Dear John

In this issue:

* Minister's News

* In the House

* Electorate News

* Upcoming Engagement Opportunities

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MINISTER'S NEWS


CHINA DELEGATION



I was delighted to accompany the Prime Minister on his trade mission to China
this month in my capacity as Minister for Tourism and Hospitality. The
delegation included Minister Mark Mitchell, a senior business delegation, a kapa
haka group and a media contingent.

China is our largest trading partner and also our third-largest tourism market.
It plays a vital role in our economic story. Our visit to Shanghai and Beijing
focused on growing trade, strengthening our tourism and education links and
maximising opportunities for New Zealand businesses. It was also an opportunity
to have bilateral talks. I was honoured to meet President Xi and Premier Li in
Beijing as part of our government-to-government engagements.

A range of deals, memorandums of understanding and agreements were signed across
the three days including a strategic partnership agreement between Tourism New
Zealand and Trip.com to support tourism growth from across Asia, and a
cooperation agreement between Tourism New Zealand and China Media Group. These
agreements reflect the strength and opportunity in the New Zealand-China
relationship and our people-to-people links.

We announced that we’re making it easier, faster and cheaper for Chinese
visitors to transit via New Zealand.

We also launched Tourism New Zealand’s new global campaign in Beijing. More
tourism means more visitors spending in towns and cities across New Zealand,
including the Taupō electorate. It’s fantastic news for our economy and for all
New Zealand families.


JETSTAR TAKES OFF FOR AUSTRALIA

I recently welcomed the first international Jetstar flight into Dunedin.
Trans-Tasman flights between Hamilton and Dunedin and the Gold Coast, and
Hamilton and Sydney, have begun this month creating more opportunities for
tourists to visit to New Zealand, particularly for the ski season at this time
of year.


OPENING SOHO



It was a pleasure to open the new Soho Basin and express lift at Cardrona,
increasing its capacity from 4500 to 7000 people per day and making it New
Zealand's largest ski field.





FIELDAYS

As always, Fieldays© was fast and furious, catching up with businesses and
individuals from the Taupō electorate and those related to my portfolio areas
(particularly Tourism) and hearing their highlights, especially around Budget
2025 announcements.



It was great to talk to exhibitors and Fieldays attendees about Investment Boost
and the many Agriculture announcements [link removed] that
Government recently made to boost productivity, profitability and sustainability
for our hard-working farmers and growers. One Taupō car dealer told me he’s sold
15 vehicles this month thanks to the Investment Boost tax deduction!

I had some great feedback on the action Government is taking. The mood in the
primary industry sector especially seems more positive and optimistic.

I met with Zespri to discuss how they are hiring jobseekers into their orchards,
DairyNZ who are focused on hiring local jobseekers on dairy farms, and tourism
providers – such as Real Native and the Forgotten World Highway in Whangamōmona.

Anecdotally, business owners are preparing to invest more in growing their
businesses, and as the primary sector is our largest export earner, followed by
Tourism, that's a win for all New Zealanders.


TOURISM GROWTH ROADMAP

Tourism is playing a key part in our Government’s focus on Going for Growth. I
was pleased to announce a $13.5million investment in international tourism
marketing at Auckland Airport with the Prime Minister a few weeks ago. This
investment is expected to deliver an extra 72,000 international visitors to our
shores.

Encouraging more visitors means more people staying in our hotels, eating in our
cafés, spending in our shops and visiting our attractions. This creates jobs and
lifts incomes for New Zealanders.


BIG SHOUT OUT – VOLUNTEER WEEK

At the beginning of the month, I had the pleasure of attending COMAVOL in Taupō
both as the local MP but also as Minister for the Community and Voluntary
Sector.



June is Big Shout Out month and is a time for us to thank all the volunteers in
our lives. There are so many fantastic volunteers across this country –
providing support to those who need it while also undertaking life-saving work
such as firefighting and search and rescue. Thank you to all of them.

I couldn’t be an MP without my local volunteers, so I want to thank all of my
volunteers across the Taupō electorate too.

I also hosted a breakfast at Parliament with Volunteering New Zealand to thank
the many volunteers that make New Zealand a better place.



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IN THE HOUSE


LEGISLATION

June has been a very busy month for passing key legislation in the House.

Last week, our Government passed legislation to fix the inconsistent treatment
of boarder and rental payments to ensure boarders and renters will be treated
equally when considering housing assistance. And we also passed legislation to
strengthen oversight of Oranga Tamariki to ensure our young New Zealanders are
better protected when in care.


