Hi John, here’s your September update.

Come join me and National’s leader, Rt Hon Christopher Luxon, for a cuppa and a
chat in the Plimmerton/Whitby area!



* Tuesday September 23rd, 10am

* Whitby/Plimmerton (location confirmed after RSVP)

* Koha appreciated to cover cost of venue and tea/coffee

* RSVP essential at this link: [link removed]

This will be a relaxed, informal event where you’ll hear directly from the PM.
He’ll be interviewed by local resident and veteran sports broadcaster Bryan
Waddle. There’ll be time to mingle, ask questions, and have a yarn with both of
us. Or you can submit questions in advance when you RSVP below:

REGISTER FOR MORNING TEA HERE [link removed]


IN THIS MONTHS UPDATE:

* New electorate boundaries

* How you can help

* New trains for our region

* What's trending?

* Learning support for our schools

* In the news

* New weekly updates

* Calling all Over 60s

* Local events

* Upcoming events

Don't miss the chance below to get involved in one of our special ethnic or
special interest group events, or to become part of my team locally. I really
would love some more help at volunteer events. Message me please if you're
interested to know more.


NEW ELECTORATE BOUNDARIES

A quick reminder: The Kapiti Electorate now covers all of Kapiti and a bit more:
from Ōtaki to Whitby and everywhere in between. All of Horowhenua shifts into
the Rangitikei electorate.

If you live in, or know anyone in, the new Kāpiti Electorate, I'd love to hear
from you. Please reply to this email and let's connect.


HOW YOU CAN HELP

With new electorate boundaries comes new opportunity. First, I need to build a
local team of supporters. You're not committed to anything, but it means we can
let you know when events are coming up, you can contribute to policy, be part of
little campaigns (like flyer deliveries) or fundraisers. If you would be willing
to go on my supports list please reply to this email.

If you want to pay the $5 required by law to join National, let me know that
too. We need about another 100 local members to steer the local direction of
National. If you want a say then sign up today.
[link removed]


NEW TRAINS FOR OUR REGION

How good is this!

I joined Transport Minister Chris Bishop at Wellington Station last Monday to
announce the Government is investing $802.9m to purchase new battery-electric
trains for our region! The 18 new trains will deliver faster and more frequent
services for everyone from Wellington to Palmerston North, including off-peak
and weekend services.

This is a game changer for Kapiti and Horowhenua, and something we've promised
for years we would do if elected to Government. I can't wait to jump onboard one
when they arrive in 2029.




LEARNING SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOLS

The biggest thing that Principals and local schools have spoken to me about is
learning support. Learning Support Coordinators, or LSCs, were introduced in
2019, and promised to be rolled out widely, but they never were. Only some
schools ever got them, and in our region that means if you live south of Ōtaki
then you’re probably out of luck, as principals have often reminded me.

LSCs are qualified teachers who work with neurodiverse students and those with
additional learning needs. They’re the ones who help navigate additional
specialist support. They are highly valued, and we need more of them.

We're fixing this.

From day one of school next year, 11 extra schools across the Kapiti and Porirua
regions will have new LSCs and then within two years every single school in our
region and around the country will have access to their own dedicated LSC, and
that will directly help our children, and schools, to be their very best.

This is the support teachers and parents have been crying out for. It doesn’t
really matter who promised it, we are delivering it because it will help our
kids achieve their very best. As one local principal wrote to the Minister last
week:

I would also like to thank you for the recent allocation of a Learning Support
Coordinator to our school. This will make a significant difference to our
learners, staff, and whānau. Thank you for your support, the work you and your
staff are doing for education, and for listening to the voices of school
leaders. 


WHAT'S TRENDING?

Here are the three biggest things people have been following on my social media
(click to watch):

* New helicopters for the Navy [link removed]

* Newstalk ZB weekly debate
[link removed]

* Trusting our Defence Force (speech)
[link removed]




IN THE NEWS

Here's a few headlines you might have seen:

* Was Tākuta Ferris being racist? Yes. Te Pāti Māori MP Tākuta Ferris
criticised Kiwis of various ethnicities for helping with the recent
by-election campaign. I don't want to live in a country divided up into two
very distinct groups, based entirely on ethnicity with no concept of
character, of contribution to community, and most of all of the value we all
hold as Kiwi. I'm really concerned about where TPM, or any coalition they are
part of, would take this country. We need to stand up to this bad behaviour.

* Why are the Green Party supporting intimidation? Their senior whip wrote an
official letter of support, on official letterhead, to support the vandal
convicted of painting fake blood over National MPs' offices. The behaviour
was intimidating, and if a National MP wrote a letter of support I doubt they
would still have a job. This in the same week where a Green MP resigned
because of intimidation. Hypocritical?

