Update from Ryan

Winter is normally a quiet time when people hibernate, but I have found that for an MP winter is just as busy as the rest of the year. Come along to our Parliamentary rugby game at FMG stadium, 2pm on Saturday 24th August (see below for details).

Regular Electorate Meeting - guest Speaker, Don Good, CEO, Waikato Chamber of Commerce

Our regular electorate meetings are gaining momentum, with a wide range of subjects that interest different sectors of the community. We had a good turnout of business minded constituents last night to hear Don talk about the business environment in Hamilton and the wider Waikato. He commented that, in contrast to the national trends of low optimism and lack of growth, Waikato business owners are more optimistic and are expecting their businesses to grow. Interestingly, Hamilton has benefitted from businesses migrating from Auckland and other Waikato towns are now benefitting from businesses migrating out of Hamilton, the level of rates being a major contributor to this trend. To date, the Waikato has not been affected by staff lay-offs to the same extent as the major cities and employers are anticipating recruiting more staff than reducing staff.

Even with the encouraging levels of business optimism, there are still a lot of opportunities for making the Waikato a more welcoming environment. Top of the list is getting councils to work together much more efficiently (through shared services) and collectively investing in economic development. Don finished with encouraging more business minded people to stand for council. (If you are thinking about doing this next year, you are welcome to contact me. I am happy to share my experience to help your campaign.)

National Party Conference Highlights

We had a small but enthusiastic Hamilton East contingent at the national conference, which had a positive energy now that we are in government and rolling out our policies. The conference was really good and great opportunity to hear from different Minister and their portfolios.

The key policy announcement was around maths in schools. The following comments are from the speech by Erica Stanford the Minister for Education.

There is some really shocking new data that has just been released on student achievement in maths last year which is a major driver of the policy direction.

Looking at kids who are about to go to high school (year 8), the data shows that just 22 per cent or 1 in 5 students are at the expected standard for maths at year 8. That means 4 out of 5 are falling behind. The results are deeply concerning, but possibly not a surprise for many parents who are frustrated and despondent about the progress of their own children in school.

And it gets worse: 3 out of 5 are more than a year behind. For decile 1 schools and for Maori the results are even worse than this. That means that last year around 50,000 children getting ready for high school, or the equivalent of a full Eden Park, were not at the curriculum benchmark for their age.

And another 50,000 the year before, and the year before that.

There’s no way to describe those results as anything other than a total system failure.

If we are to close the gap and raise achievement, we must have a knowledge rich, year by year curriculum that is explicitly taught and consistently measured against. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

This is not the fault of teachers or students. And much as the last Government didn’t help things, this issue is bigger than politics. This is the product of years of drift and decay by a system that has become utterly distracted from the values we all care about: achievement, opportunity, and success.

How can we change this and set out kids up for success?

First, we are accelerating the shift to a new maths curriculum, bringing forward its introduction by a whole year. That means from Term 1 next year your child will be learning maths based on a new world-leading, knowledge rich maths curriculum, with clear expectations for what children must learn each year.

Second, we will deliver targeted professional development, focused on structured maths for primary and intermediate teachers. We know from a range of studies that too many teachers sadly do not have the confidence to teach maths to young people. Teachers deserve our support – and we’re going to deliver.

Third, we are taking assessment and support for kids who need it seriously. That means, alongside our new curriculum, there will be twice-yearly assessments for maths in primary schools starting from 2025.

Education shapes the future of our children, and that’s why we’re taking it so seriously.

Hamilton East was awarded first runner up in Most improved Membership award which was great to have recognised. Thanks for all your support in both joining and encouraging others too as well. More to come on this in my next email.

Hamilton East Contingent

You can see from the now and then photos below that I have been attending party conferences for a few years. I will give a chocolate fish at the next Regular Electorate meeting to the first person who guesses when the ‘then’ photo was taken (one guess per person).

Ryan

What's Happening? 

Parliamentary Rugby Game Saturday 24th August at 2pm at FMG Stadium

Come along and watch the game in the Mighty Waikato. Tama and I are hosting the Parliamentary Rugby team to support the charity Waterboy. It will be live-streamed and also star former Kiwi Fern and Black Fern Honey Hireme-Smiler and former All Blacks Charlie Faumuina & Liam Messam.  Tama will be debuting. Please come and join in too.

Started by Waikato lad Thomas Nabbs, the WaterBoy is a charity that works to break down barriers to give Kiwis an opportunity to participate in personal development activities. We believe that everyone is a product of their environment. We believe that sport is an integral part of growing up in New Zealand. It is a part of our culture.

Out there on the Rugby field there was no prejudice - no social, racial, language or cultural inequalities. It was a test of your character, humility, preparation, co-operation and skill - That’s what mattered.

Regular Electorate Meeting

We have changed the night of our Regular Electorate Meeting to Monday. The next meeting will be Monday 2nd of September, 7pm at 697C Wairere Drive. It will follow on from the monthly electorate Executive meeting, starting at 6:15pm. All members are most welcome to attend this meeting too.

Our guest speaker for September will be Mike Holloway, Deputy Chair of Tautoko Tane, Male Survivors Aotearoa. This is particularly topical with the recent release of the report of the Royal Commission into Abuse of Children in Sate Care.

Get in Touch with Ryan

My job is to represent the interests in Parliament of every member of the Hamilton East electorate, not just those who voted for me. Please feel free to contact me to if you have any issues where you think I can help navigate through government bureaucracy or if you have any concerns about our community. I promise I will listen to you.

My Senior MP Support person, Carina Fraser, we can both be contacted on 07 853 5640 or [email protected]

Follow me on Facebook by clicking here or enter Ryan Hamilton 4 Hamilton East in your facebook search bar.

You can Like my page and directly get my posts on matters that affect you, the electorate and the nation.

2024 Electorate Contacts 

Electorate Chair:             
Sarkaw Randhawa [email protected]

Electorate Secretary:     
Lawsen Harte [email protected]

Membership:                    
Donna Gifford [email protected]

Treasurer:                         
Ian Black [email protected]

With warm regards,

Ryan Hamilton | MP for Hamilton East