LAW AND ORDER

Government is restoring real consequences for crime, including those who assault
our first responders and prison officers who work hard to keep us safe.

The criminal justice system will be strengthened by:

* Capping the sentence discounts that judges can apply at 40 per cent when
considering mitigating factors unless it would result in manifestly unjust
sentencing outcomes.

* Preventing repeat discounts for youth and remorse. Lenient sentences are
failing to deter offenders who continue to rely on their youth or expressions
of remorse without making serious efforts to reform their behaviour.

* Responding to serious retail crime by introducing a new aggravating factor to
address offences against sole charge workers and those whose home and
business are interconnected, as committed to in the National-Act coalition
agreement. 

* Encouraging the use of cumulative sentencing for offences committed while on
bail, in custody, or on parole to denounce behaviour that indicates a
disregard for the criminal justice system, as committed to in the
National-New Zealand First coalition agreement. 

* Implementing a sliding scale for early guilty pleas with a maximum sentence
discount of 25 per cent, reducing to a maximum of five per cent for a guilty
plea entered during the trial. This will prevent undue discounts for
late-stage guilty pleas and avoid unnecessary trials that are costly and
stressful for victims.

* Amending the principles of sentencing to include requirement to take into
account any information provided to the court about victims’ interests, as
committed to in both coalition agreements.  

Two aggravating factors are also included which respond to:

* Adults who exploit children and young people by aiding or abetting them to
offend

* Offenders who glorify their criminal activities by livestreaming or posting
them online.


SCRUTINY WEEK



Scrutiny Week is an opportunity for opposition parties to question Ministers'
decisions, this month around Estimates (the Government's spending plans for the
financial year ahead as set out in the recent Budget).

It is a good opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.


GP FUNDING BOOST

In addition to recently announced investments to boost the number of doctors and
nurses working in primary care, general practices will get a 13.89 per cent
funding increase this year, the largest funding boost ever, helping them provide
better access to timely, quality healthcare.

General practices will be able to enrol more patients, improve access to
appointments, improve immunisation rates, and keep fees as low as possible,
especially for low-income earners.

They will also be able to perform more minor procedures, reducing wait times and
taking pressure off hospitals.


FOREIGN AFFAIRS

New Zealand continues to call for diplomacy and dialogue in the Middle East.

We’ve been encouraging New Zealanders to evacuate the Middle East for some time
in case of increasing hostilities. This advice has been escalated and people are
being encouraged to evacuate overland as soon as safely possible as air space in
the region is closed.

New Zealand’s Embassy in Tehran is temporarily closed and staff have been
evacuated.

As part of government efforts to pursue all options for assisting New Zealanders
in harm’s way, government personnel and a C-130J Hercules aircraft have been
deployed to the Middle East and will stand ready to assist if needed. The
Government is also in discussion with commercial airlines to assess how they may
be able to assist.


HAVE YOUR SAY – RMA

The Government has opened public consultation on a package of changes to
national direction under the Resource Management Act.

You can 'Have Your Say'
[link removed]
on a range of issues including:

* Freshwater national direction reform

* Infrastructure and development (quarries and mines)

* Renewable electricity generation

* Granny flats and papakāinga

* Primary sector regulations

Public consultation will be open until 27 July 2025.

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ELECTORATE NEWS


SOUTH WAIKATO FUTURE CAREERS EXPO

The South Waikato Future Careers Expo in Tokoroa last month exposed attendees to
a wide range of career ideas and information for navigating life.



Well done to SWIFT, Toi-Ohomai, Space to Grow and South Waikato District Council
for staging this successful event.


WAIPĀ 2025 COMMUNITY CAREERS EXPO

If you're looking for inspiration for your next career move, Cambridge and Te
Awamutu secondary schools are running a Community Careers Expo at Cambridge Town
Hall from 1p.m. to 6p.m. on Thursday 24 July. Admission is free and everyone is
welcome.


TĪRAU SCHOOL VISIT

Thanks to Tīrau Primary School Principal Siobhan Patterson and the school
ambassadors who showed me around their vibrant campus on Friday – the last day
of term and Pyjama Day! It was great to see the students so excited about their
learning, including launching rockets!




YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD

I enjoyed meeting and reconnecting with senior high school students from across
the electorate who attended my second Youth Advisory Board in Tokoroa on 13
June.