* What's happening in Wellington Hospital's ED? The hospital and the staff are
great, but the ED has some of the worst wait-times. Labour abolished
wait-time targets in 2018 and ever since wait-times have plummeted from 89%
getting seen within 6hrs, to only 67%. We brought the targets back and it's
already up to 74%, but more is needed. We're investing $1bn into hospital
infrastructure, building a new ED with 36 extra beds and 36 extra out-patient
consulting spaces. On top of that we're funding more nurses, more doctors,
and new after-hours and urgent care, including Palmerston North, Levin, the
Hutt, and saving Kenepuru. This means less people will need to go to the ED
to reduce pressure and wait-times even further.

* Is life getting more affordable? Slowly. Butter might cost $3.30 more but
your mortgage costs $330 less each fortnight. Inflation has stabilised
(meaning prices stop racing up like they did under Labour) and interest
rates, rents and house prices are down and this gives young families a chance
to get ahead. At the final Electra Business Breakfast on Thursday, ANZ Chief
Economist Sharon Zollner spoke of a brightening future, after years of
wasteful spending and a "deliberately precipitated recession." Ultimately she
described our economy as "good-to-go again." As 40% of Kiwis re-fix mortgages
at much lower rates over the next three months, more money will flow into
families, into businesses and around our region. This is a good thing that
should give us just a little confidence.


NEW WEEKLY UPDATES

Have you seen I'm putting out a weekly video update, explaining one current
issue each week. They come out every Tuesday at 5pm, they're only two minutes,
and you can find them on TikTok [link removed] Instagram
[link removed] or Facebook
[link removed] Watch the first few here:

* Inflation and cost of living - Facebook
[link removed] | Instagram
[link removed]

* OCR and mortgage rates - Facebook
[link removed] | Instagram
[link removed]

* Learning support for schools - Facebook
[link removed] | Instagram
[link removed]

I'm also keen to hear if you would like other weekly email updates, such as
recent Government announcements, what I'm working on, or what's happening in
different policy areas. Send me your feedback and let me know if you want more
or if you're happy with one big monthly email.




CALLING ALL OVER 60S

Please join us for a special morning tea with Upper Harbour MP Cameron Brewer.

* Raumati South Bowling Club

* 10am - 11.30am

* $10 per person including morning tea

* RSVP helpful (but not essential) to Lorraine [email protected]
[email protected]


LOCAL EVENTS

It's been a really busy month, but I guess it always is. Here's a wee taste of
where I've been: Kāpiti Chocolate Factory, the blessing and then the first soil
turning for Golf for Good, Primary School winter sports tournament, Stanmore
Farm, a variety of local businesses, The Cultural Diversity Festival,
Paraparaumu College supported learning team and dance troupe, Westpac Bank to
meet the team, Kapiti Women in Business, Science Roadshow at Kapakapanui School,
Carters' Tradie Breakfast, Mary Potter Fundraiser Dinner, KCDC Citizenship
Ceremony, Birth Right Kāpiti, Raukawa Housing Charitable Trust, Filipino
Salu-Salo celebration, Wellington on a Plate High Tea, the final Electra
Business Breakfast, Birthright, Big Egg, Onam celebrations with our Indian
community in Kapiti and Horowhenua (and Palmerston North too) Breakfast, and the
Te Horo School Fair.

I also held pop-up clinics in Ōtaki, Whitby and Plimmerton, and visited a wide
range of businesses in my buddy electorate of Mana (also part of the new Kapiti
electorate).

I hosted Minister for Women, Horticulture and Trade Nicola Grigg, and we had a
fantastic day meeting with women in business and in horticulture, and I also
hosted Auckland MPs Rima Nahkle and Paulo Garcia. Thanks to all who attended
these events.


CELEBRATING OUR ETHNIC DIVERSITY

Perhaps the most memorable night was the special Salu-Salo or Filipino
celebration I ran, hosting New Zealand's first Filipino MP Paulo Garcia, and the
Filipino Ambassador, HE Kira Christianne D. Azucena. It was an amazing night of
celebration with food, dance and music, all made magic by our local Filipino
community.

I've run events for Filipino, South African, social services, seniors, youth and
business, and this week I'm running a special morning tea for local JPs. The
next one will be a cricket match for local Indian families. If you want to help
organise something for one of our special communities, let me know!




UPCOMING EVENTS

Still plenty to join in at:

* September

* 23 - Morning tea with the PM

* October

* 6 - Quiz night, Kāpiti 

* 10 - Super blues (over 60s) morning tea with Cameron Brewer, MP for Upper
Harbour. Raumati South Bowling Club, 10.30am, $10. All welcome, see you
there. RSVP helpful but not essential to Lorraine via email -
[email protected]@outlook.com [email protected].

* Special dinner club fundraiser with Chris Penk. Email me if you're
interested to know more.

* November

* 7 - Super blues (over 60s) morning tea

* 13 - Under 60s drinks and canapés fundraiser with Erica Stanford, $100 per
person, 7-9pm Waikanae.

* 23 - Supporters Christmas lunch, Wellington - let me know if you're keen!

* December

* 6 - Kāpiti Food Fair - join us at our stall

That's it for this month.

Best wishes,



Tim

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www.national.org.nz [link removed]-

41 Pipitea Street
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New Zealand

Authorised by Tim Costley, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

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