Wedd's Weekly | National Party

What a week it's been!

I have been out and about in the electorate celebrating the diversity of our region, meeting with stakeholders, and appreciating Hastings as being home to the best meatballs in the region.

While in Parliament's it's been pedal to the metal with the biggest RMA reform in a generation underway. Hearings are in full swing and I am enjoying chairing this valuable feedback.

I am also thrilled to see the social media ban for under 16s take a major step forward with the Education and Workforce Committee report, recommending banning social media for Under 16s and establish a national online safety regulator, after a nationwide inquiry showed strong support and evidence.

Since coming into Parliament I’ve been advocating strongly for this, presenting a Member's Bill to ban social media for Under 16s, working now with our Minister of Education on Government legislation.

OUT AND ABOUT

Holi celebrations

It was wonderful to celebrate the Festival of Colour 'Holi' with our Hawke’s Bay Hindu Community in Hastings.

Holi is all about celebrating good over evil, unity, colour, diversity and bountiful harvests both in Hawke’s Bay and India.

Thank you to the Hindu Council of Hawke's Bay for hosting such a wonderful event.

Celebrating International Cultures Day

What a joy it was to be at the annual International Cultures Day at Cornwall Park — a celebration bringing together the colours, stories, languages, and traditions that make our region such a vibrant and welcoming place.

Here in Hawke’s Bay we are well and truly a multi-cultural community and enjoy celebrating the many cultures that make up the fabric of our communities.

Meatballs galore

Hastings is home to the best meatballs and thousands of meatballs were eaten at our famous Hastings Meatball Festival, more than 30,000 to be exact! Henry and I loved tasting all the different meatballs on show. What a fabulous event for Hastings!

Catching up with the CHB Mayor

You can’t beat CHB country baking - what a treat to have home baked scones and jam when I had my regular catch up with the Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Will Foley.

We had many issues to discuss including roads, infrastructure, water storage, RMA Reform and farming.

I love seeing the mayor leading the region with such passion.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 released

The final report on the Covid Inquiry was released this week.

It shows Labour spent more than $60 billion – of which half was not related to the pandemic!

Labour’s reckless spending drove up Government debt, inflation, interest rates, and is the reason many Kiwis are struggling with the cost of living today. We are paying the price for this reckless spending now.

Key findings from the Royal Commission include:

• Restrictions were initially balanced, then went too far: COVID-19 restrictions were initially balanced and appropriate but extended beyond what public health advice recommended as the response continued.

• Economic warnings were not heeded: Treasury advised from the outset that pandemic spending should be timely, temporary, and targeted. The $60 billion COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund spanned 821 programmes, around half of which were unrelated to the pandemic. The Commission found that many investments, including shovel-ready projects, did not meet those tests. The spending that followed drove up house prices and the cost of living for New Zealanders.

• Vaccine mandate advice for under-18s was not made sufficiently clear: Former Ministers were informed of advice against applying a two-dose vaccine mandates to 12-17 year olds due to myocarditis risks. The two-dose vaccine mandate remained, which did not align with this advice.

• Public debt has left New Zealand exposed: The Royal Commission has made it clear that the debt accumulated during the pandemic has left New Zealand with less flexibility to respond to future economic shocks, and that prudent fiscal management is required to rebuild those economic buffers.

Chairing RMA Reforms hearings

The biggest RMA reform in a generation is underway!

I chaired hearings this week with some amazing submissions presented from industry, Iwi, Local Government, NGOs and many organisations, alongside my colleagues Grant McCallum, Ryan Hamilton and David McLeod.

Most people agree that our RMA system is broken and needs change so we can get housing, renewable energy and infrastructure built as well as enabling industry to work better.

The new system is projected to reduce the need for resource consents by up to 46% and deliver over $13 billion in economic savings over 30 years.

We are taking on all the constructive feedback and looking forward to navigating the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill into law.

Annual ram raids down

National has delivered tougher consequences for crime!

We have banned gang patches and put more Police on the beat to make our communities safer and makes a positive difference.

Exports up more than $2b – powering economy

Hawke’s Bay’s export‑driven economy is benefiting from strong national trade performance, with new figures showing global demand continuing to support local jobs, producers, and tourism operators.

New Zealand exports reached $29.2 billion for the December quarter, up $2.2 billion on the same time last year, with two‑way trade rising to $61.2 billion. Key export performers included dairy (up 10%), tourism (up 9.4%), and meat (up 21.4%) — all core sectors for Hawke’s Bay.

The region’s farmers, growers, and food processors play a major role in these results, contributing to national growth through high‑quality produce and strong international relationships.

With global conditions still uncertain, the continued resilience of export markets provides confidence for Hawke’s Bay industries and reinforces the importance of reliable, open trading links that support local employment and investment.

New overseas investment rules inject billions into local economy

Overseas investors with a New Zealand investor resident visa can now buy a house in NZ for over $5 million, with the restrictive ban on overseas home buyers lifted last week.

This reform is about getting capital to productive businesses faster. International investment is essential for economic growth. It provides access to capital, know how, and technology that grows New Zealand businesses, enhances productivity, and supports higher paying jobs.

If we want to be a high-income economy, we must have access to the pools of capital and know-how from overseas investors. We may be an island nation physically, but we cannot afford to isolate ourselves economically. Overseas investment is vital to reaching our goal of economic growth.

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