Early Voting Has Opened - Party vote National!
It was special to vote with my family at the Havelock North Community Centre yesterday when early voting opened.
Our democracy is strongest when people participate, make their voices heard, and have their say. Every vote counts. Make yours count too.
For the list of advanced voting polling places, you can find them at - www.vote.nz
Party Vote National today!
OUT AND ABOUT
Great vibes at the Hawke's Bay A&P Show
It was a bright and sunny few days at the Hawke's Bay Show and it was amazing to receive such a warm welcome for our Prime Minister who was very popular as we moved around the show. There were hundreds of selfies and overwhelming support.
Thank you to everyone for all the support and the awesome chats and connections with so many families as we work hard to build the future for Hawke’s Bay.
Stick to the plan - Party Vote National!
Final candidate debate
We had our final Hawke’s Bay candidate debate at our iconic Stortford Lodge Saleyards in Hastings - the economic powerhouse of our region.
It was a great opportunity to talk about Nationals work to lift farmer confidence to record highs, reducing the red tape and backing our rural communities.
We discussed Nationals work on water storage, RMA Reform, restricting farm-to-forest conversions on productive farmland and council amalgamation.
National is committed to doubling the value of our exports in the next 10 years and we are tracking ahead of forecasts thanks to our amazing farmers.
National will continue to back our farmers and growers.
Thanks to Federated Farmers for organising this great debate.
National’s message was clear! Stick to the plan - Party Vote National.
Mates of Mates For Mates
There were some very powerful stories shared at the Rural Roundup in support of Rural Mental Health at the Hawke’s Bay Show.
Well done to Matt Holden and all the speakers and teams of sponsors who supported this event as we support mental health services across Hawke's Bay.
Celebrating the festival of lights in color
Happy Diwali Hawke’s Bay! It was a beautiful evening to celebrate Diwali and our Hindu Community over the long weekend.
Well done to the Hawke’s Bay Hindu Council for organising another spectacular event.
New Zealand’s relationship with India has strengthened in the past few years and last week it was great to see our India Free Trade Agreement come into effect, which is significant for Hawke’s Bay as an export region.
Lovely to see all the colour and vibrance at the Diwali celebrations and don our bright blue for the evening.
Newly surfaced athletics track officially opened
It was exciting to officially open the newly surfaced athletics track at our Mitre 10 Sports Park - a true milestone for Hawke’s Bay!
This world-class track is set to bring hundreds of events to our region, providing a massive boost to our local economy and providing amazing opportunities for grassroots sports.
A massive well done to the team of organizers and financial supporters who have worked tirelessly to make this a reality.
Here’s to an exciting new milestone and some world-class athletics right here in Hawke's Bay!
Welcoming Kabbadi to the region
Hastings hosted the National Kabaddi tournament, and it was amazing to see hundreds from our Punjabi community turn out to see the top players in action!
It was a privilege to welcome the teams and spend time with the players. Kabaddi is a growing sport in New Zealand, and it was great to learn more about the traditional Indian sport.
Well done to all the teams involved.
New Businesses Opening in Hastings!
Exciting to open Mahendra's Sweets, a new business in the heart of Hastings creating more jobs and opportunity for our region.
Congratulations to Mahendra and his family for the opening of their new shop, providing delicious Indian sweets and cuisine - bringing a Taste of India to the streets of Hastings.
Door knocking!
I'm continuing to knock on thousands of doors across Tuktuki.
I am hearing a lot of concern about Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Maori campaigning with the Mongrel Mob.
National has cracked down on crime so gangs aren’t taking over our towns anymore and as a result, we’ve seen an 85 percent reduction in ram raids and a big reduction in crime, and 37,000 fewer victims of crime.
We cannot go back to Labour and the Greens soft approach to crime.
I am also speaking about Nationals work to lift performance in education and the plan to strengthen our economy with no new taxes - enabling hardworking Kiwis to keep more of what they earn.
The message on the doors is clear - Party Vote National!
CHB visit
I had a great day campaigning in Central Hawke's Bay with Mike Butterick. We have some strong National Party support in Central Hawke’s Bay as we’ve worked really hard to support our rural communities.
Rural New Zealand is the backbone of our economy.
Exports are at record highs as National celebrates the amazing work of our farmers and growers and rural businesses.
Waipawa is the boundary between the Tukituki electorate and Wairarapa electorate, so it was great to be out and about discussing our plans to grow the economy, create jobs and opportunity and lift wages - with no new taxes!
Nationals work to deliver, the India Free Trade Agreement, RMA Reform, the legislation to stop the large-scale farm to forestry conversions and water storage are all positive for Central Hawke’s Bay.
