The Campaign is in full swing and I am out and about across Tukituki connecting with as many people as I can, door knocking, leafleting and visiting businesses and organisations. We have an amazing region with incredible people and I love representing Tukituki.
Just 18 days until early voting opens. This election is close and I'm out every day discussing Nationals policies and what we have delivered for Hawke's Bay. We are fixing the basics and building the future for our region with No New Taxes.
The only way to keep up the amazing progress for Hawke's Bay is to party vote National!
A big thank you to the rescue helicopter team
It was so exciting to check out the new Wallace Foundation Hawke’s Bay Rescue Helicopter with our Associate Minister of Transport James Meager MP, after our Government has funded the new helicopter.
Chief pilot, Charlie Beetham explained the benefits of the advanced technology and state-of-the-art safety features, which are more efficient and enhance patient care in remote and challenging conditions, and help save more lives.
It is one of nine new or near-new aircraft being introduced nationwide, jointly funded by Health New Zealand and ACC.
It was clear to see, the pilots and crew, are really excited about the new helicopter and amazing to have this helicopter in our region!
Thank you to the Rescue Helicopter team for all you do in our community, to the volunteers, the supporters, and everyone who works hard to keep this critical service running across Hawke's Bay.
CANDIDATE DEBATES
Youth Candidate Debate
I had a very respectful candidate debate with our Hastings Youth Council discussing the issues that are important to our youth and our party’s policies.
It was great to talk about National’s education reform to lift performance in education, and our work to grow the economy and create jobs and opportunities for our youth. We also spoke about our work to create safer communities, with tougher consequences for crime and National’s policies to protect the environment and mitigate climate change.
Thank you to the Hastings Youth Council for organising a very engaging debate.
Hawke's Bay Chamber 'Meet the candidates' forum
It was great to be part of the Chamber's 'meet the candidates' forum as it brought together candidates across the Hawke’s Bay electorates and local business leaders for a professional discussion focused on growing Hawke's Bay businesses.
Thank you for inviting me and organising a great event.
OUT AND ABOUT
Hitting the streets and making strides door-knocking
We had a big day door knocking in Clive and Parkvale with lots of positive support! We are out every day rain or shine.
Great to watch the Magpies Ranfurly Shield Challenge at the Clive Pub - not the Magpies day, but some great chat with locals nevertheless! Love the Clive Pub - so much history here.
Sun shone brightly in Mahora
Big day in Beautiful Mahora connecting with the community and talking about National’s plan to build the future for Hawke’s Bay with NO NEW TAXES!
Only 18 days until early voting opens. Make it count!
Building Futures
It was really good to show Minister for Youth James Meager what our region is doing for youth, and Building Futures is a great example of a training programme specifically designed to help youth aged between 18 and 24 get mahi in the timber processing or building supplies industries.
It's a fantastic programme. Well done to the team for their hardwork.
Showcasing the fruitbowl of NZ!
We also went on a tour of Rockit Global.
Rockit has added huge value to a commodity product - with the little apple turning heads around the world!
It was great to get positive feedback about the India Free Trade Agreement which will have a really positive impact for the apple industry - reducing the current tariff by 50 percent.
This will create jobs and opportunities in Hawke’s Bay.
Our government is focused on doubling the value of exports!
By reducing red tape and supporting our growers to grow we will grow our economy, create jobs and lift wages.
Protecting our future with drones
As the Associate Minister for Transport, James Meager and I also visited Drone IT and Aeroinspect, and came away very impressed with the work they do.
Drone IT is a company passionate about helping to restore, improve and enhance our natural environment. They have worked with clients such as Te Mata Park Trust, Forest and Bird and the Department of Conservation on various projects, all of which have greatly benefitted from drone monitoring and aerial imagery. Some of the things they have done include- Monitoring new planting and vegetation growth over time at Te Mata Peak and mapping rivers for riparian margin assessment and planning, vegetation growth, detection of invasive species, riverbed condition and for gravel extraction.
From solar farms and power infrastructure (lines, poles and substations) through to industrial sites, buildings, roofs, bridges and council assets, Aeroinspect capture high-resolution and thermal data to help you spot issues early and plan maintenance with confidence.
Empowering youth
It was a pleasure visiting LIFT Youth Foundation who are passionate about building a future where every Rangatahi (young person) in Hawke’s Bay can access meaningful, sustainable, and fulfilling employment or self-employment opportunities for lifelong growth.
I commend the team for the work they do and the futures they are creating.
We have so much potential in Hawke’s Bay to create jobs and opportunities and support so much innovation. Well done to all!
NATIONAL PARTY POLICIES AND GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
National is electrifying New Zealand!
