Dear John,

It is great to have had several policy indicators announced by Christopher Luxon on behalf of the National Opposition, so far this year.

We are fortunate as a caucus of MPs, to have our focus going on forming and publicising our National Policies, which is as it should be.

As I have stated before, one of the differences between New Zealand’s electoral system and those of other countries particularly the United States of America, is that we do not have a big focus on the election of the person who will become the President or in New Zealand’s case, the Prime Minister of our country. Our election day focus is the Party vote and then the vote for the Candidate who will be our electorate’s Member of Parliament.

As you know, National’s leaders are elected by their fellow National MPs in caucus. Christopher Luxon is supported by your current National Members of Parliament to lead them and the whole Party and its policies through the Election process and hopefully into government on the treasury benches.

We have recently seen how a big personality does not necessarily result in good government or good management of New Zealand’s affairs.

I am strong supporter of the National leadership being with Christopher Luxon and I am in total agreement with my colleagues in the National Caucus who voted him to the position because he is doing a great job.

‘Getting back to Farming’ announcement in Whitford

National knows the value of agriculture as the backbone of New Zealand’s economy. Last year alone, agriculture exports totalled $41 billion or 63 per cent of our goods exported. It is a big part of how we pay our way in the world.

Growing the rural economy will help lift incomes for all and allow more spending on the things Kiwis want the Government to provide. We need better cancer drugs and medical care, better education outcomes, better housing and more resilient roads and other infrastructure. When farmers do well, New Zealand does well.

Since it’s election, Labour has introduced or changed more than twenty laws and regulations for farmers, adding extra costs on them often without any environmental gain. For example, wetlands are defined so poorly, that farmers are having to go to court to determine whether land is a paddock that can be farmed, or a protected wetland that cannot.

Last week Christopher Luxon visited Whitford in the electorate and announced National’s Getting Back to Farming package. It contained nineteen things we will do to back farmers by cutting the mountain of red tape that has buried them since 2017, while promising to protect the environment.

National’s announced policy will include:

• Establishing a Rural Regulation Review Panel to consider all regulations affecting farmers. It will cut unnecessary Regulations and all others will be assessed for their costs to farmers with the findings clearly published.
• Doubling the RSE worker cap from 19,000 to 38,000 and creating a path to residency through the Accredited Employer Work Visa that will ease the worker shortage and increase productivity.
• Banning foreign farm-to-forest conversions for carbon farming.

Christopher Luxon has pledged that a National government will make it a priority to pursue a free trade agreement with India. Australia has one, and the UK is about to.

We are proud to back New Zealand’s world-leading farmers and provide new opportunities for them in the world beyond our shores.

ANZAC Day 2023

My thanks to the Returned Services Associations, the Councils and other organisations that organised the ANZAC Day Services across New Zealand. We acknowledge those brave and generous people who have served and those who serve today and attended the Services. By their actions they encouraged the general public, young and old, to join as New Zealanders and to say, together, “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”  

Lest we forget,
Judith