In The House with Carl
What is your view on banning social media for under 16’s? Well, last week I chaired the Education and Workforce Committee as we began hearing submissions in its inquiry into the harm young New Zealanders experience online. This included a submission from Tess Hooker and Tatjana Hanne from the Stratford District Youth Council. Well done Tess and Tatjana for coming to Parliament to speak up on behalf of Stratford young people.
On Friday 5th September I personally called principals in the Whanganui Electorate with Year 1-8 students to tell them about the implementation of Learning Support Coordinators (LSC) in their schools. This is the largest investment in Learning Support in a generation and will see 26 schools in the electorate able to employ an LSC from Term One 2026 with the remainder gaining an LSC in 2027 and 2028.
Around and about the electorate
Bringing Ministers to the Whanganui Electorate has been one of my priorities since I was elected, and that has continued this month. Firstly, Hon Todd McClay met with farmers at Te Kiri and Pakaraka, then visited a manufacturer in Whanganui. Minister McClay described the Whanganui Electorate as “a powerhouse of New Zealand’s economy”. The following week Hon Matt Doocey, Minister of Mental Health opened New Zealand’s first Crisis Recovery Cafe, a new community mental health initiative.
The Taranaki Star community newspaper recently closed, but it has been replaced with two publications! Firstly Steve Carle, the owner of the Stratford Press made the decision to extend his circulation area into Hāwera and rebranded as Stratford and South, and a new community magazine, Southern Star has been published, with Ella Borrows being part of the team. I wish both publications every success.
School visits have continued, with calls to two rural Whanganui schools, Brunswick School where I also held a Community Connect in the staff room, and Upokongaro, where I was the subject of a Google search!
There has been a host of community events in the past month. I helped judge a Daffodil Day shop window contest in Whanganui, picked up planter boxes made by Neil Smillie in Stratford as a Daffodil Day fundraiser, attended the Kerala Association’s Onam function and the Multicultural Council’s dinner, spoke at the opening of the Festival of Adult Learning, the Leisure Marching display and the opening of new football clubrooms at Wembley Park in Whanganui. It is a real highlight to engage with so many different groups and organisations.
Delivering for you
Education and Housing have featured significantly in recent announcements from the National-led Government. In addition to the Learning Support announcement, Education Minister Hon Erica Stanford last week announced major changes to the senior school curriculum, with the intention of ensuring students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow. There will be a strong emphasis on STEM subjects - Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. You can find more details here.
The Government has also announced five immediate actions to expand the support available for people sleeping rough and help them into social homes. This includes the immediate funding of 300 social homes to be leased from the private rental market. More details here.
Lastly, more people have had elective surgery in the period between March and June, thanks to the Elective Boost programme. Health Minister Hon Simeon Brown committed to 10,500 additional surgeries, but the programme has actually delivered 16,005 procedures, 51.3% more than targeted.
Coming Events
- Saturday 20 September – Alzheimers Memory Walk in Whanganui
- Tuesday 23 September – Rural Health Roadshow with Hon Matt Doocey, TSB Hub, Hāwera
- Tuesday 30th September – Farmers lunch meeting with Hon Simon Watts, at Stratford A&P Showgrounds - Click here for details
- Thursday 16th October – Whanganui North Rotary Food Drive for the Whanganui City Mission Foodbank
Links to recent news items
- River City Press – Ministers enthusiastic about Whanganui (P11)
- Pātea and Waverley Press – McClay meets local farmers (P3)
- Whanganui Chronicle – Trade Minister Todd McClay sees growth opportunities for Whanganui
- Whanganui Chronicle - Crisis recovery cafe launched in Whanganui to aid mental health support
- Opunake and Coastal News – Farmer confidence hits a high
We are heading into the busiest time of the year and my diary is getting fuller by the day. I look forward to catching up with you at some point.
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