Hi John, There are less than two months until Election Day. Thank you to everyone who packed-out our public meeting with the Prime Minister, and two local meetings with Erica Stanford; we have a lot more coming up this month including Nicola Willis, Mark Mitchell, Simeon Brown, Louise Upston, and the PM is coming back!!
(Firefighters - I'll have a special update for you in two weeks!) What's happened lately?Social media ban for under 16s I LOVE this!! Parenting teens can be tough. Our social media ban for under 16s helps all parents know where to draw the line, and it's much easier to say no when the neighbours are doing the same thing. Social media like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok will be out, WhatsApp and LinkedIn are still ok. It's about apps that have live feeds and continuous scrolling. That is where we see some of the most harmful content. Social media is an amplifier: the good stuff can get better but the bad stuff gets much worse. We believe the negatives far outweigh the positives. This isn't just about stopping young people wasting time online, it's about reducing exposure to harmful behaviour, false expectations, and online bullying. It also helps get them off screens and interacting in real life where you learn the fundamentals of inter-personal relationships in a far more healthy way, and maybe even see our kids spend more time outside in the sunshine instead of mindless scrolling. Rates caps and focussing councils on the basicsWe are capping council rates increases at a maximum (not a target) of 4%. This is a great move! I've seen the local Labour candidate speak out against this (not surprising as she chaired the committee that put rates up 17% in one year and 52% over six years), but I hear every day from our community that they want councils to cut spending, focus on the basics, and stop seeing ratepayers as an endless source of funding. We simply can't afford to keep paying more and more each year. If we put taxes up by 52% there would be an outcry. Labour and their coalition want a bunch of new taxes but National are campaigning on no new taxes and capping council rates. Here are a few other things you might have missed: Free Cervical Screening: We've locked in funding to make cervical screening completely free for all women aged 25 to 69, removing financial barriers to life-saving health checks and ensuring better preventative care right across our community. This sits alongside our expanded age brackets for Bowel and Breast Cancer Screening. Every life we can save matters. Solar for local schools: Our Government is providing solar for six local schools as part of our first round of helping local schools to spend less on power and invest more into the classroom. This is on top of the 50% increase in property funding and six new classrooms for Paraparaumu College. Supporting Kiwi students and graduates: National will reduce the repayment rates for Kiwis who stay and work in NZ (12% to 10%), while increasing penalties for those who go overseas and don't repay their loans. It's all about supporting Kiwis who invest into our country. Lifejackets on small boats: We've passed a law requiring everyone on a small craft (under 6m) to wear a lifejacket or life-preserver. Just like social media, one day we will look back on this like we do now with seatbelts and bike helmets and wonder how there were never more protections in place. I have no doubt this will save lives this summer. Our education plan is working: The results show we're improving in maths, reading and science. Importantly, the gap between those who have a tough start to life and those who started a few steps ahead is closing. This is not a story of the top coming down. It is a story of the bottom coming up.
We need three more years of National so we can cement-in these changes, fix the basics and build our future. Local campaign highlightsIt's only two months until the election. Signs up! Our signs went up this weekend, but if you want one on your fence or your front lawn, reply and let me know. We're looking for a few more spots to spread the message. The most doors! I've knocked thousands of doors to hear directly from our community: last count 6492. Feel free to join me any time you like. Street corners. My street corner meetings continue, and there are still plenty to come: This weekend is Paraparaumu, details below. Please come along and bring a friend.
I'm different to the other candidates. I don't campaign on three months of turning up sometimes, but on three years of consistent hard work, turning up every time, and winning tangible improvements for our community. My background is different too. I come from a life of service, and I bring genuine experience from 23 years in the military, serving in some of the toughest places at home and abroad, and decades as a community volunteer. I don't see this as 'just the next step in a political career' like some: I'm here to serve. I'm proud of what I've achieved for our region over the last three years and I'm asking you to vote for me and give me three more years please. National have delivered significant upgrades for health (particularly local cancer treatment), transport (Ō2NL expressway and new trains under construction) and education (solar on schools, new classrooms, new learning support coordinators, extra property funding). If we want to keep this going, we need to Party Vote National on November 7th. What's coming up?Health Public Meeting: Join Simeon Brown and me, Kapiti Impact Hub, Wednesday September 30th, 4.30-6pm. School Holiday Mini-golf fun: Join Mark Mitchell and me, Golf for Good, Mazengarb Reserve, Monday October 5th, 11am-12pm. First-responder and defence drinks: Join Mark Mitchell and me, The Jolly, Monday October 5th from 5.30-6.30pm. Business morning tea: Join Nicola Willis and me, Urban Bake House, Ulric St, Plimmerton, Tuesday October 6th, 10am. Campaign Rally: Join Nicola Willis and me as we start the one month countdown! Waikanae Golf Club, Tuesday October 6th, 5.30-7pm.
Street corner meetingsFind me at a street corner near you! Our plan to fix the basics and build the futureHere’s what we’ve shared so far (click each title for more info): Home energy fund. National will help Kiwis to reduce their power bills by supporting them to electrify their own homes, farms, and small businesses. It’s good to see Labour and other parties copying part of our plan but you need to Vote National to be sure it will happen. Kiwisaver. We will lift KiwiSaver contributions to 12% by 2032, matching Australia’s rate, ensuring Kiwis have financial security in retirement. Tougher sentences for sexual offending. National will abolish good character assessments at sentencing for all sexual offending, Next one billion customers. National has a plan to connect New Zealand businesses with nearly one billion potential new customers around the world. Building our future. National will make it easier to build shops, offices and other commercial buildings by removing unnecessary delays and costs in the building consent system. Modernising consent. National will modernise sexual consent laws to specify there must always be a "yes," rather than an absence of a “no." 10 reasons why Here are ten local things I'm proud of (or click for the video): The new breast cancer clinic we opened in Waikanae, with expanded free access up to 74 years, alongside expanded free access for bowel cancer screening. The new cancer clinic coming to Kapiti so local patients can get treatment closer to home, 33 new cancer treatments funded, and free cervical screening for all women aged 25-69. The new expressway to Levin already under construction. New electric trains coming for Ōtaki, multiple times each day, including weekends. A 50% increase for school property funding, and six new classrooms at Paraparaumu College, solar on the roof of six local schools. Learning support coordinators for every primary school. Structured learning is improving results for our children, which is showing immediate improvement in results. Funding for Ōtaki River cliff protection, Ngā Manu for conversation protection, and local tourism. Extra funding for the Kapiti health shuttle, and for Bellyful to support local mental health work. Fast-track legislation to support almost 7000 new homes across the region, and a reservoir and wastewater in Pukerua Bay.
That's it for this month.
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