In The House with Carl
The National-led Government continued to deliver right up until the adjournment of the 54th Parliament. New laws were passed in three areas that will directly benefit the Whanganui electorate.
- India Free Trade Agreement – this comes into force on 20 October after the deal was ratified by the New Zealand and Indian governments. Sheep meat, wool, wood and timber products, kiwifruit, apples and Mānuka honey will all see immediate tariff reductions or elimination of tariffs.
- Earthquake-prone buildings – new laws to define what constitutes an earthquake-prone building have been passed, reducing the number of buildings nationwide, and in the Whanganui electorate in need of remediation.
- Planning and resource management – new laws were passed marking the most significant overhaul of New Zealand’s planning system in more than three decades. The new planning system is designed to make decisions earlier, provide greater certainty, enable New Zealand to grow and protect what matters most.
National’s fiscal plan was released on Monday and prioritises bringing down debt and delivering a surplus in 2028/29, with no new taxes.
Our plan will set New Zealand up for the future and put us in a stronger position to withstand the next severe weather event, natural disaster or global shock. Getting debt down is essential to delivering lasting prosperity for New Zealand, and this can start once the books are in surplus.
Did you know?
You can now walk between the Whanganui and Rangitikei electorates at the southern boundary. A new 120 metre suspension bridge, part of the 3000km Te Araroa Trail from North Cape to Bluff opened last week.
Funded in part from the International Visitor Levy, the bridge over the Whangaehu River cuts out 32 km of hazardous roads including State Highway Three, providing a direct trail from South Beach. The photos show the bridge from the Whanganui side (left) and the Rangitikei side (right).
Around and about the electorate
Despite Parliament having risen, I remain the MP for Whanganui until election day and my team and I are still busy advocating on behalf of constituents who have come to us with issues of concern.
A visit to Castlecliff School saw me pick up the entries to be this year's Whanganui MP Christmas card design. Our young people are amazingly talented and giving students from Mosston School (2023 card), Matapu School (2024 card), Waverley Primary School (2025 card) and Castlecliff Primary School (this year) the opportunity to showcase their creativity has been a particular highlight.
Eltham Lions Club is running Art for Awareness, a Bra Art exhibition to raise awareness of breast cancer. Each year, I have been invited to co-judge entrants, which I did again last week. The exhibition is open until 24 October at Village Gallery in Eltham, so head along and support the work of Eltham Lions.
Election debates and meet the candidates sessions are happening around the Whanganui Electorate, including Taumarunui and Stratford this week and meetings in Pātea and Hāwera next week. The Pātea meeting will be held at the Old Folks Hall, Egmont Street on Monday 19 October at 7pm. The Hāwera meeting is at South Taranaki Funeral Services, High Street on Wednesday 21 October at 7pm.
Education and Law and Order are two areas where there has been significant progress during our term in government. Hon Paul Goldsmith (Justice spokesman) and Hon Erica Stanford (Education spokeswoman) will be in the electorate in the next two weeks to highlight National’s successes, and detail what is coming next. Both will hold public meetings in Whanganui and Stratford with Paul Goldsmith also speaking in Hāwera.
Labour and their mates have shown they are willing to put this progress at risk, scrapping the requirement for an hour a day of reading, writing and maths, and laying out the welcome mat to gangs. On the other hand the National-led Government has seen student achievement improving, while we banned gang patches and there are 37,000 fewer victims of violent crime.
Come and have a chat at the Whanganui Home and Lifestyle Show this weekend at the Jubilee Stadium, Springvale Park. This show is a regular on our calendar; the Whanganui Electorate National Party team is there every year, and I have been every there every year as your MP as well.
India's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Her Excellency Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi, visited Whanganui recently. With the India FTA coming into force in less than a week, and with Whanganui electorate farmers, foresters and honey producers well placed to benefit from reduced or zero tariffs, this visit could not have been better timed.
On a personal note, I was honoured to be awarded the Fellowship designation (FCA) by Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ). Being acknowledged by my professional peers for service to the sector and to the community was something I will always treasure.
Delivering for you
New policy is being announced every day in the run-up to 7 November. You can stay updated here.
If you are around Whanganui between Friday 16th and Monday 25th October, check out Festival of Design Aotearoa.
Based around Pukenamu Queens Park in the centre of Whanganui, Festival of Design is supported by funding from the National-led Government's Events Boost Fund. With Whanganui being New Zealand's only UNESCO City of Design, the festival will showcase our design credentials to the world.
Coming Events
- 17/18 October - Whanganui Home and Lifestyle Show, Jubilee Stadium, Whanganui
- 21 October – Hon Paul Goldsmith in Whanganui, Hāwera and Stratford
- 24/25 October – Kai Iwi School 150th Anniversary
- 28 October – Hon Erica Stanford in Whanganui, Hāwera and Stratford
- 7 November – Election Day
Links to recent news items
- Whanganui Chronicle - Election 2026: Whanganui candidates name biggest issues facing electorate
- Ruapehu Bulletin - Funding boost of $405,000 for Horopito hub on Mountains to Sea trail (Page 3)
- River City Press – Earthquakes, free trade and fewer consents (P8)
- River City Press – Carl Bates honoured by professional peers (P29)
- Pātea-Waverley Press - The end of the term (P5)
I look forward to seeing you around the electorate or at one of the many meetings and events scheduled for the next three weeks.
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