National is Fixing the basics and building the future for Central Hawke’s Bay!
Hawke's Bay Today candidate debate
Thank you to the Hawke’s Bay Today for hosting a great candidate debate.
It was themed around housing and climate change, which was a good opportunity to talk about the reforms we have made to our planning system to get renewable energy and housing developments consented and built much faster and our Government’s $200 million investment into Hawke’s Bay Cyclone Recovery, to build back stronger after Cyclone Gabrielle - better bridges, roads and stopbanks!
We also spoke about water storage and how important this was to mitigate climate change with drier summers forecast.
Thank you also to the awesome Karamu High School students who helped facilitate the evening.
Candidate interviews on Radio Hawke's Bay
I was one of the candidates interviewed on Radio Hawke's Bay, by Ron Wilkins, President of Grey Power Hastings and District Association.
We discussed National Party policies which impact those over the age of 65.
He had some pertinent questions, and I look forward to continuing working with him in the 55th Parliament.
YES Regional Awards
It was a pleasure to be invited to the YES Regional Awards 2026 and present Teacher of the Year award. The award honoured a teacher who demonstrates exceptional dedication, creativity, and passion in the classroom.
The winner, Judy Waapu from Te Tipu Whenua o Pa Harakeke, does an incredible job at the Flaxmere Teen Parent Unit, working with the students.
Her dedication has made a lasting impact on young entrepreneurs. Congratulations Judy. And a huge congratulations to St John's College for being named 'Company of the Year 2026'.
NATIONAL PARTY POLICIES AND GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Historic India FTA now in effect
New Zealand exporters can now start using the New Zealand-India Free Trade Agreement, with tariffs removed on more than half of New Zealand’s exports to India
This means our Hawke’s Bay growers, farmers and exporters can now reach over a billion more customers with significantly reduced tariffs.
This is a huge win for Hawke’s Bay's exporters.
For our apples, red meat, wool, wine, honey, and timber! India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world and is forecast to reach NZ$12 trillion by 2030. Getting in early, on good terms matters.
The gains go well beyond exports. They reach suppliers, local businesses and the towns that depend on them.
With the world economy so uncertain, the India Free Trade Agreement helps our exporters diversify and grow. It’s a big step towards doubling the value of our exports in 10 years.
Selling more to India means hiring more staff, investing in machinery and expanding operations, creating more jobs and higher wages for families across our region.
National has been hustling hard on the world stage, getting trade deals done.
Let's stick with the plan that's working to grow our economy and create jobs and opportunity.
Party Vote National.
Fixing the Basics and Building the Future: National’s plan for Kiwi kids
A re-elected National Government will remain committed to ensuring every child in New Zealand gets the best possible start in life so they can reach their potential and build a prosperous future.
If re-elected, National’s Plan for Kiwi Kids will:
- Introduce a $1,500 Baby Boost to kickstart KiwiSaver.
- Introduce a School Start check for every child.
- Develop clear milestones throughout ECE and reporting to parents.
- No screens in ECE and limit device use in Years 1-3 and introduce age-appropriate limits for older primary students.
- Keep teaching the basics brilliantly - one hour of reading, writing and maths every day, and expand the Maths Acceleration Programme.
- Keep the phone ban in schools.
- More warm, dry classrooms.
- Keep young people in school until the end of Year 11.
- Set consistent school start and finish dates.
- Replace NCEA.
- Have learning support coordinators in all schools and more teacher aides.
- Ban under-16s from social media.
National’s plan for young adults
National has a plan to help you secure your future, whether you're a Kiwi kid, a young person starting out, a parent raising your family, or in your retirement.
A re-elected National government will also ensure young people’s future by:
- Lower student loan repayments: National will reduce the student loan repayment rate for Kiwis living in the country, leaving graduates with more take-home pay. This gives young people more income for rent, savings, a first home deposit or starting a business.
- Wider access to 5 per cent home loan deposits: National will expand access to the First Home Loan Scheme so more eligible buyers can purchase with a 5% deposit, rather than the conventional 20%.
- Paid Parental Leave extension: National is extending paid parental leave from 26-30 weeks to give parents more time with their newborn.
- Stronger KiwiSaver and $1500 Baby Boost: KiwiSaver will become compulsory, contribution settings will be higher, and a $1500 Baby Boost contribution will be made for each eligible newborn.
- A welfare system focused on work: Provide more intensive employment support for long-term jobseekers, alongside stronger expectations.
- No new taxes: Give workers, households and businesses greater certainty.
National’s plan for retirement
A re-elected National Government will help seniors enjoy a more secure and independent retirement, with more funding for seniors housing, greater financial certainty and easier access to the support they need.
