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Dear John In this issue:
National's New PoliciesDelivering More Nurses and Midwives New Zealand is not training enough nurses and midwives to meet demand. Under Labour, almost 19,000 nurses have resigned, many to take up positions overseas.
If elected in October, National will incentivise New Zealanders to train as nurses and midwives, bond them for a period after graduation, and change immigration settings to attract more healthcare workers from overseas. National would pay up to $22,500 off student loans in the first five years that bonded nurses and midwives remain in the profession. It would also adjust immigration settings and help up to 1000 qualified overseas nurses and midwives with a relocation grant of up to $10,000. See our policy here. There is also a critical doctor shortage across the country. A third medical school in New Zealand is becoming an increasingly urgent need and the University of Waikato, with its proximity to one of the largest hospital campuses in the Southern Hemisphere, is the ideal location. Waikato Hospital is already a teaching hospital with facilities for learning and research and provides all services except organ transplants. It makes sense to train more of our talented students in medicine rather than relying on attracting qualified immigrants who then need further training to meet New Zealand-specific requirements. My New Zealand Public Health and Disability (3 Day Postnatal Stay) Amendment Bill would see all mothers become eligible to receive a minimum of three days in a postnatal facility after the birth of their child. This is a fundamental first step to improve the health of mothers and children immediately after birth and is part of our focus on the first 1000 days. Getting Back to Farming
National recently announced its Getting Back to Farming policy which recognises that farmers should concentrate on what they do best – producing 63 per cent ($41 billion) of New Zealand's goods exports and the majority of dairy, meat, wool and horticulture consumed domestically. Growers, farmers and trainers tell me they receive no recognition for what they contribute to the economy, or to improving the environment. Instead, Labour has tied them up in red tape, imposing more than 20 new or adapted rules and regulations since taking office. National knows our farmers are innovative and efficient and produce some of the highest-quality and lowest-carbon food and fibre in the world. Our policy is designed to support them conduct their business while meeting our environmental goals. Community SafetyUnfortunately, more businesses in the Taupō electorate have been the victims of ram raids recently – this time in Putāruru and Taupō. Retailers in Cambridge have probably suffered the most in recent years. Additional CCTV cameras have been installed, but the Safer Community Trust is also looking to set up a daytime patrol and is seeking 25–30 community volunteers to work closely with Police. Volunteers would be provided with training and equipped with radios and uniforms. Contact Kelly Bouzaid at the Cambridge Business Chamber (07) 823 3460 if you would like to help. Erica Stanford visits Cambridge
National's Spokesperson for Education, Immigration and Associate Ethnic Communities Erica Stanford visited Cambridge recently to talk to principals about the challenges they are facing in the education sector and our Teaching the Basics Brilliantly policy. All agreed that we must focus on getting students back into the classroom and lifting achievement. Roundabout at PiarereWaka Kotahi recently received approval from the Environment Court to build a roundabout slightly northwest of the intersection of SH1 and SH29 at Piarere. It is a positive step towards reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the notorious Cambridge to Piarere stretch of SH1, and will hopefully reduce the long queues of traffic waiting to turn right from SH29 onto northbound SH1. This work will take 18 months to complete, but no start date has yet been publicly notified. While this is only a sticking plaster for the Waikato Expressway extension to Piarere that Labour cancelled, it is better than nothing. Local eventsBudget BreakfastsTaupō Post-Budget Business Breakfast, co-hosted by Amplify, Thursday 25 May, 7:30am-9am,Taupo Cosmopolitan Club, 5 Taniwha Street, Taupō South Waikato Post-Budget Business Breakfast, Friday 26 May, 7:30am-9am, South Waikato Sports and Events Centre, 25 Mossop Road, Tokoroa Youth Advisory Board – Participants WantedI'm continuing the Taupō Youth Advisory Board, which brings together young people in the electorate to discuss issues that matter to their peers in our communities, and to find solutions to those issues. I am calling for students aged 16–18 in the Taupō electorate to join in. You can register your interest by contacting Jane Matthews at [email protected] Out and AboutANZAC Day
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