There are 148 days until election, so I wanted to give you a line of sight on the campaign, and what we've been up to since our last chat.
We had an early, misty start as I joined my National colleagues on Thursday at Fieldays, where I had some great yarns with the Prime Minister.
The PM was clear on the need to back our farmers. We talked about National's RMA reforms - making it easier and faster to build things - as well as the fact that our Primary Sector exports are set to hit $64.3 billion.
What that means is more jobs, higher wages, and more money coming through the economy and into our communities - all good things we need right now.
I enjoyed seeing all the supporters who visited us in the National tent, and I especially loved catching up with all the Tāmaki locals who also made the trip to Fieldays!
It won't be a surprise to you that most of my time is spent on the ground, knocking on doors.
I'm hearing a range of issues, but a few themes pop up. One is local crime and safety - parents tell me they're concerned about their kids on public transport. The other is local infrastructure - especially given the amount of times our beaches are black flagged after storms.
Perhaps the most common issue is intensification. If you've been to one of my public meetings, you will know how vocal I have been on this issue: we can agree on the need to build more houses, but in places that actually make sense.
It's why I was supportive when National took on our community's feedback - and significantly lowered the maximum number of new-builds in suburbs, many of which are already struggling to keep up with the basics like parking and water infrastructure.
As Auckland Council goes through the process of consultation with Local Boards, and the wider public later this year, I remain committed to keeping you and the rest of our community as involved as possible on the decisions made around intensification.
Outside of the above, I'm focused on making the most of every opportunity to engage with locals on these important issues - like during my Tech and Education public meeting last week in Glendowie with Crimson Education CEO Dr Jamie Beaton.
And last night I spoke at a residents' association meeting in Kohimarama, and earlier this week at Annabelle's in St Heliers, and Belly Worship in Mission Bay, where I shared a bit more about my background in start ups, tech, and venture capital - and how I plan to use my experience in Parliament.
After having such positive feedback on my first set of Street Corner meetings in May, I've continued them into June as well - rain or shine!
These meetings are a perfect opportunity for us to meet, and for me as your local National candidate to listen and better understand what's important to you and your family. For info on dates and locations for street corner meetings, click here.
So far I've had meetings in Meadowbank, St Johns, Stonefields, Wai O Taiki Bay and Glen Innes - with many more in the pipeline! And this weekend, I'll be in Orakei, and then back in Meadowbank. So if you're around, grab a coffee and come by for a chat!
We've covered a lot of topics, and I'm conscious you will also have your own thoughts on what's important.
If there's something on your mind, reach out to me as I am eager to listen and hear your thoughts. Before then, please have a safe weekend and I hope to see you at one of my street corner meetings soon!
Warm regards,
Mahesh Muralidhar
National Party Candidate for Tāmaki
Ps. To the local who called Kerre Woodham on Newstalk ZB - thank you for the kind words! And if you haven't seen the clip, you can check it out on Facebook here!