pātea-Waverley Press (see link below).

The 2025 Budget will be delivered by Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Thursday 22 May, then party leaders will give their speeches in the Budget Debate. The House will then move into urgency. The week commencing 16 June is Scrutiny Week, where I will be chairing the Education and Workforce Committee as we interrogate Ministers on their budget estimates.

Budget 2025 is titled the Growth Budget. You can read the Prime Minister’s major pre-Budget speech here https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/pre-budget-speech-businessnz

Around and about the electorate

ANZAC Day is always busy, with 17 services across the electorate. This year I attended the Hāwera dawn service along with civic services in Eltham and Kaponga. Team members and colleagues represented me at the Stratford and Whanganui dawn services, with messages provided to the organisers of all other observances for sharing with those who attended. At Kaponga I was honoured to meet Joy Eliason who has been playing the piano at the ANZAC Day service since 1957. Having attended nearly 60 of them, Joy said I delivered a fairly good ANZAC Day address.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visited the electorate last month. He spoke with tradies, visited a local retirement village and spoke to Federated Farmers members and the agricultural sector at Fordell Hall. It was a great opportunity for the Prime Minister to hear what is important to our communities and businesses as well as share the National-led Government’s plans for growth.

Education and Immigration Minister Hon. Erica Stanford also visited Whanganui at the beginning of May. A business breakfast focused on immigration was hosted by Whanganui and Partners, followed by school visits and forums for primary and secondary school principals. Minister Stanford’s visit coincided with a week where the National-led Government had focused strongly on Education (see more below).

Among other events attended were a Kiwi release by the Taranaki Kiwi Trust, a visit to Rotokare Scenic Reserve, Rotary Book Sale and the Wanganui Road Rodders’ River City Park-up. We spent a day visiting businesses in the Pātea-Waverley area and I had a most informative visit to Dairy Trust Taranaki’s Net Zero pilot farm near Hāwera.

Candice and I also attended a performance of Dad’s Army at the Whanganui Repertory Theatre and are looking forward to Stratford on Stage’s production of The Hardcase Hotel.

Governing for you

The last week of April saw the National-led Government focus on Education with Minister Stanford making significant announcements regarding teacher registration costs, the teaching of financial literacy, and the roll-out of a Parent Portal to enable parents to be more informed and involved in their children’s learning.

A special moment

During the Prime Minister’s visit to Whanganui we met Donna, who has been a member of the National Party since 1948 and was delighted to pose with the Prime Minister and I for a photo! It was also delightful to catch up with Claudio, whose hair studio was next door to Grandma Shirley’s shop (Shirley Anne’s) in Victoria Avenue – my office is now in the space their shops were!