After a crazy year... voting opens tomorrow in the 2020 Election

Voting opens TOMORROW!
Dear John,

Can you believe it - voting opens tomorrow in the election! I've had quite a few people ask me where the booths are located - if you click here ([link removed]) and punch in your address, it will bring up the nearest booth to you, both in the advance vote period and also on election day.

Speaking of the advance vote period - if you can help me out in the next couple of weeks, I'd really appreciate it! Just drop me a message (mailto:[email protected]?subject=I%20can%20help) and I'll come back to you. In particular over the next couple of weeks we need people to scrutineer in polling booths (everything is supplied for you and it's super easy) both during the week and on election day itself. You can also click here ([link removed]) to make a donation to my campaign. Plenty of other ways to help, too! Thank you to everyone who has been delivering my final letter to Hutt South voters - hope you liked it!

It is a huge privilege to be the MP for Hutt South and I'm asking for the support of Hutt residents so I can keep working hard and getting things done for the Hutt in the next term of Parliament. Click here ([link removed]) to watch my latest video - it's from Graeme, who is a Labour supporter, but he's voting for me in the election. In the video he explains why. Watch out for another couple of videos on Facebook in the next couple of weeks too. If you like them, make sure you click "SHARE" so more people see them!

While the campaign has obviously kept me busy, normal constituency work also continues during this time and it's been a pleasure to be out and about at a range of community events, like visiting Hutt Intermediate, hosting award-winning young hip-hop duos in my office, attending the Bulwagan Foundation fundraising dinner, the Te Omanga annual fundraising lunch, and more.

Transport has been in the news in the last week or so. National is committed to getting on with the second Mt Vic tunnel, a critical project for Wellington, but other parties are less keen. ([link removed]) Hilariously, local Labour MP for Rongotai Paul Eagle actually supports a second tunnel. ([link removed]) The whole Let's Get Wellington Moving programme is in a bit of a crisis too, and now new business cases are being delayed. ([link removed]) I'm really proud of National's transport plan for the Hutt ([link removed]) - the Cross Valley Link, more money for
trains, Petone to Grenada, and more.

If you're interested, here's week two of my campaign diary. (http:// [link removed]) for Newsroom. Features driving a local Labour Party member home after a Meet the Candidates meeting!

Have a great Friday and enjoy the weekend. See you soon!

P.S Had a few people ask me about robopolling going on in Hutt South - it’s done by an automated voice and asks you to pick candidates and parties. Had a LOT of messages about it in the last couple of days. Just want to make clear it’s not my team doing this. I’ve been doing a lot of phone calling around the Hutt but it’s all done by me and my hard working team - we don’t use robopolls.
I'd love your help!
[link removed]
When you’re delivering letters but Ladyhawke isn’t interested in helping 🙂
Letters from me are hitting mailboxes now.Thank you to the many people helping me deliver them. Really appreciate the support. I never ask volunteers to do things I won’t do myself so always try and do a few hundred letters myself. If you’re keen to help out on the campaign in the next couple of weeks then please let me know - plenty of things to do!
Hutt Population
This graph is a fascinating insight into how the Hutt has been on a growth tear in recent years. When I was growing up in the 1990s, the Hutt population was pretty stable at around 100,000 people. By 2013, the population was still just over 100,000 people. But from about 2013 our population shot up quickly - and we're now at around 109,000 people.

This has had big consequences for the Hutt, notably on housing and transport. While our population has increased, housing supply and our infrastructure has not kept pace. We can see the effects of that in housing affordability, record rent rises, a record social housing waiting list, homelessness, congestion in and around the Hutt and on SH2.

My focus as MP for Hutt South is fighting hard for the necessary investments our city needs to tackle our current and future housing and transport challenges.

Whatever the shape of the next government - I'll keep fighting hard for the investments our city needs. In the coming days you'll see a range of posts from me linked to this one. I look forward to the debate and discussion that I'm sure will ensue!
Airport Flyer Update
I've published a long update on what the latest is on the Airport Flyer. Check it out here. ([link removed]) Here are my views and what I am working towards as your local MP:

1. The Hutt needs a direct Hutt-Airport bus service.
2. The service must accept snapper and appear on the real-time boards. In time, it should be part of the integrated ticketing network too.
3. Personally I don’t really care if it is a commercial (non-subsidised) service OR a subsidised service run by the regional council – we just need the service to exist. If the above is only achievable by the Regional Council running the service, then so be it.
Bulwagan Foundation Trust Dinner
What a brilliant night on Saturday at the Bulwagan Foundation Trust fundraising dinner on Saturday, celebrating five years of the community centre. So lovely to catch up with old friends in the Filipino community.
Congrats Jessica and Paighton
On Friday last week Jessica McCarthy and Paighton Nankivell Waihi stopped by my office so I could congratulate them on their recent stunning success in the New Zealand National Primary/Intermediate Hiphop competition held in the Lower Hutt Events Centre recently. Jessica and Paighton won the "mini crew" section as Nova, and also won the "small crew" section as part of Zest. They also won the Cadet Duo category as part of competing for World Qualification at the Hiphop Unite competition.

Well done to Jessica and Paighton and all the team at Hero Dance Company in Alicetown. It's awesome seeing Hutt young people doing so well!
Transport in the Hutt
The contrast between the parties couldn't be clearer on one of the big issues facing the Hutt: our transport infrastructure. National has a plan to progressively upgrade our trains, cycleways, state highways, and roads over the next decade, including building critical new projects like the Cross Valley Link and Petone to Grenada. Labour's plan consists of Melling - belatedly funded thanks to public pressure after it was delayed to 2028 - and two other cycling projects - but that's it.

I'm really proud of our ambitious and integrated plan. Congestion is choking the Hutt and our multimodal and massive investment in the Hutt will get us moving, improve safety, increase resilience, and help drive our economy forward.
Visit to BJC Elements

Really enjoyed my visit to BJC Elements with Mark Crofskey this week. BJC is a great Naenae company, which began trading in 1946. These days they make electric heating elements, wire assembly solutions and associated components, exporting all over the world.
Some of the machinery is quite amazing - a great part of Technology Valley!
Thanks Kean for the tour.
Public Service Announcement

Saw the final of political satire ‘Public Service Announcement’ at Circa a couple of weeks ago with Nicola Willis. Simon Leary played an uncanny impersonation of me. Jenna thought he was hilarious! A great night.
Meet the Candidates
Yesterday we had our final Meet the Candidates session for Hutt South - voting opens tomorrow! It's been a real privilege to spend time with these fantastic people over the last few weeks. While we disagree on many things, we've always shown respect for each other and never got personal.

(Few people missing from the photo but I couldn't find one with all of us in it!)
Garden to Table
Home ec has changed a bit since my day! I had a lot of fun calling in on Hutt Intermediate students participating in ‘Garden to Table’, which teaches kids about how to grow, harvest prepare and share fresh food. Hutt Intermediate has a garden which the students look after, and they use the veges to make delicious meals. The day I visited we made scrumptious greens and cheese fritters - yum!
Mental Health Awareness Week
Last week was Mental Health Awareness Week and I wanted to shout out to the awesome Year 13s at Hutt Valley High who organised a big march for mental health last month. This is the third annual march and a big event on the school calendar and it’s all organised by the student leaders. We marched from Hutt High along the river trail to the Kennedy Good Bridge and then all the way back again! Just under 10 kilometres. Fair to say I really enjoyed the sausage sizzle at the end. Well done to Ollie, Tom and the wider student leadership team for an exceptional event on such an important topic.
Ladyhawke
Not many walks for just me and Ladyhawke recently (bit on...). She seems happy!

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