Youth MP Ryder Miller led some of the agenda items in preparation for his visit
to Parliament this week. Ryder consulted other students about the Parliamentary
Working Group (PWG) that he is part of. The PWG's inquiry topic is: Unlocking
potential: Education, training and employment for disabled people.

Ryder also put a question to me as the Minister for Disability Issues in the
House. The question the Youth Advisory Board agreed on is: What specific steps
is the Ministry currently taking to ensure that rangatahi with disabilities in
rural and underdeveloped areas have equal access to education, employment, and
community opportunities, and how is the success of these initiatives being
measured?

I look forward to seeing the Youth MPs in action this week. The proceedings will
not be live-streamed, but a recording will be available after the event.


MALCOLM FLOWERS INSURANCES TAUPŌ WINTER FESTIVAL

The tenth Taupō Winter Festival has kicked off (27 June to 13 July). A full
programme [link removed] includes stage shows,
winter sports, and arts and crafts for people of all ages – a great way to chase
the winter blues away.


CAMBRIDGE FRIENDLY FORUM

It was nice to catch up with those who attended my Friendly Forum on such a wet
day in Cambridge last week and to answer questions and listen to your concerns
so I can better represent you in Parliament. I appreciate your candid questions
and feedback.



This is one of the ways I make myself accessible to my constituents. I represent
everyone in the electorate. You do not have to be a National voter to attend or
seek my assistance!


2025 WAIPĀ NETWORKS BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS

Last week I visited some more Waipā Networks Business Award winners. The Chiro
Lab Ltd chiropractic and functional health clinic in Cambridge was awarded
Excellence in Small Business. Well done team!




LEISURECOM HOMES

Leisurecom Homes build turn-key modular and relocatable homes at their factory
in Cambridge and have built homes for sites as far away as Waiheke and
Matarangi. It's always good to see local businesses creating innovative
solutions to our housing challenges.




SPEIGHT'S TAUPŌ MARATHON

The Speight's Taupō Marathon (2 August) offers everything from the Trail Tiger
Kids' Dash and a 5km run to the full 42.2km marathon and will attract athletes
from far and wide. Standard entry fees apply until 31 July, but to allow time
for your name to be printed on your bib, get your entries in before midnight on
Monday 14 July.

Registration on Friday 1st August 2025 and Saturday 2nd August 2025 (unless sold
out prior) will incur a late fee. Late fees don't apply to the Kids' Dash.


RURAL ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS

Farmers whose incomes have been severely affected by drought can apply for Rural
Assistance Payments
[link removed]
(until 28 October 2025) to help with essential living costs. Apply through the
Ministry of Social Development (0800 559 009) or your local Rural Support Trust
[link removed]


ATTENDING EVENTS

If you are organising an event that you would like me to attend, please contact
my office well in advance (details below). My calendar fills up quickly!

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UPCOMING ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES


FACEBOOK LIVE

You can join me online to discuss the issues that currently concern you on the
second Tuesday of each month. 

To join my next live chat, head to Louise Upston MP | Facebook
[link removed] on Tuesday 8 July 2025 at 8 p.m. and
type your questions or comments.

You can watch the last Facebook Live here
[link removed]

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CLINICS AND FRIENDLY FORUMS

Note: Dates are subject to change.


TAUPŌ FRIENDLY FORUM

Friday, 18 July, 10:00–11:30p.m.

Lake Taupō Rotary, 12 Story Place, Taupō


TAUPŌ CLINIC

Friday, 18 July, 2:00–3:30p.m.

Please call 07 3765563 or email [email protected]
[email protected] for an appointment.


CAMBRIDGE CLINIC

Monday, 4 August, 2:00–3:30p.m.

Please call 07 8275572 or email [email protected]
[email protected] for an appointment.


SOUTH WAIKATO FRIENDLY FORUM – PUTĀRURU

Friday, 15 August, 10:00–11:30p.m.

The Plaza, 50-56 Kensington Street, Putāruru


SOUTH WAIKATO CLINIC – TOKOROA

Friday, 15 August, 2:00–3:00p.m.

Please call 07 8865554 or email [email protected]
[email protected] for an appointment.

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ELECTORATE ASSISTANCE

Cambridge Office:

Phone 07 8275572 or email [email protected]
[email protected]

South Waikato:

Phone 07 8865554 or email [email protected]
[email protected]

Taupō Office:

Phone 07 3765563 or email [email protected]
[email protected]

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