Dear John,
I hope you enjoyed the Easter break last weekend. I have to say, after an intense start to the year it was good to kick back and do nothing (well, other than a big box of reading) for a few days and just relax at home with Jenna and Jeremy.
Parliament has been in recess post-Easter (we're back tomorrow) and the government has launched a Quarter Two Action Plan, which is a big list of all the things we want to do in this quarter. It follows on from the 100 Day Action Plan following the election, which was incredibly successful. There’s been a bit of commentary about how this is a very “corporate” approach, but frankly I think Kiwis are welcoming a government that lays out what it is going to do and then gets on and does it, driving the system to deliver change. We had six years of airy-fairy good intentions and well-meaning aspirations… and it didn’t work out that well.
The three key planks of our next plan are to rebuild the economy and ease the cost of living, restore law and order, and deliver better public services. That’s what we were elected to do and that’s what we’re doing. So we will pass a Budget that reduces wasteful spending and prioritises frontline services, deliver tax relief for hardworking New Zealanders, set targets for improving public services like education and health, launch an Attendance Action Plan to get kids back to school, and restore Three Strikes to hold serious, repeat offenders to account. You can read the whole plan here.
My contributions are around our Going for Housing Growth Agenda and Electrify NZ plans (doubling our renewable energy production) as well as responding to the independent review of Kainga Ora. I gave a big speech on our infrastructure agenda to the Infrastructure Funding and Financing Conference last week – you can have a read here.
Around the Hutt: It’s been great getting out and about around the Hutt and Wellington in the last few days. I really enjoyed helping open Kaibosh’s new kitchen in their Petone headquarters on Thursday morning. Last year they saved 744,000 kilos of food and made 2 million meals, helping out 48 local charities. The new kitchen will allow them to do even more. Just brilliant to see and it was a veritable “who’s who” of the Hutt at the opening, celebrating together.
The day before I also hosted my good friend the Transport Minister, Simeon Brown, to visit the new seawall and shared path from Petone to Ngauranga. The shared path has been talked about for 80 to 100 years and finally it is being delivered. It’s a good example of what fast track consent laws can do – the last government, to give them their credit, fast-tracked it, and it’s now finally being built. It’ll protect the rail line and SH2, and mean a shared path for bikers, walkers, runners and scooterers to and from Wellington. Expected opening is 2026 and I can’t promise I’ll be the first in the lycra on the path… but you never know.
Last week I also officially opened a new social housing complex in Mt Cook – a partnership between Kainga Ora and the Wellington City Mission. As I said at the launch, it’s going to take a collective effort from all of us to address our housing challenge – and it means government working with the private and community sector.
Parliament is back tomorrow. Enjoy the week, and see you soon.
Chris
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Had a helper on the Waiwhetu Stream Clean on Sunday!
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Petone to Ngauranga Shared Path
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Simeon and I donned the high-vis to check out the progress on this important project for the Hutt and Wellington.
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Wellington Regional Schools' Debating Champs
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I was in the students' position 25 years ago. Anxious and nervous about an incoming weekend of debating. But it's a lot of fun and a great way to learn about the world and how to structure your thoughts and arguments.
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Awesome to be at the opening of the new Kaibosh Kitchen with Mayor Campbell Barry. A fantastic local charity doing awesome work. Proud to be a supporter.
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Parliament Blackbenchers vs. Media XI
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Rolled the arm over for just one Parliamentary Cricket game this season - sadly we lost to the Media XI (again).
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Infrastructure & Financing Conference Opening
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Have a read of my speech here.
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New social housing for Wellington
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Joined Murray Edridge of the Wellington City Mission and Mayor Tory Whanau for the opening of Te O, a new social housing complex in Mt Cook.
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Opening 'The Great Chilli' Restaurant
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Congratulations to Chandra Mandal and The Great Chilli team. It's right next door to my office! Check it out.
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Pearce Cup Champions for 2023/24!
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Congrats to the Hutt Districts Cricket Club, my old club.
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Delivering on our election promises.
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A promise made and delivered. This will put downward pressure on rents and restore one of the basic principles of tax law.
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Opening Sky Window's new showroom
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