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Dear John
This month has been really busy for me as Minister of State for
Trade with a number of trips to South East Asia. I had the opportunity
to join Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on a trade delegation to
Malaysia and Korea. Malaysia is our ninth-largest trading partner, and
this trip helped us explore ways to boost trade and investment. Korea,
which is our sixth-largest trading partner, is a key source of
international students and technological innovation for New
Zealand.
I then travelled to Laos for the ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meetings
in Vientiane. With next year marking 50 years of New Zealand’s
partnership with ASEAN, this was an important time to strengthen our
trade and economic relationships. ASEAN is New Zealand’s third-largest
trading partner, with exports exceeding $9 billion last year. Trade is
key to growing our economy, and this upgrade will make a real
difference for Kiwis across many industries.
On the local front, I have four more coffee catchups this month,
and I’ll be attending the Ellesmere show. I will also be collecting
for the annual Pink Ribbon Street Appeal as I do every year.
Suffrage Day
As the Minister for Women, it’s really important to me to celebrate
New Zealand’s role as the first country in the world to give women the
right to vote 131 years ago. While we’ve come a long way, there’s
still more to do.
We're working to close the gender pay gap, get more women into
leadership roles, and improve health outcomes, including extending
free breast cancer screening. Supporting working parents with paid
parental leave and FamilyBoost is also a priority. I believe the best
way to honour the suffragists legacy is by carrying on their fight for
true equality here in New Zealand.
You can view my Instagram clip here
FamilyBoost Starting 1st October
Great news from 1st October for low to middle-income families with
young children! The launch of the FamilyBoost package means more
financial support for parents struggling with early childhood
education (ECE) costs. Under this new scheme, families earning up to
$180,000 can now claim up to 25% of their weekly ECE fees, capped at
$975 every three months.
This is a practical way to ensure that parents, especially in
today’s tough economic climate, have one less thing to worry
about.
I’ve already reached out to all ECE providers in Selwyn to make
sure they’re aware of the scheme and how families can apply. The
process is simple: log in to myIR and follow the steps. Claims for the
FamilyBoost payment can be made from 1 October for ECE fees invoiced
between 1 July and 30 September 2024.
For more information on how to access this valuable support, visit
www.ird.govt.nz/familyboost.
Let’s make the most of this opportunity and help our families
thrive!
MSD Needs Local Businesses to Help
The Government is committed to getting more Kiwis into work and
reducing benefit dependency. One of the key goals is to reduce the
number of people on Jobseeker Support by 50,000 by 2030, with the
Ministry for Social Development (MSD) leading the charge.
Work changes lives, strengthens communities, and boosts the
economy. But MSD can’t do it alone – local representatives and
businesses are essential in creating more prosperous communities.
For employers in Selwyn, the best way to contribute is by listing
job vacancies with MSD. Across Canterbury, there are 18,114 people on
Jobseeker Support, part of the 200,000 nationwide, many of whom bring
valuable skills and experience. By giving local people the opportunity
to work, businesses can make a real difference and help reduce benefit
dependency.
If you're looking for a job, you can view listings here.
If you're an employer needing staff, please call 0800 778 008.
Revised Firearms rules for 'Clubs and
Ranges'
Selwyn is home to a large number of firearms clubs and ranges and
previous rules set by the Labour government have caused major problems
for them. We are determined to cut red tape across all sectors of
society so we have started work to make life easier for shooting clubs
and ranges while still keeping safety front and centre.
Shooting clubs play a big role in keeping communities safe, but the
rules brought in back in 2020 made things too complicated, and some
ranges were at risk of closing. This new Bill looks to sort that out
by making things simpler and clearer around how clubs are run and when
inspections can happen.
The key changes are:
- Less paperwork for pistol clubs, but safety standards stay the
same.
- A simpler system for non-pistol clubs and ranges to get up and
running.
- Clear rules around selling ammo at the range.
- Allowing temporary ranges for events, as long as the authorities
are given a heads-up.
These changes will help keep shooting clubs open and safe, so they
can keep doing their important work in the community.
Upcoming Events
Coffee Catchups
It was wonderful to visit Lincoln and Tai Tapu recently for some
coffee catch-ups.
With Selwyn being such a large electorate, it's important for me to
take my office on the road and engage directly with the community.
Hearing firsthand about the issues that matter to you is
invaluable.
Thank you for the warm hospitality and the insightful
conversations!
I'll be hosting four more sessions this month, and here are the
details:
Monday 7th October 2024
 Dunsandel Cafe & Store, 7 Kanes Road,
Dunsandel
 11:00am - 12:00pm
Suburban Eatery, 112 High Street, Leeston
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Tuesday 8th October 2024
Robert Harris, 76 Rolleston Drive, Rolleston
11:00pm - 12:00pm
Hartnell's, 597 Springs Road, Prebbleton
12:30pm - 1:30pm
Ellesmere A&P Show
The National Party team and I will have a stall at the Ellesmere
A&P Show on 19 October. If you’re at any of these events, please
do come up for a chat—we’d love to see you!
Ellesmere Showgorunds, 1650 Leeston Road, Leeston
9:00am - 3:00pm
In the news
Government to back women in the Horticulture sector will receive
state funding
Click
here to read
No more tears for onion exporters to Indonesia
Click
here to read
Here to help
As always, my team and I are here and available to help.
You can get in touch with us by emailing [email protected], phone
03 344 2800, or pop into the office in Rolleston Square between Monday
and Fridays, 10:00am - 4:00pm.
Kind regards,
Hon Nicola Grigg
https://www.national.org.nz/nicolagrigg
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