In The House with Carl  

Last week I questioned Education Minister Hon Erica Stanford about her announcement on the replacement of NCEA with new qualifications in Years 11, 12 and 13. Watch the video to hear what is being proposed and what it means for parents.

As parents, students, educators and employers, you can take the opportunity have your say here. Consultation closes on 15 September 2025.

Thanks for all the wonderful messages  

Sincere thanks to everyone who has wished us well since Bonnie-Ann's birth in mid-July. After stays in the Neonatal ICU at Wellington Hospital and Whanganui’s Special Care Baby Unit Bonnie-Ann has now been at home for three weeks and we are getting used to being a family of five. 

Special thanks to Candice’s midwife, and the medical and nursing staff at the two hospitals. We are also really grateful to Air Whanganui for transporting Bonnie-Ann and Candice back to Whanganui, and everyone at Ronald McDonald House in Wellington. 

Here is a photo of our first family outing recently.  

Around and about the electorate 

Despite our new arrival, I have continued to attend events around the electorate over the last month. One of the highlights of the month was Gala by the Awa, a black-tie fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House. At the function I reinforced what a blessing RMH is for families needing to stay in Wellington while children are in hospital. More than $100,000 was raised at the Gala, which was organised by Darren and Jacinta Rowland, Whanganui McDonalds franchisees. 

Hon James Meager, Minister of Youth and Minister of Hunting and Fishing visited the Whanganui Electorate in late July. Among other events we tested our skills at a local indoor range and met with airport users in Air Whanganui’s hangar at Whanganui Airport. There is more on Minister Meager’s visit in the next section. 

Cameron Brewer, MP for Upper Harbour as well as a proud Hāwera lad who was educated at Whanganui Collegiate, spent a busy and varied day in the electorate too. We engaged with farmers, growers and retirees to hear their views on the issues surrounding their respective sectors and talked with them about the National-led Government’s responses. We also had a tutorial from world-class glass artist Katie Brown.

The Whanganui Home and Lifestyle Show two weeks ago was a great chance to engage with a wide variety of constituents. Whilst there are people still doing it tough, there was recognition that National has lowered inflation, resulting in interest rates falling. There were plenty of positive comment about the NCEA changes proposed by Hon Erica Stanford and the work Hon Chris Penk is doing in the Building and Construction sector to cut costs and introduce new products. 

There have also been plenty of constituent meetings, school visits and a most enjoyable evening at Fordell School’s production of Rock Bottom.

Delivering for you  

When Hon James Meager visited Whanganui he was able to see for himself an infrastructure programme building a taxiway parallel to the main runway. Last Monday, the Associate Minister of Transport formally announced funding of $3.35 million to match Whanganui District Council’s contribution. Here is a link to a video of Minister Meager talking about my advocacy for this project and the big win it is for Whanganui.

The Government is also introducing two new seasonal visa pathways to help New Zealand businesses access the workers they need during peak periods, while also prioritising jobs for New Zealanders.  These pathways have been welcomed by employers, particularly in the rural, horticultural and tourism sectors. 

Lastly, on Monday Building and Construction Minister, Hon Chris Penk, announced the biggest change to the building consent system since the Building Act came into force in 2004. Under the new model, each party will only be responsible for the share of work they carried out. Minister Penk will also allow councils to voluntarily consolidate their Building Consent Authorities (BCAs) functions with each other. You can read more here.  

Electorate Boundaries 

Final electorate boundaries for the 2026 General Election were announced by the Representation Commission on 8th August. The Whanganui Electorate will grow in area from 5,800 sq km to just over 11,200 sq km, with a corresponding increase in population of around 5,000 people, taking in large portions of the Ruapehu District. Here is a map of the new Whanganui Electorate.

Coming Events 

 Tuesday 26/8 - Hon Todd McClay visits Te Kiri, Pakaraka and Whanganui 
Tuesday 26/8 - Waverley Lions Club – guest speaker 
Friday 29/8 - Daffodil Day activities in the electorate 
Monday 15/9 - Stuart Smith, MP for Kaikoura visits Whanganui 

Links to recent news items   

River City Press - Welcome to Bonnie-Ann Bates (Page 3)
River City Press – Changes afoot for NCEA (Page 24)  
Pātea and Waverley Press – Waikato Medical School is good news for provincial New Zealand (Page 2)  
Whanganui Chronicle – Whanganui Airport lands $3.35m government funding for taxiway  

Spring is nigh; I look forward to seeing you around the Whanganui Electorate in the not-too-distant future.