As I was out delivering flyers on our electric scooters with my husband Henry, we launched our nine-point plan to deliver more electricity supply, more competition, and more choice for households and businesses, to help make electricity more affordable! Very important for electrifying New Zealand and also ensuring we have the electricity to power the growing number of electric vehicles.
1. Unlock new energy development zones
2. Make connections faster and cheaper
3. Let Kiwis sell power to the best buyer
4. Address the dry year problem
5. Tackle lines charges
6. Make affordability a core objective for the Electricity Authority
7. Cut more red tape holding back renewables
8. Launch the Home Energy Fund
9. Require AI data centres to bring their own new, firmed power.
National is fixing the basics and building the future.
Firm, fair, affordable welfare
A re-elected National Government will ensure the welfare system remains focused on employment and is fair and affordable for taxpayers.
National believes those who can work should work. Employment is the best way out of hardship, giving people more independence, choices and opportunities. Our welfare system provides a safety net when people need it, but it must be fair and affordable for hardworking taxpayers who fund it.
In government, National has focused on getting more people off welfare and into work, after Labour let long-term dependency grow. We’ve provided support and training for Jobseekers, while also driving expectations and consequences.
If re-elected, National will build on this with a new five-point plan that includes the introduction of random drug testing from next year, as part of MSD’s work-readiness. It will start with 10,000 tests in the first year and expand over time.
Our economy is growing and there are 220,000 more jobs expected over the next four years. We want every Kiwi on Jobseeker to be ready to take up available jobs, including in industries where passing a drug test is a condition of employment.
We know there’s more to do, so along with random drug testing we’re highlighting four other new initiatives today.”
- Investing earlier to help long-term Jobseekers into work. National will provide more intensive, work-focused support for 30,000 work-ready jobseekers who have been on Jobseeker for more than a year, before long-term dependency becomes entrenched, with greater funding for employment programmes that support young people into work.
- Stronger expectations after two years. From 1 April 2028, those who have received Jobseeker for two of the previous three years will move to a lower rate of payment, with a smaller reduction for households with dependent children.
- Double the stand-down for repeated voluntary unemployment. People who repeatedly leave employment without good and sufficient reason will face a 26-week non-entitlement period, up from 13 weeks.
- Extending the benefit residency requirement to five years. From 1 April 2028, the minimum residence period to qualify for main benefits will increase from two years to five years.
Pharmacies to provide more funded medicines
Pharmac and Health New Zealand are increasing the number of funded medicines community pharmacies can provide.
Pharmacists are highly trained health professionals. That’s why earlier this year the government expanded services which could be delivered by pharmacies. Now they can provide funded medicines for children and their families for pain and fever management, oral rehydration, conjunctivitis and common conditions such as scabies and head lice.
Often people living in rural and remote areas or communities with higher health needs find it difficult to get timely GP appointments. This is a common-sense approach that makes life easier and more affordable for many families across the country. Now we’re expanding the list of funded medicines they can prescribe to carry out those services.
From now, community pharmacies will be able to supply a further expanded range of funded medicines without a prescription under the Extended Pharmacy Services Programme. These medicines are:
treatments for children with mild dermatitis
treatments for children with skin infections
treatments for children with oral thrush
treatments for vaginal thrush
selected oral contraceptives.
Small business backed with 47-point Plan
National is supporting small businesses with a 47-point Small Business Plan to reduce compliance costs and make it easier to invest, grow and employ staff.
Small businesses make up around 97 per cent of all New Zealand enterprises. Around 600,000 businesses employ approximately 680,000 people.
Behind those numbers are owners, workers and families whose ambition and effort help drive our economy.
National will back those businesses to succeed. We want the sole trader to feel confident taking on an apprentice, the café owner to open a second premises, and the local manufacturer to win their first overseas order.
When small businesses can invest, employ and grow, the benefits flow to their communities, with more jobs and more opportunities to get ahead.
National’s 47-point Small Business Plan will make doing business easier by:
- Delivering a Tell Government Once service built around the New Zealand Business Number and existing government systems including Inland Revenue, ACC, the Companies Office and relevant licensing bodies.
- A fast track for straightforward disputes within the Employment Relations Authority, for suitable minor employment disputes.
- Reviewing the compulsory GST registration threshold, which has remained at $60,000 since 2009.
- Rewriting priority health and safety codes and guidance in plain English, with practical examples for small businesses.
- Helping more small and medium Kiwi businesses succeed overseas by backing the next 200 high-potential exporters with intensive support.
- Making repeat seasonal hiring easier with a standard recurring seasonal agreement and shorter renewal process.
- Keeping Investment Boost, protecting the immediate 20 per cent deduction that backs businesses to invest, grow and hire.
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