A re-elected National Government will build on this success, by boosting housing choices for Kiwi seniors.
National will:
- Establish a dedicated pipeline of affordable housing for seniors, by ringfencing at least 20 per cent of places to seniors housing from the Housing Flexible Fund.
- Expand our successful granny flats policy so more can be built, faster, and cheaper.
- Make it easier to build tiny homes by expanding the granny flat rules to them, too.
National’s plan to welcome more Kiwis home
A re-elected National Government will legislate and direct five key commitments in its first 100 days aimed at encouraging young New Zealanders to stay or return home to build their future.
If re-elected, National will legislate and direct five key commitments in our first 100 days to make New Zealand more attractive and affordable for young people to live and work.”
These five commitments are:
- Lowering student loan repayment rates for Kiwis living in New Zealand so they have more take-home pay when they need it most
- Widening access to 5 per cent deposits for first home buyers so more people can overcome the barrier of the standard 20 per cent deposit
- Extending paid parental leave from 26 weeks to 30 weeks within three years so that parents have more financial security while caring for their baby
- Strengthening KiwiSaver, including a $1500 Baby Boost payment and changes to contributions for parents on paid parental leave, so people can build bigger savings nest eggs to ensure greater financial security
- Prioritising and expediting work and visitor visas for partners of New Zealand citizens, so Kiwis who meet their partners overseas can bring them home when they return.
Kāinga Ora turnaround plan continues to deliver
Kāinga Ora has smashed its savings target, significantly reduced the cost of building social homes, and improved its performance as a landlord.
The latest results in Kainga Ora’s annual report for 2025/26 show the Government's turnaround of the agency is delivering better value for taxpayers and better outcomes for tenants.
The results speak for themselves, with the latest report showing:
- Efficiency: In 2025/26, Kāinga Ora delivered $191 million in operating cost reductions, smashing its $27 million savings target. Its net deficit before tax was $140 million, a $582 million improvement compared to the pre-tax deficit in 2023/24. These savings have been achieved through more efficient maintenance programmes without compromising quality, stopping unviable building projects and reshaping its workforce.
- Less debt: Before the turnaround Plan, Kāinga Ora's debt was forecast to peak at $29 billion. The peak debt is now forecasted to be $9.5 billion lower, falling to $19.5 billion.
- Lower build costs: Standardised housing designs and improved procurement practices are delivering significant savings. Average build costs finished 2025/26 at $2,713 per square metre, down from $3,290 in the first quarter, and beating the $2,980 target.
- Renewing older homes: Kāinga Ora is shifting its focus towards renewing existing housing stock, including selling unsuitable, expensive-to-maintain properties and reinvesting the proceeds into better social housing. Around 6,000 older homes are expected to be renovated or replaced by 2029.
- Housing target met: Kāinga Ora delivered 2,136 new and upgraded homes, meeting its 2025/26 target of 2,075–2,575 homes. This includes replacing older homes nearing the end of their useful life with modern, healthy homes, while making better use of existing land to deliver more homes on the same sites.
Kāinga Ora is getting back to doing what New Zealanders expect of it: providing quality homes in the right places for people who need them.
Driving productivity with heavy vehicle changes
28 proposals to change heavy vehicle rules will reduce compliance costs and improve productivity for New Zealand’s transport operators.
Consultation has begun on a set of practical changes which would make it easier for operators to get on with the job, support more productive freight movements and maintain high safety standards.
The proposals form Phase 3 of the Heavy Vehicle Productivity workstream under the Government’s Land Transport Rules Reform Programme. It includes:
- Allowing heavy vehicles to carry more weight and freight, reducing the number of vehicle movements on the roads.
- Exempting fire trucks from mass limits so they can get to where they need to go and fight fires, not mountains of paperwork.
- Allowing crane trucks and sucker trucks to operate more easily under specialist vehicle weight limits.
- Giving overdimension vehicle operators more flexibility about when and where they can operate, including on Auckland motorways and tolled roads.
- Relaxing travel time restrictions for overdimension vehicles and loads to make better use of our roads.
- Shifting load pilot vehicle signage and other detailed operational requirements for overdimension travel out of the rules and into transport instruments to make small, common-sense changes more quickly.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE ENROLLED!
The 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November 2026.
If you are overseas, it’s easy to vote and have your say in the 2026 General Election- How to vote from overseas | Vote NZ
Overseas voting for the 2026 General Election started on Wednesday 21 October. You won't be able to vote or to get your voting papers before this date.
Overseas voting using the download service closes at 7pm on election day, Saturday 7 November (NZ time).
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