I hope everyone is keeping warm as the cold snap hits this week. Can't believe we had snow on Te Mata Peak. I unfortunately missed the snow at home, with another busy week in parliament.
This week I was excited to speak as the chair of the Environment select Committee in the House in the second reading of our resource management reform which has been months and months of work to get to this stage.
We need to get on and build the housing, infrastructure, and renewable energy that this country needs as well as supporting our industries.
But at the moment consenting is taking far too long and costing too much.
There is too much red tape and compliance getting in the way and holding New Zealand back.
The new planning Bill And natural Environment Bill creates a better framework where we support the development this country needs alongside protecting the environment.
Back in the electorate I have been out and about door knocking and delivering flyers with Nationals Plan to Fix the Basics and Build The Future - also juggling kids sport and walking the dog.
Lot’s of positive chat about health, education, the Hawke’s Bay Expressway and National’s work to support our primary industries.
We are working hard to fix the basics and build the future for Hawke’s Bay.
At the weekend I was door knocking in Mahora on a beautiful Hawke’s Bay day.
I loved making it along to the Illuminate Light Show at Splash Planet with my family - it was spectacular and the kids loved it.
Nearly three years ago I became the 194th female MP to enter the New Zealand Parliament.
I was presented my Camellia (a symbol of women’s suffrage) in the Parliament camellia room at our first Commonwealth Women’s Group Meeting.
This week we had our last cross-party meeting of the 54th Parliament.
During the last three years we have worked collaboratively across parties to put women’s issues in the spotlight, progress female leadership, gender equality and better outcomes for women and girls in New Zealand and the Pacific.
I have loved being a voice for women and families across our communities.
The Government is backing more Kiwi’s to train to be teachers by significantly expanding practical, classroom-based training and providing more support to attract teachers to schools facing persistent staffing challenges.
We are investing $21.7 million over five years to expand the highly successful School Onsite Training Programme and provide more places through the Teacher Bonding Scheme.
Every day at school matters for a child’s education. That is why trainee teachers need high-quality, practical preparation before they enter the classroom.
The Government has grown the School Onsite Training Programme from 147 places in 2024 to 528 places in 2026. It will provide 660 places next year and 704 training places every year from 2028. By 2029, more than 3,000 teachers will have been trained through the programme.
A new national ID card will make it easier for disabled people with certified service dogs to access public places, businesses and public transport.
Service dogs –‘disability assist’ dogs in legislation - are trained working dogs which support disabled people to live independently and participate in everyday life.
Despite having legal access rights, some disability assistance dog handlers continue to be challenged or turned away because these rights are not always well understood, or the dogs are interpreted as pets. That’s unacceptable and unfair.
Most people know of guide dogs for blind and low vision people, but disability assistance dogs also support people with a range of other disabilities, such as hearing loss, epilepsy and mobility impairments. This can lead to misunderstandings and assumptions that are distressing and unnecessary.
A single, nationally consistent, and standardised ID card helps avoid those misunderstandings. It improves clarity for businesses and the wider public, reducing challenges to disabled peoples’ access to spaces they have every right to be in.
More information is available on the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport website: https://www.mcert.govt.nz/disability-assist-dogs
Businesses will soon have additional powers to detain and arrest those stealing from them with the Government’s Crimes Act overhaul scheduled to start its final reading this week.
The economic cost of retail crime in New Zealand is in the billions. Retailers and security guards face abuse and assault that no New Zealander should be subjected to.
Our government is committed to fixing the basics in law and order, and that means ensuring retailers are being effectively protected, are empowered to stop offending, and that offenders are caught and deterred from doing it again.
The Crimes Act Amendment Bill is another significant piece of the Government’s efforts to restore law and order. It ensures criminals face stronger penalties for retail crime, attacking first responders, coward punches, and dealing in slaves.
Read more here- Enhanced citizens’ arrest powers to become reality | Beehive.govt.nz.
The Government will maintain existing Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) unit settings, delivering stability and certainty for the market.
A stable ETS is key to delivering the emissions reductions required to meet our targets. These settings provide the certainty participants need to plan for the future.
The settings announced today are consistent with ensuring New Zealand remains on track to meet our emissions budgets and targets. This approach aligns with advice from the Climate Change Commission, supports our targets, and helps maintain confidence in the ETS.
The Government will extend the current auction floor price, the cost containment reserve price, and current reserve volume of New Zealand units in the ETS until 2031, instead of just to 2030.
Alongside these decisions, a number of minor regulatory changes consulted on will also be progressed.
These changes will take effect from 1 January 2027.
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I look forward to seeing you out in our Tukituki community soon.
Regards, Catherine